NEW YORK, NY (September 9, 2003) - Central Park Media is pleased to announce the selection of Grave Of The Fireflies Collector's Series Edition as one of the Top 100 Best DVD Films. The only anime film to fall within the top half of the list ahead of all-time classics such as Citizen Kane, Grave Of The Fireflies was selected as number five on the overall list by the judges of DVD Verdict. All films were ranked based on their movie score (a straight average of DVD Verdict's Acting and Story review scores) and technical score (a weighted average of the Video, Audio, and Extras scores).

"Central Park Media is exceptionally proud to receive this significant recognition for Grave of the Fireflies as one of the Top 100 Best DVD Films among such highly notable films in the industry," said Sam Napolitano, Director of Sales, Central Park Media. "Grave of the Fireflies is a true classic and should be part of every anime fan's collection."

Awarded 1st Prize in the "Best Animated Feature" and "Rights of the Child" categories at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, Grave of the Fireflies, from the studio that created Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke, tells the story of two orphaned and homeless children, who set out to survive on their own in post-World War II Japan. But in the face of a society that is no longer able to help them, they begin to realize that they can never escape the hardships of war.

The Grave of the Fireflies Collector's Series Edition 2-disc set includes:

• Storyboard Alternate Angle Feature (view entire program in
  storyboard form!)
• Anamorphic Widescreen Format
• English & Japanese with English Subtitles
• Bonus DVD Features Include:
  • Interview with Director Isao Takahata
  • Interview with Original Author Akiyuki Nosaka
  • Interview with Film Critic Roger Ebert
  • Biographies: Akiyuki Nosaka and Isao Takahata
  • Historical Perspective: Commentary by Professor Theodore F. Cook & Professor Haruko Taya Cook
  • Video Restoration Documentary
  • Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
  • Art Gallery
  • U.S. Trailer
• DVD-ROM Features: Script, Additional Storyboards. Art
  Gallery, Cast & Production Credits... and more!

Central Park Media has been a leading supplier of anime in the United States since 1990. The company currently manufactures and distributes three home entertainment lines, each offering anime product for a distinct and discriminating audience: U. S. Manga Corps, Central Park Media and Software Sculptors. In addition, Central Park Media also distributes a broad array of live action Japanese feature films under its Asia Pulp Cinema label.