Mitsubishi Electric Group to Support Capable Men and Women in the Field of Movie Production Through a Digital Media Lab Film Foundation

- Mitsubishi Electric Announces Activities to Support Students at the Tisch School of the Arts, Institute of Film & Television Graduate Division at New York University-

Tokyo, October 17, 1997 -- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Takashi Kitaoka, president) has promoted the multimedia business for a long time. The provision of attractive content represents a particularly important element of the multimedia business. As a result, Mitsubishi Electric Group companies established Digital Media Lab Inc. (DML) in March 1995 as the comprehensive contents provider of the Mitsubishi Electric Group.

As an enterprise aiming to meet diverse content needs, including images, sounds, and data based on computer graphics technology, DML founded the Digital Media Lab Film Foundation in Los Angeles in the United States in October 1995, with a view to contributing to human resources development through bilateral exchanges of capable men and women in the field of movie production, which it regards as a comprehensive base for multimedia contents. In the two years since its foundation, the DML Film Foundation has sent nine individuals to Sight and Sound, a six-week summer movie course held at New York University. It has thus provided opportunities for young film makers to receive orthodox film-making education through actual involvement in movie production, and it has offered them a forum for international exchanges. DML plans to send three to five students to the U.S. again next year to give them an opportunity to study film production, so it will begin accepting scholarship applications on November 1, 1997.

In addition, this is to announce the latest development in the work of the DML Film Foundation. In order to give focused support to a narrower group of talented film makers, the Film Foundation will provide assistance to support the graduation production of a student at the Tisch School of the Arts, Institute of Film & Television Graduate Division at New York University.

DML Film Foundation: Plan for 1998 Activity

Objective: To support and nurture distinguished personalities who aspire to create movies as comprehensive art forms.

Study and scholarship plan:

1. Three to five students will be sent to the U.S. to spend the summer semester studying at New York University.

2. Financial support will be granted to one graduate student of the Tisch School of the Arts, Institute of Film & Television Graduate Division, New York University, for the production of his/her graduation film.

Nature of support:

1. Support for students sent to the U.S. includes:

• Air fare to the U.S., living expenses, and tuition fees.

2. Financial support for the production of a graduate student's graduation film.:

• US$30,000

Schedule:

1. Schedule for scholarship applications and awards:

• November 1997 Applications are accepted.

• February 1998 Scholarship awardees are announced.

• July 1998 Selected students are sent to New York.

2. Schedule for support of graduation film production:

• April 1988 The film selected for support is announced.

• May 1988 Shooting starts.

Address: Los Angeles, California,U.S.A.

Executive office in Japan:
Digital Media Lab Inc.
Tel Well Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Fund Size: US$200,000 (donation by DML)

Board Members:

Chairman: David Irving, Chair Tisch School of the Arts, Institute of Film & Television Graduate Division at New York University
Shotaro Uchiyama, Professor of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Joyce S. Jun, Attorney at Law
Shigeaki Yamaoka, President of Digital Media Lab Inc.
Nobuyoshi Muto, Associated Companies Operations Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

In order to satisfy in a diversified manner the demand for contents, which is an important component of the multimedia business, Digital Media Lab Inc. (DML) has worked on the research and development and production of a broad range of products that integrate images, sounds, and data based on digital technology, extending from package media to network media, since its foundation in March 1995. DML aims to achieve growth as a comprehensive contents provider.

In the image business, understood as a comprehensive art form among the various types of contents in the multimedia business, it is particularly important to nurture capable men and women and it is essential to ensure contact with distinguished personalities in the worldwide movie business.

It is our aim to further deepen relations between people engaged in movie production in Japan and in the rest of the world through the activities of the DML Film Foundation, which we created for the purpose of supporting and nurturing distinguished personalities with a strong desire to produce movies.

Profile of Digital Media Lab Inc.

Address: Grove Building, 2-17-46, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-3505-8060 (key number) / Fax: 03-3505-8058

Incorporation: March 1, 1995

Capital: 140 million yen

Shareholders: Ad Melco Corp., Meldac Corp., and Mitsubishi Electric Information Network Corp.

Line of business: Based on digital technology and creativity, DML engages in the planning and production of all kinds of digital contents, ranging from package media to network media. It is also involved in the business of movies, music, and development of multimedia applications based on merchandising characters. In addition, it is applying itself in other broad fields with a view to achieving growth as a comprehensive contents provider. Its efforts along these lines include collaboration with Internet service providers and drawing up strategic plans for entry into the education and publishing businesses.

Reference: Listed below are examples of DML's involvement in the movie business to date.

Movies for which the distribution rights in Japan have been purchased

(1) Four Rooms

(2) The English Patient

(3) Marvin's Room

(4) Copland

(5) Shanghai Triad

Movies in which it has invested in production (European movies)

(1) Catching Fire (filming in progress)

(2) Pola X (filming in progress)

Movies in which it has invested in production (Asian movies)

(1) Bag of Rice (Iran) -- formal entry in the Berlin Film Festival and other festivals

1. Dukhai (Bangladesh) -- formal entry in the Fukuoka Film Festival

(3) Watashitachi ga suki datta koto (What We Used to Like) -- formal entry in the Montreal International Film Festival