TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Tuesday 23 July 2024

Vivendi lists Canal+ in London; Will.I.am at Edinburgh TV Festival; SXSW London 2025; Trendy Taipei; New York Film Festival opens with "Nickel Boys"; TIFF lineup; Hollywood mental health.

Today’s Highlights:

• Vivendi Eyes Canal+ Stock Market Listing in London as Part of Split Into Four Companies - Vivendi plans to list Canal+ Group on the London Stock Exchange, reflecting its international reach with a potential secondary listing in Johannesburg.

• Kevin Spacey and Russell Brand Docs Among 2024 British Documentary Awards Shortlist—The Grierson Trust announced the 2024 British Documentary Awards shortlist, which includes documentaries on Kevin Spacey and Russell Brand.

• Edinburgh TV Festival Unveils Frontiers Strand Lineup Joining Headliner Will.I.Am - Will.I.am and other industry figures join the new "future-gazing" Frontiers strand at the Edinburgh TV Festival, exploring TV's future and digital influences.

• SXSW London Reveals First Edition Dates & Festival Hires—The inaugural SXSW London will be held in Shoreditch from June 2-7, 2025. It is expected to attract 20,000 attendees, and key senior hires have been announced.

• ContentAsia Summit & ContentAsia Awards Join Multi-Event "Trendy Taipei" Festival - The 16th ContentAsia Summit and Awards will be part of Trendy Taipei, featuring over 20 sessions on video content trends in Asia from September 2-5, 2024.

• New York Film Festival Sets RaMell Ross' 'Nickel Boys' as Opening Night Movie - The New York Film Festival will open with RaMell Ross's "Nickel Boys," a historical drama adapted from Colson Whitehead's novel, on September 27.

• UK Global Screen Fund Supports' Bird', 'Santosh', 'Sister Midnight' in Latest Funding Round - The UKGSF awarded £527,563 to 19 projects, including Andrea Arnold's "Bird" and Sandhya Suri's "Santosh," for international distribution.

• TIFF Lineup: Pam Anderson's 'Last Showgirl,' Ben and J. Lo Project' Unstoppable,' Papal Thriller 'Conclave' and More - TIFF returns with world premieres featuring stars like Pamela Anderson and Jennifer Lopez, including "The Last Showgirl" and "Conclave."

• Hollywood's Mental Health Crisis: How Film & TV Workers Can Seek Support From Their Unions - Hollywood unions provide mental health services and support, including the Entertainment Community Fund.

• Bette Midler Returns to What She Does Best in 'The Fabulous Four'—Bette Midler stars in The Fabulous Four, a comedy about old friends reuniting.

Plus: News, Insights, Executive Moves, In Development, Deals, Opportunities & Jobs with CAA, Warners, Flying Bark & Disney.

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NEWS

Vivendi Eyes Canal+ Stock Market Listing in London as Part of Split Into Four Companies

Vivendi plans to list its Canal+ Group pay-TV unit on the London Stock Exchange to reflect its international reach, with two-thirds of subscribers outside France and a global distribution network. Despite the listing, Canal+ will remain incorporated and taxed in France and will not be subject to mandatory UK or French stock market regulations. A secondary listing in Johannesburg is possible if the tender offer for MultiChoice succeeds.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Kevin Spacey, Russell Brand Docs Among 2024 British Documentary Awards Shortlist

The Grierson Trust announced the shortlist for the 2024 British Documentary Awards, with the BBC leading with 28 entries, followed by Channel 4 (23), Netflix (17), Sky Documentaries (8), and National Geographic (4). The shortlist covers 15 categories, including a new category for best popular culture documentary. Entries include a hoax pedophile scare, a prominent U.K. performance poet, and an investigation into abuse allegations against Kevin Spacey.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Edinburgh TV Festival Unveils Frontiers Strand Lineup Joining Headliner Will.I.Am

Will.I.am and The Sidemen manager, Jordan Schwarzenberger, will join the new "future-gazing" Frontiers strand at the Edinburgh TV Festival. Other speakers include HaZ Dulull, Yammy, ShxtsNGigs, Ben Zand, Fitwaffle, Ash Holme, Elz the Witch, Chris Clements, and Danny Lorimer. Supported by Screen Scotland, the strand explores the future of TV and inspiration from digital, gaming, and branding industries. Sessions include "The Rise of the Telly-Verse," "Digital Born, Bred and Booming," and "Back to the Future."

From: Variety

SXSW London Reveals First Edition Dates & Festival Hires

The inaugural SXSW London will take place from June 2-7, 2025, across 20 venues in Shoreditch, marking the first European edition of the Austin festival. Organisers expect 20,000 attendees for its tech, music, screen, and arts programming. UK artists are encouraged to submit ideas for consideration via a platform launching in the fall. Senior hires include Anna Bogutskaya as Head of Screen, Beth Greenacre as Visual Arts Advisor, and Clare Morris as Director of Marketing and Communications.

From: Deadline

ContentAsia Summit & ContentAsia Awards join multi-event "Trendy Taipei" festival

The 16th annual ContentAsia Summit and Awards will be held in Taipei from September 2-5, 2024, as part of the Trendy Taipei festival. The summit will feature over 20 sessions, focusing on premium video content trends and strategies in Asia, including AI, virtual production, and global collaborations. The awards ceremony will honor Asia's top TV content in 27 categories. This year saw a record 500 entries from 13 Asian countries, reflecting the event's growing prominence.

From: Señal News

New York Film Festival Sets RaMell Ross’ ‘Nickel Boys’ as Opening Night Movie

The New York Film Festival will open with RaMell Ross's historical drama "Nickel Boys" on Sept. 27 at Alice Tully Hall. Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the film stars Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. It follows two Black teenagers, Elwood and Turner, in a brutal juvenile reformatory in Jim Crow-era Florida, highlighting the pervasive racism of the mid-20th century.

From: Variety

UK Global Screen Fund supports ‘Bird’, ‘Santosh’, ‘Sister Midnight’ in latest funding round

The UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF) awarded £527,563 to 19 projects. Andrea Arnold’s "Bird", Sandhya Suri’s "Santosh", and Karan Kandhari’s "Sister Midnight" received international distribution awards. Mikko Mäkelä’s "Sebastian" also received an award. Polly Steele’s "Four Letters Of Love" was awarded for international development. Modern Films and Wild Swim Films gained international business development awards to enhance their global strategies. Applications for international distribution support are open, with the international co-production strand opening in September.

From: Screen Daily

TIFF Lineup: Pam Anderson’s ‘Last Showgirl,’ Ben and J. Lo Project ‘Unstoppable,’ Papal Thriller ‘Conclave’ and More 

The Toronto International Film Festival is set to return with major stars after last year's Hollywood labour strikes. World premieres will feature projects from Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Lopez, Riz Ahmed, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon. Awards contenders like Edward Berger’s “Conclave” and Sean Baker’s “Anora” will also debut. In the special presentations section, Gia Coppola's "The Last Showgirl," starring Anderson as a dancer facing her failures after her Vegas revue is cancelled, will be a highlight, having previously screened at Cannes.

From: Variety

INSIGHTS

What Will Sundance 2025 Look Like? Festival Director Eugene Hernandez Offers an Early Preview

The Sundance Film Festival might move locations in two years, with finalists including Atlanta, Boulder, Cincinnati, Louisville, Santa Fe, and its current home in Park City and Salt Lake City. However, the 2025 edition will still be in Park City, Utah. Director Eugene Hernandez detailed the event, which runs January 23–February 2, with online screenings in the latter half. Film premieres start at noon on January 23 in Park City and January 24 in Salt Lake City. Festival awards will be presented on Friday, January 31.

From: IndieWire

Bollywood Star Triptii Dimri Talks Comedy Challenges, Franchise Roles and Global Ambitions

Rising Indian actor Triptii Dimri is expanding her repertoire with various projects, including her first significant comedic role in “Bad Newz” and a role in one of Bollywood’s biggest franchises. Known for her dramatic roles, Dimri found the transition to comedy challenging. She struggled initially but credits director Anand Tiwari and co-stars Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk for their support. “Bad Newz,” a thematic sequel to the 2019 hit “Good Newwz,” revolves around heteropaternal superfecundation, where twins are born to the same mother from different fathers.

From: Variety

Diana Williams directs Kinetic Energy towards multimedia, reinventing Hollywood

Diana Williams, CEO of Kinetic Energy Entertainment and former Lucasfilm exec, discusses the shift towards multimedia storytelling. With projects at HBO and Apple TV+, Williams believes Hollywood is stuck in outdated practices and needs to adapt to engage modern audiences. She emphasises the importance of building intellectual property across various media to stay relevant. Her work spans film, TV, video games, and more, showcasing the potential of integrated storytelling in the current entertainment landscape.

From: C21

Hollywood’s Mental Health Crisis: How Film & TV Workers Can Seek Support From Their Unions

All Hollywood unions support the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides mental health services, assessments, and financial aid. The WGA offers an unemployment support guide and a resource hub, while the DGA provides mental health coverage and emergency grants. Teamsters offer counselling through their health plans, and IATSE partners with Behind The Scenes for mental health resources. SAG-AFTRA provides behavioural health benefits, a 24-hour helpline, and therapy referrals.

From: Deadline

Bette Midler Returns to What She Does Best in ‘The Fabulous Four’

Bleecker Street's new comedy “The Fabulous Four” stars Bette Midler, known for blending broad comedy with poignancy, a trait seen in films like “The First Wives Club” and “Down and Out in Beverly Hills.” Midler plays a widow who announces her remarriage to friends (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Susan Sarandon, and Megan Mullally). Reuniting in Key West, old resentments resurface amid comic set pieces like a male strip club visit and a parasailing mishap. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, the film showcases Midler and her co-stars' infectious exuberance.

From: IndieWire

Access to Success

Julie Fernandez, CEO of Kinetic Energy Entertainment, is pioneering the role of access coordinators in the TV industry to support disabled creatives. Her work spans pre-production to post-production, ensuring accessibility for all. She advocates for budget lines dedicated to disability support and emphasises the importance of including disabled people in all aspects of production. Fernandez hopes to expand this role into other industries like gaming and music.

From: Drama Quarterly

‘The Becomers’ Trailer: ‘Little Sister’ Director Zach Clark Takes on Aliens and QAnon

Indie filmmaker Zach Clark returns with the alien sci-fi dramedy “The Becomers.” Written and directed by Clark, the film follows two body-snatching aliens navigating modern America. The synopsis reveals their struggles inhabiting human hosts and discovering the complexities of American life. Stars Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Keith Kelly, Isabel Alamin, and Frank V. Ross, with narration by Russell Mael, the film, released by Dark Star Pictures, satirically references COVID-19, QAnon, and other political issues. “The Becomers” debuted at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival and premiered in the U.S. at Beyond Fest.

From: IndieWire

Jim Cummings Takes on Marvel and Disney in Latest Short, ‘Is Now a Good Time?’

Written, directed by, and starring Cummings, “Is Now a Good Time?” follows a Marvel/Disney employee tasked with fulfilling an ill child’s dying wish by showing them an unreleased copy of “Captain America 4.” The dark comedy takes an even darker turn, ultimately delivering a poignant message about the corporate exploitation of arts and entertainment.

From: IndieWire