Premium Factual Distributors Are Facing Up To A ‘Fewer, Bigger, Better’ Future — London TV Screenings

A new Amazon Prime ad campaign debuting at tonight’s Academy Awards kicks off with a spot directed by Olivia Wilde.

Self Esteem showed her support for Gary Lineker last night (March 11) by wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Free Gary” at her Eventim Apollo show in London.The singer-songwriter – real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor – shared on Twitter an image of herself sporting the tee at the show, writing “Solidarity” and tagging the BBC Sport presenter.She has followed in the footsteps of Fatboy Slim, who on Friday (March 10) displayed Lineker’s face on a video screen behind him. The move was met by huge cheers from fans who were watching the DJ perform in Manchester.It comes amid a row between the BBC and Lineker after the latter on Tuesday (March 7) called the government’s controversial plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum an “immeasurably cruel”.

We have some new photos of Sebastian Stan!

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer John Wick is battling his way to Austin, Texas. The fourth installment in Keanu Reeves’ runaway hit franchise has the honor of being this year’s “secret screening” at the SXSW Film Festival, multiple sources told Variety. The film will show next week on the ground in Texas at a major venue, the sources added. Distributor Lionsgate and SXSW Film Festival organizers would not comment on this story, most likely trying to preserve the fan experience. One source added that digital marketing will come into play with how and when lucky guests nab tickets to the screening.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhely and Jimmy Chin won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, a BAFTA, and seven Emmy awards for their 2018 film “Free Solo,” about rock climber Alex Honnold. Now the pair are back with a new National Geographic documentary, “Wild Life.” Fresh off its surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival last September, the doc gets another one at SXSW this weekend before hitting theaters and streaming this Spring.

On 8 March every year, people across the globe come together to celebrate the achievements of women.This year, International Women’s Day centres around the theme #EmbraceEquity in a bid to create a world free from gender stereotypes or bias - something which the Antarctic Fire Angels are very keen to do. While most of us mere mortals feel a sense of achievement if we make it to the gym twice a week, these five women are preparing to tackle something truly awe-inspiring – a trek of more than 700 miles across the Antarctic in temperatures of -50°C.

Cavetown has announced a huge headline show in London – find all the details below.The singer-songwriter (real name Robin Skinner) is due to perform his biggest headline gig to date at Alexandra Palace on Sunday, September 24 as part of his Bittersweet Daze festival.He personally curated the event’s line-up, which also features special guest openers Alfie Templeman, Dodie, Tessa Violet and Cafuné.In a statement, Cavetown said: “This is going to be such a massive epic time and I can’t wait to play songs with my dear pals in London at this incredible venue :’) !!!”Tickets go on general sale at 10am GMT this Friday (March 10) – you’ll be able to buy yours here. Alternatively, members of the Cave Club can access pre-sale tickets now here.Per a press release, £1 from every ticket sale will be donated to Cavetown’s This Is Home Project.

Pack your knives because Top Chef is heading to London! Bravo has brought together 16 of the best chefs from different international versions of the franchise to compete in a “World: All-Stars” edition.

It’s hard to argue that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds has finally hit his stride as an action star with a string of genre pics that audiences have reacted rather well to with the “Deadpool” movies, “Free Guy,” and “The Adam Project.” Those last two movies saw him work with filmmaker Shawn Levy (“Stranger Things,” “Real Steel” ) as the pair are getting ready to begin shooting “Deadpool 3” this spring in London with Hugh Jackman reprising the beloved Wolverine role one more time.

Emily Longeretta There may only be one more season of “Andor” to go, but it sounds like it’s exactly what audiences are hoping for. Diego Luna, who’s currently filming the final season of the Disney+ series in London, opened up about the experience on Friday at the Miami Film Festival, where he accepted the inaugural Variety Virtuoso Award. “It’s been bittersweet because every day I know I’m a day closer to the end,” Luna said. “It was really nice to approach a series knowing there’s an ending. It doesn’t happen! The new conversation on set with streaming is people talking about the possible future. … Like, ‘Well, there might be a second season or a third season. This thing of leaving everything open I think is bringing anxiety to actors that needs to be treated. We’re all thinking about something that we can’t know.”

Stephen Bear is headed to prison for almost two years.

EXCLUSIVE: The British Film Institute is close to appointing a new Festivals Director, with an announcement expected imminently, Deadline understands.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Studiocanal will stage at the London TV Screenings the international premiere of “Spinners,” an eight-part extreme sports action drama set on the mean streets of Cape Town’s Southside, that is not just a series but a sign of an industry zeitgeist. As the competition for talent grows, there’s a building drive into emerging production hubs beyond the traditional powerhouse territories in Europe led by some of its most powerful players, here France’s Canal+, Studiocanal and Federation Studios, and some of its biggest TV events, such as Series Mania.  Produced by Joachim Landau and Raphaël Rocher at Federation Studios’ Empreinte Digitale, and co-created by Landau, “Spinners” is a co-production of South Africa’s Showmax, Africa’s biggest pan-continental SVOD service available in 65 countries, and Vivendi’s Canal+, rating as both a Showmax and Canal+ Original. 

Tara Conlan Guest Contributor After five years of quietly gathering steam within the international TV community, the 2023 edition of the London TV Screenings is its biggest outing yet. Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes? Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.

Formby but now lives in Los Angeles, is a photographer and cinematographer. The 39-year-old has snapped many famous faces for adverts, documentaries and other shows. The dad-of-one said he focused on photography while studying for his Bachelor's degree in London and then made the natural progression into motion pictures.

London Fashion Week was back with a bang for autumn/winter 2023, returning to a full schedule of catwalk shows and presentations after last season’s event was scaled back following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Celebrities were out in force – on the runways and the front row – as designers old and new unveiled their latest collections. From Florence Pugh's surprise spoken word performance on the Harris Reed catwalk to Julien Macdonald's incredible return following a three-year absence from LFW, the 2023 event was definitely one to remember.

Naman Ramachandran The 2023 London Screenings, which unfold Feb. 27 to March 3, take place in an increasingly crowded international TV calendar. The event kicks off just days after the Berlinale Series Market, overlaps with the BBC Studios Showcase and precedes Series Mania and MipTV. The week-long showcase has established itself as a key place to acquire the best of British and international programming. All major global TV distributors, spanning 26 companies, have a plethora of content to offer across genres and formats, and a series of screenings, meetings and events have been lined up. To help you cut through the slates, Variety has surveyed the goods from key international distributors. Here are our picks of 15 shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.

Good afternoon Insider team, Max Goldbart here. It has been a wild ride of a week with Berlin drawing to a close. Read below for a good ol’ recap.

Motion Content Group, an industrious producer and co-financier of Love Island, Wynonna Earp and some 1,800 other series globally, is rebranding as GroupM Motion Entertainment in North America.

Michael Beale last night urged his Rangers casualty concerns to fess up and tell him straight if they’re fit enough for Hampden.