News

Sarajevo Director Exits After 27 Years

Mirsad Purivatra, the founder of the Sarajevo Film Festival, is leaving the Sff Director position after 27 years. Purivatra will assume the role of President of the Obala Art Centar Association, the umbrella organization behind the Sarajevo Film Festival. Purivatra’s successor will be Jovan Marjanović, previously in charge of the Sff Industry Department and the Festival Co-director. Said Purivatra: “I am proud of everything we have accomplished over the last 27 years. We started from nothing, when our city was under siege, and today we are a globally renowned institution attended by filmmakers and film industry professionals from the region and the whole world. We have faced many challenges on this journey. Our recognizable strong teamwork has turned challenges into successful projects by always setting and attaining high standards. All along we have been dedicated to our mission to discover, support and promote local and regional film authors and industries.

And just like that – here comes spring. Amazon Prime‘s list of new releases for April 2021 isn’t as cheery as one would expect from the sunny season. But perhaps that’s by design – you should be outside anyway!

Amazon’s most prominent original series for April 2021 is undoubtedly Them from multi-hyphenate Lena Waithe. This horror anthology’s first season, subtitled “Covenant”, will center on a Black family in the 1950s who move from North Carolina to a white neighborhood in Los Angeles. It premieres on April 9. Given its name and premise, Them is drawing some (largely joke-y) comparisons to Jordan Peele’s Us on social media. But hey, the world could always use some more Us.

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Standout Spanish cinema actors Irene Escolar and Bárbara Lennie have teamed on a new anthology series commissioned by HBO España and produced by Calle Cruzada.

Created and executive produced by the pair (pictured), who will also perform in the show, “Escenario 0” features six episodes from prominent writers and filmmakers. A unique project that will mix different disciplines to create an exceptional fusion between the performing and audiovisual arts.

“Escanario 0” is the latest example of HBO Europe looking to tap Spanish talent for its HBO Spain original programming. Previous series include Isabel Coixet’s “Foodie Love” and Álex de la Iglesia’s “30 Coins,” as well as the much-anticipated series adaptation of best-selling novel “Patria,” and recently announced comedy series “Por H o por B.”

Commission

Keshet has closed a deal for a Dutch remake of the popular musical quiz program “The Hit List,” commissioned by public broadcaster Npo to be produced locally by Vincent TV.

Berlin — ITV Studios push into European drama has been boosted by pre-sales on “Romulus” and a slew of deals across a burgeoning slate of non-English language productions as ITV Studios aims to position as a world-class player in global content production.

Announced at this week’s Berlinale Series Market, the sales play off ITV Studios acquisition of stakes in European companies – such as France’s Beaubourg Stories, a label at ITV majority-owned “Profilages” producer Tetra Media Studio, and its minority stake in Italy’s high-flying Cattleya (“ZeroZeroZero”) – as well as early partnerships on single titles from fast-escalating production forces in Europe, such as Telefonica’s Movistar Plus.

Produced by Cattleya, Groenlandia and Sky, shot in archaic Latin, and reworking Rome’s creation story into ambitious high-end drama, “Romulus” has been acquired by HBO Europe and Sbs in Australia.

The Sbs deal takes in two further crime procedurals from Cattleya, one...

ITV Studios has appointed Lars Finnland to the post of managing director of ITV Studios Norway, its Scandinavian label.

Finnland is joining ITV Studios from the events company 6.Sans Event where he was CEO. He also ran Nordisk Film TV, where he reorganised the company and allowed it to become one of the country’s leading production companies across drama, reality, event and factual entertainment. He also worked as chief of entertainment for Nordisk Film TV and oversaw the making of 150 shows.

“Lars’ expertise and track record speaks for itself and I am delighted he is joining us to lead the label into a new and exciting phase,” said Mike Beale, managing director of ITV Studios’s Nordics and global creative network.

“With the local creative talent alongside the strong catalogues of ITV Studios, Talpa Global, Twofour Rights and Elk Entertainment, we believe that the production entity can go from strength to strength,...