Fired By Finas
The Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas), the government-backed agency that oversees the country’s film industry, has dismissed its CEO Nasir Ibrahim after less than two years in the job. It follows the return of Kamil Othman who was appointed chairman in February.
Finas notification
The latest move was announced on the organization’s Facebook page, along with the appointment of Rozita Waty Ridzuan as Finas interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found.
The notice was vague on the reasons for Ibrahim’s early termination, explaining that it was part of a wider recalibration of creative industry policies. “This initiative will hopefully further help Malaysian filmmakers and industry players to produce quality films that have high value in both local and international markets,” the statement said.
Swimming Further
Zdf Studios has sold “The Swarm” (8 x 45 mins), by multiple Primetime Emmy award-winner Frank Doelger (“Game of Thrones...
The Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas), the government-backed agency that oversees the country’s film industry, has dismissed its CEO Nasir Ibrahim after less than two years in the job. It follows the return of Kamil Othman who was appointed chairman in February.
Finas notification
The latest move was announced on the organization’s Facebook page, along with the appointment of Rozita Waty Ridzuan as Finas interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found.
The notice was vague on the reasons for Ibrahim’s early termination, explaining that it was part of a wider recalibration of creative industry policies. “This initiative will hopefully further help Malaysian filmmakers and industry players to produce quality films that have high value in both local and international markets,” the statement said.
Swimming Further
Zdf Studios has sold “The Swarm” (8 x 45 mins), by multiple Primetime Emmy award-winner Frank Doelger (“Game of Thrones...
- 6/1/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
All three seasons of the acclaimed Israeli drama Shtisel, Nickelodeon sitcom Big Time Rush and Oscar winner Brokeback Mountain are among the titles leaving Netflix in March 2023.
Shtisel, which follows a Haredi family living in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem as they deal with love, loss and daily life, was a hit on Israel’s Yes network, drawing in viewers and awards locally. The series also seemed to attract an audience in the U.S. once it started streaming on Netflix. All three seasons are set to exit Netflix on March 24.
The next day, fans of the Nickelodeon sitcom Big Time Rush, which launched the band of the same name, will have to bid farewell to watching the bandmembers’ fictional antics from 2009 to 2013 on Netflix, just as the group recently reunited.
At the end of the month, Netflix is dropping the Jesse Eisenberg-, Danny McBride- and Aziz Ansari...
Shtisel, which follows a Haredi family living in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem as they deal with love, loss and daily life, was a hit on Israel’s Yes network, drawing in viewers and awards locally. The series also seemed to attract an audience in the U.S. once it started streaming on Netflix. All three seasons are set to exit Netflix on March 24.
The next day, fans of the Nickelodeon sitcom Big Time Rush, which launched the band of the same name, will have to bid farewell to watching the bandmembers’ fictional antics from 2009 to 2013 on Netflix, just as the group recently reunited.
At the end of the month, Netflix is dropping the Jesse Eisenberg-, Danny McBride- and Aziz Ansari...
- 3/20/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
March marks the change in seasons and in Netflix’s lineup. Several popular and/or critically acclaimed series are leaving the streamer this month.
Among them are “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” starring Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, a Black butler who worked in the White House for 50 years. Oprah Winfrey plays his wife Gloria. The star-studded supporting cast, which was nominated for a SAG Award, includes Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, and Robin Williams.
The gay cowboy movie “Brokeback Mountain” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger is also leaving Netflix. At the 78th Annual Academy Awards in 2006, the film was lost Best Picture to “Crash” but won Best Director (Ang Lee), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. (It entered with the most nominations — 8 — and tied for most won — 3.)
Read...
Among them are “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” starring Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, a Black butler who worked in the White House for 50 years. Oprah Winfrey plays his wife Gloria. The star-studded supporting cast, which was nominated for a SAG Award, includes Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, and Robin Williams.
The gay cowboy movie “Brokeback Mountain” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger is also leaving Netflix. At the 78th Annual Academy Awards in 2006, the film was lost Best Picture to “Crash” but won Best Director (Ang Lee), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. (It entered with the most nominations — 8 — and tied for most won — 3.)
Read...
- 3/2/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Appointments
The German scripted label set up by executive producer Moritz Polter and ITV Studios in April has been named Windlight Pictures, and has revealed three key hires.
Simone Ruff and Cosima Degler have joined as producers and development executives, while Georg Höss is head of legal and business affairs.
Polter is based in Germany with an international scope and reports into Lisa Perrin, managing director of international production at ITV Studios in London. He was previously executive producer of international television series at Bavaria Fiction.
Ruff is also from Bavaria Fiction, where she has been working with Polter for the last two years, and produced
the acclaimed series “Freud” (Netflix/Orf).
Degler (“Millennials”) has been part of the Hager Moss Film team, an affiliated company of Constantin Television, since 2018.
Höss (“Brecht”) joins from Bavaria Film where he was head of legal and business affairs and a member of the management board for many years,...
The German scripted label set up by executive producer Moritz Polter and ITV Studios in April has been named Windlight Pictures, and has revealed three key hires.
Simone Ruff and Cosima Degler have joined as producers and development executives, while Georg Höss is head of legal and business affairs.
Polter is based in Germany with an international scope and reports into Lisa Perrin, managing director of international production at ITV Studios in London. He was previously executive producer of international television series at Bavaria Fiction.
Ruff is also from Bavaria Fiction, where she has been working with Polter for the last two years, and produced
the acclaimed series “Freud” (Netflix/Orf).
Degler (“Millennials”) has been part of the Hager Moss Film team, an affiliated company of Constantin Television, since 2018.
Höss (“Brecht”) joins from Bavaria Film where he was head of legal and business affairs and a member of the management board for many years,...
- 6/17/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Prospero Productions is set to begin a new era under the sole ownership of Julia Redwood, following the departure of former joint managing director Ed Punchard last month.
The move marks the end of their 30-year partnership in the company, which has been responsible for Outback Truckers, Outback Opal Hunters, and Railroad Australia, as well as titles such as Sas: The Search for Warriors, The Man Who Jumped, Change My Race, Paying for the Piper, Heartbreak Science and Death of the Megabeasts.
Redwood paid tribute to Punchard while looking ahead to the next stage for Prospero.
“Ed and I have achieved so much over three decades and I’m beyond enthusiastic about leading Prospero into the next great chapter of its story,” she said.
“The future shines bright for the company and the Australian screen industry.”
Redwood is joined by an all-female management team, which comprises general manager Jules Fortune,...
The move marks the end of their 30-year partnership in the company, which has been responsible for Outback Truckers, Outback Opal Hunters, and Railroad Australia, as well as titles such as Sas: The Search for Warriors, The Man Who Jumped, Change My Race, Paying for the Piper, Heartbreak Science and Death of the Megabeasts.
Redwood paid tribute to Punchard while looking ahead to the next stage for Prospero.
“Ed and I have achieved so much over three decades and I’m beyond enthusiastic about leading Prospero into the next great chapter of its story,” she said.
“The future shines bright for the company and the Australian screen industry.”
Redwood is joined by an all-female management team, which comprises general manager Jules Fortune,...
- 6/4/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Brian Lenz and Julian Ogrin.
Since launching in May, Foxtel’s streaming service Binge has signed up more than 217,000 subscribers, primarily targeting the younger generation who never subscribed to Foxtel.
The low-cost, independently-operated platform has beefed up local content and is adding a raft of US series over the next two months.
Binge CEO Julian Ogrin and chief product officer Brian Lenz discuss the service’s growth, the most watched shows and upcoming content.
Q: Last week News Corp reported Binge had 217,000 subscribers as of August 4. How would you describe the uptake?
Julian Ogrin: We are very happy with how Binge is performing. What’s pleasing is how people are enjoying some of the binge-worthy best shows either for the first time, or all over again. Shows like Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, Modern Family and The Walking Dead.
Q: You were confident Binge would appeal to the...
Since launching in May, Foxtel’s streaming service Binge has signed up more than 217,000 subscribers, primarily targeting the younger generation who never subscribed to Foxtel.
The low-cost, independently-operated platform has beefed up local content and is adding a raft of US series over the next two months.
Binge CEO Julian Ogrin and chief product officer Brian Lenz discuss the service’s growth, the most watched shows and upcoming content.
Q: Last week News Corp reported Binge had 217,000 subscribers as of August 4. How would you describe the uptake?
Julian Ogrin: We are very happy with how Binge is performing. What’s pleasing is how people are enjoying some of the binge-worthy best shows either for the first time, or all over again. Shows like Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, Modern Family and The Walking Dead.
Q: You were confident Binge would appeal to the...
- 8/9/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Bad Education’ (Photo credit: HBO)
Launched today, Foxtel’s low-cost entertainment streaming service Binge offers 10,000 hours of content, rising to 20,000 hours by the end of the year – but no exclusives and relatively few Australian shows.
Yet executives are confident the curated mix of drama, movies, lifestyle and reality shows and documentaries will appeal to the younger segment of the population who will never subscribe to Foxtel and are hooked on streaming content.
With similar pricing to Netflix and Stan, its monthly fees range from $10 for one stream in Standard Definition to $14 for two streams in HD and $18 for four streams.
It may well be the last throw of the dice if the platform co-owned by News Corp. and Telstra is to succeed in arresting the slide in Foxtel’s customers and the company’s revenues and profits.
Executives at Streamotion, which houses Binge and Kayo Sports, tested the concept and...
Launched today, Foxtel’s low-cost entertainment streaming service Binge offers 10,000 hours of content, rising to 20,000 hours by the end of the year – but no exclusives and relatively few Australian shows.
Yet executives are confident the curated mix of drama, movies, lifestyle and reality shows and documentaries will appeal to the younger segment of the population who will never subscribe to Foxtel and are hooked on streaming content.
With similar pricing to Netflix and Stan, its monthly fees range from $10 for one stream in Standard Definition to $14 for two streams in HD and $18 for four streams.
It may well be the last throw of the dice if the platform co-owned by News Corp. and Telstra is to succeed in arresting the slide in Foxtel’s customers and the company’s revenues and profits.
Executives at Streamotion, which houses Binge and Kayo Sports, tested the concept and...
- 5/24/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Outback Opal Hunters’ (Photo credit: Prospero Productions).
Prospero Productions has responded nimbly and creatively to the coronavirus pandemic with the Discovery commissions Outback Truckers and Outback Opal Hunters.
The Perth-based factual production house headed by Julia Redwood and Ed Punchard had almost finished filming the eighth series of Outback Truckers when travel restrictions were imposed in March.
To carry out the six shoots remaining, they had two-person crews “tag-teaming,” one following the truckers in Western Australia, the other taking over when they crossed into the Northern Territory.
“It was very difficult and we had to think outside the box,” Redwood told Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner in a webinar on Wednesday.
“Nothing stops a producer when you are in production. One trucker who was in the vulnerable group did not want the director in the cab so we Go-Pro’d him, gave him an earpiece and he virtually directed himself.
Prospero Productions has responded nimbly and creatively to the coronavirus pandemic with the Discovery commissions Outback Truckers and Outback Opal Hunters.
The Perth-based factual production house headed by Julia Redwood and Ed Punchard had almost finished filming the eighth series of Outback Truckers when travel restrictions were imposed in March.
To carry out the six shoots remaining, they had two-person crews “tag-teaming,” one following the truckers in Western Australia, the other taking over when they crossed into the Northern Territory.
“It was very difficult and we had to think outside the box,” Redwood told Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner in a webinar on Wednesday.
“Nothing stops a producer when you are in production. One trucker who was in the vulnerable group did not want the director in the cab so we Go-Pro’d him, gave him an earpiece and he virtually directed himself.
- 5/21/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Wa-shot (clockwise) ‘Mystery Road,’ ‘Thalu,’ ‘100% Wolf,’ ‘The Heights’ and ‘Itch’.
The Western Australian screen industry has already lost more than $1 million in revenue with nearly 2,700 job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s according to the initial findings of Screenwest’s Wa screen industry Covid-19 impact survey.
If the crisis is prolonged, the study estimates the total loss of income to September 2020 at $7 million. The estimated current loss of income is $1.096 million with 2,676 job losses.
In 2018/2019 Screenwest’s funding triggered a 12 per cent spike in production in the state. CEO Peter ‘Willie’ Rowe tells If: “The second half of this year was looking really strong for the sector, both in documentary and drama, before Covid-19.”
Head of production and development Matt Horrocks says: “Once we come out the other side of the pandemic and people are starting to push go on productions and it ramps up really quickly, it...
The Western Australian screen industry has already lost more than $1 million in revenue with nearly 2,700 job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s according to the initial findings of Screenwest’s Wa screen industry Covid-19 impact survey.
If the crisis is prolonged, the study estimates the total loss of income to September 2020 at $7 million. The estimated current loss of income is $1.096 million with 2,676 job losses.
In 2018/2019 Screenwest’s funding triggered a 12 per cent spike in production in the state. CEO Peter ‘Willie’ Rowe tells If: “The second half of this year was looking really strong for the sector, both in documentary and drama, before Covid-19.”
Head of production and development Matt Horrocks says: “Once we come out the other side of the pandemic and people are starting to push go on productions and it ramps up really quickly, it...
- 3/26/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Labor has attacked the federal government for five and a half years of inaction over screen sector reforms while the Australian Greens have advocated a suite of measures to support the industry.
The Greens urged the government to impose a local content quota of at least 10 per cent on streaming services, harmonise the Producer Offset at 40 per cent and raise the Location Offset to 30 per cent.
The removal of the 65-hour cap for the Producer Offset, closing the New Zealand content ‘loophole,’ maintaining the existing content quota system and establishing terms of trade between broadcasters and producers were among the Greens’ proposals – all policies advocated by Screen Producers Australia.
Labor Senators accused the government of failing to articulate an agenda or vision for the Australian screen and music sectors and of cutting funding for public broadcasting by about $500 million.
They called on the government to ensure appropriate...
Labor has attacked the federal government for five and a half years of inaction over screen sector reforms while the Australian Greens have advocated a suite of measures to support the industry.
The Greens urged the government to impose a local content quota of at least 10 per cent on streaming services, harmonise the Producer Offset at 40 per cent and raise the Location Offset to 30 per cent.
The removal of the 65-hour cap for the Producer Offset, closing the New Zealand content ‘loophole,’ maintaining the existing content quota system and establishing terms of trade between broadcasters and producers were among the Greens’ proposals – all policies advocated by Screen Producers Australia.
Labor Senators accused the government of failing to articulate an agenda or vision for the Australian screen and music sectors and of cutting funding for public broadcasting by about $500 million.
They called on the government to ensure appropriate...
- 3/26/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: A+E Networks has promoted UK executive Dan Korn to oversee its free-to-air channel Blaze as the U.S. cable giant eyes international expansion for the brand.
Korn joined A+E as Vice President of Programming in October 2016. He will now assume the role of head of Blaze in addition to this role and will continue to report to Svp and Head of Content and Creative for Europe, Heather Jones.
The former head of Discovery Channel in the UK will oversee a programming blitz for the channel including a number of new titles, commissions and bringing a raft of existing A+E Networks show together for the first time.
It has ordered a second season of Flipping Bangers, which sees on-screen stars Will Trickett and Gus Gregory hunt for neglected cars they can fix and flip for a profit. The show, which is produced by Dan Allum’s Just Might TV,...
Korn joined A+E as Vice President of Programming in October 2016. He will now assume the role of head of Blaze in addition to this role and will continue to report to Svp and Head of Content and Creative for Europe, Heather Jones.
The former head of Discovery Channel in the UK will oversee a programming blitz for the channel including a number of new titles, commissions and bringing a raft of existing A+E Networks show together for the first time.
It has ordered a second season of Flipping Bangers, which sees on-screen stars Will Trickett and Gus Gregory hunt for neglected cars they can fix and flip for a profit. The show, which is produced by Dan Allum’s Just Might TV,...
- 2/20/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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