TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Thursday 30 January 2025
Sony names new CEO; Lynch honoured posthumously; Monte Cristo leads Césars; Netflix expands downloads; ITV greenlights The Hack; Together sparks bidding war; Disney+ secures France deal.
Today’s Highlights:
NFTVF’s Creative Courage Award Honours ‘Dates in Real Life’ Team—Maipo Film’s Synnøve Hørsdal and Petter Onstad Løkke, along with NRK’s Marianne Furevold-Boland and Alec Thom, received the first Creative Courage Award for their work on Dates in Real Life. The award recognises bold storytelling and innovative use of VR in Nordic drama.
The Count of Monte Cristo Leads Nominations for France’s César Awards—The 50th César Awards nominations see The Count of Monte Cristo leading with 14 nods, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Pierre Niney. It is ahead of Beating Hearts (13 nominations) and Emilia Pérez (12 nominations).
Qatar’s Doha Film Institute Backs 47 Projects in Latest Funding Round—The Doha Film Institute awarded Fall Grants to 47 projects from 23 countries, including 11 Qatari-led films. The grants support emerging filmmakers in narrative, documentary, and experimental formats.
David Lynch Posthumously Honoured with WGA West’s Laurel Award – The late filmmaker David Lynch will receive the 2025 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, with Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan presenting the honour at the WGA Awards.
Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki to Assume CEO Role in April – Sony announces that Hiroki Totoki will become CEO on April 1, 2025, succeeding Kenichiro Yoshida, who remains Chairman. Lin Tao will become Sony’s first female CFO, and Hideaki Nishino will lead PlayStation operations.
Sundance Horror Hit ‘Together’ Sparks Bidding War—Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s Together has drawn major studio interest at Sundance. A24 and Neon are bidding close to $20 million for distribution rights, highlighting a rare competitive acquisition amid a slow festival market.
Netflix Expands Season Download Feature to iOS Devices—Netflix now allows iPhone and iPad users to download entire seasons simultaneously, a feature previously limited to Android.
ITV Commissions Phone Hacking Scandal Drama The Hack – ITV and Australian streamer Stan greenlight The Hack, a seven-part drama about the UK’s phone hacking scandal, starring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle, and Toby Jones, with Jack Thorne writing.
Disney+ Signs Landmark Media Chronology Agreement in France – Disney+ secured a deal to stream films nine months after their theatrical release instead of 17, investing 25% of its annual net sales in French and European productions over three years.
Recording Evil Documentary Exposes WWII’s Largest Spy Operation – Recording Evil uncovers secret British intelligence recordings of Nazi officers unknowingly admitting their Holocaust roles. Directed by Danny Liber and Yaron Niski, the documentary premieres in May as a feature and three-part series.
Plus: News, Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals & Jobs with BBC, LucasFilm, WBD & Prime.
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NEWS
NFTVF’s Creative Courage Award Honours ‘Dates in Real Life’ Team
Maipo Film’s Synnøve Hørsdal and Petter Onstad Løkke, along with NRK’s Marianne Furevold-Boland and Alec Thom, have received the first Creative Courage Award from Nordisk Film & TV Fond for their work on the Norwegian drama series Dates in Real Life. Written and directed by Jakob Rørvik, the 7-episode series explores online relationships through the story of Ida (Gina Bernhoft Gørvell), who, after a breakup, navigates the transition from virtual romance to real-life dating. The award recognises their bold storytelling and innovative use of VR, pushing creative boundaries in Nordic drama. Read More
The Count of Monte Cristo Leads Nominations for France’s César Awards
The 50th César Awards nominations have been announced, with "The Count of Monte Cristo" leading at 14 nods, including Best Film, Best Director for Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière, and Best Actor for Pierre Niney. "Beating Hearts" follows with 13 nominations, and "Emilia Pérez" with 12. The ceremony is scheduled for February 28 at the Olympia in Paris. Read More
Qatar’s Doha Film Institute Backs 47 Projects in Latest Funding Round
The Doha Film Institute has awarded its 2024 Fall Grants to 47 projects from 23 countries, encompassing narrative, documentary, experimental films, and series content. This selection includes 11 projects by Qatari and Qatar-based talent, with recipients hailing from nations such as Algeria, France, Germany, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, and the U.S. Notably, 21 selected filmmakers are women. DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi emphasised the program's role in empowering filmmakers to realise their artistic visions. Read More
French Culture Minister Submits Proposal to Renew Windowing Agreement
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati has proposed to renew France’s media chronology rules, which dictate theatrical, streaming, and broadcast release windows. The proposal aims to modernise the agreement to address evolving market dynamics, particularly balancing the interests of cinemas, broadcasters, and streaming platforms. The existing framework, last updated in 2022, has faced criticism from industry players, including Netflix, seeking more flexibility in release schedules. Read More
The Creatives Unveils Writers for the Second Edition of the Creative Connection Workshop Series
The Creatives, an alliance of nine international production companies, has announced the 10 writers selected for the second edition of its Creative Connection workshop series. Participants include Michal Vinik (Hungary/Israel), Tamara Bos (Netherlands), Friederike Jehn (Germany), Erez Kav-El (France/Israel), Alexander Lindh (Germany/Finland), Marta Savina (Italy), Tiffany Tavernier (France), Stephen Uhlander (Sweden/Norway), Nessa Wrafter (Ireland), and Valérie Zenatti (France). The initial workshop is underway in Brussels, with subsequent sessions planned in Portugal and Mallorca later this year. Read More
Netflix Expands Season Download Feature to iOS Devices
Netflix is rolling out a long-requested feature for iOS users: the ability to download an entire season of a series with one tap. Previously available only on Android, this update makes offline viewing more seamless for iPhone and iPad users. The feature, located next to the share button, caters to those watching on the go. Alongside the launch, Netflix revealed its most downloaded seasons, including Squid Game and Queen Charlotte. Read More
David Lynch Posthumously Honoured with WGA West’s Laurel Award
The Writers Guild of America West will honour David Lynch with the 2025 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement. Lynch, who passed away on January 15, had accepted the award weeks before his death. The honour will be presented by Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan at the WGA Awards on February 15. Read More
INSIGHTS
Pelle Rådström Wins Nordic Series Script Award for Pressure Point
Pelle Rådström has won the 2025 Nordic Series Script Award for Pressure Point, a Swedish drama about playwright Lars Norén and producer Isa Stenberg’s real-life partnership with maximum-security prisoners, which led to a national scandal. The award, presented at the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision event, also nominated The School of Housewives (Iceland), Money Shot (Finland), Families Like Ours (Denmark), and Quisling (Norway). Read More
Companion Producers J.D. Lifshitz & Raphael Margules on Making Bold Genre Films
J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, the producers behind Barbarian and Becky, continue pushing genre boundaries with Companion, a sci-fi-horror-rom-com blend directed by Drew Hancock. Through BoulderLight Pictures, they prioritise creative freedom by keeping budgets lean and allowing directors to take risks. “The movie shouldn’t feel safe—it should feel radical,” says Lifshitz. Their latest collaboration with Zach Cregger and Roy Lee aims to deliver another unpredictable audience pleaser. Read More
Recording Evil Documentary Exposes WWII’s Largest Spy Operation
The landmark documentary Recording Evil has begun filming across three continents, revealing secret British intelligence recordings of Nazi officers unknowingly admitting their roles in the Holocaust. The film is commissioned by Israel’s KAN 11 for the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end and is based on 150,000 transcribed pages of declassified documents. Directed by Danny Liber and Yaron Niski, it premieres in May as a feature film and three-part series. Read More
UK Creative Industries Minister Seeks More Bollywood and Nigerian Productions
UK Creative Industries Minister Chris Bryant has expressed a desire to attract more Bollywood and Nigerian film productions to the UK. He also provided insights into the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's considerations on rejoining Creative Europe, tax reliefs, and a potential streamer levy. Read More
2025 TV Predictions: An expert view on the year ahead
BBC News’ Katie Razzall leads a panel discussion on the future of television in 2025, covering content trends, viewing habits, technical advancements, and commercial challenges. Panellists include Chris Bird (Prime Video UK), Amelia Brown (Fremantle UK), Josh Krichefski (GroupM EMEA), Kiran Nataraja (Channel 4), and Kate Phillips (BBC Unscripted). The discussion explores streaming strategies, evolving audience behaviours, and the impact of new technologies on content creation and distribution.
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