LONG BEACH, Calif., April 10, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Demonstrating its commitment to the independent filmmaker worldwide, Epson, manufacturer of the number-one selling global projector brand(1), awarded winners in four categories at the 5th annual Vail Film Festival, sponsored by Best Life Magazine, with an Epson PowerLite(r) Pro Cinema 1080 UB projector. The film categories include: Best Film, Audience Award, Best Documentary, and Reel Quick 48 Hour.
The award-winning Epson Pro Cinema 1080 UB uses advanced 3LCD technology to provide true 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) resolution and contrast ratios measuring up to 50,000:1. The Pro Cinema 1080 UB will allow each of the winning film makers to view, screen and edit films with stunningly accurate image quality and detail.
With 83 films screened, the Festival showcased a variety of the year's best independent films from across the globe. Awards for this year's Best Film, Audience, Best Documentary, and Reel Quick 48 Hour categories were presented to:
* Best Film -- Fix; directed by Tao Ruspoli * Audience Award -- Adventures of Power; directed by Ari Gold * Best Documentary -- Flow: For Love of Water; directed by Irena Salina * Reel Quick 48 Hour -- Unicorn Hunter
"This year's Vail Film Festival award winners demonstrated that there are no limits to creative excellence and innovative thinking -- a belief that Epson shares as well," said Mike Isgrig, director of multimedia projection products, Epson America. "We are honored to be a part of the festival and to be in a position to offer these extremely talented filmmakers home theater projectors that can play a part in their future success, and of course their movie watching enjoyment. The Pro Cinema 1080 UB delivers amazing video performance and visual impact, allowing any filmmaker to showcase their work in the best possible light."
The Pro Cinema 1080 UB incorporates the latest 3LCD optical engine -- the D7 chip set with C2Fine(tm) and new UltraBlack(tm) technology -- for a professional home theater projector designed to deliver incredible blacks with excellent tone response, ideal for filmmakers to view, screen and edit films. In addition, the Pro Cinema 1080 UB offers brightness levels up to 1,600 lumens with an extended color gamut that ensures natural and accurate colors, maximizing the viewing experiences of virtually any high definition content.
"High definition is the most important thing in the world today," said Tao Ruspoli, winner of the Best Film category. "Now with high definition, you can alter colors more subtly, and do things that are more of a conscious and deliberate cinematic expression."
In addition, Scott Cross, co-founder and co-director of the Vail Film Festival said, "This year's Festival was a phenomenal success, bringing together and recognizing the best in the industry. Participation from leading organizations like Epson demonstrates the industry's commitment to fostering independent cinema and creative filmmaking."
About 3LCD Technology
3LCD is the world's leading projection technology, delivering unbelievably bright and natural color, amazing detail and road-tested reliability. Using an advanced, 3-chip design, 3LCD offers full-time color for brilliant quality images without the possibility of color break-up. 3LCD is based on LCD technology, which is used by leading manufacturers worldwide for the ultimate viewing experience in a variety of products. For the latest list of companies supporting 3LCD technology in projectors and large screen TVs visit the 3LCD website at http://www.3LCD.com.
About Epson America Inc.
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography, and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.
Note: Epson and PowerLite are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. Epson is a registered trademark and E-TORL is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. C2Fine, UltraBlack, and OptiCinema are trademarks of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.
(1) Based upon Q2 2007 worldwide front projection market share estimates from Pacific Media Associates. Epson Home Entertainment Projectors Shine at Vail Film Festival