FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 14, 2000 - CLEVELAND, OHIO)

Media Design Imaging, Inc. has just put the finishing touches on their first documentary. An American History: The Resettlement of Japanese Americans in Cleveland, which was made possible through a collaboration with MDI's vice-president, Johnny Wu and the Japanese Amerizen Citizens League, National Headquarters and Cleveland Chapter, who partially funded the project with production efforts donated by MDI.

It tells the story of Japanese American families who were taken from their homes during WWII and their resettlement in Cleveland. Fearing a possible backlash from Japanese citizens for entering the war, the American government dispersed most of the Japanese population from the West Coast to internment camps spread throughout the United States, purportedly in the interest of national security - setting a precedent for alienation and discrimination. After some people resided in these camps for as long as three years, an effort was made to compensate internees by giving them the opportunity to start new lives in numerous cities across America. One of these relocation destinations was Cleveland, Ohio.

This hour-long documentary details the emotional journey that surviving Japanese Americans took from their homes to the camps, and then to Cleveland, where they made their new homes. Through intimate conversations with Steve Yano, the youth chairman for Cleveland's JACL chapter, the film explores the experiences of these families moving into the camps and arriving in Cleveland and adjusting to the new surroundings. The completion of this film marks the first documentary produced by Media Design Imaging, Inc. It is also the first documentary ever produced about Japanese Americans resettling in Cleveland. The tape will be available through JACL events and used as an educational tool, teaching the value of acceptance and tolerance. (Watch an Internet 60sec Trailer at www.mdifilm.com An American History: Resettlement of Japanese Americans in Cleveland was produced using pentium class networked computers, captured through s-video input with Pinnacle Systems' Studio DC10Plus capture card, edited using Premier 5.1 and output with Studio software.

MDI is an innovative company specializing in the merging of old and new technologies, providing professional photography, video, digital imaging, motion picture production, and special effects. Situated on Euclid Avenue in one of Cleveland's most important revitalization zones, MDI continues to serve the needs of private, commercial, and industrial clients while pursuing projects that aim to fulfill the artistic inclinations of the company's founders. PRESS CONTACT: Johnny Wu Office: (216) 623-0822 www.mdifilm.com Email: johnny@mdifilm.com