William Shatner to Host the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts

For immediate release





VANCOUVER June 28, 2006 - Only two weeks after asking the video gaming and animation world who they'd like to see Host the first year of the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts (CAEAA 2006), the Producers are thrilled to announce that William Shatner has agreed to take on the role!

The awards, to take place on Thursday, September 14, 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada are long overdue according to most animation and video gaming professionals. Canada has earned worldwide recognition as a leader in video game development and animation. With over US $30 billion in worldwide sales, the video game industry has now surpassed the motion picture industry and is expected to continue its growth at a pace that is making business leaders stand up and take notice. At the forefront of this enormous market, Canadian technology and talent are leading the way. The time is well overdue for Canadians to stand up and take a bow for a job well done!

And who better to take the helm of these exciting awards than William Shatner? "We wanted Mr. Shatner as our Host from the beginning and I cannot tell you how excited we are to learn today that he has accepted the role," says Holly Carinci, CAEAA Producer. "We have all worked really hard to create a world-class awards show that reflects these remarkable industries and now we have a phenomenal host in Mr. Shatner that will guarantee a fun, exciting, and memorable evening for everyone."

The first annual Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts will take place at the fabulous River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver. This year's awards event will honour Canadian achievements in three sectors of the Electronic and Animated Arts industry: talent development (New Media and Animation Art Schools), animation, and video game development.

The evening it self will be as impressive as the achievements it is honouring complete with red carpet, limousines, and Hollywood treatment. It will be a Gala event similar to the Golden Globe Awards with a glitzy reception and black-tie dinner at one of the best new theatres in North America. With industry sponsors participating in the development of the show, be ready for an entertaining and interactive evening filled with a few spectacular surprises.

The Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts will become the standard by which Canada and the rest of the World recognizes the amazing talent and product that this country is delivering to a large and growing market. A Canadian Award for the Electronic and Animated Arts will become recognized as a mark of excellence around the world.

Sponsors already behind the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts 2006 include EA, Mainframe Entertainment, Ubisoft, A2M, Autodesk, Foundation 9, Studio B, Voicebox, Nitrogen, Bardel, Western Imperial Magnetics, David Kaye Productions, Budget Monks, British Columbia Film, Sheridan Institute, VanArts Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, Selkirk College, The Art Institute of Vancouver, Emily Carr Institute and Dean Lauzé of D'Arts.

For more information on the first year of this high tech/high glam awards event, visit www.caeaa.com.

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Media contact: Holly Carinci, HollyWords Publicity 604.921.4744 / 604.218.3993

holly@hwpublicity.com / holly@caeaa.com

CAEAA: 604.601.8321 www.caeaa.com