SYFY'S HIT COMPETITION SERIES "FACE OFF" TO RETURN FOR EIGHTH SEASON JANUARY 13 AT 9PM

NEW SEASON INCLUDES "RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS" TWIST

Season 7 Finale Airs Tuesday, October 28 at 9PM

NEW YORK - October 22, 2014 - Syfy confirmed today that the critically-acclaimed reality competition series Face Off - the channel's most watched unscripted series - will return on Tuesday, January 13 at 9PM for an action-packed eighth season themed "Return of the Champions." In a twist on the show's traditional format, three former champions, Rayce Bird (Season 2), Anthony Kosar (Season 4) and Laura Tyler (Season 5), will return in the premiere and select teams of five new artists who they will coach throughout the season.

Season 8 will also feature the full-time return of fan-favorite and Academy Award-winning judge, Ve Neill, who recently wrapped work on The Hunger Games franchise.

After an exciting and high-stakes season of competition highlighted by themes of life and death, three artists remain in the fight for the title of Season 7 Face Off champion - Cig Neutron of Los Angeles, CA by way of New Castle, IN; Drew Talbot of Pittsburgh, PA by way of Wood River, IL; and Dina Cimarusti of Chicago, IL. For their final challenge, they will each create a pair of knights, one representing life and one representing death that will have to withstand the trials of battle. The Season 7 finale of Face Off airs Tuesday, October 28 at 9PM ET/PT on Syfy.

Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art. As a member of the multi-generational family dynasty whose name is synonymous with the make-up effects field, actress McKenzie Westmore brings expertise to her role as host of the series. Some of SFX world's most celebrated figures judge the competition - multiple Academy Award-winner Ve Neill (The Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean), industry veteran Glenn Hetrick (CSI: New York, Heroes, Legion), and creature designer Neville Page (Avatar, Prometheus). World-renowned Hollywood makeup artist Michael Westmore (Star Trek) serves as the contestant mentor.

Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Derek Atherton serving as executive producers.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)