The first-look photo of Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry on the set of “Giant,” written and directed by Rowan Athale, has been revealed. The sports drama is shooting in Leeds, England.
“Giant” is based on the true-life story of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed (El-Masry) and his rags to riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle (Brosnan).
The picture is financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital. The producers are Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions and Stuart Ford, AGC Studios chairman and CEO.
Executive producers are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit Entertainment’s Zygi Kamasa.
True Brit has taken U.K. distribution rights with AGC International...
“Giant” is based on the true-life story of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed (El-Masry) and his rags to riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle (Brosnan).
The picture is financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital. The producers are Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions and Stuart Ford, AGC Studios chairman and CEO.
Executive producers are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit Entertainment’s Zygi Kamasa.
True Brit has taken U.K. distribution rights with AGC International...
- 5/14/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Pierce Brosnan has signed on to the Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed biopic ‘Giant’.The 70-year-old actor, who is best known for his role as James Bond, will play the boxing great's trainer Brendan Ingle in the movie, while Amir El-Masry is to portray the sportsman himself in the biopic, which is being executive produced by 'Rocky' star Sylvester Stallone.'Giant' is being written and directed by Rowan Athale and distributed in the UK by Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment, and AGC Studios - who will finance and produce the movie - are excited about the "extraordinary" story, particularly with the "powerful" stars on board to tell the team.AGC Studios Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford said in a statement: “Since commissioning Rowan to write the brilliant screenplay for ‘Giant’ several years ago, we've been passionate about bringing this extraordinary story to the big screen. “Amir and Pierce...
- 4/15/2024
- by Alex Getting
- Bang Showbiz
Pierce Brosnan will star with Amir El-Masry in the sports drama “Giant,” based on the true-life story of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed and his rags to riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle.
El-Masry will play Naz and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale, and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions. AGC chairman and CEO Stuart Ford will also produce.
AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital are financing the film.
On board to executive produce are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit’s Zygi Kamasa.
Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken U.K. distribution...
El-Masry will play Naz and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale, and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions. AGC chairman and CEO Stuart Ford will also produce.
AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital are financing the film.
On board to executive produce are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit’s Zygi Kamasa.
Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken U.K. distribution...
- 4/15/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry have signed on to star in the sports drama Giant from AGC Studios about the life of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed and his rags-to-riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle.
El-Masry will play Naz, and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, it was announced by AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, who will also produce.
The project is set to begin shooting in Leeds, England in late April. Originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, AGC moved the pic back to the UK to utilize the country’s new Independent Film Tax Credit announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in March.
El-Masry will play Naz, and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, it was announced by AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, who will also produce.
The project is set to begin shooting in Leeds, England in late April. Originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, AGC moved the pic back to the UK to utilize the country’s new Independent Film Tax Credit announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in March.
- 4/15/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Charlie Bloye, chief executive of Film Export UK, the trade body for UK sales agents, is retiring after almost 18 years in the role.
Bloye has been a mainstay of the UK sales agent landscape, working for 26 years at companies such as Rank Organisation, Renaissance, Signpost and Peace Arch, before becoming the inaugural chief executive when Film Export UK launched in 2007, totting up visits to more than 150 markets and festivals across his career.
“There is a mood change in the air at the moment – many people would predict a change of government this year, and I think the association might benefit from having new blood,...
Bloye has been a mainstay of the UK sales agent landscape, working for 26 years at companies such as Rank Organisation, Renaissance, Signpost and Peace Arch, before becoming the inaugural chief executive when Film Export UK launched in 2007, totting up visits to more than 150 markets and festivals across his career.
“There is a mood change in the air at the moment – many people would predict a change of government this year, and I think the association might benefit from having new blood,...
- 4/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Garden Studios in London, which opened its doors in early 2021, has hired Sky Studios top executive Bee Devine as chief operating officer. She will start the role in June and report to Garden Studios founder and CEO Thomas Hoegh.
Devine has worked as director of content operations at Sky Studios, the production arm of European pay-tv and technology giant Sky, since May 2021 after serving as director of operational transformation since May 2020. Before that, Devine held various other positions at Sky, including as program director, content resource planning and as group metadata director, following years in TV production and broadcast facilities management across the independent sector. Comcast has owned Sky since its $39 billion acquisition in 2018.
The Garden Studios campus is a more than 300,000-square-foot hub in Park Royal in the northwest of the British capital. It includes four soundstages of between 4,800 square feet and 23,250 square feet, alongside workshops, technical facilities, fully equipped offices,...
Devine has worked as director of content operations at Sky Studios, the production arm of European pay-tv and technology giant Sky, since May 2021 after serving as director of operational transformation since May 2020. Before that, Devine held various other positions at Sky, including as program director, content resource planning and as group metadata director, following years in TV production and broadcast facilities management across the independent sector. Comcast has owned Sky since its $39 billion acquisition in 2018.
The Garden Studios campus is a more than 300,000-square-foot hub in Park Royal in the northwest of the British capital. It includes four soundstages of between 4,800 square feet and 23,250 square feet, alongside workshops, technical facilities, fully equipped offices,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The £450M ($568M) UK film and TV studio backed by James Corden’s Fulwell 73 has been given the go-ahead.
Having submitted plans last year, a city council in the North East of England has greenlit plans for the Sunderland studio, which its backers say will create 8,000 jobs and cover 1.6 million sq ft. When complete, it is expected that the studios will generate £336m for the local economy every year.
Crown Works Studios is a Jv between Late Late Show maker Fulwell 73 and investment firm Cain International. It has backing from Sunderland City Council and a package of support amounting to around £120M.
Crown Works will be one of the largest in Europe, according to its backers, with 20 premium sound stages suitable for major feature film and high-end TV shows.
“This is a huge moment for Sunderland, the North East and the UK – unlocking untapped potential to further build our world-leading screen industries,...
Having submitted plans last year, a city council in the North East of England has greenlit plans for the Sunderland studio, which its backers say will create 8,000 jobs and cover 1.6 million sq ft. When complete, it is expected that the studios will generate £336m for the local economy every year.
Crown Works Studios is a Jv between Late Late Show maker Fulwell 73 and investment firm Cain International. It has backing from Sunderland City Council and a package of support amounting to around £120M.
Crown Works will be one of the largest in Europe, according to its backers, with 20 premium sound stages suitable for major feature film and high-end TV shows.
“This is a huge moment for Sunderland, the North East and the UK – unlocking untapped potential to further build our world-leading screen industries,...
- 3/25/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The UK’s close ties with Hollywood and the impact of the package of measures for the UK film industry unveiled in chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget were under discussion as Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission (Bfc), Andrew Smith, corporate affairs director at Pinewood and Neil Hatton, chief executive of the UK Screen Alliance faced the UK parliament’s cross-party inquiry into British film and high-end TV today (March 19).
When asked by the committee about the slowdown of inward investment in 2023, in which there was a 39% decline compared to 2022 in the wake of the Hollywood strikes,...
When asked by the committee about the slowdown of inward investment in 2023, in which there was a 39% decline compared to 2022 in the wake of the Hollywood strikes,...
- 3/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Jane Tranter, CEO and founder of UK TV production outfit Bad Wolf, has called for a tiered system of tax relief for TV, akin to the incoming Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc).
Tranter, executive producer on Doctor Who, Succession, I Hate Suzie, Industry and His Dark Materials, was speaking today (March 19) to the cross-party UK parliament Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) Committee inquiry into British film and high-end TV.
“The UK shouldn’t be competing elsewhere in the world for the tax credit. The UK needs to sort out what is the best tax credit it can get to grow its domestic film and TV.
Tranter, executive producer on Doctor Who, Succession, I Hate Suzie, Industry and His Dark Materials, was speaking today (March 19) to the cross-party UK parliament Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) Committee inquiry into British film and high-end TV.
“The UK shouldn’t be competing elsewhere in the world for the tax credit. The UK needs to sort out what is the best tax credit it can get to grow its domestic film and TV.
- 3/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
A still frame from a program aired by Gb News. (Courtesy image)
Five television programs aired by upstart channel Gb News were found to have violated Britain’s news impartiality rules, according to media regulators there.
On Monday, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) said the five programs were hosted by conservative members of parliament (MPs), and that it was “deeply concerned” by the channel’s use of sitting politicians to host news and current affairs programs.
Under British media regulations, sitting politicians are not allowed to deliver news reports or otherwise act as television journalists. Additionally, news programs are expected to air segments that are not aligned with any political party or movement.
The five programs that were found to violate Ofcom’s rules include a May 9 broadcast in which MP Jacob Rees-Mogg covered the verdict in a civil case involving former U.S. President Donald Trump and a broadcast...
Five television programs aired by upstart channel Gb News were found to have violated Britain’s news impartiality rules, according to media regulators there.
On Monday, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) said the five programs were hosted by conservative members of parliament (MPs), and that it was “deeply concerned” by the channel’s use of sitting politicians to host news and current affairs programs.
Under British media regulations, sitting politicians are not allowed to deliver news reports or otherwise act as television journalists. Additionally, news programs are expected to air segments that are not aligned with any political party or movement.
The five programs that were found to violate Ofcom’s rules include a May 9 broadcast in which MP Jacob Rees-Mogg covered the verdict in a civil case involving former U.S. President Donald Trump and a broadcast...
- 3/19/2024
- by Matthew Keys
- The Desk
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here taking you through what has been a whirlwind of a week in international TV and film. Do not stop here — please do read on. And sign up here.
Indie Movie “Game-Changer”
£1B worth of sweeteners: It was a potentially “game-changing” week for a floundering British indie film sector with the unveiling of a 40% tax relief on movies with budgets less than £15M ($19M) — a relief that trade body Pact says it has been calling for in some form or another since 2017 and which answers the prayers of Culture, Media & Sport Committee boss Caroline Dinenage. Jeremy Hunt’s budget was perhaps the most listened-to and most celebrated for a decade by the creative industries after the UK Chancellor unveiled the relief with fanfare alongside 40% business rates relief for big studios and improved VFX relief. All in all, Hunt and the UK treasury said that the...
Indie Movie “Game-Changer”
£1B worth of sweeteners: It was a potentially “game-changing” week for a floundering British indie film sector with the unveiling of a 40% tax relief on movies with budgets less than £15M ($19M) — a relief that trade body Pact says it has been calling for in some form or another since 2017 and which answers the prayers of Culture, Media & Sport Committee boss Caroline Dinenage. Jeremy Hunt’s budget was perhaps the most listened-to and most celebrated for a decade by the creative industries after the UK Chancellor unveiled the relief with fanfare alongside 40% business rates relief for big studios and improved VFX relief. All in all, Hunt and the UK treasury said that the...
- 3/8/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers alliance Pact has played a key role in lobbying for the UK Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc) that was announced in the budget yesterday by chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Pact CEO John McVay tells Screen how the Iftc, which offers an effective 40% tax relief for UK-qualifying films costing up to £15m, was secured and how it will work in practice.
What is your reaction to the news today about the UK Independent Film Tax Credit?
I’m absolutely delighted. This is a journey we started in 2017. We proposed then a 40% tax credit for films within a certain budget range. We...
Pact CEO John McVay tells Screen how the Iftc, which offers an effective 40% tax relief for UK-qualifying films costing up to £15m, was secured and how it will work in practice.
What is your reaction to the news today about the UK Independent Film Tax Credit?
I’m absolutely delighted. This is a journey we started in 2017. We proposed then a 40% tax credit for films within a certain budget range. We...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Producers alliance Pact has played a key role in lobbying for the UK Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc) that was announced in the budget yesterday by chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Pact CEO John McVay tells Screen how the Iftc, which offers an effective 40% tax relief for UK-qualifying films costing up to £15m, was secured and how it will work in practice.
What is your reaction to the news today about the UK Independent Film Tax Credit?
I’m absolutely delighted. This is a journey we started in 2017. We proposed then a 40% tax credit for films within a certain budget range. We...
Pact CEO John McVay tells Screen how the Iftc, which offers an effective 40% tax relief for UK-qualifying films costing up to £15m, was secured and how it will work in practice.
What is your reaction to the news today about the UK Independent Film Tax Credit?
I’m absolutely delighted. This is a journey we started in 2017. We proposed then a 40% tax credit for films within a certain budget range. We...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Director Gareth Edwards will direct his Jurassic World sequel at Sky Studios Elstree this year ahead of its release in 2025.
Production is moving necessarily fast on the next Jurassic World film, with Gareth Edwards and his collaborators working to meet the pre-defined release date of July 2025 set by Universal Pictures.
We heard last month that filming is expected to get underway in July; in the meantime, Universal has confirmed that the sequel will film this year at Sky Studios Elstree in the UK.
The announcement was made in the wake of British chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget today (6th March) in which he announced some new tax breaks for film and TV studios as well as tax credits for UK-based indie films with budgets less than £15m.
The boss of Sky Group, Dana Strong, hailed Mr Hunt’s tax breaks in one of those press statements that sounds much...
Production is moving necessarily fast on the next Jurassic World film, with Gareth Edwards and his collaborators working to meet the pre-defined release date of July 2025 set by Universal Pictures.
We heard last month that filming is expected to get underway in July; in the meantime, Universal has confirmed that the sequel will film this year at Sky Studios Elstree in the UK.
The announcement was made in the wake of British chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget today (6th March) in which he announced some new tax breaks for film and TV studios as well as tax credits for UK-based indie films with budgets less than £15m.
The boss of Sky Group, Dana Strong, hailed Mr Hunt’s tax breaks in one of those press statements that sounds much...
- 3/6/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World 4 is set to film in the UK later this year at Sky Studios Elstree in London for Universal.
Both Universal and Sky Studios are owned by Comcast.
The untitled fourth instalment in the Jurassic World series, and the seventh in the entire franchise, was confirmed for a UK shoot by Sky Group CEO Dana Strong following the UK government’s announcement of a 40% relief on business rates for the country’s studio facilities.
“We’re delighted that the [UK] Chancellor [Jeremy Hunt] called ‘Cut’ today on TV and film studio business rates, providing vital tax relief...
Both Universal and Sky Studios are owned by Comcast.
The untitled fourth instalment in the Jurassic World series, and the seventh in the entire franchise, was confirmed for a UK shoot by Sky Group CEO Dana Strong following the UK government’s announcement of a 40% relief on business rates for the country’s studio facilities.
“We’re delighted that the [UK] Chancellor [Jeremy Hunt] called ‘Cut’ today on TV and film studio business rates, providing vital tax relief...
- 3/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Some of the biggest names in the world of British film have showered praise on the “game-changing” new 40% British indie film relief.
Announced earlier today by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt following lobbying from the BFI and Pact for months, the relief will apply to movies made for less than £15M ($19M). Today’s move was coupled with a 5% increase in tax relief for UK VFX costs in film and high-end TV, and business rates relief of 40% for major studios.
Sixteen Films producer and Ken Loach collaborator Rebecca O’Brien joked that the “genuine game changer” has prompted her to rethink whether to stop making movies.
“It’s extraordinary,” she told Deadline shortly after the credit was announced. “It just gives me confidence and means if I can raise the money more easily, I can spend more time helping the production and making a good film rather than spending all my time...
Announced earlier today by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt following lobbying from the BFI and Pact for months, the relief will apply to movies made for less than £15M ($19M). Today’s move was coupled with a 5% increase in tax relief for UK VFX costs in film and high-end TV, and business rates relief of 40% for major studios.
Sixteen Films producer and Ken Loach collaborator Rebecca O’Brien joked that the “genuine game changer” has prompted her to rethink whether to stop making movies.
“It’s extraordinary,” she told Deadline shortly after the credit was announced. “It just gives me confidence and means if I can raise the money more easily, I can spend more time helping the production and making a good film rather than spending all my time...
- 3/6/2024
- by Zac Ntim and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
During the reading of the U.K. government’s spring budget on Wednesday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt revealed a 40% corporate tax relief for film and TV studios through 2034.
The plan also includes a new tax credit for independent films shot in the U.K. that have a budget less than $19 million (£15 million), and a 5% increase in credit for visual effects in film and high-end TV along with the removal of the 80% cap.
“We have become Europe’s largest film and TV production center, with Idris Elba, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom all filming their latest productions here,” Hunt said. “Studio space in the U.K. has doubled in the last three years, and at the current rate of expansion, next year we will be second only to Hollywood globally.”
Hunt continued to say that the government had listened “carefully to representations from companies like Pinewood, Warner Bros. and Sky Studios” when making the decision.
The plan also includes a new tax credit for independent films shot in the U.K. that have a budget less than $19 million (£15 million), and a 5% increase in credit for visual effects in film and high-end TV along with the removal of the 80% cap.
“We have become Europe’s largest film and TV production center, with Idris Elba, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom all filming their latest productions here,” Hunt said. “Studio space in the U.K. has doubled in the last three years, and at the current rate of expansion, next year we will be second only to Hollywood globally.”
Hunt continued to say that the government had listened “carefully to representations from companies like Pinewood, Warner Bros. and Sky Studios” when making the decision.
- 3/6/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The UK government is to introduce an indie movie tax credit for films that have budgets up to £15M ($19M), along with bringing in business rates relief for big studios and additional VFX relief.
From April 1, the new indie relief will be separate to the pre-existing film and high-end TV tax credit but both will fall under the new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit system. The local industry has been calling for the move for months. Films will qualify if they pass a “new British film Institute test.” Productions can make claims from April 1 2025 in respect of expenditure incurred from April 1 2024.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced in the past few moments that there will be a 5% increase in tax relief for UK VFX costs in film and high-end TV, while the cost cap of 80% will be removed. The government will also consult on the types of expenditure that will be in scope...
From April 1, the new indie relief will be separate to the pre-existing film and high-end TV tax credit but both will fall under the new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit system. The local industry has been calling for the move for months. Films will qualify if they pass a “new British film Institute test.” Productions can make claims from April 1 2025 in respect of expenditure incurred from April 1 2024.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced in the past few moments that there will be a 5% increase in tax relief for UK VFX costs in film and high-end TV, while the cost cap of 80% will be removed. The government will also consult on the types of expenditure that will be in scope...
- 3/6/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.K. government of Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak unveiled a 40 percent corporate tax relief for film and TV studio facilities until 2034 on Wednesday, introduced a new independent film incentive of 40 percent and announced an increase to an existing incentive for visual effects. The moves earned praise from entertainment industry leaders who also said that the new Jurassic World movie would start shooting in the country later this year.
Sunak’s chancellor, or finance minister, Jeremy Hunt made the announcements during his spring budget speech.
“We have become Europe’s largest film and TV production center, with Idris Elba, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom all filming their latest productions here,” said Hunt, adding that if production space growth continues at its current pace, the country will next year rank “second only to Hollywood” in that regard. “Studio space in the U.K. has doubled in the last three years and...
Sunak’s chancellor, or finance minister, Jeremy Hunt made the announcements during his spring budget speech.
“We have become Europe’s largest film and TV production center, with Idris Elba, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom all filming their latest productions here,” said Hunt, adding that if production space growth continues at its current pace, the country will next year rank “second only to Hollywood” in that regard. “Studio space in the U.K. has doubled in the last three years and...
- 3/6/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Children’s TV has joined the growing list of UK genres jostling for government intervention after an emergency summit attended by the biggest players in the game.
The Children’s Media Foundation (Cmf), which convened the summit earlier this month and was attended by YouTube, has forged a list of “possible interventions” required to help a genre in crisis and sent them to the UK culture department and regulator Ofcom. “Time is not on our side given the known impact on UK children,” said the Cmf.
The eight proposals start with the government “needing to address the reality of the children’s media market as it is now, characterised by the loss of audience from UK broadcasters to online streaming and video sharing services.”
Backing up recent comments made by BBC kids boss Patricia Hidalgo, the Cmf said that “while there is UK-originated and international content of value on these platforms,...
The Children’s Media Foundation (Cmf), which convened the summit earlier this month and was attended by YouTube, has forged a list of “possible interventions” required to help a genre in crisis and sent them to the UK culture department and regulator Ofcom. “Time is not on our side given the known impact on UK children,” said the Cmf.
The eight proposals start with the government “needing to address the reality of the children’s media market as it is now, characterised by the loss of audience from UK broadcasters to online streaming and video sharing services.”
Backing up recent comments made by BBC kids boss Patricia Hidalgo, the Cmf said that “while there is UK-originated and international content of value on these platforms,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Urgent and joined up action” has been demanded from the UK government by broadcasting union Bectu, which has called for an industry-wide summit and criticized the culture secretary for saying the creative industries are “booming.”
Philippa Childs has written a letter to Lucy Frazer this morning saying the “current picture for the UK screen industries is deeply concerning.”
She called for the summit with haste, which she said should bring together “broadcasters, industry stakeholders and government to discuss the crisis and possible solutions.”
“The future of our much loved and globally revered film and TV industry, and one of the UK’s economic heavyweights, depends on urgent and joined up action,” said Childs. “The workforce, who underpin the sector’s success, must have a seat at the table.”
She was writing on behalf of the thousands of UK freelancers. A Bectu survey last week found that 68% of UK film and TV freelancers are not working,...
Philippa Childs has written a letter to Lucy Frazer this morning saying the “current picture for the UK screen industries is deeply concerning.”
She called for the summit with haste, which she said should bring together “broadcasters, industry stakeholders and government to discuss the crisis and possible solutions.”
“The future of our much loved and globally revered film and TV industry, and one of the UK’s economic heavyweights, depends on urgent and joined up action,” said Childs. “The workforce, who underpin the sector’s success, must have a seat at the table.”
She was writing on behalf of the thousands of UK freelancers. A Bectu survey last week found that 68% of UK film and TV freelancers are not working,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been told to use his forthcoming Spring budget to make an “urgent intervention” to support the UK indie film sector in a letter published by Caroline Dinenage MP, chair of the influential Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
The letter follows the second evidence session of the Committee’s inquiry into British film and high-end TV, which featured Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien alongside Film4 and BBC Film heads Ollie Madden and Eva Yates. The letter outlines the committee’s concerns that the British film industry is increasingly reliant on investment from overseas productions, resulting in what it describes as a “vulnerable domestic sector,” and asks the Chancellor to introduce enhanced tax relief for independent British films in the Spring budget.
“To address this issue, we urge the Government to introduce enhanced tax relief for British films within a budget range of approximately £1 million to £15 million,...
The letter follows the second evidence session of the Committee’s inquiry into British film and high-end TV, which featured Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien alongside Film4 and BBC Film heads Ollie Madden and Eva Yates. The letter outlines the committee’s concerns that the British film industry is increasingly reliant on investment from overseas productions, resulting in what it describes as a “vulnerable domestic sector,” and asks the Chancellor to introduce enhanced tax relief for independent British films in the Spring budget.
“To address this issue, we urge the Government to introduce enhanced tax relief for British films within a budget range of approximately £1 million to £15 million,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The pressure is on for the long-gestating indie tax relief to come into play in the UK, as the second day of public evidence sessions from industry representatives to the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) Committee unfurled.
Three witness sessions took place this morning (February 21) in parliament, with One Life and Slow Horses director James Hawes; Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien; and Film4 director Ollie Madden together with BBC Film director Eva Yates.
Presently, the credit rate for films, high-end TV and video games stands at 34% (equating to 25.5% in actual relief) for all qualifying projects, regardless of budget but...
Three witness sessions took place this morning (February 21) in parliament, with One Life and Slow Horses director James Hawes; Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien; and Film4 director Ollie Madden together with BBC Film director Eva Yates.
Presently, the credit rate for films, high-end TV and video games stands at 34% (equating to 25.5% in actual relief) for all qualifying projects, regardless of budget but...
- 2/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
The pressure is on for the long-gestating indie tax relief to come into play in the UK, as the second day of public evidence sessions from industry representatives to the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) Committee unfurled.
Three witness sessions took place this morning (February 21) in parliament, with One Life and Slow Horses director James Hawes; Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien; and Film4 director Ollie Madden together with BBC Film director Eva Yates.
Credit rate for films, high-end TV and video games stands at 34% (equating to 25.5% in actual relief) for all qualifying projects, regardless of budget but with an 80% cap on qualifying spend,...
Three witness sessions took place this morning (February 21) in parliament, with One Life and Slow Horses director James Hawes; Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien; and Film4 director Ollie Madden together with BBC Film director Eva Yates.
Credit rate for films, high-end TV and video games stands at 34% (equating to 25.5% in actual relief) for all qualifying projects, regardless of budget but with an 80% cap on qualifying spend,...
- 2/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
“There’s market failure because the streamers came in, high-end TV got higher end, and Hollywood arrived. And they took a lot of our investors away,” Sixteen Films producer Rebecca O’Brien concluded when quizzed on the state of the UK indie film sector during an appearance at the UK’s British Film & High-End TV Inquiry.
She added: “Some additional fiscal support for the sector is essential. I think we could really die without it.”
O’Brien appeared in front of the bipartisan committee this morning, where she discussed her decades-long experience producing features with Ken Loach, navigating the independent market of international co-productions and financing, and what must change for the UK indie industry to push forward.
The session began with O’Brien being asked how she and her team at Sixteen Films have managed to successfully produce and land distribution for the films of the company’s founder, Ken Loach.
She added: “Some additional fiscal support for the sector is essential. I think we could really die without it.”
O’Brien appeared in front of the bipartisan committee this morning, where she discussed her decades-long experience producing features with Ken Loach, navigating the independent market of international co-productions and financing, and what must change for the UK indie industry to push forward.
The session began with O’Brien being asked how she and her team at Sixteen Films have managed to successfully produce and land distribution for the films of the company’s founder, Ken Loach.
- 2/21/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
British media regulator Ofcom has launched another investigation into right-of-center news outlet Gb News after the channel hosted a chat show with the country’s prime minister earlier this month.
The probe is connected to a February 14 broadcast of “The People’s Forum,” which saw British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discuss a number of political issues with members of a studio audience.
Ofcom has strict rules that require balance of perspective when news programs air matters related to politics or social issues. In this case, Ofcom says the forum received around 500 complaints from the public, triggering the probe.
“We are investigating under Rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code which provide additional due impartiality requirements for programs dealing with matters of major political controversy and major matters relating to current public policy,” a spokesperson for Ofcom said in a statement on Monday. “Specifically, Rules 5.11 and 5.12 require that an appropriately wide range...
The probe is connected to a February 14 broadcast of “The People’s Forum,” which saw British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discuss a number of political issues with members of a studio audience.
Ofcom has strict rules that require balance of perspective when news programs air matters related to politics or social issues. In this case, Ofcom says the forum received around 500 complaints from the public, triggering the probe.
“We are investigating under Rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code which provide additional due impartiality requirements for programs dealing with matters of major political controversy and major matters relating to current public policy,” a spokesperson for Ofcom said in a statement on Monday. “Specifically, Rules 5.11 and 5.12 require that an appropriately wide range...
- 2/20/2024
- by Matthew Keys
- The Desk
More than 13 years after government minister Jeremy Hunt stood up in Parliament to announce the abolition of the UK Film Council (UKFC), the body held its first reunion.
Around 80 former staff members – who worked for the organisation at some point over its existence from creation by Tony Blair’s Labour government in 2000 to final unwinding in 2011 – came together at London’s Century Club on Wednesday evening (January 31).
A speech from John Woodward – who served as UKFC chief executive throughout its existence – gave the event its focal point. While wishing to avoid “nostalgia”, which he defined as a classical Greek word...
Around 80 former staff members – who worked for the organisation at some point over its existence from creation by Tony Blair’s Labour government in 2000 to final unwinding in 2011 – came together at London’s Century Club on Wednesday evening (January 31).
A speech from John Woodward – who served as UKFC chief executive throughout its existence – gave the event its focal point. While wishing to avoid “nostalgia”, which he defined as a classical Greek word...
- 2/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that the construction of a major film studio in the UK’s north east is under discussion, with mention of Barbie thrown in.
The UK’s north east could eventually become the home of a major film studio complex, with plans underway to construct multiple sound stages on a disused industrial site in Sunderland.
Over the weekend, the Sunderland Echo reports, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed that the government is currently discussing the project with its investors.
“We have been having very good discussions with the people who are hoping to invest here,” Hunt said during a visit to Nissan’s car plant, also located in Sunderland. “All I will say is, this year’s California blockbuster Barbie was shot in Hertfordshire – next time, let’s have a Sunderland Barbie.”
Hunt is referring here to Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, where much of this year’s doll-based hit was filmed.
The UK’s north east could eventually become the home of a major film studio complex, with plans underway to construct multiple sound stages on a disused industrial site in Sunderland.
Over the weekend, the Sunderland Echo reports, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed that the government is currently discussing the project with its investors.
“We have been having very good discussions with the people who are hoping to invest here,” Hunt said during a visit to Nissan’s car plant, also located in Sunderland. “All I will say is, this year’s California blockbuster Barbie was shot in Hertfordshire – next time, let’s have a Sunderland Barbie.”
Hunt is referring here to Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, where much of this year’s doll-based hit was filmed.
- 11/27/2023
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt wants North East England to get in on the all-consuming Barbie hype.
Speaking with local press over the weekend, Hunt confirmed that his government is currently in talks with a conglomerate of investors, including James Corden’s Fulwell 73 firm, who have set plans to build a new film studio in the region.
“We have been having very good discussions with the people who are hoping to invest here,” Hunt said. “All I will say is, this year’s California blockbuster Barbie was shot in Hertfordshire — next time, let’s have a Sunderland Barbie.”
Here, Hunt is making reference to parts of the production on Greta Gerwig’s Barbie taking place at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, just outside of London.
FulwellCain, a joint venture between Corden’s Fulwell 73 and Cain International, submitted plans to local authorities to create the complex on the former Crown Works Studios in Sunderland.
Speaking with local press over the weekend, Hunt confirmed that his government is currently in talks with a conglomerate of investors, including James Corden’s Fulwell 73 firm, who have set plans to build a new film studio in the region.
“We have been having very good discussions with the people who are hoping to invest here,” Hunt said. “All I will say is, this year’s California blockbuster Barbie was shot in Hertfordshire — next time, let’s have a Sunderland Barbie.”
Here, Hunt is making reference to parts of the production on Greta Gerwig’s Barbie taking place at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, just outside of London.
FulwellCain, a joint venture between Corden’s Fulwell 73 and Cain International, submitted plans to local authorities to create the complex on the former Crown Works Studios in Sunderland.
- 11/27/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Whale with Steve Backshall, the latest high-end natural history series out of the UK is racking up international sales, as the Sky Nature show’s executive producer Wendy Darke talked up the importance of distribution and tax credits in getting such programs made.
The ABC in Australia and France’s Ushuaia are the latest to board the blue-chip natural history series from Wendy Darke’s indie True to Nature ahead of its debut on Sky Nature in the UK on December 3.
The series follows conservationist and wildlife expert Backshall as he attempts to challenge preconceptions around the endangered animals. Free-diving in the ocean, he attempts to get the audience closer to the than ever before to whales and dolphins, and showcase rarely-seen behaviours from the little-understood mammals.
Fremantle sells globally after launching it at the London TV Screenings earlier this year, and unveiled deals with the BBC in the Mena region,...
The ABC in Australia and France’s Ushuaia are the latest to board the blue-chip natural history series from Wendy Darke’s indie True to Nature ahead of its debut on Sky Nature in the UK on December 3.
The series follows conservationist and wildlife expert Backshall as he attempts to challenge preconceptions around the endangered animals. Free-diving in the ocean, he attempts to get the audience closer to the than ever before to whales and dolphins, and showcase rarely-seen behaviours from the little-understood mammals.
Fremantle sells globally after launching it at the London TV Screenings earlier this year, and unveiled deals with the BBC in the Mena region,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Although it’s too early to judge, the government’s initial response to the nationwide review into the UK film industry has been entirely predictable thus far.
Earlier this year, a huge review was undertaken to assess the state of the UK film industry. In the months since the survey was conducted, Film Stories has been privy to the odd noise of dissatisfaction from UK producers with regards to the way the survey referenced the struggling independent sector in favour of other areas.
Given that the UK already possesses a thriving reputation as an international film hub, perhaps it’s no surprise then that when the government publicly responded to the commissioned investigation, UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt didn’t mention the independent sector at all.
Instead, his focus was largely on how to further boost the tax credit system for the UK’s booming VFX industry to ensure it is competitive with other countries.
Earlier this year, a huge review was undertaken to assess the state of the UK film industry. In the months since the survey was conducted, Film Stories has been privy to the odd noise of dissatisfaction from UK producers with regards to the way the survey referenced the struggling independent sector in favour of other areas.
Given that the UK already possesses a thriving reputation as an international film hub, perhaps it’s no surprise then that when the government publicly responded to the commissioned investigation, UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt didn’t mention the independent sector at all.
Instead, his focus was largely on how to further boost the tax credit system for the UK’s booming VFX industry to ensure it is competitive with other countries.
- 11/23/2023
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
The UK government has used its Autumn Statement to quell industry concerns around the new tax credit but decline to raise relief for indie film, while Equity has slammed the Conservatives for “undermining public service broadcasters and pursuing a culture war against marginalised groups.”
Delivered earlier this afternoon, the statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt dealt with complaints from the likes of Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Pinewood by scotching planned restrictions on tax credit relief for what is termed “commercial party transactions,” along with addressing concerns over which documentaries qualify for the credit.
Hunt also announced he will launch a consultation that could see tax relief expanded to cover VFX.
Introduced more than a decade ago, the UK’s lucrative film and high-end TV tax credit has been hugely successful. It was simplified by Hunt eight months ago when he announced a new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit to come into effect next year,...
Delivered earlier this afternoon, the statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt dealt with complaints from the likes of Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Pinewood by scotching planned restrictions on tax credit relief for what is termed “commercial party transactions,” along with addressing concerns over which documentaries qualify for the credit.
Hunt also announced he will launch a consultation that could see tax relief expanded to cover VFX.
Introduced more than a decade ago, the UK’s lucrative film and high-end TV tax credit has been hugely successful. It was simplified by Hunt eight months ago when he announced a new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit to come into effect next year,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Chancellor to launch “call for evidence” for how to increase the tax credit.
The UK government has launched a “call for evidence” on how to boost the film and high-end TV tax credits, in an effort to retain VFX business in the country.
UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the plans as part of his autumn statement today (November 22), his address to the House of Commons on the state of the economy.
“I know that even more can be invested in visual effects if we increase the generosity of the film and high end TV tax credit, so I’ll today...
The UK government has launched a “call for evidence” on how to boost the film and high-end TV tax credits, in an effort to retain VFX business in the country.
UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the plans as part of his autumn statement today (November 22), his address to the House of Commons on the state of the economy.
“I know that even more can be invested in visual effects if we increase the generosity of the film and high end TV tax credit, so I’ll today...
- 11/22/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
In the second episode of “The Great Climate Fight,” airing on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 10:00 Pm on Channel 4, viewers can expect a compelling exploration of environmental advocacy. Mary Portas takes on the task of holding Jeremy Hunt accountable for the government’s oil and gas tax breaks, shedding light on critical policies that impact climate efforts.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall steps into the spotlight as he calls out the Energy Secretary for obstructing onshore wind projects, emphasizing the importance of renewable energy sources. The episode also features Kevin McCloud, who impassionedly urges Michael Gove to elevate housing standards, highlighting the role of sustainable architecture in the fight against climate change.
The episode promises a blend of investigative journalism, direct challenges to policymakers, and impassioned pleas for crucial environmental reforms. “The Great Climate Fight” continues to engage viewers in the conversation surrounding climate change, rallying influential figures to address key issues and drive positive change.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall steps into the spotlight as he calls out the Energy Secretary for obstructing onshore wind projects, emphasizing the importance of renewable energy sources. The episode also features Kevin McCloud, who impassionedly urges Michael Gove to elevate housing standards, highlighting the role of sustainable architecture in the fight against climate change.
The episode promises a blend of investigative journalism, direct challenges to policymakers, and impassioned pleas for crucial environmental reforms. “The Great Climate Fight” continues to engage viewers in the conversation surrounding climate change, rallying influential figures to address key issues and drive positive change.
- 11/16/2023
- by Posts UK
- TV Everyday
Following the success of the chart-topping daily podcast The News Agents, Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, today (Friday 29th September 2023) announced a new monthly podcast The News Agents Investigates, fronted by Lewis Goodall.
Launching on Sunday 1st October, The News Agents Investigates is the latest extension to The News Agents brand, following the launch of The News Agents USA this summer. The investigative podcast will provide on-the-ground newsgathering and reporting, getting to the heart of the biggest stories in news and current affairs.
Hosted by The News Agents co-presenter and Global’s Analysis and Investigations Editor, Lewis Goodall, The News Agents Investigates will release stand-alone, fully visualised podcast episodes available on Global Player, alongside exclusive social media content.
Lewis Goodall said: "I couldn't be happier about this project and the fact that Global and The News Agents brand are investing so much in original journalism. Reporting is my bread and butter,...
Launching on Sunday 1st October, The News Agents Investigates is the latest extension to The News Agents brand, following the launch of The News Agents USA this summer. The investigative podcast will provide on-the-ground newsgathering and reporting, getting to the heart of the biggest stories in news and current affairs.
Hosted by The News Agents co-presenter and Global’s Analysis and Investigations Editor, Lewis Goodall, The News Agents Investigates will release stand-alone, fully visualised podcast episodes available on Global Player, alongside exclusive social media content.
Lewis Goodall said: "I couldn't be happier about this project and the fact that Global and The News Agents brand are investing so much in original journalism. Reporting is my bread and butter,...
- 9/30/2023
- Podnews.net
Ten new sound stages will boost production capacity by 50%.
In a boost for the UK production sector and inward investment Warner Bros. Discovery said on Thursday it plans to expand Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden (Wbsl) and turn it into a production hub for DC Studios.
Work is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2024 and see the addition of 10 sound stages and 400,000 sq ft of production and support space, growing the production capacity at Wbsl by more than 50%.
The company said it anticipated the work to be completed in 2027.
The expansion will boost the total stage count from 19 to...
In a boost for the UK production sector and inward investment Warner Bros. Discovery said on Thursday it plans to expand Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden (Wbsl) and turn it into a production hub for DC Studios.
Work is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2024 and see the addition of 10 sound stages and 400,000 sq ft of production and support space, growing the production capacity at Wbsl by more than 50%.
The company said it anticipated the work to be completed in 2027.
The expansion will boost the total stage count from 19 to...
- 9/21/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros. Discovery is giving DC Studios a primary production hub at its U.K.-based TV and film studio Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the home of HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” amid a sprawling plan to expand the location by more than 50% capacity and 10 sound stages.
The expansion, announced Thursday by the David Zaslav-led media giant, will include the addition of 400,000 square feet of production and support space, and increase the total stage count from 19 to 29 and overall space from 1.14 million square feet to 1.78 million. Wbd is scheduled break ground on the project in the second quarter of 2024, and it is expected to be completed in 2027.
DC Studios co-chairmen and CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will consult with the Leavesden expansion team to “ensure that their ideas are incorporated” into the new facilities.
In January, Gunn and Safran detailed their first planned projects for DC Studios,...
The expansion, announced Thursday by the David Zaslav-led media giant, will include the addition of 400,000 square feet of production and support space, and increase the total stage count from 19 to 29 and overall space from 1.14 million square feet to 1.78 million. Wbd is scheduled break ground on the project in the second quarter of 2024, and it is expected to be completed in 2027.
DC Studios co-chairmen and CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will consult with the Leavesden expansion team to “ensure that their ideas are incorporated” into the new facilities.
In January, Gunn and Safran detailed their first planned projects for DC Studios,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Warner Bros. Discovery is doubling down on one of its key production hubs, which will serve as the primary home for DC Studios projects once the expansion is completed on the lot just outside of central London in Leavesden.
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden unveiled plans on Thursday to add 10 new soundstages and incorporate 400,000 additional square feet of production and support space. The project is expected to break ground in the second quarter of 2024 and finish in 2027.
When completed, the lot will have 29 stages and 1.78 million square feet of production space. DC Studios co-chief executives James Gunn and Peter Safran will consult on the project. Recent films and TV shows to shoot at the location include Barbie, House of the Dragon and upcoming DC feature Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
“Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is globally recognized for its exceptional soundstages and facilities, and with this planned expansion adding significant capacity and capabilities,...
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden unveiled plans on Thursday to add 10 new soundstages and incorporate 400,000 additional square feet of production and support space. The project is expected to break ground in the second quarter of 2024 and finish in 2027.
When completed, the lot will have 29 stages and 1.78 million square feet of production space. DC Studios co-chief executives James Gunn and Peter Safran will consult on the project. Recent films and TV shows to shoot at the location include Barbie, House of the Dragon and upcoming DC feature Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
“Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is globally recognized for its exceptional soundstages and facilities, and with this planned expansion adding significant capacity and capabilities,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s broadcast standards investigation into Gb News has found the channel to be in breach of its impartiality rules.
The issue of politicians who also serve as newsreaders being in potential breach of Ofcom’s impartiality rules has cropped up in recent months. In April, Ofcom launched an investigation into Gb News over an interview given by chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt to Esther McVey and Philip Davies on March 11 on the “Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip” news program about the upcoming budget. All three politicians are members of parliament representing the ruling Conservative party.
Ofcom received 45 complaints from viewers who raised concerns that the program had failed to preserve due impartiality.
The investigation found that “the program was overwhelmingly reflective of the viewpoints of different strands of opinion within the Conservative Party. There were only very limited references to wider perspectives on U.
The issue of politicians who also serve as newsreaders being in potential breach of Ofcom’s impartiality rules has cropped up in recent months. In April, Ofcom launched an investigation into Gb News over an interview given by chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt to Esther McVey and Philip Davies on March 11 on the “Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip” news program about the upcoming budget. All three politicians are members of parliament representing the ruling Conservative party.
Ofcom received 45 complaints from viewers who raised concerns that the program had failed to preserve due impartiality.
The investigation found that “the program was overwhelmingly reflective of the viewpoints of different strands of opinion within the Conservative Party. There were only very limited references to wider perspectives on U.
- 9/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Ofcom has found Gb News to be in breach of due impartiality rules in a landmark ruling pertaining to an episode of Esther McVey and Phillip Davies’ show.
The regulator’s investigation concluded that an episode of Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, which aired on Gb News on March 11, failed to “represent and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views on a matter of major political controversy and current public policy.”
The right-leaning news network therefore breached rules 5.11 and 5.12 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code on impartiality, following 45 complaints.
This is the third time Gb News has breached Ofcom’s rules but the first regarding the controversial move to have politicians present topical shows and interview other politicians. There are six more investigations of this ilk currently open.
In the show found in breach, McVey and Davies, members of the ruling Conservative Party, interviewed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt...
The regulator’s investigation concluded that an episode of Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, which aired on Gb News on March 11, failed to “represent and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views on a matter of major political controversy and current public policy.”
The right-leaning news network therefore breached rules 5.11 and 5.12 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code on impartiality, following 45 complaints.
This is the third time Gb News has breached Ofcom’s rules but the first regarding the controversial move to have politicians present topical shows and interview other politicians. There are six more investigations of this ilk currently open.
In the show found in breach, McVey and Davies, members of the ruling Conservative Party, interviewed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt...
- 9/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
UK regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into shows hosted by politicians on Gb News and TalkTV, including one featuring a segment on Donald Trump’s civil trial.
The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning Gb News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former Potus.
State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both Gb News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice...
The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning Gb News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former Potus.
State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both Gb News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice...
- 7/3/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
A total of £77m is earmarked to grow the sector.
The British Film Institute (BFI) has received £1.7m from the UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) to deliver the 2024 London Film Festival as part of a £77m package of government funding for the UK’s creative industries.
The BFI said the investment is “a huge vote of confidence in the festival and its impact across the UK and internationally. This funding allows our festival director Kristy Mathieson and her team to plan through the 2024 edition of the festival.”
According to the BFI, the government investment is part...
The British Film Institute (BFI) has received £1.7m from the UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) to deliver the 2024 London Film Festival as part of a £77m package of government funding for the UK’s creative industries.
The BFI said the investment is “a huge vote of confidence in the festival and its impact across the UK and internationally. This funding allows our festival director Kristy Mathieson and her team to plan through the 2024 edition of the festival.”
According to the BFI, the government investment is part...
- 6/14/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
UK On Track To Double Film Stages By 2025 As Culture Secretary Unveils $62B Creative Sector Ambition
Updated with more quotes 1.30 a.m. Pt: The UK is on track to double its film stage space within two years, new Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said, while unveiling a target to grow the creative sector by £50B ($62B) and create 1 million jobs.
Elsewhere, Frazer used one of her first public speaking appearances in the job to set out one of her guiding principles: “Protect our Public Service Broadcasters.”
Frazer keynoted the Deloitte & Enders Media and Telecoms 2023 & Beyond Conference this morning, setting out the lofty targets and laying down a marker for future growth in the likes of film and TV.
She revealed the UK is due to double its film stage space by 2025, coming in the wake of studios springing up in the likes of Birmingham, Scotland and Hertfordshire, as huge projects have moved to the UK. She hailed “world-over demand for high-end British productions.”
Lucy Frazer
With...
Elsewhere, Frazer used one of her first public speaking appearances in the job to set out one of her guiding principles: “Protect our Public Service Broadcasters.”
Frazer keynoted the Deloitte & Enders Media and Telecoms 2023 & Beyond Conference this morning, setting out the lofty targets and laying down a marker for future growth in the likes of film and TV.
She revealed the UK is due to double its film stage space by 2025, coming in the wake of studios springing up in the likes of Birmingham, Scotland and Hertfordshire, as huge projects have moved to the UK. She hailed “world-over demand for high-end British productions.”
Lucy Frazer
With...
- 5/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Richard Sharp’s resignation as BBC Chairman over a Boris Johnson loan scandal has stoked division at the British broadcaster as thoughts turn to finding his successor.
The former Goldman Sachs banker will step down at the end of June after he failed to properly declare his role in facilitating Johnson’s £800,000 ($1M) loan guarantee as ministers went about installing him on the BBC board.
Barrister Adam Heppinstall concluded Sharp’s actions gave rise to a “perceived conflict of interest,” though he stopped short of concluding that the BBC Chairman sort to curry favor by involving himself in the Prime Minister’s private financial affairs.
Sharp has dug in for months since the story was first reported by The Sunday Times and maintained today that his failure to be fully transparent about Johnson’s loan was “inadvertent and not material.”
BBC employees were angry about The Sunday Times story when it broke in January,...
The former Goldman Sachs banker will step down at the end of June after he failed to properly declare his role in facilitating Johnson’s £800,000 ($1M) loan guarantee as ministers went about installing him on the BBC board.
Barrister Adam Heppinstall concluded Sharp’s actions gave rise to a “perceived conflict of interest,” though he stopped short of concluding that the BBC Chairman sort to curry favor by involving himself in the Prime Minister’s private financial affairs.
Sharp has dug in for months since the story was first reported by The Sunday Times and maintained today that his failure to be fully transparent about Johnson’s loan was “inadvertent and not material.”
BBC employees were angry about The Sunday Times story when it broke in January,...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Chris Shaw has left the building. The Oscar-nominated British news executive is calling it quits after an on-off love affair with news producer ITN that has spanned 40 years, affording him a front-row seat to the biggest stories of his generation. Semi-retirement beckons, but not before a valedictory interview.
So is this Shaw unleashed? Has he, as Andrew Marr memorably put it when he left the BBC, found his voice after being constrained by ITN’s duty to impartiality? Not quite. It will take more than a jolly phone interview to break the habit of a career. But there is little doubt that he is looser-lipped on his final day at the office — and that’s good news because few are better placed than Shaw to reflect on the state of news in the UK.
His decorated résumé includes helping Rupert Murdoch launch Sky News in 1989 and, nearly a decade later,...
So is this Shaw unleashed? Has he, as Andrew Marr memorably put it when he left the BBC, found his voice after being constrained by ITN’s duty to impartiality? Not quite. It will take more than a jolly phone interview to break the habit of a career. But there is little doubt that he is looser-lipped on his final day at the office — and that’s good news because few are better placed than Shaw to reflect on the state of news in the UK.
His decorated résumé includes helping Rupert Murdoch launch Sky News in 1989 and, nearly a decade later,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
The News Agents, the UK’s leading daily podcast, has surpassed 24 million downloads since launching seven months ago.
Hosted by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, The News Agents has consistently topped the podcast charts, while on social its clips and bespoke explainer videos reach over 25 million users every month across TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.
The podcast has quickly established itself as the go to source for listeners to make sense of the biggest stories of the day, featuring interviews with key players in news and current affairs including leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who revealed that The News Agents episode on rising childcare costs provided him with ‘ammunition’ to expand free childcare hours in the spring budget. The News Agents has also attracted some of the most beloved names in entertainment including Happy Valley actor James Norton,...
Hosted by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, The News Agents has consistently topped the podcast charts, while on social its clips and bespoke explainer videos reach over 25 million users every month across TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.
The podcast has quickly established itself as the go to source for listeners to make sense of the biggest stories of the day, featuring interviews with key players in news and current affairs including leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who revealed that The News Agents episode on rising childcare costs provided him with ‘ammunition’ to expand free childcare hours in the spring budget. The News Agents has also attracted some of the most beloved names in entertainment including Happy Valley actor James Norton,...
- 3/28/2023
- Podnews.net
It’s now exactly a year since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released from her six-year detention in Iran, and we all know the relatively happy ending to her ordeal and that of her family. What we certainly do not know, however, is precisely how she and her loved ones coped, suffered and persevered through the mental torture of indefinite containment.
Channel 4’s new documentary, Nazanin, vividly conveys that tension in a way that is raw and sometimes almost unbearable to witness, but watch it we do because we want to “be there” when it dissolves. Because the filmmaker Darius Bazargan and his team spent so much time filming with Nazanin’s family and her tirelessly campaigning husband Richard, and has been able to use previously unseen smartphone video recordings by Nazanin herself, it is almost as if we are there with them.
This is a very intimate piece of storytelling,...
Channel 4’s new documentary, Nazanin, vividly conveys that tension in a way that is raw and sometimes almost unbearable to witness, but watch it we do because we want to “be there” when it dissolves. Because the filmmaker Darius Bazargan and his team spent so much time filming with Nazanin’s family and her tirelessly campaigning husband Richard, and has been able to use previously unseen smartphone video recordings by Nazanin herself, it is almost as if we are there with them.
This is a very intimate piece of storytelling,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Sean O'Grady
- The Independent - TV
The change will come into effect from January 1 2024.
The UK is to reform its film and TV tax reliefs, introducing new expenditure credits with a headline rate of 34% for films and high-end TV programmes and 39% for animations and children’s TV programmes, the government has clarified.
The reform will change the way relief is calculated.
The expenditure credits will be calculated directly from qualifying expenditure instead of being an adjustment to the company’s taxable profit as under the existing regime.
Known as the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (Avec), the new system will be modelled on government’s existing Research and Development Expenditure Credits.
The UK is to reform its film and TV tax reliefs, introducing new expenditure credits with a headline rate of 34% for films and high-end TV programmes and 39% for animations and children’s TV programmes, the government has clarified.
The reform will change the way relief is calculated.
The expenditure credits will be calculated directly from qualifying expenditure instead of being an adjustment to the company’s taxable profit as under the existing regime.
Known as the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (Avec), the new system will be modelled on government’s existing Research and Development Expenditure Credits.
- 3/15/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
British film and TV producers can breathe a sigh of relief after months of uncertainty around the country’s tax relief scheme for production.
As part of the U.K.’s spring budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt revealed on Wednesday that he’s raising tax credits and keeping the qualifying threshold in place. This is a welcome move for the TV production community, in particular, which has for years taken advantage of a lucrative scheme in which scripted TV shows with a minimum spend of £1 million ($1.2 million) per broadcast hour are able to claim payable cash rebates of up to 25% on qualifying U.K. spend.
The tax breaks have helped to elevate the U.K. into a major hub for international productions, yet the scheme has been under review since the fall, causing some anxiety in the production community.
Hunt confirmed on Wednesday, however, that both film and high-end...
As part of the U.K.’s spring budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt revealed on Wednesday that he’s raising tax credits and keeping the qualifying threshold in place. This is a welcome move for the TV production community, in particular, which has for years taken advantage of a lucrative scheme in which scripted TV shows with a minimum spend of £1 million ($1.2 million) per broadcast hour are able to claim payable cash rebates of up to 25% on qualifying U.K. spend.
The tax breaks have helped to elevate the U.K. into a major hub for international productions, yet the scheme has been under review since the fall, causing some anxiety in the production community.
Hunt confirmed on Wednesday, however, that both film and high-end...
- 3/15/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
The British government said on Wednesday that it would remodel and raise financial incentives for film, TV and other productions.
The news came as part of the annual budget speech, delivered by chancellor of the exchequer, or finance minister, Jeremy Hunt.
“I will introduce an expenditure credit with (a) rate of 34 percent for film, high-end television and video games and 39 percent for animation and children’s TV sectors,” the minister in the Conservative Party government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said during the speech in the British parliament’s House of Commons in London on Wednesday. “I’ll maintain the qualifying threshold,” which for high-end TV productions stands at £1 million ($1.2 million), he said.
Initially, the comment was taken to mean that the existing tax rebate would rise from 25 percent to 34 percent. But after further details were published, the British Film Institute (BFI) highlighted that the rebate was being remodeled into an “expenditure credit,...
The news came as part of the annual budget speech, delivered by chancellor of the exchequer, or finance minister, Jeremy Hunt.
“I will introduce an expenditure credit with (a) rate of 34 percent for film, high-end television and video games and 39 percent for animation and children’s TV sectors,” the minister in the Conservative Party government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said during the speech in the British parliament’s House of Commons in London on Wednesday. “I’ll maintain the qualifying threshold,” which for high-end TV productions stands at £1 million ($1.2 million), he said.
Initially, the comment was taken to mean that the existing tax rebate would rise from 25 percent to 34 percent. But after further details were published, the British Film Institute (BFI) highlighted that the rebate was being remodeled into an “expenditure credit,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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