As every year, the video industry is holding its annual VSDA convention later this summer. This year a few additions have been made to the show to better reflect the success of DVD, and we here at DVD Review are proud to be part of one of these expansions, by serving as judges for the first VSDA DVD Awards, but read on…

The 2000 VSDA Convention & Expo will host the first-ever DVD Festival at its upcoming show, July 8-10, 2000, at the Venetian Hotel/Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. Highlighting the festival will be a DVD SuperSession on Sunday, July 9, at 9-11 a.m., followed by announcement of The DVD Awards on Monday, July 10, at 11:30 a.m. Additionally, the dynamic DVD format will be showcased in one central “DVD Festival” area on the exhibit floor for all three days of the convention. The announcement was made today by Home Video Entertainment Events (HVEE) Chairman and VSDA President Bo Andersen, and HVEE executive Bruce Apar, of Advanstar Communications.

In addition to all the major Hollywood studios, which are jointly sponsoring the entire convention, “DVD Festival” exhibitors and sponsors include DVD International, Pioneer Entertainment, Image Entertainment, E-Real Biz, Deluxe Video Services and magazines-on-disk BroadcastDVD and DVD Preview with Leonard Maltin. The first annual DVD Awards will recognize studios and independent DVD producers for excellence in content and production techniques unique to the DVD format.

Categories include “Best Audio Commentary,” “Best Original Supplements,” “Best Widescreen Transfer” and “Best Use of Menu Graphics,” to name just a few. Titles released on DVDs in the U.S. market from March 1997 through Dec. 31, 1999, will be eligible. There is a per-title entry fee of $150, and each DVD label can submit no more than one title per award category. The DVD Awards will be determined by a “DVD Festival” blue-ribbon jury of recognized experts in entertainment media, including Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, DVD Review, Video Business, Video Store and Billboard.

The Coalition for Quality Children’s Media, which administers a jury of parents and children for its KidsFirst! evaluation program, will select the children’s DVD winner. Companies interested in entering the competition can get entry forms by contacting Sue Procko Public Relations at 323/653-5153. The “DVD Festival” SuperSession will be hosted by film critic and ardent fan Leonard Maltin, and will feature panels focusing on various aspects of the format. The first panel will highlight state-of-the-art DVD technology, such as Sony’s Playstation 2 and Toshiba’s Nuon DVD player, with the second panel spotlighting consumer trends driving the DVD marketplace. An hour with leading Hollywood filmmakers will round out the third panel.