SORRY R-PATTZ, JOHNNY'S NUMBER ONE: CANADIANS NAME TOP CELEBRITY PICKS FOR 3D
ENTERTAINMENT

Panasonic Canada announces partnership with Toronto International Film Festival

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 9 /CNW/ - With this summer's 3D mania, ever wonder which actor Canadians most want to see step out of their screens? Well, wonder no more.  Just in time for the Toronto International Film Festival^®, the versatile Johnny Depp nabs the top spot as the actor Canadians most want to see in 3D (35%), and renaissance man, George Clooney grabs one-quarter of Canadians' votes in second place from a list of nominees, according to the Panasonic Picks Poll conducted by Harris/Decima. While men get the nod on this 3D list, a few notable females also make the cut, such as Transformers' Megan Fox (9%) and Canadian actress Rachel McAdams (5%), both of whom outrank Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson (3%).

And it's not just celeb appeal. This year, Canadians also weighed in on nominated top movie classics to view in 3D and it was a tight race. Titanic takes the #1 spot with nearly a quarter (24%) of Canadians, followed closely by Star Wars Episode IV (22%) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (20%). Even a long-standing favourite like the Wizard of Oz (13%), and more recent action thriller Bourne Identity (6%) make the grade.

But guess what? For the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, there might be a chance to see these celebs - live and in 3D - as today Panasonic announces a new partnership with the Festival.

"We are delighted to be the official 3D HDTV provider for the 2010 Festival," says Ian Kilvert, General Manager, Corporate Brand Management, Panasonic Canada. "From developing the world's first 3D Full HD Plasma home theatre system prototype¹, to working with key industry partners and leaders in the making of Hollywood 3D productions, Panasonic has a rich history of bringing Hollywood into Canadian living rooms - and now this technology can be seen at one of the largest film festivals in the world."

Red Carpet in 3D

Headed to Roy Thompson Hall for a film? Beginning on September 9, Panasonic's booth at Roy Thompson Hall will give attendees the opportunity to watch the red carpet Galas unfold in 3D.  Using Panasonic technology to capture the action on the red carpet, viewers will see the video inside in the special home theatre set-up.

In addition, from September 10 - 12 and again from September 17 - 19, The Panasonic Posers street teams will be set up at Yonge-Dundas Square in the heart of Toronto. Passers-by are invited to experience the Hollywood red carpet treatment by stepping in front of Panasonic's soon to be released 3D consumer camcorder with their best celeb pose. These 'stars' can then check themselves out in 3D by donning Panasonic glasses inside the nearby tent.

"We are very pleased to welcome Panasonic on board as a new sponsor for this year's Festival," says Piers Handling, Director and CEO TIFF. "Partnering with Panasonic, a leader in the field of 3D, we are thrilled to be able to shine a spotlight on this innovative and precedent setting technology."

Hollywood to Home

Since 1995, Panasonic Hollywood Labs - based in Hollywood, California - has been at the forefront of home video technology by authoring and encoding Hollywood releases to Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD formats. Recently, this facility became the first in the industry to offer a complete, end-to-end Blu-ray Disc™ 3D encoding and authoring solution, which will include authoring the AVATAR Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD releases.

Panasonic's 3D Home Theatre Suite of products, including the Full HD 3D² VIERA^® VT25 and GT25 Series Plasma televisions, 3D Eyewear and 3D Blu-ray Disc™ player, are available nationwide. Panasonic's 3D TVs are top-of-the line models, but also provide industry-leading 2D picture quality with the added benefit of watching in 3D, if preferred. With a simple touch of a button, Panasonic's 3D models convert effortlessly to 2D for the best picture and easy viewing preference, in the comfort of their living rooms. New this fall, Panasonic launches the world's first³ professional quality, fully-integrated Full HD 3D camcorder with SD Memory Card recording.

"Panasonic is perfectly poised to bring Hollywood to the home," says Kilvert. "As a company, we've been involved in the development of 3D technology from an end-to-end perspective that starts with FULL HD 3D capture, authoring and disc production, and ends with a cinema quality experience at home. So it's exciting that Canadians now have the opportunity to test-drive the best of our 3D technology whether it's at the world's largest film festival or in their own living rooms."

About Panasonic

Panasonic products are marketed in Canada by Panasonic Canada Inc. (PCI).  PCI is an affiliate of Panasonic Corporation (PC) of Japan, one of the world's largest producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business, and industrial use. Consumers seeking more information on the company's products can call Panasonic's Customer Care Centre at 1-800-561-5505 or access Panasonic's home page at www.panasonic.ca.

Survey Methodology

A total of 1,007 Canadian adults answered an independent telephone survey conducted by Harris/Decima and commissioned by Panasonic. Data collection for this study was conducted via teleVox, the company's national telephone omnibus, between August 19 and August 22, 2010. It has a margin of error of +/-3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.

¹ As demonstrated at CEATEC Japan from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, 2008.
² Panasonic "Full HD 3D" is defined as follows:

• Compatible with 1080p 3D signal
• Panel has native resolution of 1920x1080p display
• Depending upon the model, different 3D signal processing is used

³As an integrated twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder capable of recording Full HD 3D video to memory cards.  As of January, 2010.

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