Barry Levinson to Receive Career Achievement Award at Annual Home Entertainment Retail Expo; Movie and Television Director-Screenwriter-Producer to Be Honored by Video Industry.

ENCINO, Calif. -- Academy(R) and Emmy Award-winning director-screenwriter-producer Barry Levinson will receive the Video Software Dealers Association's (VSDA) Career Achievement Award. The award will be presented on Tuesday, September 21st during the Business Session on the opening day of the Home Entertainment Retail Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland, VSDA president Bo Andersen announced today.

Barry Levinson has crafted an enviable reputation in the film industry as a director who blends literate and intelligent visions into films. Levinson was awarded the 1988 Best Director Oscar for the multiple award-winning "Rain Man," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. In 1987, he directed Robin Williams in the comedy "Good Morning, Vietnam," which went on to become one of the year's most acclaimed and popular movies. In 1991, "Bugsy," which was directed and produced by Levinson, was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. His career in television is equally impressive and includes highly respected series such as "Oz," "Homicide: Life On The Streets" and, most recently, "The Jury."

"We are thrilled to recognize Mr. Levinson's extraordinary contributions to the video industry with our Career Achievement Award. His theatrical films and television series and movies are some of the most popular home video titles of all time. They attract fans wanting to watch their favorite movies for the second, third or tenth time as well as new generations discovering 'Diner,' 'Avalon' or 'Wag The Dog' for the first time," said Andersen. "Presenting this award to him in his native Baltimore is especially fitting, as Baltimore is a city celebrated in many of his movies and television projects."

Through its special awards, VSDA has recognized an impressive number of careers in the film industry. Some of the past award recipients include Robert Duvall, Blake Edwards, Anthony Hopkins, Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon, Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Robin Williams.

The Home Entertainment Retail Expo is scheduled for September 21-22 with a pre-conference day on September 20th along with many special events and is produced by Home Entertainment Events.

Described as "the year-end marketplace for the East Coast's home entertainment industry," the Home Entertainment Retail Expo presents the best opportunity for video retailers in the region to learn about fourth quarter DVD and video releases as well as new trends in television, games, music, and special interest DVDs. At the show, retailers will review the latest accessories and services from approximately 100 exhibitors from both mainstream and adult companies. The exhibit floor will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on September 21 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 22.

Companies interested in exhibiting may contact Home Entertainment Events' Kimbirly Orr at [e-mail] (mainstream companies) or Janet Gibson at [e-mail] (adult companies). They may also be reached by phone at 1-800-854-3112.

The Home Entertainment Retail Expo, the annual VSDA Home Entertainment show, and the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo are organized through Home Entertainment Events (HEE), in which the Video Software Dealers Association is a partner. For more information about Home Entertainment Events and its shows, please send an email to [e-mail].

Established in 1981, the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) is the not-for-profit international trade association for the $22 billion home entertainment industry. VSDA represents more than 1,200 companies throughout the United States, Canada, and a dozen other countries. Its members operate more than 12,500 retail outlets in the U.S. that sell and/or rent DVDs, VHS cassettes, and console video games. Membership comprises the full spectrum of video retailers (from single-store operators to large chains), video distributors, the home video divisions of major and independent motion picture studios, and other related businesses that constitute and support the home video entertainment industry.