THUNDERBIRD FILMS' AND LIONSGATE'S ENDGAME EARNS INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EMMY NOMINATION FOR FICTION

 

THUNDERBIRD FILMS' AND LIONSGATE'S ENDGAME EARNS INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EMMY NOMINATION FOR FICTION

Nomination Underscores Growing Momentum of ENDGAME Series Following Its Successful Debut on Hulu in The U.S.

SANTA MONICA, CA, and VANCOUVER, B.C., February 21 , 2012 – On the heels of a successful U.S. digital debut on Hulu and the Hulu Plus subscription service last month, Endgame, the Canadian procedural drama series starring Shawn Doyle, has earned a prestigious International Digital Emmy Award nomination from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the "Digital Program: Fiction" category, it was announced today by Thunderbird Films, the show's producer, and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the diversified global entertainment company that is its North American distributor.

 

 

Nomination Underscores Growing Momentum of ENDGAME Series Following Its Successful Debut on Hulu in The U.S.

SANTA MONICA, CA, and VANCOUVER, B.C., February 21 , 2012 – On the heels of a successful U.S. digital debut on Hulu and the Hulu Plus subscription service last month, Endgame, the Canadian procedural drama series starring Shawn Doyle, has earned a prestigious International Digital Emmy Award nomination from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the "Digital Program: Fiction" category, it was announced today by Thunderbird Films, the show's producer, and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the diversified global entertainment company that is its North American distributor.

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will host the International Digital Emmy Awards ceremony for the seventh year in a row during MIP-TV's opening night festivities in Cannes on Sunday, April 1.

"We're delighted that Endgame earned an International Digital Emmy nomination honoring its ability to engage and involve its online audience, and we look forward to the award ceremony at MIP on April 1," said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer. "Lionsgate is committed to creating and delivering content that bridges the gap between traditional and digital platforms, and Endgame is a perfect example of this approach."

Endgame premiered exclusively in the U.S. on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service last month, extending the show to U.S. audiences and continuing its track record as a successful series engaging viewers in its complex and suspenseful plot. Doyle stars in the series as Arkady Balagan, a chess professional turned detective who solves crimes from the hotel in which he has imprisoned himself.

The series has always explored innovative ways of engaging its audiences. Last year Thunderbird Films joined forces with Showcase.ca and Secret Location to create the ultimate web experience in support of the launch of Endgame on Showcase in Canada.

The exclusive 12-minute online episode is available on the Endgame website (http://www.showcase.ca/endgame) and is designed to connect fans through their Facebook accounts, resulting in a uniquely personal and suspenseful viewing experience for each consumer. Deeply immersed in the kidnapping crime featured in the online episode, visitors work with Balagan to uncover a kidnapper's identity and rescue their missing friend.

As part of the Endgame Interactive experience, there are also three exciting and engaging mini-games, which can be played as stand-alone experiences. As an added bonus, Endgame's own Patrick Gallagher (who plays defiant hotel security manager Hugo) takes viewers behind thescenes, offering exclusive interviews with Endgame cast and crew as well as additional insight into the series' explosive action.

The Endgame interactive experience was previously honored with a Favourite Website Awards (FWA), an industry recognized Internet awards program and inspirational portal. Endgame was also nominated for five Gemini awards, including best television drama series, the Canadian equivalent of the Emmys, and has amassed a dedicated and loyal following of fans online.

Endgame centers on brilliant chess master Arkady Balagan, traumatized by the recent murder of his fiancee. Afraid to step outside, Balagan has become a prisoner in a luxury Vancouver hotel. He begins work as a detective to pay his bill, solving mysteries with the help of an unlikely band of hotel employees and chess fanatics. Arrogant, brilliant and charismatic, Balagan uses the skills that made him a world chess champion to solve crmes that mystify others. He imagines events, interviews the living and even the dead, and runs conflicting scenarios, all in his head.

Endgame, which is produced by Thunderbird Films in association with Front St. Productions, made its world premiere on Canada's Showcase last year. It is distributed in North America by Lionsgate and internationally by Endemol.

About Thunderbird Films

Vancouver, BC based entertainment production and distribution company Thunderbird Films collaborates with talented producers, maximizing the financial and creative benefits of Canadian co-production to assist in the financing, production and distribution of all genres of programming for the world market. The company is committed to delivering premium finished product that has broad appeal for broadcasters and their audiences worldwide. Today, Thunderbird Films has a catalog comprised of over 400 hours of Canadian and US television content and its programming airs on major networks around the globe.

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution. new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning "Mad Men", "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with the comedy "Blue Mountain State," the Golden Globe-winning drama "Boss" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns", "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?".

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, THE EXPENDABLES, MARGIN CALL, THE LAST EXORCISM and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS. With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company now has the two leading young adult franchises – the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA, which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and the HUNGER GAMES franchise, whose first film will be released on March 23. Recent Summit hits include RED, LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, the STEP UP franchise and the Academy Award winning Best Picture THE HURT LOCKER.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

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