- "Dumb Ways to Die" creator Julian Frost directs "Love Assassin" starring Tuzki, the iconic white bunny

HONG KONG, Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark Valentine's Day, TurnOut Ventures premieres Love Assassin, a short animated film written and directed by Julian Frost, the creator of the viral sensation Dumb Ways to Die. In Love Assassin, Tuzki, the emoticon-inspired white rabbit designed by Momo Wang, experiences a highly unusual Valentine's Day romance and fulfils a ruthless contract assassination at the same time. This not-for-kids short is available online globally including Turner Broadcasting's [adult swim] platform in Australia.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140213/HK64746 )

"We're thrilled to present the first-ever animated short film starring Tuzki," said Yat Siu, board director of TurnOut Ventures and the founder and CEO of Outblaze. "Today the uniquely bittersweet white bunny loved by millions officially expands into a new medium, and TurnOut Ventures renews our commitment to producing compelling original content."

Love Assassin is a darkly cute tale of foiled romance and contract assassinations. It begins with our hero Tuzki on the couch playing videogames with his dismembered heart, while a cat lounges nearby. But when Tuzki's wrist communicator alert suddenly goes off things quickly take a turn for the weird.

Love Assassin is written and directed by Julian Frost, best known for the massively viral animated short film and mobile game Dumb Ways to Die, originally commissioned by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia. The film's animation director, Eiji Abiko, has contributed to numerous popular anime with diverse styles and genres.

Love Assassin was produced by Yoshiya Ayugai, Executive Producer, Animation, at Turner International Asia Pacific, and animated by STUDIO4°C. This leading Japanese animation studio is led by producer Eiko Tanaka and renowned for its energetic and cutting-edge productions, including the 2003 animated anthology The Animatrix, a tie-in to the Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix film and its sequels.

Watch Love Assassin at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6YzGE9GKJs.

About TurnOut Ventures Limited

Established in 2008, TurnOut Ventures Limited is a joint venture between Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. and Outblaze Investments Limited that combines and leverages the partner companies' strengths in content development, app development and game publishing to expand a portfolio of leading kids' and youth intellectual properties. TurnOut Ventures is developing digital products based on properties such as Cartoon Network's Ben 10 and Tuzki, an expressive bunny who symbolizes the Internet generation. For more information please visit http://www.turnoutventures.com.

About Tuzki

Designed by Momo Wang, Tuzki started as a simple black and white line drawing of a quirky bunny easily recognizable on instant messaging platforms. The drawing eventually evolved into its current incarnation as an emoticon-based yet fully-fledged character. With his unique personality, Tuzki is a silent but deeply philosophical character with a keen sense of mischief. Tuzki's wide range of expressions and body language gives people a vehicle to express their own (often hidden) emotions, while his presence on multiple digital platforms like instant messaging, social networks, games and mobile apps, has made him into a true icon of the Internet generation. For more information please visit http://www.clubtuzki.com/.

For media enquiries and image/interview requests, please contact:

Benjamin Yiu
TurnOut Ventures Limited
Tel: +852-2534-1222
E-mail: contact@clubtuzki.com

James Moore
Turner International Asia Pacific Limited
Tel: +852-3128-3720
E-mail: James.Moore@turner.com

SOURCE TurnOut Ventures Limited