June 25, 2009

Yoshiyuki Tomino announced as guest of honor at NYAF

Director Of Gundam Celebrates Saga's 30th Anniversary In NYC

Norwalk, CT, June 22, 2009: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced that legendary Japanese director Yoshiyuki Tomino will attend its 2009 event as a Guest of Honor. The 2009 New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention from the creators of New York Comic Con, will take place September 25-27, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. Mr. Tomino's most prolific work, Mobile Suit Gundam, premiered in 1979, and he will appear at the New York Anime Festival to sign autographs and speak about his history, philosophy, and experiences connected with Gundam's 30-year history.

Yoshiyuki Tomino, born November 5, 1941 in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, began his animation career at Mushi Productions where he scripted and storyboarded the classic anime series Astro Boy. Going on to direct, Mr. Tomino has overseen numerous series including Aura Battler Dunbine, Brain Powerd, Overman King Gainer, and The Wings of Rean. His longest-lasting legacy is Mobile Suit Gundam, a genre-breaking series first broadcast in 1979, which is noted for defining the current realistic portrayal of robots in Japanese animation. The original Mobile Suit Gundam series has been followed by numerous sequels and spin-offs, and the saga continues today with its latest entry -- Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn) -- debuting this winter in Japan.

"The New York Anime Festival is honored to welcome one of the legends of Japanese animation," NYAF Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "There is now a generation that's been born and raised with Gundam, and we very much want to bring Mr. Tomino and these American fans together to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of his iconic series."

To join in Gundam's 30th Anniversary celebration, Anime News Network -- the largest anime news website in the world -- has published a new interview with Mr. Tomino simultaneously with this announcement. When asked by Anime News Network if he had a message for his American fans, Mr. Tomino said, "I only have feelings of gratitude in my heart towards fans that have taken an interest in my works, even if just for a moment. I am truly grateful. So, as long as I can create works, I hope to invoke that sense of realism through anime and similar visual and expressive media. I believe that the symbolic expressive abilities of anime will always present new opportunities, so I look forward to what the younger generation will produce."

The full interview is now online at AnimeNewsNetwork.com.

For more information about the New York Anime Festival and Mr. Tomino's roll in it, visit NYAF's official website (www.newyorkanimefestival.com) and blog (www.mediumatlarge.net). The New York Anime Festival will announce additional guests, screenings, concerts, and special events throughout the summer and fall. Tickets are on sale now.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:
The New York Anime Festival takes place September 25-27, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. Further information can be found at newyorkanimefestival.com.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS:
The New York Anime Festival is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading events organizer. In 2007, Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and organized by 39 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2006, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,052 million on turnover of £5,398 million.

######