TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Wednesday 10 July 2024

BFI funds AI; TIFF premieres; BSF seeks support; Studio21 contest; San Quentin Fest; Imagine & Adobe ShortFest; tough year for TV; Paramount's future; Neighbours reboot; Longoria & Sánchez.

Today’s Highlights:

• BFI Opens AI-Focused Fund The British Film Institute launches a £175,000 fund to support projects exploring AI's challenges in screen archiving. The fund is aimed at non-profit organisations.

• Toronto International Film Festival Premieres TIFF announces five world premieres, including Ron Howard's "Eden," starring Jude Law and Ana de Armas, set in the Gala program.

• BSF Urges Government Support for the Screen Sector The British Screen Forum calls on the UK government to maintain competitive tax credits, enforce AI protections, and support freelancers in the screen industry.

• Studio21 Script Competition Studio21 launches a 2024 Script Competition to discover a series that can be released scene-by-scene on digital platforms before becoming a long-form TV drama.

• First-Ever Prison Film Festival San Quentin Film Festival, held inside a prison, announces its inaugural industry jury, including Jeffrey Wright and Billy Crudup, to judge films by incarcerated filmmakers.

• Imagine Entertainment and Adobe's ShortFest Imagine Entertainment, Adobe, and The Film Zone launched "From Minutes to Movies ShortFest," focusing on short films that inspire human achievement and celebrate inclusivity.

• Formatland's Tough Year Siobhan Crawford discusses the impact of cost-cutting by Fremantle, All3Media, and others on the television and film industry.

• Questions for the New Paramount The merger between Skydance and Paramount raises questions about future changes, including leadership and potential layoffs.

• Amazon Freevee's Neighbours Reboot Cast members reflect on the cultural significance of "Neighbours" as the Australian soap opera is rebooted by Amazon Freevee.

• Eva Longoria and Lauren Sánchez's Interview Eva Longoria interviews Lauren Sánchez about her philanthropic work, including a $50M donation, and her children's book about a space-faring bug.

Plus: News, Insights, In Development, Deals, Renewals & Jobs.

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NEWS

BFI opens its first AI-focused fund to explore use in screen archives

The British Film Institute (BFI) has launched its first AI-focused fund, allocating £175,000 to support projects exploring AI’s challenges in screen archiving. The fund seeks applicants from non-profit organisations working in this area to advance skills, insight, and capacity in screen archives. It aims to benefit various stakeholders, including archives, collection owners, researchers, and audiences.

From: Screen Daily

‘Eden’ & ‘We Live In Time’ Set For TIFF As Fest Unveils Five World Premieres

The Toronto International Film Festival has added five more world premiere titles to its Gala and Special Presentation programs. Ron Howard’s survival thriller "Eden," based on true events about the lengths people go to for a better life, will debut in the Gala program. Written by Noah Pink and starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl, it is produced by Howard’s Imagine Entertainment and AGC. Other Gala titles include Indian director Reema Kagti’s "Superboys of Malegaon," about the life of amateur filmmaker Nasir Shaikh.

From: Deadline

BSF asks government to protect tax credits, enforce AI shields, support freelancers

Industry membership body British Screen Forum (BSF) has called on the new Labour government to support the growth of the UK's screen sector. In its ‘Manifesto for an Incoming Government,’ BSF urges Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognise the importance of the TV and film ecosystem to the UK’s creative industries and its role in economic growth and job support. BSF advocates for screen sector policies considering the industry's high cost, high risk, and hit-dependent nature. Recommendations include maintaining a competitive tax credit regime, improving access to finance for indie producers, expanding R&D expenditure credit definitions, protecting IP from AI-derived copyright infringement, supporting sustainability, boosting entry-level recruitment, and addressing the freelance workforce's mental health and financial concerns.

From: C21

Studio21 script competition bids to find newform drama that can be released scene-by-scene

Studio21 International has launched its 2024 Script Competition, aiming to discover a global scripted series that can be released scene-by-scene on digital platforms and later stitched together into a traditional long-form drama for television. The Studio21 Scene-By-Scene Script Competition seeks compelling contemporary stories to engage 21st-century audiences across platforms, starting with short-form episodic releases on digital platforms and then a long-form release on traditional television.

From: C21

First-Ever Film Festival Inside a Prison Sets Jeffrey Wright, Billy Crudup, Mary Louise Parker and More as Jurors

The San Quentin Film Festival, the first-ever film festival held inside a prison, has announced its inaugural industry jury, including Jeffrey Wright, Billy Crudup, and Mary Louise Parker. On October 10 and 11 at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in Northern California, the festival will showcase short films and pitches from current and formerly incarcerated filmmakers to a jury of entertainment industry artists and executives. Additionally, an “inside jury” of incarcerated individuals will judge narrative and documentary feature films about the prison experience made by filmmakers who have never served prison time.

From: Variety

Imagine Entertainment, Adobe and The Film Zone Announce ‘From Minutes to Movies ShortFest’

Imagine Entertainment, Adobe, and The Film Zone are launching “From Minutes to Movies ShortFest,” a social-first short film festival for filmmakers aiming to transition to longer formats. Submissions are open from July 9 to August 25 and should focus on stories that inspire human achievement and celebrate inclusivity. The top 10 entries will be shared on Instagram by @TheFilmZone, @ImagineEntertainment, and @Adobe. A panel of Imagine Entertainment, Adobe, and The Film Zone judges will determine the winner, who will be able to develop their short film with Imagine Entertainment.

From: Variety

INSIGHTS

Siobhan Crawford's Summer Survival Guide

Formatland is no fairytale this year. Fremantle and All3Media are cost-cutting, Warner Production offices are closing, Nine must reduce its workforce by another 5%, Newen is closing sales teams, and Fox and NBC are slowing development and commissions. Reboots dominate the market, indies are either closing or clinging to single commissions, and 2024 has been a tough year for everyone.

From: C21

The ‘New Paramount’ Begs Many Questions, and Here Are 6 of Them

For now, there's some relief. If Sony bought Paramount, it would be stripped for parts, thousands of jobs would be lost, and a legacy studio would disappear. A merger with Skydance, however, is a different story, despite some questions and concerns. Jeff Shell argued that Skydance is “literally designed almost ideally” to be Paramount's partner, with the potential to strengthen Paramount in theatrical, streaming, animation, sports, and more. We hope he's right, but for now, we have six burning questions for the new Paramount leadership.

From: IndieWire

What Now for Paramount? How Things Will (or Won’t) Likely Change

Skydance's deal to take control of Paramount Global will bring a change in leadership, a familiar scenario for the storied studio over the past 60 years, and the inevitable restructuring and layoffs typical of corporate mergers. But how will this affect the consumers of Paramount’s content, such as fans of the Mission: Impossible and Star Trek franchises or viewers of NCIS, Yellowstone, and The Daily Show? In the immediate future, not much will change, as the deal isn’t expected to be finalised until early next year. However, down the line, some changes could occur. Skydance (and future Paramount) CEO David Ellison and former NBCUniversal chairman Jeff Shell, who will be president of the combined company, promise a “fresh approach” to the business rather than sweeping changes. However, layoffs and operational streamlining are expected. Here's a look at what the new Paramount may offer consumers.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Sharon Stone Leaves Nothing Unturned

The iconic actress and former amfAR spokesperson on battling bigotry (and Harvey Weinstein), forgiveness (especially when it comes to Kevin Spacey) and how she came back from the dead (literally).

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Neighbours Cast Members On The Amazon Freevee Reboot

Over nearly four decades, the Australian soap "Neighbours" has launched countless stars and reflected the country's evolving culture through its signature lighthearted lens. The series, which originally ran from 1985 to 2022, found success globally, especially in the U.K. Shortly after its 2022 cancellation, Amazon Freevee picked it up for a reboot, launching in late 2023. Heritage cast members Stefan Dennis and Annie Jones and newcomer Georgie Stone share their experiences working on this culturally significant series and what has contributed to its broad, multi-generational appeal.

From: TV Drama

Eva Longoria and Lauren Sánchez: A 20-Year-Friendship, a $50M Check and a Housefly in Outer Space

The multihyphenate talks to Sánchez, the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund and the fiancée of Jeff Bezos, about winning the Courage and Civility Award, being Latina in America, and Sánchez’s children’s book about a space-faring bug.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Daisy Edgar-Jones Storms Hollywood: The ‘Twisters’ Star on Chasing a Real Tornado, Working With Glen Powell and Why She Exited the Carole King Biopic

Daisy Edgar-Jones became so fascinated by storm-chasing while filming "Twisters" that she decided to hunt down a tornado herself. After wrapping production in December on Lee Isaac Chung’s sequel to 1996’s “Twister,” Edgar-Jones, who plays meteorologist Kate Cooper, called a team of trackers she’d met on set. Together, they followed a storm cell from Kansas to Oklahoma City.

From: Variety

Former Oscars Exec Jeanell English and ‘RHOA’ Star Tanya Sam on New Publishing Company and Wanting to See ‘Return of Fun Shade’ in Housewives Franchise

What do you get when you pair a former Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences executive with a reality TV star? “Elizabeth & Minnie,” an independent publishing company aimed at amplifying stories from Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latino, and MENA communities, mainly focusing on women. The brainchild of Jeanell English, former EVP of impact and inclusion at the Oscars organisation, and Tanya Sam, a recurring cast member of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” the company is named after English’s great-grandmother Elizabeth and Sam’s grandmother Minnie.

From: Variety