Conoa, Inc. Announces Support For "Gone Silent" Documentary Film

Conoa, Inc. announced today that it will support independent filmmaker Vikki Merriman's effort to document the life of one of the principals behind the Gnutella network. Conoa will donate video software to the effort.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - November 6, 2003 Conoa, Inc. announced today that it will support independent filmmaker Vikki Merriman's effort to document the life of one of the principals behind the Gnutella network. Conoa will donate video software to the effort.

Merriman is producing and directing "Gone Silent," an independent documentary film that tells the story of Gene Kan, a software engineer involved in the development of the Gnutella network. Gnutella is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol that forms the basis of many of today's popular file sharing applications. Gene became a public spokesman for peer-to-peer networking, ultimately speaking before a US Senate judiciary committee hearing, before he tragically committed suicide in June 2002. "Gone Silent" will document the events surrounding Gene's depression and untimely death, set against the backdrop of a technological revolution, the effects of which are still being felt today.

Conoa, Inc. produces motion graphics and visual effects software for film and video production. Conoa's software ranges from color tinting effects to three-dimensional modeling and rendering. Its proprietary rendering technology allows Conoa to deliver effects to the desktop videographer that are normally found in higher-end systems.

"We're happy to have Conoa software on this project," says Merriman. "Since we will be editing this film on the desktop, Conoa will enable us to achieve a unique look that would normally be expensive to achieve. Given our budget, that's very important to us. We are also pleased with Conoa's seamless integration into Final Cut Pro, which speeds up our workflow."

"I was moved by Gene's story as soon as I heard Vikki Merriman's description of it," say Gil Irizarry, president of Conoa, Inc. "I'm proud to be contributing to this effort."

"Gone Silent" will be funded through donations and sponsorships. Tax-deductible donations to the "Gone Silent" project can be made at gonesilent.org.

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About Conoa, Inc.

Conoa, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based company formed to provide the latest 3-D software technology to the motion graphics community. Founded in 2001, Conoas products offer some of the most advanced rendering features available to motion graphics professionals.

About Gone Silent

Gone Silent is an independent documentary film about Gene Kan, the noted software programmer and Gnutella spokesperson who tragically committed suicide at the age of 25 in June 2002. Gone Silent is produced and directed by Boston based filmmaker Vikki Merriman, and is sponsored by the Boston Film and Video Foundation.

© 2003 Conoa, Inc & Vikki Merriman. All rights reserved. Conoa is a trademark of Conoa, Inc. Final Cut Pro is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.