Bastianelli Joins Film Roman.

Entertainment Editors

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2000

In a move to aggressively form greater international co-productions and relationships, Film Roman (Nasdaq:ROMN) has retained the services of Eileen Bastianelli to create a worldwide presence for the company, it was announced by Jon Vein, chief operating officer of the company.

Bastianelli, who is based in Paris and has been engaged as a consultant for Film Roman, will represent the company internationally.

She will be responsible for forming co-productions and establishing other strategic international relationships, as well as accessing financing and identifying overseas properties which will be viable for the U.S. market. Bastianelli will be working in both television and feature films.

Bastianelli is one of the most active traditional and new media consultants in Europe. She has a wealth of experience and relationships with the continent's creative and business communities and has successfully acted as a bridge between Europe and the United States for international clients in the areas of co-production, co-financing and strategic planning.

Through her company, Zimax Productions, and its clients, she has recently put together financing for projects for CBS, ABC and Showtime and currently has projects with many major U.S. networks and cable channels.

"I've been very excited by the response in Europe to Film Roman's slate. The quality of the projects and strong talent packages have already enabled us to begin putting together co-productions in various European territories. I'm thrilled to be associated with Film Roman," said Bastianelli.

In the new media area, Bastianelli's recent activities include projects with European and North American media groups and telecom companies. These projects include a VOD initiative in France, a television network for a telecom company and working as a Senior Media Consultant for the technology consulting group, AMS. She also was head of International Co-productions for Chrysalide Films, a Studio Canal Plus subsidiary.

"We needed someone on the ground in Europe," stated Vein, "and Eileen Bastianelli is one of the best at what she does. She's aggressive, smart and very well respected."

Film Roman has embarked on a major diversification program for the company. The company, which formerly produced only animation, primarily for children, now produces live action and both TV series and specials. It also produces direct-to-video projects, as well as both live action and animation features, and has its own Web site, Level 13.net.

Film Roman has produced "My First Mister," a feature film for Total Film Group and Paramount Classics, which was directed by Christine Lahti and starred Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski. The studio also will make a feature version of the successful classic television series, "The Greatest American Hero," which is being developed for The Walt Disney Co.

On the animation side, Film Roman, which has won 10 Emmys and garnered 25 Emmy nominations, is producing such outstanding shows as "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" for 20th Century Fox Television; "The Oblongs" and "Mission Hill" for Warner Bros. Network; "Doomsday" for UPN; and Marvel Media's "X-Men," a Saturday morning animated series for WB Kids Television.