G-Technology by Hitachi Continues Its Support of Digital Creative Professionals as an Official Leadership Sponsor of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival

2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

As an ongoing supporter of professional content creators both large and small, G-Technology by Hitachi is aligning with today’s premiere filmmakers and creative professionals as an official Leadership Sponsor of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, January 21-31, 2010, in Park City, Utah. Continuing to develop innovative and creative storage solutions for those looking to push creativity beyond the limits, G-Tech will leverage the Festival sponsorship to celebrate and support the filmmaking industry, as well as unveil its latest products – the G-DRIVE mobile family.

Known for premium external storage solutions that are trusted by creative professionals, G-Tech drives are engineered specifically to meet the needs of the Apple Mac community, including heavy users of multimedia content, Final Cut Pro® digital audio/video (A/V) specialists, and other pre/post production professionals. From rugged portable drives to ultra-fast rack-mount arrays, G-Tech’s USB, FireWire, eSATA, SAS and Fibre Channel storage solutions support virtually all levels of A/V production and can be found in post-production facilities worldwide. They are the go-to tool for storage, rendering and backup when quality, reliability and performance are not optional.

"The Sundance Film Festival is the largest U.S. gathering for independent cinema and is the perfect venue for our G-Technology brand of products,” said Mike Cordano, executive vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, and president, Branded Business for Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "We understand the process of creation, and take pride in delivering the tools that nurture and unleash our customers’ creativity. Sundance is the premier location to see those visions come to life. We are pleased to help increase the vitality of independent film and filmmakers, and expand our reach within the film community.”

Debuting – New G-DRIVE mobile

Making its debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival is G-Tech’s new G-DRIVE mobile family of portable hard drives – the G-DRIVE mobile USB and the G-DRIVE mobile. Each is specifically designed for Apple users who strive for external storage solutions that complement their Mac lifestyle. The new G-DRIVE mobile USB is designed to match the silky white design of the new MacBook and features a USB 2.0 interface for reliable storage on the go. The new G-DRIVE mobile, with FireWire 800 and USB 2.0, features a polished black and silver appearance, making it a perfect companion for the new MacBook Pro. Both are formatted for Macs and are Time Machine® ready for simple automated backups. As a cousin to the popular G-DRIVE mini, which now features a 7200RPM 2.5-inch drive, the new G-DRIVE mobile family features a 5400RPM 2.5-inch drive, making it an affordable solution for easily storing photos, music, documents and other creative files. Available in mid-February, the manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing for the 500GB G-DRIVE mobile USB is $139.99. Available in March, the MSRP for the 500GB G-DRIVE mobile is $159.99. Product photos can be found here: G-DRIVE mobile USB, G-DRIVE mobile.

Partnering – Joseph Gordon-Levitt/hitRECord.org

At Sundance 2010, a fresh, talented content creator and award-nominated actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt will re-launch his ever-evolving multimedia collaboration project – hitRECord.org – as a new kind of production company. Part creative workshop and part art exhibition, "The Sundance REC Room” will serve as a fully functional production facility set up within the festival’s interactive/tech-oriented venue, New Frontier on Main. Throughout the ten day Festival, Sundance attendees will be invited to collaborate with Gordon-Levitt and the global online hitRECord community on a variety of original projects in all types of media. The results of these collaborations will premiere at an official Sundance screening on Friday, January 29 at 6 pm at New Frontier’s Microcinema. hitRECord.org content will be captured, stored and edited using G-Technology drives.

Collaborating – 140 ? The Twitter Conference

As one of the hottest and most viral social media conferences around, 140 ? The Twitter Conference (@140TC, #140TC) will be aligning with top industry professionals and celebrities at Sundance, January 23 and 24 at the Tweet House (The Shop Yoga Studio), to celebrate the uses and potential of Twitter in the entertainment and film industries. As a premier sponsor, G-Tech will be hosting a panel during 140TC to examine how big budgets are no longer held hostage by Hollywood, and how content creators can have an impact on the entertainment industry by using affordable solutions such as G-Technology’s for editing, as well as leveraging the power of social media for community building, branding and promotions. Panelists will include LeVar Burton, Chase Jarvis, and Marcin Teodoru from the 30 Day Feature Film Challenge.

Creating – Sundance Workshop

Throughout its Sundance partnership, G-Tech will also be working with content creators to help support their creative journeys. Offering advice on the latest tools and techniques within filmmaking, G-Tech will be presenting a Festival workshop titled, Drive Your Creativity – Cutting-Edge Digital Filmmaking Tools and Workflows on Tuesday, January 26 at 2 pm at the Microcinema at New Frontier on Main. At the workshop, professionals can learn about the hottest tools and techniques from industry leaders in digital cinematography, post-production and more.

Sharing – Get it Live!

As a leadership sponsor of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, G-Technology by Hitachi is covering Sundance with the same attention to detail that it has put into creating its premium line of external hard drives. Experience the Sundance Film Festival though the eyes of G-Tech by visiting G-Technology.com/SundanceFilmFestival.

Not only will you see exclusive content, live blogs, tweets, video, and pictures, G-Tech is holding a sweepstakes to giveaway 30 new "limited edition” G-DRIVE mobile USBs (that’s 5 per week) with exclusive content from mashup mastermind Mike Relm and the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Relm will be mashing up Sundance-related content and creating original works that will be showcased during the Festival. As a supporter and user of G-Tech storage, Mike Relm is known for live performances that feature a series of audio smash-ups paired with video images, manipulated in real-time.

Stay connected with G-Tech at Sundance and beyond:

G-Technology.com/SundanceFilmFestival

Facebook: G-Technology

Twitter: @GTechbyHitachi, #GFan/#Sundance

YouTube: GTechStorage

Flickr: G-Technology

About Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) develops advanced hard disk drives, enterprise-class solid state drives, and innovative external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world’s most valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, Hitachi GST provides high-value storage for a broad range of market segments, including Enterprise, Desktop, Mobile Computing, Consumer Electronics and Personal Storage. Hitachi GST was established in 2003 with its U.S. headquarters located in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachigst.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 400,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2008 (ended March 31, 2009) consolidated revenues totaled 10,000 billion yen ($102.0 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials, logistics and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent film, held each January in and around Park City, Utah. Presenting approximately 120 dramatic and documentary feature-length films in seven distinct categories and between 60 and 80 short films each year, the Sundance Film Festival has introduced American audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex lies and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Trouble the Water, Central Station, and Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. www.sundance.org/festival

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