Presented by Virgil Films & Entertainment and National Geographic Entertainment
NARRATED BY OSCAR^® WINNER JEREMY IRONS
A PROUD LIONESSS STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE AGAINST ALL ODDS AND PROTECT HER CUBS IN HEART OF THE JUNGLE

THE LAST LIONS

Available on Blu-ray and DVD January 2012

“One of the most urgent and certainly among the most beautifully shot documentaries to hit the big screen in recent memory”
- The New York Times

“An astonishing visual experience and at times almost profoundly suspenseful”
– The Boston Globe

New York, NY (October 25, 2011) - From the lush wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta comes The Last Lions, the acclaimed new wildlife adventure that follows the epic journey of the proud and determined lioness Ma di Tau (”Mother of Lions”) as she battles to protect her three cubs against a daunting onslaught of enemies in order to ensure their survival.

Made by the South African husband-and-wife team Dereck and Beverly Joubert, veterans of wildlife moviemaking, and narrated by Academy Award^® winner Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune, Dead Ringers), The Last Lions is as gripping and suspense-filled as any “human” saga. Filled with dazzling views of the African jungle and eye-opening adventure scenarios pitting Ma di Tau and her cubs against such formidable foes as crocodiles, buffalo and a rival pride of big cats, The Last Lions is both a first class entertainment and a fascinating document of the day-to-day lives of lions in the wild.

Described by Ty Burr of the Boston Globe as “an astonishing visual experience and at times almost profoundly suspenseful,” Virgil Films & Entertainment has teamed up with National Geographic Entertainment to present the DVD and Blu-ray disc premiere of The Last Lions on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, with special bonus features, for a suggested retail price of $19.99 and $29.99 respectively.

The gripping real-life saga of Ma di Tau and her cubs unfold inside the stark reality that lions are vanishing from the wild. In the last 50 years, lion populations have plummeted from 450,000 to as few as 20,000. With The Last Lions, the Jouberts weave their dramatic storytelling and breathtaking footage around a resonating question: are Ma di Tau and her young to be among the last lions? Or will we as humans, having seen how courageous and poignant their lives in the wild are, be moved make their preservation our moral duty?

With cinematography and footage that is heralded as “stunning” by both The Wall Street Journal and Entertainment Weekly, and “jaw-dropping” by The Washington Post, The Last Lions is a feast for the eyes, a treasure for the heart and a strong reminder that the most powerful force is nature is indeed a mother’s love.

Bonus Features on the disc includes: Behind the scenes, Deleted scenes, Filmmaker interviews, Information about the Big Cat Initiative

Synopsis - The Last Lions

In the lush wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the proud lioness Ma di Tau (”Mother of Lions”) is ready to try anything-and willing to risk everything-to keep her family alive. Fleeing a raging fire and a rival pride headed by the dangerous lioness Silver Eye, Ma di Tau and her three fragile cubs must make their perilous escape by swimming a crocodile-infested river. Remote Duba Island is both a refuge and a strange new world for Ma di Tau and her cubs to conquer. On Duba, Ma di Tau must face off with the island’s herd of fierce buffalo whose huge, slashing horns are among the most dangerous weapons in Africa. Although the buffalo are one of her biggest threats, they are also one of her best hopes for survival if she can prevail over them. Yet, even as Ma di Tau faces devastating loss and escalating perils, she becomes part of a stunning turning point in the power dynamics on Duba Island, bringing together a competitive rival pride in a titanic primal bid to preserve the thing that matters most: the future of their bloodlines.

VIRGIL FILMS & ENTERTAINMENT

Virgil Films & Entertainment, formerly Arts Alliance America, was founded in 2003 as Hart Sharp Video by Joe Amodei to develop, acquire, market and distribute DVD product in the theatrical feature film, documentaries, special interest and sports categories.  The company has built partnerships with Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports and Entertainment, Morgan Spurlock’s Warrior Poets and other high-profile entertainment brands since their inception.  Recent releases from Virgil Films & Entertainment include the documentary, My Run; the Sci-fi thriller Lunopolis; The Wildest Dream, narrated by Liam Neeson; the hit film, Forks Over Knives; Michael Imperioli’s directorial debut The Hungry Ghosts; and National Geographic’s Oscar® nominated documentary Restrepo. For more information, please visit: www.VirgilFilmsEnt.com

National Geographic Entertainment
National Geographic Entertainment is part of National Geographic Global Media and combines into a single operating group National Geographic Films, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, Kids Entertainment and Music & Radio. National Geographic Global Media brings together all of the National Geographic’s editorial platforms to streamline collaboration and support the Society’s mission.   Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” National Geographic works to inspire people to care about the planet.   It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through magazines, books, digital media, television, radio, music, film and live events. It funds more than 250 research scientific research, exploration and conservation projects each year and supports an education program promoting geography literacy.   For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

Daniel Battsek is president of NGF; Lisa Truitt is president of NGCV; and Mark Katz is president of NGCV Distribution.

The Last Lions
Virgil Films & Entertainment/National Geographic Entertainment
STREET DATE: January 3, 2012
Pre-Book Date: December 6, 2011
SRP:                       $19.99 DVD
$29.99 Blu-ray
Genre:                   Documentary
Director:              Dereck Joubert
Narrator:              Jeremy Irons
Running Time:  94 minutes
Format:                Widescreen
Sound Format: Dolby 5.1
Rating:                 PG

Bonus Features:

• Behind the scenes
• Deleted scenes
• Filmmaker interviews
• Learn more about the Big Cat Initiative