ISAO MATSUOKA OF TOHO CO. TO RECEIVE SHOWEST INTERNATIONAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Photo by Stephen Thorburn

LOS ANGELES – Isao Matsuoka, chairman of Toho Co., Ltd., will receive the ShoWest International Lifetime Achievement Award, it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of ShoWest. Matsuoka will be presented with this special honor at the International Day Luncheon on Monday, March 12 at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas. The prestigious award is given to companies that distinguish themselves as having the most success in the international exhibition arena and make significant strides to further the industry.

"ShoWest is honored to salute the exceptional leaders in exhibition every year such as Isao Matsuoka and Toho Co., Ltd.," noted Mitch Neuhauser. "Matsuoka and Toho Co. continue to raise the standards of excellence when it comes to providing the highest quality of business from its repertoire of film production and exhibition to film programming and live theatre production in Japan. We look forward to presenting the award to Chairman Matsuoka in Las Vegas where he will personally accept this great honor."

Mr. Matsuoka, who joined the Toho Co. in 1957 following his graduation from Konan University, is currently the Chairman of the company—a position he has held since 1995. He is credited with helping to establish Toho as the number one film production, distribution, exhibition and live theater production company in Japan. In 1977, Mr. Matsuoka took the reign as the president of Toho and revolutionized the company with innovative ideas and bold reforms at a time when the company and the industry were particularly stagnant. He created the film programming department and consolidated the department with marketing, distribution and exhibition departments under the business headquarters to assist in streamlining the film business and maximizing the company’s revenue.

Established in 1932 and known as the leading entertainment conglomerate in Japan, Toho Co, Ltd. is known worldwide for unleashing its Godzilla monster films which have fascinated fans across the globe. With masterful classics such as Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Kagemusha, Toho’s films have become part of history with more than 13 prestigious international film awards since 1954 including recognition at the Venice International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival in the last 20 years. Toho is also one of the major producers and exhibitors of live theatre production in Japan pioneering the introduction of Broadway and West End musicals to the Japanese audience beginning with My Fair Lady in 1963 and eventually including Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Scarlet, Gone with the Wind, and Roman Holiday.

Toho’s film exhibition department saw the biggest change in its history last October when it consolidated with TOHO Cinemas Ltd., formerly Virgin Cinemas Japan which it purchased in 2003 from Virgin Group of Great Britain. Toho plans to further consolidate its four other local film exhibition companies with TOHO Cinemas Ltd. to strengthen its position as the number one exhibitor in Japan eventually owning and operating nearly 500 screens with ticket sales of approximately 50 billion Japanese Yen when the 2nd stage consolidation is completed in March 2008. Toho is currently renovating its studios and state-of-the art post production facilities to accommodate worldwide productions and to reaffirm its position as a leading company of motion pictures.

ShoWest is the largest annual convention for the motion picture industry. It is the only international gathering devoted exclusively to the movie business and the single largest international gathering of motion picture professionals and theatre owners in the world. The 2007 edition of ShoWest will be held March 12 –15, 2007 at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas and is expected to draw more than 5,000 members of the motion picture industry. Each year, ShoWest attracts delegates from more than 50 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. ShoWest is managed by Nielsen Business Media, a division of The Nielsen Company.