BFI Promotes Melanie Hoyes To Director Of Inclusion

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Marco Mueller has been appointed artistic director of Italy’s Taormina Film Festival, which will have a top notch selection committee comprising British film curator and former London fest chief Sandra Hebron and former Cannes Directors’ Fortnight boss Edouard Waintrop. As anticipated by Variety, Mueller, who over the past decades has headed both the Venice and Rome fests — among several other events — is taking the reins of the storied Sicilian event that has had its ups and downs over the years. Held since the mid-1950s in the Sicilian resort known to U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: The director of Riz Ahmed and Rogan Productions’ Channel 4 series Defiance: Fighting the Far Right has opened up about how the show spotlights generational differences within the British Asian community.

The French Directors’ Guild (SRF) will fete UK director Andrea Arnold with its honorary Carrosse d’Or (Golden Carriage) award at the upcoming edition of its Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Franklin” director Tim Van Patten, who won Emmys for “Boardwalk Empire” and “The Pacific,” says that although he loves history and is a history buff “this was a slice of history I was not aware of.” Van Patten, who was also Emmy nominated for “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City” and “Game of Thrones,” adds: “For me, at this point in my career, I like to take myself to a world I don’t know, and also to do the same with the audience.” “Franklin,” which stars Michael Douglas, has its world premiere at series festival Canneseries on April 10 in Cannes, France, in the presence of cast and crew. The show, which is a co-production between ITV Studios America and Apple Studios, makes its global streaming debut April 12 on Apple TV+.

Red, White & Royal Blue is in contention for the Outstanding Television Movie prize at the 2024 Emmy Awards and the film’s stars are promoting the project as voting gets underway.

Katcy Stephan WME has promoted Francesca Blackburn and Alex Rowley Egarian to partner in the brand partnerships department, Variety has learned exclusively. London-based Blackburn joined WME as an assistant in 2007 and was promoted to agent in 2018. Blackburn initially worked in the music department before joining the brand partnerships team when the group expanded to London.

Monkey Man.The British actor’s new film premiered to a strong reaction at SXSW last month, but he has since spoken about how difficult it was to get the film made.During a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) ahead of the film’s cinema release this week (April 5), the actor said that directing, producing and acting in the film was “the most demanding thing I’ve ever done in my life”, per Variety.He added that “everyday we faced absolute catastrophe” throughout the process.“I begged our financier not to shut us down a few weeks before principal photography,” he said. “We were meant to shoot in India then COVID hit.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent On Oct. 7, when the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir was just one week away from starting principal photography in Bethlehem, 45 miles from Gaza, on “All Before You.”The Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s long-gestating project reconstructs the 1936 farmer-led revolt against British colonial rule and the influx of Jewish settlements in Palestine that has been at the root of the conflict.

Fifth Season has upped Christopher Slager to Head of Film as the studio expands its in-house production and development of feature films.

Melanie Brown, aka Mel B or 'Scary Spice' of the Spice Girls, walked off the set of an interview in America after appearing to let slip that there is a reunion brewing between the iconic British pop group. During an appearance US talk show Today on Monday, 25 March, the 48 year old star admitted that "us five are working on something that is gonna be announced soon", before saying: "I'm gonna get in trouble" and walking off.

Spice Girls. The British pop star, 48, whose real name is Melanie Brown, playfully walked off “Today With Hoda & Jenna” Monday after saying perhaps too much about the iconic ’90s girl group’s upcoming plans. When co-host Jenna Bush Hager, 42, asked Brown if she could “just break the news” about the group’s rumored reunion, the pop star replied, “I can’t because I always get told off because I’m the blabbermouth.”Still, Brown continued, “You know, we are working — I think I said this to you before, us five are working on something that’s going to be announced soon,” she doubled down about her January appearance on the NBC talk show.

The BBC has “no plans” to use AI again to promote Doctor Who after receiving complaints from viewers.

Stacey Solomon has launched a brand new spring summer collection with online fashion retailer In The Style with all pieces being priced at £38 or under.

Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, and Eiza Gonzalez are kicking off the press tour for their new movie!

Melanie Martinez has announced a UK and European arena tour for later this year – find all the details below.The New York singer-songwriter is due to bring ‘The Trilogy Tour’ to these shores in the autumn when she’ll play headline shows in Dublin (September 18), Birmingham (20), Manchester (21), Glasgow (23), Cardiff (24) and London (26).Martinez will then head to Europe for concerts in Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Lyon, Barcelona, Madrid, Cologne, Frankfurt and other locations throughout October.Tickets go on general sale at 10am GMT/11am CET next Thursday (March 28), except Barcelona and Madrid, which go on sale at the same time on Wednesday (27). Fans who sign up to Martinez’s mailing list can access a pre-sale on Monday (25).You’ll be able to purchase tickets here (UK and Ireland) and here (Europe).“Putting my all into this show, can’t wait to share this experience with you,” Martinez wrote on social media while announcing the upcoming dates.Elita will appear as the support act for the entire UK and European leg, with Men I Trust joining for the London and European dates only.

British actress Billie Piper shared a memory from her teenage years on The Jonathan Ross Show as she told the host she used to have a smoke with the Spice Girls when she was just 15.

UK director, writer and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker, who won the Cannes Un Certain Regard prize last year for How To Have Sex, has been selected for the festival’s four-and-a-half month La Résidence program in Paris.

Tim Burgess is to receive special recognition at the first ever Northern Music Awards in Manchester next month.

NBCUniversal Media Group has promoted veteran executive David Pietrycha to the newly created position of Chief Business Officer, reporting into the group’s chairman, Mark Lazarus. 

Marta Balaga Upcoming six-part series “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is set in one of the most infamous concentration camps in history. And yet, “it’s a love story.” “When Lali says that, you are supposed to question his words. But they did meet there, they did fall in love, they did survive and went on to live in Australia.