NEGROMANCER 2.0

Saturday, December 19, 2015

VIZ Media Boosts "Naruto" Anime in Latin America

VIZ MEDIA CONTINUES TO SPREAD THE POPULARITY OF NARUTO ACROSS LATIN AMERICA

Venerable Ninja Action Adventure Anime Series And Feature Films Attract Legions Of Ardent Fans Across Pan-Latin American Market

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, continues to popularize the NARUTO anime franchise throughout Latin America, and has incubated a fervent and growing fan base for the venerable ninja action adventure property.

“NARUTO has become immensely popular internationally and resonates strongly with audiences across Latin America,” says Stephane Hellin, Senior Animation Licensing Manager, Latin America. “The Naruto character’s resilience and determination, combined with the series’ potent mix of action and adventure, have garnered legions of ardent fans and we see significant opportunities to grow the property across the entire region. We look forward to continuing to spread the popularity of the show and to developing additional new markets for NARUTO across Latin America.”

This past summer, VIZ Media premiered the tenth climactic anime feature film in the NARUTO franchise – THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE – on 465 theatre screens across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru. More than 230,000 people attended.

VIZ Media has also licensed the NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series to an array of prominent Spanish/Portuguese-language national broadcasters as part of its ongoing campaign to localize the series for the Pan-Latin American market. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is currently syndicated in Brazil on PlayTV, in Chile on Etc.TV, in Columbia on CityTV, and in Nicaragua on TN8. Other Pan-Latin American regional streaming partners include, Claro Video and Netflix

VIZ Media will continue to cultivate the growth of NARUTO across Latin America and plans to add additional broadcast territories next year and also will develop the property for a wide range of officially licensed consumer products across the region.

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

VIZ Media is the master licensee for NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and feature films in North and Latin America territories. Additional information on NARUTO is available at www.Naruto.com.

For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 13th to 19th, 2015 - Update #21

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From TheWrap: The Tom Hanks biopic, "Sully" will be released in September 2016.

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From RSN: The difference between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

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From BoxOfficeMojo: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" could have a 100+ million opening day when adding in the $57 million from Thursday night.

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From YahooMusic: N.W.A. is a 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee - along with Steve Miller, Cheap Trick, Chicago, and Deep Purple.

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From Polygon: Justin Lin is ignoring "Star Trek Into Darkness" for the making of the third film, "Star Trek Beyond."

From Deadline: Chadwick Boseman to star as Thurgood Marshall for Reginald Hudlin's "Marshall."

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From FlickeringMyth: Vin Diesel announces that Samuel L. Jackson will return for "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage."

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From THR: Spielberg and Jeff Skoll talk about their partnership.

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From Variety: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" premieres in three Hollywood theaters.

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From YahooSports: Serena Williams is Sports Illustrated's "Sportsperson of the Year."

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From YahooSports: NBA referee Bill Kennedy announces that he is gay, after NBA player, Rajon Rondo, was suspended for using a gay slur to attack Kennedy.

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From Deadline: 2015 screenplay "Black List" has been announced.

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From BoxOfficeMojo: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" wins the 12/11 to 12/13/2015 weekend box office, after Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea" under-performs. This is the fourth straight week at #1 for this final film (for now) in "The Hunger Games" franchise.

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From TVLine: This may be the last season for CBS sitcom, "Mike & Molly."

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From Vulture: So once again, it seems that Beyonce will be in that "A Star is Born" remake. Bradley Cooper will reportedly direct and star as the male lead.

COMICS - Movies and Books:

From YahooMovies: Ben Affleck's Batman is frustrated and anger.

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From YahooMovies: Ben Affleck posts photo of cool Batman armor from "Batman v. Superman."

TRAILERS:

From YouTube: The official trailer for "Ice Age: Collision Course."

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From YouTube: "Star Trek Beyond" trailer.

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From YouTube: First trailer for "Independence Day: Resurgence," which is due next year. Trailer looks good; makes me want to see this movie (cause I was NOT interested).

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From YouTube: First "Captain America: Civil War" trailer.

OBITS:

From Deadline: The actress Rose Siggins has died (Saturday, December 12, 2015). She played "Legless Suzi" on "American Horror Story: Freak Show."

Friday, December 18, 2015

2015 Best Picture Oscar Has 305 Eligible Contenders

305 FEATURE FILMS IN CONTENTION FOR 2015 BEST PICTURE OSCAR®

Three hundred five feature films are eligible for the 2015 Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced.

To be eligible for 88th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, 2015 and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 88th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Chicago Film Critics Chooses "Mad Max: Fury Road" as Best Picture of 2015

Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey's "Injection" Comic Book Begins New Storyline

INJECTION DISHES OUT NEW STORY ARC

Award-winning writer Warren Ellis (TREES, SUPREME: BLUE ROSE, Moon Knight), award-winning artist Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight, Deadpool), and award-winning colorist Jordie Bellaire (PRETTY DEADLY, NOWHERE MEN) will launch a new story arc in their ongoing genre-defying series INJECTION this January 2016.

Previously in INJECTION, five geniuses poisoned the 21st century, and then scrambled to save the world from a terminal case of weird.

INJECTION #6 opens in New York, where consulting detective Vivek Headland takes on a case that quickly invokes a murderous sandwich.

“Injection #6 begins a new five-part volume. Volume 1 was largely about Professor Maria Kilbride dealing with ancient supernatural horrors. Starting here, Volume 2 is mostly about consulting detective Vivek Headland in New York City, dealing with the mysterious theft of a ghost. And also human ham,” said Ellis. “Eventually, the entire Injection team, the five eccentric geniuses of the old Cultural Cross-Contamination Unit, will be involved in a weird crime story that may also explain more about the Injection itself—the haunted artificial intelligence committing horrors in the dark.”

“With the focus of Injection shifting to Vivek Headland in Volume 2, the scope of the story becomes much wider,” said Shalvey. “An unconventional mystery warrants Vivek's attention as some of the old team arrive in New York. If Volume 1 could be described as a strange sci-fi story, Volume 2 could be described as a strange crime story. Being Injection, of course, the emphasis is on strange.”

INJECTION #6 Cover A by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire (Diamond code: NOV150509) hits stores Wednesday, January 13th. INJECTION #6 Cover B by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire (Diamond code: NOV150510) will also be available Wednesday, January 13th, 2016. Final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, December 21st, 2016.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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VIZ Media Announces Final 2015 Digital Manga Update

VIZ MEDIA COMPLETES 2015 WITH A FINAL DIGITAL MANGA UPDATE FOR THE YEAR

Two Exciting Digital Manga Series Debut As Well As A WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Promotion, New Holiday Flash Sale And Other Special Bundled Manga Content Available For A Limited Time!

VIZ Media finishes 2015 with a second digital manga update for December, which rounds out the month’s new content.

New titles include the launch of BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2, which debuts digitally on December 22nd and resumes creator Yoko Kamio’s acclaimed shojo manga story set two years after the conclusion of the original series. Eri Sakondo’s modern-day spin on a classic Japanese folktale, MOMOGUMI PLUS SENKI, arrives on December 29th and completes the new series debuts for the month.

Readers are invited to take advantage of the second-half of December’s selection of Digital Manga Starter Bundles that offer the opportunity to dive into multiple collected volumes from a wide collection of acclaimed series at special savings over buying the volumes individually. Bundles are available to readers for a limited time exclusively from VIZManga.com and ComiXology.

VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP also holds a digital promotion that runs until January 31st, 2016, offering special annual membership pricing of only $19.99 (regularly priced at $25.99) for an entire year of the hottest manga content straight from Japan. As part of this promotion, new and current annual subscribers will receive a digital version of the NARUTO Yearbook, available December 28th. The 64-page digital supplement features the climactic final chapter of the hit manga series along with the opening chapter of NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING, an interview with creator Masashi Kishimoto, fan art galleries and much more!

Continuing for a series of limited 2-day periods throughout the remainder of December, VIZ Media’s manga Holiday “Flash Sale” will offer $2 off select titles across all of its major imprints. “Flash Sale” titles are available at VIZManga.com and via the VIZ Manga app, and readers are invited to check the site each week for the rest of December to see which favorite titles will be marked down from the following imprints:

Shonen Jump & Shonen Jump Advanced

VIZ Signature

Shojo Beat

Shonen Sunday

VIZ Media & VIZ Select

New Manga Series Digital Debuts for the Second-Half of December:

BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available December 22nd

Twelve years after the conclusion of the original smash-hit rom-com series, Yoko Kamio brings readers BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2! Set two years after the members of the legendary "F4" clique have graduated from Eitoku Academy, a new group called the "Correct 5" is around to rule the school.

MOMOGUMI PLUS SENKI, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available December 29th

After transferring to a new school, Yuuki, a distaster-attracting young student, is told that his is actually the reincarnation of Momotaro from Japanese foklore. What's worse, he was cursed by demons in his previous life! And if he doesn't break the curse, he will die on the day he turns eighteen. Luckily for Yuuki, he won't have to battle these demons alone--his three mystical minions, Yukishiro, Masahiko and Sawa will be there to instruct and protect him every step of the way!

The Following Digital Manga Bundles Are Available Throughout The Entire Month Of December:

·         YUYU HAKUSHO Vols. 1-10 $20.00

·         YUYU HAKUSHO Vols. 1-19 $38.00

·         BOYS OVER FLOWERS Vols. 1-10 $25.00

·         BOYS OVER FLOWERS Vols. 1-20 $40.00

·         BOYS OVER FLOWERS Vols. 1-36 + JEWELRY BOX Vol. 37 $74.00

Manga Bundles Available From Dec. 14th-20th

·         BIOMEGA Vols.1-6 $24.00

·         NANA Vols. 1-10 $20.00

·         TERRA FORMARS Vols. 1-5 $25.00

Manga Bundles Available From Dec. 21st-27th

·         CROSS MANAGE Vols.1-5 $10.00

·         DRAGON BALL Vols. 1-16 $48.00

·         DR. SLUMP Vols. 1-18 $36.00

·         ONE PIECE Vols. 1-11 $44.00

·         SHAMAN KING Vols. 1-15 $60.00

·         SHAMAN KING Vols. 16-32 $51.00

·         TORIKO Vols. 1-15 $30.00

Manga Bundles Available From Dec. 28th-Jan. 3rd

·         BLACK BIRD Vols.1-9 $30.00

·         D. GRAY MAN Vols. 1-24 $72.00

·         DRAGON BALL FULL-COLOR Vols. 1-3 $24.00

·         NARUTO Vols.1-16 $64.00

·         OTOMEN Vols. 1-5 $17.50

·         YU-GI-OH! Vols. 1-7 $21.00

Additional notable digital manga updates for the second-half of December include new volumes for CHEEKY ANGEL (Vol. 16) and Hanako and the Terror of Allegory (Vol. 3), along with the exciting series finales for Chocolate Cosmos (Vol. 4), CRAZY FOR YOU (Vol. 6), Eureka Seven: Gravity Boys & Lifting Girl (Vol. 2), Saber Marionette J (Vol. 5), Samurai Girl Real Bout High School (Vol. 6) and Welcome to the N.H.K. (Vol. 8).

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo eReaders, as well as in the ComiXology, iBooks and Google Play Stores.

Most manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. Readers can also explore free Chapter 1 previews of every series. For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.

To learn more about VIZ Manga, please visit www.vizmanga.com.

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DreamWorks Studios Forms New Content Creation Company

DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One Form Amblin Partners, a New Film, Television and Digital Content Creation Company

Steven Spielberg Also an Investor in Amblin Partners

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Steven Spielberg, Principal Partner, DreamWorks Studios, Jeff Skoll, Chairman, Participant Media, Anil Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Group and Darren Throop, President and Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment One (eOne) announced today the formation of Amblin Partners, a new film, television and digital content creation company.

The new company will create content using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant brands and leverage their power and broad awareness to tell stories that appeal to a wide range of audiences. Participant Media will remain a separate company that continues to independently develop, produce and finance projects with socially relevant themes.

Amblin Partners will be led by CEO Michael Wright and President and COO Jeff Small.

In addition, Amblin Television will become a division of Amblin Partners and continues to be run by co-presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, who maintain their longtime leadership roles. They join Producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and President of Production Holly Bario on the film side, to complete Amblin Partners’ senior management team.

David Linde, Chief Executive Officer of Participant Media, and Participant’s narrative feature team, led by Executive Vice President Jonathan King, will work closely with Amblin Partners to develop and produce specific content for the new venture in addition to exploring opportunities for co-productions and other content.

In making the announcement about Amblin Partners, Mr. Spielberg said, “We are thrilled to partner with Jeff Skoll, Participant Media, and to continue our prolific relationship. We are of like minds, as our many collaborations have illustrated, with a mutual commitment to quality, premium entertainment and global vision.”

Mr. Skoll said, “I have had the good fortune of working with Steven for many years. We share a passion for stories that can truly affect change. And this new venture will further Participant’s growth and global impact.”

DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media have collaborated on many Academy Award® nominated films such as “Lincoln” and “The Help” as well as the critically acclaimed “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” and the recently released “Bridge of Spies.”

Mr. Spielberg continued, “We are honored to continue our long-term association with our dear friend, Anil Ambani and his team at Reliance. We have had the opportunity to develop and produce wonderful films thanks to their ongoing support.”

“We are delighted to continue our now seven-years-strong relationship with our valued partner, Steven Spielberg, and to extend this alliance to the formation of Amblin Partners with Jeff Skoll. We look forward to the combination of Steven’s passion and integrity with Jeff’s unique socially conscious vision to create uplifting and quality content to entertain global audiences,” Mr. Ambani said.

Mr. Spielberg continued, “We are also grateful to Darren Throop and his team at Entertainment One for their contribution to Amblin Partners. We look forward to expanding our relationship.”

“We are delighted to join Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll and Reliance in launching this unique new venture,” Mr. Throop said. “We continually strive to partner with producers of the highest quality content, and Amblin Partners certainly represents the gold standard.”

Through this new partnership, eOne extends its collaboration into television production and distribution and expands its successful film distribution relationship across additional territories. eOne will handle the direct distribution of Amblin Partners films on a multi-territory output basis in Australia/New Zealand and Spain as well as the United Kingdom and the Benelux, where it previously had a successful output arrangement with DreamWorks Studios.

J.P.Morgan Chase structured and arranged the $500 million debt syndication together with Comerica Bank, which served as Co-Lead. Other financial institutions involved included Sun Trust Bank, Union Bank, City National Bank and Bank of America, among others. J.P.Morgan Chase and its predecessors have financed DreamWorks Studios since its inception in 1994.

About Amblin Partners
Amblin Partners is a content creation company formed by DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One (eOne). The company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming.

Film projects in various stages of production include: “The BFG,” and “The Light Between Oceans,” scheduled for release by Disney in 2016; “The Girl on the Train,” scheduled for release in October 2016; “A Dog’s Purpose,” scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2017 and “Ready Player One,” a co-production between Amblin Partners and Warner Bros. Pictures that is scheduled to be released in December of 2017.

Upcoming shows from Amblin TV include “All the Way,” an HBO movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston, with an airdate to be announced shortly; and “American Gothic,” a summer series that will air on CBS and begin production in February 2016.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for viewers to get involved. Participant’s more than 70 films, including “Spotlight,” “Contagion,” “Lincoln,” “The Help,” “He Named Me Malala,” “The Look of Silence,” “CITIZENFOUR,” “Food, Inc.,” and “An Inconvenient Truth,” have collectively earned 37 Academy Award® nominations and eight wins. Participant has also launched more than a dozen original series including, “Please Like Me,” Emmy® Award-winning “Hit Record On TV with Joseph Gordon-Levitt,” and “Fortitude,” for its television network Pivot. Participant’s digital hub, TakePart, serves millions of socially conscious consumers each month with daily articles, videos and opportunities to take action. Follow Participant Media on Twitter at @Participant and on Facebook.

About Reliance Entertainment
Reliance Group, led by Mr. Anil D. Ambani, is among India’s major business houses, with a leadership position in telecommunications, power, infrastructure, financial services, and media and entertainment. The Group has over 250 million customers, serving 1 in every 5 Indians, and has over 8 million shareholders, amongst the largest shareholder families in the world.

Reliance Entertainment is the media and entertainment arm of Reliance Group, and is engaged in the creation and distribution of content across film, television, digital and gaming platforms. Internationally, Reliance Entertainment has partnered since 2009 with iconic film producer and director, Steven Spielberg, in the formation of DreamWorks Studios.

About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content. The company’s comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Through established Film and Television divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 40,000 film and television titles, 4,500 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks.

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VIZ Media Has Two Naruto Publications Set for Jan. 5th, 2016

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES A NEW ACTION-PACKED NARUTO MANGA EPILOGUE AND THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL MANGA SERIES BOX SET EDITION

NARUTO Box Set 3 Contains Series’ Exciting Concluding Volumes; Find Out What Happens Next In NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING Spin-Off Manga

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces plans to kick off 2016 with a pair of exciting NARUTO releases.

Set for release in print on January 5th, 2016, NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING is the post-series spin-off to the world’s most popular ninja manga. A digital version is currently available via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Also set for release on January 5th, 2016 will be the NARUTO Manga Box Set 3, which contains the thrilling concluding story arcs to the worldwide smash hit manga (graphic novel) series. Also included is an exclusive double-sided poster and a bonus booklet featuring a special NARUTO story and an interview with series creator Masashi Kishimoto. Both releases are rated “T” for Teen.

NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Available January 5th!

Digital Edition Available Now For $6.99

In the years since the great ninja war, peace has bloomed in the ninja world, and a new generation has begun to take root. Naruto’s work as Hokage seems to be pretty mundane, but his son, Boruto, is constantly demanding attention. Luckily for Naruto, he can make clones of himself to babysit his son. But Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada, could be the target of a mysterious figure who has connections to the Uchiha clan!

NARUTO Manga Box Set 3

MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $214.99 CAN · Available January 5th!

The third and final NARUTO Box Set contains the thrilling conclusion to one of the most popular manga series of all time. The set features Volumes 49-72 at a substantial savings over buying them individually, along with exclusive premiums.

Manga author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in rural Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many kids, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read DRAGON BALL. After spending time in art school, he won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story, Karakuri. After considering various genres for his next project, Kishimoto decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture. His first version of NARUTO, drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Japan in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series would also spawn multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, Masashi Kishimoto has kept himself busy this year with the side story, NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING, and writing the story for the latest NARUTO movie, Boruto: Naruto the Movie, both of which focus on the title character's son, Boruto.

VIZ Media is the North American master licensor for NARUTO and publishes the bestselling NARUTO manga series in print and digitally and also distributes the NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and feature films. Additional information on NARUTO is available at www.Naruto.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Detroit Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015

The Detroit Film Critics Society was founded in Spring 2007 and currently consists of a group of 20 Michigan film critics (as December 2013) who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, Michigan.

The winners of the 2015 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards were Monday, December 14, 2015.

2015 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners:

BEST FILM
Spotlight

BEST DIRECTOR
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR
Michael Caine, Youth

BEST ACTRESS
Saroise Ronan, Brooklyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Liev Schreiber, Spotlight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

BEST ENSEMBLE
Spotlight

BREAKTHROUGH
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina, The Danish Girl (actress)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy

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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

2015 Chicago Film Critics Association Award Nominations - Complete List

The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization that hands out the Chicago Film Critics Awards, hold critics roundtables, and takes on industry and artists’ rights issues. The parent association was founded in 1990 by film critic Sue Kiner after the successful launch of the Chicago Film Critics Awards in 1989.

Now in its 26th year, the CFCA will announce the winners of Chicago Film Critics Association Awards during their year-end awards dinner to be held on the evening of Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

2015 / 26th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Award nominations:

BEST PICTURE
Carol
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight

BEST DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes--Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu--The Revenant
Tom McCarthy--Spotlight
Adam McKay--The Big Short
George Miller--Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR
Christopher Abbott--James White
Leonardo DiCaprio--The Revenant
Michael Fassbender--Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne--The Danish Girl
Jason Segel--The End of the Tour

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett--Carol
Brie Larson--Room
Charlotte Rampling--45 Years
Saoirse Ronan--Brooklyn
Charlize Theron--Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro--Sicario
Sam Elliott--Grandma
Mark Rylance--Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon--99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone--Creed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh--Anomalisa
Jennifer Jason Leigh--The Hateful Eight
Cynthia Nixon--James White
Kristen Stewart--Clouds of Sils Maria
Alicia Vikander--Ex Machina

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bridge of Spies--Matt Charman and Joel & Ethan Coen
Ex Machina--Alex Garland
The Hateful Eight--Quentin Tarantino
Inside Out--Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley
Spotlight--Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Anomalisa--Charlie Kaufman
The Big Short--Adam McKay & Charles Randolph
Brooklyn--Nick Hornby
Room--Emma Donoghue
Steve Jobs--Aaron Sorkin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol--Edward Lachman
The Hateful Eight--Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road--John Seale
The Revenant--Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario--Roger Deakins

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Carol--Carter Burwell
The Hateful Eight--Ennio Morricone
Inside Out--Michael Giacchino
It Follows--Disasterpeace
Mad Max: Fury Road--Junkie XL

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Assassin
Brooklyn
Carol
Crimson Peak
Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST EDITING
The Big Short--Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road--Jason Ballantine & Margaret Sixel
The Martian--Pietro Scalia
The Revenant--Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight--Tom McArdle

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin (Taiwan)
The Look of Silence (Denmark)
Phoenix (Germany)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
White God (Hungary)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy
Cartel Land
The Hunting Ground
The Look of Silence
Where to Invade Next

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
The Shaun the Sheep Movie

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Christopher Abbott--James White
Bel Powley--The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Geza Rohrig--Son of Saul
Amy Schumer--Trainwreck
Jacob Tremblay--Room

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Alex Garland--Ex Machina
Marielle Heller--The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Josh Mond--James White
Laszlo Nemes--Son of Saul
Bill Pohlad--Love & Mercy

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Online Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015

Founded in 1997, the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) describes itself as “the largest, most respected organization for critics whose work appears primarily on the Internet.” The OFCS says that it has been the key force in establishing and raising the standards for Internet-based film journalism. Its membership consists of film reviewers, journalists and scholars based in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific Rim region. The Online Film Critics Society currently consists of 254 members with writers representing 22 countries across the globe.

The 19th Online Film Critics Society Awards were announced on Monday, December 14, 2015.

2015 / 19th OFCS Award winners:

Best Picture:
Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Animated Feature:
Inside Out

Best Film Not in the English Language:
The Assassin (Taiwan)

Best Documentary:
The Look of Silence

Best Director:
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor:
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Carol)

Best Supporting Actor:
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)

Best Supporting Actress:
Rooney Mara (Carol)

Best Original Screenplay:
Spotlight (Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Carol (Phyllis Nagy)

Best Editing:
Mad Max: Fury Road (Margaret Sixel)

Best Cinematography:
Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale)

Best Non-U.S. Release
Aferim!
Cemetery of Splendor
The Club
Dheepan
The Lobster
Mountains May Depart
Mia Madre
Rams
Right Now, Wrong Then
The Sunset Song

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

2016 Golden Globe Award Nominations Announced - Complete List

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award recognizes excellence in both film and television. The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations were announced on Thursday, December 10, 2015. The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards will be hosted by Ricky Gervais. The ceremony will air on Sunday, January 10, 2016 on NBC, beginning at 8:00 (EST) and 5:00 (PST).

2016 / 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

CAROL
Number 9 Films; The Weinstein Company

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Warner Bros. Pictures / Village Roadshow Pictures / Kennedy Miller Mitchell; Warner Bros. Pictures

THE REVENANT
Regency Enterprises; Twentieth Century Fox

ROOM
Element Pictures / No Trace Camping; A24

SPOTLIGHT
Anonymous Content / Participant Media / First Look; Open Road Films

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
CATE BLANCHETT, CAROL
BRIE LARSON, ROOM
ROONEY MARA, CAROL
SAOIRSE RONAN, BROOKLYN
ALICIA VIKANDER, THE DANISH GIRL

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BRYAN CRANSTON, TRUMBO
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, THE REVENANT
MICHAEL FASSBENDER, STEVE JOBS
EDDIE REDMAYNE, THE DANISH GIRL
WILL SMITH, CONCUSSION

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

THE BIG SHORT
Paramount Pictures / Regency Enterprises; Paramount Pictures

JOY
Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox

THE MARTIAN
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox

SPY
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox

TRAINWRECK
Universal Pictures / Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, JOY
MELISSA MCCARTHY, SPY
AMY SCHUMER, TRAINWRECK
MAGGIE SMITH, THE LADY IN THE VAN
LILY TOMLIN, GRANDMA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
CHRISTIAN BALE, THE BIG SHORT
STEVE CARELL, THE BIG SHORT
MATT DAMON, THE MARTIAN
AL PACINO, DANNY COLLINS
MARK RUFFALO, INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED

ANOMALISA
Starburns Industries; Paramount Pictures

THE GOOD DINOSAUR
Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

INSIDE OUT
Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

THE PEANUTS MOVIE
Blue Sky Studios; Twentieth Century Fox

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE
Aardman; Lionsgate / Studiocanal

BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE

THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (BELGIUM/FRANCE /LUXEMBOURG)
Terra Incognita/Climax Films/Après le Déluge/Juliette Films/ Caviar; Belga Films/Le Pacte

THE CLUB (CHILE)
Fabula; Music Box Films

THE FENCER (FINLAND/GERMANY/ESTONIA)
Making Movies/Kick Film GmbH/Allfilm; Oy Nordisk Film Ab

MUSTANG (FRANCE)
CG Cinéma/Vistamar Flimproduktion; Cohen Media Group

SON OF SAUL (HUNGARY)
Laokoon Filmgroup; Sony Pictures Classics

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
JANE FONDA, YOUTH
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, THE HATEFUL EIGHT
HELEN MIRREN, TRUMBO
ALICIA VIKANDER, EX MACHINA
KATE WINSLET, STEVE JOBS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
PAUL DANO, LOVE & MERCY
IDRIS ELBA, BEASTS OF NO NATION
MARK RYLANCE, BRIDGE OF SPIES
MICHAEL SHANNON, 99 HOMES
SYLVESTER STALLONE, CREED

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
TODD HAYNES, CAROL
ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑÁRRITU, THE REVENANT
TOM MCCARTHY, SPOTLIGHT
GEORGE MILLER, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
RIDLEY SCOTT, THE MARTIAN

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
EMMA DONOGHUE, ROOM
TOM MCCARTHY/JOSH SINGER, SPOTLIGHT
CHARLES RANDOLPH/ADAM MCKAY, THE BIG SHORT
AARON SORKIN, STEVE JOBS
QUENTIN TARANTINO, THE HATEFUL EIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
CARTER BURWELL, CAROL
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, THE DANISH GIRL
ENNIO MORRICONE, THE HATEFUL EIGHT
DANIEL PEMBERTON, STEVE JOBS
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, ALVA NOTO

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

“LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO” — FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
Music by: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh
Lyrics by: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh

“ONE KIND OF LOVE” — LOVE & MERCY
Music by: Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett
Lyrics by: Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett

“SEE YOU AGAIN” — FURIOUS 7
Music by: Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz
Lyrics by: Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz

“SIMPLE SONG #3” — YOUTH
Music by: David Lang
Lyrics by: David Lang

“WRITING’S ON THE WALL” — SPECTRE
Musicby: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes
Lyrics by: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

EMPIRE (FOX)
20th Century Fox Television / Imagine Television

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360 and Startling Television

MR. ROBOT (USA NETWORK)
Universal Cable Productions

NARCOS (NETFLIX)
Gaumont International Television for Netflix

OUTLANDER (STARZ)
Sony Pictures Television

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
CAITRIONA BALFE, OUTLANDER
VIOLA DAVIS, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
EVA GREEN, PENNY DREADFUL
TARAJI P. HENSON, EMPIRE
ROBIN WRIGHT, HOUSE OF CARDS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
JON HAMM, MAD MEN
RAMI MALEK, MR. ROBOT
WAGNER MOURA, NARCOS
BOB ODENKIRK, BETTER CALL SAUL
LIEV SCHREIBER, RAY DONOVAN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

CASUAL (HULU)
Lionsgate TV/Right of Way

MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (AMAZON VIDEO)
Amazon Studios

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (NETFLIX)
Lionsgate Television for Netflix

SILICON VALLEY (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with Judgemental Films, Alec Berg, Altschuler Krinsky Works, and 3 Arts Entertainment

TRANSPARENT (AMAZON VIDEO)
Amazon Studios

VEEP (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with Dundee Productions

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
RACHEL BLOOM, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
JAMIE LEE CURTIS, SCREAM QUEENS
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, VEEP
GINA RODRIGUEZ, JANE THE VIRGIN
LILY TOMLIN , GRACE AND FRANKIE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
AZIZ ANSARI, MASTER OF NONE
GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE
ROB LOWE, THE GRINDER
PATRICK STEWART, BLUNT TALK
JEFFREY TAMBOR, TRANSPARENT

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

AMERICAN CRIME (ABC)
ABC Studios

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL (FX)
20th Century Fox Television

FARGO (FX)
MGM Television Studios/FX Productions

FLESH & BONE (Starz)
Starz

WOLF HALL PBS
A Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures production for BBC and MASTERPIECE in association with BBC Worldwide, Atlus Media and Prescience

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
KIRSTEN DUNST, FARGO
LADY GAGA, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL
SARAH HAY, FLESH & BONE
FELICITY HUFFMAN, AMERICAN CRIME
QUEEN LATIFAH, BESSIE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
IDRIS ELBA, LUTHER
OSCAR ISAAC, SHOW ME A HERO
DAVID OYELOWO, NIGHTINGALE
MARK RYLANCE, WOLF HALL
PATRICK WILSON, FARGO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
UZO ADUBA, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
JOANNE FROGGATT, DOWNTON ABBEY
REGINA KING, AMERICAN CRIME
JUDITH LIGHT, TRANSPARENT
MAURA TIERNEY, THE AFFAIR

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
ALAN CUMMING, THE GOOD WIFE
DAMIAN LEWIS, WOLF HALL
BEN MENDELSOHN, BLOODLINE
TOBIAS MENZIES, OUTLANDER
CHRISTIAN SLATER, MR. ROBOT

Cecil B. DeMille Award:
Denzel Washington

--------------------------

Dark Planet's "Silver Volume 2" Arrives on December 16th

Stephan Franck's Genre-Bending SILVER Reveals Its Dracula In Epic World-Building Volume 2, Coming December 16, 2015

Los Angeles, CA – Dark Planet is proud to announce that on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, SILVER Volume 2, the new trade paperback in Stephan Franck’s acclaimed high-concept graphic novel mini-series SILVER, will be simultaneously released on the direct market, Amazon, and ComiXology Submit, which features the series on its well respected “ESSENTIAL READS” list.

Following a widely acclaimed first volume, which sent instant fan-favorite master-thief James Finnigan, Rosalynd “Sledge” Van Helsing, and Tao Leu, a 10 year-old boy with the gift of second sight, on a quest to steal an ancient treasure hidden in Dracula’s castle, SILVER Volume 2 goes into full world-building mode!

A direct extension of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and told as a classic heist story, SILVER astonishes as both a faithful homage and an exciting reinvention, staying true to its literary origin while creating its own expansive and wildly original mythology. “I have a deep fascination with the original Stoker novel,” says Franck, “and kept wanting to lift the veil and see more of that world… What happens once the Victorian strictures disappear and the 20th century sets in? What happens to the characters and their descendants? What is that world’s history--going all the way back to the Bronze Age, with epic tales otherwise lost to the sands of time?” As we follow the team from pulp-era New York City, across Europe, and to their final destination, we enter the hidden world of vampires--a culture of intrigues, vanity, decadence and ancient traditions. Franck says: “I couldn’t wait to present my take on the legendary castle and to reveal my version of Dracula. A damaged character in search of himself. Not as dead as we thought he was. And his spirit definitely not as freed.”

Such a character and his world provide a great thematic foil for Finnigan and his group of con-men. Franck says: “Conmen and vampires are related in the sense that they both are predatory creatures, who don’t engage with life in the way most people do. So taking a bunch of broken characters with bruised souls, and pitting them against the truly soulless, leads to the idea that walking around in the world and feeling truly alive are two completely different things.”

As SILVER volume 2 puts its long con in motion, it sets Finigan and the king of the undead on a collision course. Franck says: “I always saw Finnigan as a good guy trying to be bad, and this Dracula is a bad guy trying to be good, which means that they will meet at an interesting crossroads.”

This new volume continues the series trademark character work as Hamilton, Tao, Finnigan and Sledge further build their relationships, revealing more about their past and inner lives, in a powerful combination of light-hearted, suspenseful, and emotional moments. Meanwhile, new characters appear on the scene, including the particularly cruel and fearless vampire princess Lillian, with whom Sledge seems to have a secret history.

As with previous installments in the series, comic books luminaries have been vocal supporters of Franck’s storytelling:

“Silver is so big, bold, and juicy! I absolutely love this book!” --BILL SIENKIEWICZ (Elektra: Assassin, Stray Toasters)

“With SILVER, Stephan Franck masterfully drives his narrative home. A breath of fresh air in the world of comics!” --TOMMY LEE EDWARDS (Marvel 1985, The Question, Turf)

“Why was I not reading this before? Why? Why? Why? It’s everything I love about comics. And everything I miss about a lot of comics these days.” — JIM KRUEGER (Earth X, Justice, The Runner)

SILVER Volume 1 and 2 are also available from the Dark Planet Webstore and from the Dark Planet booth at comic book conventions across the US, where the company maintains a dynamic presence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Stephan Franck is an award-nominated animator/writer/director/comic book creator. He was a supervising animator on the cult classic THE IRON GIANT, and contributed story to DESPICABLE ME. He co-created the animated TV series CORNEIL & BERNIE (Nicktoons - Hub Network), and received an Annie Award nomination for Best Director In a TV Program for the special SMURFS: THE LEGEND OF SMURFY HOLLOW, which presented the Smurf for the first time in 2D animation at a feature-animation level of quality. Stephan’s graphic novel debut, SILVER Volume 1 earned him a nomination for the prestigious Russ Manning Award at San Diego Comic Con 2014, a 2015 Geekie Awards nomination for Best Comic or Graphic Novel, and landed on ComiXology Submit’s ESSENTIAL READS list.

For more information, questions, or interview requests, please contact press@darkplanet.com

FUN VIDEOS:

SILVER Vol 1 trailer
https://goo.gl/cch05C
https://vimeo.com/131248274

SILVER Vol 2 trailer
https://youtu.be/AerzXsvDu6E
https://vimeo.com/140270722

Character introductions/author commentary:

Finnigan
https://youtu.be/whjWIJmp9MQ
https://vimeo.com/148685982

Sledge
https://youtu.be/uMchjbvH2Sg
https://vimeo.com/148686272

Hamilton
https://youtu.be/_W0D-RJdtwQ
https://vimeo.com/148738327

The world of silver
https://youtu.be/rzbfwwcPKl0
https://vimeo.com/148750644

Hear SILVER fans talk
https://youtu.be/__NrEi7GIgw
https://vimeo.com/137669720

http://dark-planet-comics.com/

---------------------

"Honey So Sweet" on January 5th, 2016

VIZ MEDIA OPENS 2016 WITH THE LAUNCH OF SHOJO MANGA SERIES HONEY SO SWEET

An Act Of Kindness From Her Past Leads To An Unlikely Romance Between A Nice Girl And Her High School’s Most Notorious Delinquent

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers its first shojo series of the year with the launch of HONEY SO SWEET on January 5th, 2016.

Manga creator Amu Meguro delivers an endearing romantic comedy about an unlikely relationship that blossoms between a pair of seemingly mismatched high school students. HONEY SO SWEET is her first title to be published in English.

The series is rated ‘T’ for Teen and will be published in print under the Shojo Beat imprint with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. HONEY SO SWEET also launches digitally on January 5th via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. New volumes will be released on a quarterly basis.

Little did Nao Kogure realize that back in middle school when she left an umbrella and a box of bandages in the rain for injured delinquent Taiga Onise she would meet him again in high school. Nao wants nothing to do with the gruff and frightening Taiga, but he suddenly presents her with a huge bouquet of flowers and asks her to date him – with marriage in mind! Is Taiga really so scary, or is he a sweetheart in disguise?

“Enchanting, fanciful artwork and an endearing ensemble cast make HONEY SO SWEET a special new series for our readers,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Senior Editor. “Amu Meguro is a talented new force on the shojo manga scene and fans will not want to miss the debut of this heartwarming romance.”

Newcomer Amu Meguro debuted with her one-shot manga, A Kiss for a Bright Red Apple. HONEY SO SWEET is her current series and runs in the Japanese shojo manga magazine Bessatsu Margaret.

For additional information on HONEY SO SWEET or other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Monday, December 14, 2015

22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Award nominations - Television Categories

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is an American labor union that represents film and television performers worldwide. Most people probably know SAG for the various actors’ strikes or for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which SAG uses to honor outstanding performances by its members. The first SAG Awards ceremony was held in February 1995 (for films released in 1994).

Nominations for the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced on Wednesday, December 9, 2015. Winners will be revealed during the January 30, 2016 awards ceremony that will be simultaneously telecast on TBS and TNT.

The “Ensemble” categories are SAG's equivalent of a “Best Picture” or “Best Television Series” award.

2016/22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations:

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
IDRIS ELBA / DCI John Luther – “LUTHER” (BBC America)
BEN KINGSLEY / Grand Vizier Ay – “TUT” (Spike)
RAY LIOTTA / Lorca/Tom Mitchell – “TEXAS RISING” (History)
BILL MURRAY / Himself – “A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS” (Netflix)
MARK RYLANCE / Thomas Cromwell – “WOLF HALL” (Masterpiece/PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
NICOLE KIDMAN / Grace – “GRACE OF MONACO” (Lifetime)
QUEEN LATIFAH / Bessie Smith – “BESSIE” (HBO)
CHRISTINA RICCI / Lizzie Borden – “THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES” (Lifetime)
SUSAN SARANDON / Gladys Mortenson – “THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE” (Lifetime)
KRISTEN WIIG / Delores DeWinter – “THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING” (IFC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
JON HAMM / Don Draper – “MAD MEN” (AMC)
RAMI MALEK / Elliot – “MR. ROBOT” (USA Network)
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill – “BETTER CALL SAUL” (AMC)
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison – “HOMELAND” (Showtime)
VIOLA DAVIS / Annalise Keating – “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” (ABC)
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (Masterpiece/PBS)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
LOUIS C.K. / Louie – “LOUIE” (FX Networks)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman – “TRANSPARENT” (Amazon)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
ELLIE KEMPER / Kimmy Schmidt – “UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
AMY POEHLER / Leslie Knope – “PARKS AND RECREATION” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

DOWNTON ABBEY (Masterpiece/PBS)
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
RAQUEL CASSIDY / Baxter
BRENDAN COYLE / Mr. Bates
TOM CULLEN / Anthony Gillingham
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
KEVIN DOYLE / Mr. Molesley
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
LILY JAMES / Lady Rose
ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
JULIAN OVENDEN / Charles Blake
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
IAN BEATTIE / Ser Meryn Trant
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
MICHAEL CONDRON / Bowen Marsh
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
BEN CROMPTON / Dolorous Edd
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Ser Davos Seaworth
STEPHEN DILLANE / Stannis Baratheon
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
TARA FITZGERALD / Selyse Baratheon
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
BRIAN FORTUNE / Othell Yarwyck
JOEL FRY / Hizdahr Zo Loraq
AIDAN GILLEN / Littlefinger Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
MICHIEL HUISMAN / Daario Naharis
HANNAH MURRAY / Gilly
BRENOCK O’CONNOR / Olly
DANIEL PORTMAN / Podrick Payne
IWAN RHEON / Ramsay Snow
OWEN TEALE / Ser Alliser Thorne
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
TOM WLASCHIHA / Jaqen H’ghar

HOMELAND (Showtime)
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM / Dar Adal
ATHEER ADEL / Numan
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison
ALEXANDER FEHLING / Jonas Hollander
RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn
NINA HOSS / Astrid
RENÉ IFRAH / Bibi
MARK IVANIR / Ivan Krupin
SEBASTIAN KOCH / Otto Dűring
MIRANDA OTTO / Allison Carr
MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson
SARAH SOKOLOVIC / Laura Sutton

HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix)
MAHERSHALA ALI / Remy Danton
DEREK CECIL / Seth Grayson
NATHAN DARROW / Edward Meechum
MICHAEL KELLY / Doug Stamper
ELIZABETH MARVEL / Heather Dunbar
MOLLY PARKER / Jackie Sharp
JIMMI SIMPSON / Gavin Orsay
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood
PAUL SPARKS / Thomas Yates
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood

MAD MEN (AMC)
SOLA BAMIS / Shirley
STEPHANIE DRAKE / Meredith
JAY R. FERGUSON / Stan Rizzo
BRUCE GREENWOOD / Richard Burghoff
JON HAMM / Don Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS / Joan Harris
JANUARY JONES / Betty Francis
VINCENT KARTHEISER / Pete Campbell
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson
KEVIN RAHM / Ted Chaough
KIERNAN SHIPKA / Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY / Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER / Harry Crane
AARON STATON / Ken Cosgrove
MASON VALE COTTON / Bobby Draper

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

KEY & PEELE (Comedy Central)
KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY / Various Characters
JORDAN PEELE / Various Characters

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
MIKE BIRBIGLIA / Danny Pearson
MARSHA STEPHANIE BLAKE / Berdie Rogers
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
LAVERNE COX / Sophia Burset
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
CATHERINE CURTIN / Wanda Bell
LEA DELARIA / Carrie “Big Boo” Black
BETH FOWLER / Sister Jane Ingalls
JOEL MARSH GARLAND / Scott O’Neill
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Black Cindy
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
LORI PETTY / Lolly Whitehill
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
RUBY ROSE / Stella Carlin
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
SAMIRA WILEY / Poussey Washington

TRANSPARENT (Amazon)
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS / Davina Rejennae
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN / Syd Feldman
JAY DUPLASS / Josh Pfefferman
KATHRYN HAHN / Raquel Fein
GABY HOFFMANN / Ali Pfefferman
CHERRY JONES / Leslie Mackinaw
AMY LANDECKER / Sarah Pfefferman
JUDITH LIGHT / Shelly Pfefferman
HARI NEF / Gittel/Gerson
EMILY ROBINSON / Rose Boymelgreen
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman

VEEP (HBO)
DIEDRICH BADER / Bill Ericsson
SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davidson
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
HUGH LAURIE / Tom James
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer
PHIL REEVES / Doyle
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
“THE BLACKLIST” (NBC)
“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
“HOMELAND” (Showtime)
“MARVEL’S DAREDEVIL” (Netflix)
“THE WALKING DEAD” (AMC)

52nd Annual SAG Life Achievement Award
CAROL BURNETT

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22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations - Film Categories

Paolo Sorrentino's "Youth" Named "Best European Film of 2015"

2015 European Film Award Nominations; Paolo Sorrention's "Youth" Leads

The European Film Awards recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are are presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy and are given in over ten categories, of which the most important is “European Film,” the best film of the year award. The European Film Awards are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors, and actors.

The nominations for the 28th European Film Awards were announced in early November. The winners were announced at a ceremony on December 12, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.

The 2015/28th European Film Awards nominations:

EUROPEAN FILM:

A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE
Sweden, France, Germany, Norway
Written & Directed by Roy Andersson
Produced by Pernilla Sandström

MUSTANG
France, Germany, Turkey
Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Written by Deniz Gamze Ergüven & Alice Winocour
Produced by Charles Gillibert

RAMS
Iceland, Denmark
Written & Directed by Grímur Hákonarson
Produced by Grímar Jónsson

THE LOBSTER
UK, Ireland, Greece, France, Netherlands
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou
Produced by Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Ceci Dempsey & Yorgos Lanthimos

VICTORIA
Germany
Written & Directed by Sebastian Schipper
Produced by Jan Dressler

YOUTH
Italy, France, UK, Switzerland
Written & Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Produced by Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima & Carlotta Calori

EUROPEAN COMEDY 2015
A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE
Sweden, France, Germany, Norway
Written & Directed by Roy Andersson
Produced by Pernilla Sandström

THE BÉLIER FAMILY
France
Directed by Eric Lartigau
Written by Eric Lartigau, Victoria Bedos, Stanislas Carre de Malberg & Thomas Bidegain
Produced by Eric Jehelmann, Philippe Rousselet & Stéphane Celerier

THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT
Belgium, France, Luxembourg
Directed by Jaco Van Dormael
Written by Jaco Van Dormael & Thomas Gunzig
Produced by Jaco Van Dormael, Olivier Rausin & Daniel Marquet

EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2015
A SYRIAN LOVE STORY
UK
Directed by Sean McAllister
Produced by Elhum Shakerifar

AMY
UK
Directed by Asif Kapadia
Produced by James Gay-Rees

DANCING WITH MARIA
Italy, Argentina, Slovenia
Written & Directed by Ivan Gergolet
Produced by Igor Princic, David Rubio & Miha Cernec

THE LOOK OF SILENCE
Denmark, Norway, Indonesia
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen

TOTO AND HIS SISTERS
Romania, Hungary
Written & Directed by Alexander Nanau
Produced by Valeriu Nicolae, Hanka Kastelicova, Alexander Nanau, Catalin Mitulescu & Marcian Lazar

EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2015
Roy Andersson for A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE
Yorgos Lanthimos for THE LOBSTER
Nanni Moretti for MY MOTHER
Sebastian Schipper for VICTORIA
Paolo Sorrentino for YOUTH
Małgorzata Szumowska for BODY

EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2015
Margherita Buy in MY MOTHER
Laia Costa in VICTORIA
Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS
Alicia Vikander in EX MACHINA
Rachel Weisz in YOUTH

EUROPEAN ACTOR 2015
Michael Caine in YOUTH
Tom Courtenay in 45 YEARS
Colin Farrell in THE LOBSTER
Christian Friedel in 13 MINUTES
Vincent Lindon in THE MEASURE OF A MAN

EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2015
Roy Andersson for A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE
Alex Garland for EX MACHINA
Andrew Haigh for 45 YEARS
Radu Jude & Florin Lazarescu for AFERIM!
Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou for THE LOBSTER
Paolo Sorrentino for YOUTH

Best European Animated Feature
“Adama”
“Shaun the Sheep Movie”
“Song of the Sea”

Fipresci Prize – Best European Discovery
“Goodnight Mommy”
“Limbo”
“Mustang”
“Slow West”
“Summers Downstairs”

Best European Short
“Dissonance”
“E.T.E.R.N.I.T.”
“Field Study”
“Kung Fury”
“Listen”
“Our Body”
“Over”
“Picnic”
“The Runner”
“Smile, and the World Will Smile Back”
“Son of the Wolf”
“Symbolic Threats”
“This Place We Call Our Home”
“The Translator”
“Washingtonia”

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED HONOREES:

EFA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2015
Charlotte Rampling

EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2015
Andrea Occhipinti

EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER 2015
Vasco Pimentel & Miguel Martins for Arabian Nights – Vol I-III

EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2015
Cat’s Eyes for The Duke Of Burgundy

EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2015
Sarah Blenkinsop for The Lobster

EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2015
Sylvie Olivé for The Brand New Testament

EUROPEAN EDITOR 2015
Jacek Drosio for Body

EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2015
Martin Gschlacht for Goodnight Mommy

EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA (Honorary Award)
Christoph Waltz

HONORARY AWARD OF THE EFA PRESIDENT AND BOARD
Michael Caine

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Image Comics Announces "Four Eyes" Return in "Hearts of Fire"

FOUR EYES BLAZES ON IN NEW STORY ARC

Writer Joe Kelly (I KILL GIANTS, BAD DOG) and artist Max Fiumara will launch a new story arc in their genre-splicing series FOUR EYES from Man of Action this January 2016.

Previously in FOUR EYES, readers met Enrico, a young boy in an alternate 1930’s New York. The untimely passing of his father left him the man of the house, a duty he took quite seriously—seriously enough to step into his father’s shoes as a dragon hunter. But though he tried to be a killer, he ended up bringing home a baby dragon.

In FOUR EYES: HEARTS OF FIRE #1, the training begins.

“Now that we've set up the players, Max and I really get to dive into the universe and the characters,” said Kelly. “In the first story arc, we fell in love with Enrico and the gothic world he's inhabiting. In Hearts of Fire, we start to see just what effect this world of underground fighting, gangsters, and monsters has on a young boy. This is the beginning of a dark ride for Enrico, Four Eyes and Fawkes...my favorite kind.”

“The world of dragon fighting will be central, and it’s going to hit Enrico really hard,” added Fiumara. “I can't wait to see readers’ hearts broken again!”

FOUR EYES: HEARTS OF FIRE #1 (Diamond code: NOV150484) hits stores Wednesday, January 6th. Final order cutoff deadline for retailers is today—Monday, December 14th.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

ABOUT MAN OF ACTION ENTERTAINMENT
Man of Action Entertainment, the bi-coastal creative studio and writers' collective, started in 2000, created the meg-hit Ben 10, a $4.5 billion dollar boys' action empire that has been called the most successful superhero launch of the past decade, and Generator Rex, both for Cartoon Network. Man of Action Entertainment consists of creators and acclaimed comic book writers Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle, having collectively worked on the largest franchise characters in comics from Superman to X-Men before refocusing on creating worlds and characters for their own original work published through their Man of Action imprint at Image Comics. Man of Action returns to serve as Executive Producers on a new Ben 10 animated series for Cartoon Network and Dentsu handpicked Man of Action Entertainment to create, write and executive produce the all-new Mega Man animated series. Man of Action served as co-Executive Producer and writer for Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man and is currently an executive producer/writer for Marvel's Avengers Assemble on Disney XD. Beyond the world of animation, Man of Action has created wildly successful video games, toy lines, comic books, stage productions, as well as forthcoming feature films and live action television shows, most based on their own original comic book series and graphic novels.

Disney/Marvel's Academy Award®-winning feature Big Hero 6 utilized the characters and team created by Man of Action, as credited in the film's main titles. The film marked both the first time Disney turned Marvel comic book characters into an animated film and the first film based on comic book I.P. to win an Academy Award®. Upcoming projects based upon Man of Action creations include The Great Unknown, KAFKA, Officer Downe, I Kill Giants and The Crusades with Man of Action producing them and in most cases, the individual Man of Action also wrote the screenplay adaptation of their original creator-owned work. Officer Downe has wrapped production and I Kill Giants and The Great Unknown are in pre-production as feature films.

Web: http://manofaction.tv Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/ManOfActionEnt Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/ManOfActionEnt Instagram: http://instagram.com/ManOfActionENT

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Sailor Moon R Set 2 (Episodes 69-89) on Blu-Ray Dec. 29th

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOME MEDIA RELEASE OF SAILOR MOON R SET 2

Second Season Of The Legendary Anime Series Continues In Episodes 69-89, Set For Release This Month As A Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack And Standard Edition DVD Set

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor, publisher and licensor of anime and manga in North America, delivers exciting news as it announces the home media release of SAILOR MOON R Set 2 on December 29th, 2015.

The latest set features the exciting second-half of Season 2 of the legendary anime series and will be released as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and also as a Standard DVD edition. Fans can expand their SAILOR MOON home media collections with 21 uncut episodes with many never-before-seen extras. Uncut English dubbed as well as Japanese subtitled dialogue options are available on both formats. SAILOR MOON R is rated "TV-PG.”

The SAILOR MOON R Set 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and Standard DVD Set each contain Episodes 69-89 along with special premium packaging and notable bonus features. The SAILOR MOON R Set 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack will carry an MSRP of $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN; the Standard Edition DVD will carry an MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN.

The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack contains a deluxe, 6-disc collection (3 DVDs & 3 Blu-rays), packaged with a beautiful reflective holofoil slipcover with specialty printing. The Combo Pack also offers bonus blu-ray content including a “SAILOR MOON Anniversary Special,” “Welcome Chibi-USA!,” and a segment taped during SAILOR MOON Day at Otakon 2015, a behind the scenes look at the English dub recording sessions and a video art gallery and official series trailers. Blu-ray episodes are presented in 1080p video preserving the original 4:3 aspect ratio.

The SAILOR MOON R Set 2 Standard DVD Set features 3 discs with beautifully illustrated variant O-card packaging and embossed holofoil printing. Episodes will be presented in 480p standard video format.

In the second-half of Season 2, after unexpected guest Chibi-Usa falls from the sky and tries to claim the Silver Crystal as her own, Usagi quickly learns this cheeky little pink-haired girl is the least of her problems. The Black Moon Clan, in their unending quest to destroy Crystal Tokyo and change the future, have come back in time to corrupt present day Tokyo! Together the Guardians fight the Black Moon's dark forces, but struggle to understand the truth behind their sinister plan. Is there anyone the Sailor Guardians can turn to for answers? That pink-haired girl may hold the key to Sailor Moon's victory after all!

The legendary SAILOR MOON anime series depicts the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, a cheerful 14-year-old schoolgirl who often finds herself in unwanted trouble. One day, she saves a talking cat named Luna from some mean kids, and her life is changed forever. Luna gives Usagi a magic brooch that transforms her into Sailor Moon, guardian of love and justice! Now Usagi must work with Luna to find the other Sailor Guardians and the Moon Princess, whose Legendary Silver Crystal is Earth’s only hope against the dark forces of the evil Queen Beryl!

The SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!

SAILOR MOON Season 1, Sets 1 and 2 and SAILOR MOON Season 2, Set 1 are also available as Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs and also as Standard DVD Editions.

For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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