Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society Awarded at 21st Digital Content Grand Prix

Tokyo, February 8, 2007

Kenji Kamiyama's
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society
Awarded with Jury Prize at 21st Digital Content Grand Prix

"Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society",
directed by Kenji Kamiyama and released in Japan in November 2006, has
been awarded with the Jury Prize at the 21st Digital Content Grand
Prix.
Produced by Production I.G, Bandai Visual, Bandai Entertainment,
Dentsu,
Nippon Television Network, Victor Entertainment, Tokuma Shoten and
Manga
Entertainment, and based on the original comic books written by Shirow
Masamune, "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State
Society"
is the latest chapter of the world-hit Japanese animation saga "Ghost
in
the Shell: Stand Alone Complex", started in 2002 with a hugely
successful TV series.

In the past, Production I.G has been honored twice with Digital Content
Grand Prix recognitions. In 2003 (18th Digital Content Grand Prix)
President & CEO Mitsuhisa Ishikawa received the Chairman Prize for his
achievements as producer and entrepreneur, and in 2004 (19th Digital
Content Grand Prix) Mamoru Oshii's "Innocence" received the Grand Prix
in the Hit Content Division.

The Award Ceremony of the 21st Digital Content Grand Prix will take
place at the Akiba 3D Theater, UDX Building, Akihabara, Tokyo, on
February 16, 2007.

Story - A.D. 2034. It has been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left
Section 9. Togusa is now the new leader of the team, that has
considerably increased its appointed personnel. The expanded new
Section
9 confronts a rash of complicated incidents, and investigations reveal
that an ultra-wizard hacker named the Puppeteer is behind the entire
series of events. In the midst of all, Batou, who was stalking the case
on a separate track, encounters Motoko, who warns him with mysterious
words: "Stay away from the Solid State Society."

About the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex World Setting - In
the
year 2030, digital networks are reaching out everywhere. IT has
advanced
to drive human will, converted into light and electrons, in one
direction, but not enough to turn a "loner" into a complex being called
an "individual." Information networks continue to expand and crimes
continue to become more complex. In this society of chaos, an
organization that specializes in hunting down and eliminating a crime
before it occurs was established. This is Section 9, the so called
"Stand Alone Complex," or S.A.C., under the direct supervision of the
Ministry of the Interior. Its duties include a wide range of
investigations, such as responding to critical cyber crimes, guarding
VIPs within the country, revealing political corruption, investigating
violent murder, and dealing with top secret assassination cases.

About the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Franchise - With more
than 1.5 million copies sold in Japan and 100.000 copies per volume
sold
in the USA, "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" has consolidated
his place among the classics in the world of science fiction. Now,
after
two years from the acclaimed 52-episode TV series that started all in
2002, director Kenji Kamiyama and his creative team have produced a
completely new chapter: "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex -
Solid
State Society," is a feature-length 105 minute movie that has required
an unprecedented budget of 360 million yen (or 3.20 million dollars),
in
order to provide theatrical quality. The USA DVD release is scheduled
on
July 3, 2007.

The 21st Digital Content Grand Prix, cosponsored by Ministry of
Economy,
Trade and Industry (METI) and the Digital Content Association of Japan
(DCAJ) to praise those people or companies who brought such
technologies,
service systems, and hit digital content as helped the Japanese digital
content industry grow in 2006.
DCAJ Official Website: www://dcaj.org

Established by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa in 1987, Production I.G is one of the
world's leading animation studios. With its cutting-Edge Works, such as
"Ghost in the Shell" (1995), "Jin-Roh" (2000), "Blood: The Last
Vampire"
(2000), "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (animation segment, 2003) and "Innocence"
(2004), I.G has gained high reputation around the globe, inspiring
Hollywood creators such as James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino and the
Wachowski brothers. This year, the studio celebrates its 20th
anniversary.

Official Website: http://www.production-ig.com
Contact: [email protected]