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March 2020

BFI issues coronavirus message to industry

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BFI chief executive Ben Roberts has issued a statement on the novel coronavirus outbreak amid a wave of production and festival postponements and theatre closures around the globe.

Concerns over the spread of the virus saw the UK box office take a heavy hit over the weekend as the top releases fell by at least 50% against the previous weekend.

Roberts said the BFI’s screen sector taskforce would liaise with the UK government during the crisis, and pledged the BFI’s support to ”our many industry colleagues during this fast moving and rapidly evolving situation”.

The statement read: “Covid-19 presents us with an unprecedented challenge to our business. We are keenly aware that the wide ranging and damaging impact of the virus is being felt across the entire industry and at every possible level.

“As the lead organisation for film, we will support our many industry colleagues during this fast moving and rapidly evolving situation, and we are in discussion with key partners, stakeholders and Government to urgently assess the scale of the short and longer term impact on business. We are focused on ensuring the resilience of the industry and on tackling the huge range of short to mid-term financial, cultural and societal challenges – not least to the exhibition and freelance sectors who are likely to be hit hardest most immediately by the crisis.

“The BFI is in constant communication with colleagues in Government and with other funders across the sector, to ensure we all fully understand the ramifications of the most critical issues, and help shape measures to address them. We have an already established Screen Sector Taskforce which will be convening to coordinate our conversation with Government and discuss the potential mitigations. We also urge practitioners across the industry and cultural sector to contact us with their key concerns and have set up an email address as a centralised point for all enquires covid-19.queries@bfi.org.uk to feed into our impact response recommendations.

“As a funder, we will be as supportive and flexible as possible across existing funding arrangements, including the ability of those organisations and projects to meet contractual requirements. As a production financier, we are obviously supporting our filmmakers with advice on a case by case basis. They are all different projects, each case is different and complex with completely different variables, so there isn’t one size fits all guidance, and we are advising them through these very particular challenges as best we can.

“The BFI is working hard to support everyone across the sector during this extremely challenging time and we will update you with more news and information when we can.”

Source: www.screendaily.com

 

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RTS Programme Awards 2020 – Full Nominee List – March 17th

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Update: The RTS Programme Awards 2020, in partnership with Audio Network, will be live streamed at 7pm on 17th March.

Watch the RTS Programme Awards 2020 here from 7pm on 17th March.

 

Nominations in 27 categories were announced for the RTS Programme Awards 2020. Stephen Graham is nominated in the Best Actor category for his role in Channel 4 drama The Virtues. Niamh Algar, who starred alongside Graham, is nominated for Best Actress.

In the daytime programme category, BBC One’s The Repair Shop, will be looking to pick up the gong again. It faces competition from ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Channel 4’s Beat The Chef. There’s another chance for Ant and Dec to pick up an award as Britain’s Got Talent is nominated for Best Entertainment Programme. ITV  2’s Love Island and BBC Three’s Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK are also nominated in the category.

In the Soap and Continuing Drama category all eyes will be on whether EastEnders can come out on top as it recently celebrated its 35th birthday. It’s up against rival Coronation Street and medical series Casualty. The most prestigious award, RTS Channel of the Year, will go to either BBC Three, Channel 5 or Sky Atlantic.

Broadcaster and comedian Paul Merton will host this year’s awards ceremony which takes place at the Grosvenor Hotel, London on Tuesday 17th March 2020.

The full list of nominations are below.

 

Actor (Female)

Niamh Algar – The Virtues (Warp Films and Arty Productions for Channel 4)

Suranne Jones – Gentleman Jack (A Lookout Point Production in association with HBO for BBC One)

Tamara Lawrance – The Long Song (Heyday Television and NBCUniversal International Studios for BBC One)

 

Actor (Male)

Jared Harris – Chernobyl (Sister, The Mighty Mint and Word Games in association with HBO for Sky Atlantic)

Micheal Ward – Top Boy (Cowboy Films, Easter Partisan Films, Dream Crew and SpringHill Entertainment for Netflix)

 

Arts

Bros: After The Screaming Stops (Fulwell 73 for BBC Four)

imagine…James Graham: In the Room Where It Happens (BBC Studios for BBC One)

Superkids: Breaking Away From Care (Expectation for Channel 4)

 

Breakthrough Award

Aisling Bea – This Way Up (Merman Television for Channel 4)

Tanya Moodie – Motherland (Merman Television and Delightful Industries for BBC Two)

Tim Renkow – Jerk (Roughcut TV and Primal Media for BBC Three)

 

Children’s Programme

The Athena (Bryncoed Productions for Sky Kids)

Step Up to the Plate (Lion TV for CBBC)

Zog (Magic Light Pictures for BBC One)

 

Comedy Performance (Female)

Diane Morgan – Motherland (Merman Television and Delightful Industries for BBC Two)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Two Brothers Pictures in association with All3Media International for BBC Three and Amazon Prime Video)

 

Comedy Performance (Male)

Alex Murphy & Chris Walley – The Young Offenders (Vico Films and Rotator for BBC Three)

Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education (Eleven Film for Netflix)

Youssef Kerkour – Home (Jantaculum and Channel X for Channel 4)

 

Daytime Programme

Beat the Chef (Twofour and Motion Content Group for Channel 4)

Good Morning Britain (ITV Studios Daytime for ITV

The Repair Shop (Ricochet for BBC One)

 

Documentary Series

The Choir: Our School By The Tower (Twenty Twenty Productions for BBC Two)

Crime and Punishment (72 Films for Channel 4)

Hometown: A Killing (7 Wonder for BBC Three)

 

Drama Series

Ackley Bridge (The Forge Entertainment for Channel 4)

The Capture (Heyday Television and NBCUniversal International Studios for BBC One)

Gentleman Jack (A Lookout Point Production in association with HBO for BBC One)

 

Entertainment

Britain’s Got Talent (Thames/Syco for ITV)

Love Island (ITV Studios Entertainment/Motion Content Group for ITV2)

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (World of Wonder Productions for BBC Three)

 

Entertainment Performance

London Hughes – Don’t Hate The Playaz (Monkey Kingdom for ITV2)

Mo Gilligan – The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (Expectation and Momo G for Channel 4)

 

Formatted Popular Factual

The British Tribe Next Door (Voltage & Motion Content Group for Channel 4)

Celebrity Gogglebox (Studio Lambert for Channel 4)

The Circle (Studio Lambert & Motion Content Group for Channel 4)

 

History

Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain (Blast! Films for Channel 4)

The Last Survivors (Minnow Films for BBC Two)

Spotlight on The Troubles: A Secret History (BBC NI for BBC Four and BBC One Northern Ireland)

 

Live Event

The BRIT Awards 2019 (BRITs TV for ITV)

The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance (BBC Studios for BBC One)

Stormzy at Glastonbury 2019 (BBC Studios for BBC Two)

 

Mini-Series

Chernobyl (Sister, The Mighty Mint and Word Games in association with HBO for Sky Atlantic)

The Long Song (Heyday Television and NBCUniversal International Studios for BBC One)

Years and Years (Red Production Company for BBC One)

 

Presenter

Fred Brathwaite – A Fresh Guide to Florence with Fab 5 Freddy (BBC Studios for BBC Two)

Mobeen Azhar – Hometown: A Killing (7 Wonder for BBC Three)

 

RTS Channel of the Year

BBC Three

Channel 5

Sky Atlantic

 

Science and Natural History

8 Days: To the Moon and Back (BBC Studios, PBS & The Open University, The Science Unit for BBC Two)

The Parkinson’s Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure? (Passionate Productions for BBC Two)

The Planets (A BBC Studios Production with NOVA and WGBH Boston for BBC, PBS co-produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures. A BBC Open University Partnership for BBC Two)

 

Scripted Comedy

Derry Girls (Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4)

Fleabag (Two Brothers Pictures in association with All3Media International for BBC Three and Amazon Prime Video)

Stath Lets Flats (Roughcut TV for Channel 4)

 

Single Documentary

David Harewood: Psychosis and Me (Films of Record for BBC Two)

Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag (Hardcash Productions for ITV)

War in the Blood (Minnow Films for BBC Two)

 

Single Drama

Brexit: The Uncivil War (House Productions in association with HBO for Channel 4)

Doing Money (Renegade Pictures for BBC Two)

The Left Behind (BBC Studios for BBC Three and BBC Cymru Wales)

 

Soap and Continuing Drama

Casualty (BBC Studios for BBC One)

Coronation Street (ITV Studios for ITV)

EastEnders (BBC Studios for BBC One)

 

Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit

Alex Scott – 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Input Media [now known as Gravity Media] and BBC Sport for BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer)

Gareth Thomas – 2019 Rugby World Cup (ITV Sport for ITV)

Nasser Hussain – The Ashes (Sky Sports for Sky Sports Cricket)

 

Sports Programme

2019 Rugby World Cup (ITV Sport for ITV)

ICC Cricket World Cup Final (Sky Sports & Sunset+Vine for ICC TV and Sky Sports Cricket)

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 – Semi Final: England v USA (Input Media [now known as Gravity Media] and BBC Sport for BBC One)

 

Writer (Comedy)

Danny Brocklehurst – Brassic (Calamity Films for Sky One)

Laurie Nunn – Sex Education (Eleven Film for Netflix)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Two Brothers Pictures in association with All3Media International for BBC Three and Amazon Prime Video)

 

Writer (Drama)

Craig Mazin – Chernobyl (Sister, The Mighty Mint and Word Games in association with HBO for Sky Atlantic)

Neil Forsyth – Guilt (Happy Tramp North and Expectation for BBC Scotland and BBC Two)

Roy Williams – Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle (A Douglas Road and Young Vic Production for BBC Four)

 

Source: rts.org.uk

 

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COVID-19 advice for freelancers in the screen industries

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Amid the uncertainty of Covid-19, screen industry groups are offering information to freelancers and the self-employed. Read below to see advice and guidance from the UK government, as well as industry groups such as BECTU, the Film and TV Charity and the IPSE.

UK Government’s Business support announced in the Budget (March 11th):

In the 11th March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced a package of measures to provide support for public services, individuals and businesses to ensure the impact of COVID-19 is minimised.

  • A new Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, delivered by the British Business Bank, will enable businesses with a turnover of no more than £41 million to apply for a loan of up to £1.2 million, with the government covering up to 80% of any losses with no fees. This will unlock up to £1 billion pounds to protect and support small businesses.
  • For businesses with fewer than 250 employees, the cost of providing 14 days of statutory sick pay per employee will be refunded by the government in full. This will provide 2 million businesses with up to £2 billion to cover the costs of large-scale sick leave.
  • A dedicated helpline has been set up to help businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities receive support with their tax affairs. Through this, businesses may be able to agree a bespoke Time to Pay arrangement. If you are concerned about being able to pay your tax due to COVID-19, call HMRC’s dedicated helpline on 0800 0159 559.
  • There will be a £3,000 cash grant to 700,000 of our smallest businesses, delivered by Local Authorities, and worth a total of £2 billion.
  • The government is temporarily increasing the business rates retail discount in England to 100% for 2020-21 for properties below £51,000 rateable value. Nearly half of all business properties will not pay a penny of business rates. In addition, the decisions announced by the Bank of England on 11 March 2020 mean that banks are in a better position to provide additional credit to smaller businesses.

According to Business Secretary Alok Sharma said government will continue to review these measures as the impact of the virus progresses. If you have a query that isn’t covered by government guidance you can contact the Business Support Helpline.

www.gov.uk

 

BECTU, a union representing over 40,000 staff, contract and freelance workers in the media and entertainment industries:

Where employers are taking action because of coronavirus, including cancelling a contract because of precautions against the spread of coronavirus, BECTU suggests you:

– Find out whether your production is covered by a BECTU agreement in Feature Film, TV drama*, the construction sector of film or as a supporting artist, or in the advertising production sector. You will have some rights if you are covered by an agreement. Generally, in these industries, most workers are given a week’s notice even though there may not be a strict legal entitlement to it.

* The TV drama agreement stipulates that members must receive the deal memo BEFORE the engagement.

– Ask employers to offer at least two weeks of notice payment instead of the one week.

– Press employers for early confirmation of a job, avoid accepting verbal assurances and ‘pencil’ bookings and agree a cancellation fee in advance of starting the job.

www.bectu.org.uk

 

The Film and TV Charity, a screen industry charity offering a support line and financial services:

The NHS website is being updated regularly with advice on how to protect yourself and keep well.

Looking after your mental health is also important at the moment and our partners at Mind have some great advice.

Our Film and TV Support Line is always there for you, 24/7, helping you to manage issues big and small, on 0800 054 00 00 and live-chat. If the current situation is having an impact on you, why not give us a call to see if we can help.

Our friendly team can offer a listening ear and help you to think through your options. We also offer support grants to help if you’re experiencing significant financial difficulties.

filmtvcharity.org.uk

 

IPSE, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed:

IPSE wrote a letter (available to view here) to the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, and the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Therese Coffey, on 27th February raising concerns about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and how it might affect the self-employed. The government outlined its response in its Budget on March 11. Key measures announced to help freelancers included:

  • The minimum income floor in Universal Credit will be temporarily relaxed for those directly affected by COVID-19 or self-isolating, ensuring self-employed claimants will be compensated for losses in income
  • ‘New style’ Employment and Support Allowance will be payable for people directly affected by COVID-19 or self-isolating according to government advice for from the first day of sickness, rather than the eighth day
  • People will be able to claim UC and access advance payments where they are directly affected by COVID-19 (or self-isolating), without the current requirement to attend a jobcentre
  • Introducing ‘Time to Pay’ arrangements – a time-limited deferral period on HMRC liabilities owed and a pre-agreed time period to pay these back – for businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress and with outstanding tax
  • HMRC has set up a dedicated COVID-19 helpline to help those in need, and they may be able to agree a bespoke Time to Pay arrangement. HMRC will also waive late payment penalties and interest where a business experiences administrative difficulties contacting HMRC or paying taxes due to COVID-19.
  • A new, temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, delivered by the British Business Bank, to support businesses to access bank lending (loans of up to £1.2 million) and overdrafts. The government will provide lenders with a guarantee of 80% on each loan.

Advice for freelancers and clients

IPSE broadly recommends that freelancers and self-employed people should start discussing preparations with their clients now: particularly getting ready to work remotely if they can. Clients that rely on the flexibility of freelancers should recognise that this can often mean the self-employed are in a more precarious position if they fall ill or need to self-isolate, even as a precaution. We would hope that clients engage constructively with these workers to put appropriate arrangements in place to minimise health risks and disruption. It would also be prudent to consider how the coronavirus may affect your contractual obligations, for instance checking whether  you have ‘force majeure’ clauses in place. 

Freelancers may also wish to check what health or income protection insurance they have in place. There are a number of options available if you are not currently covered however we would caution that these policies often have a deferral period of three to four weeks and may not provide appropriate cover if you are forced to self-isolate, so it is vital you are aware of the T&Cs before making any decision.

Ultimately freelancers should not feel they must put themselves more at risk just because they are self-employed: health comes first.

www.ipse.co.uk

 

Source: www.gov.uk, www.bectu.org.uk, www.filmtvcharity.org.uk, www.ipse.co.uk, 

 

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UK Film & TV Industry hope for public intervention due to coronavirus

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A leading UK film sales company is calling for public intervention to support the industry as it scrambles to deal with the fast-changing and various impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

“BFI, Screen Ireland and all these bodies have a huge amount to do. This is the biggest moment they’ve got to make a difference. They should be looking at producers, filmmakers, sales agents and distributors – the whole business,” Tim Haslam, a founding partner at Embankment Films told Screen.

“I would ask them to look at the long-term effects, the medium-term effects and the next 18 months. With productions getting hurt, we know distributors are getting hurt and between that are the sales agents.”

Asked whether an emergency public fund should now be set up, Haslam replied: “Yes, but with a flexibility to help all forms of film. The medium-term cash flow for filmmakers, producers, whoever, is something everybody recognises. It’s important not to differentiate between sales agents, producers and distributors. We are all in it together. We’re all in the same business. There is no differentiation between who it is hurting. It is just who it is hurting first. That is obviously the cinemas and those who are shooting right now because shoots are losing their crews.”

As of March 13, there is no official social isolation policy in place in the UK. Instead, those with a high temperature or a new, continuous cough are being advised to self-isolate for seven days.

However, Screen is hearing reports of bond companies not covering coronavirus incidents. It is understood an increasing number of productions are therefore being put on hold.

Exhibitors are also facing “an unprecedented challenge” according to UK Cinema Association CEO Phil Clapp. “The decision by a number of US studios to delay the release of several of their upcoming major films presents an unprecedented challenge to many UK cinemas, and is something which may genuinely call into question the survival of a number of sites,” he said.

“While we are following government advice closely, current guidance is that there is no reason for the public to avoid visiting the cinema. All UK cinema operators place ensuring the safety of their audiences and staff as the top of their list of priorities, and will each take their own view on the measures necessary to achieve that.”

Government support

There are some measures in place: the UK government is providing support for small businesses impacted by the virus, including sick pay for those self-isolating, and access to coronavirus disruption loans.

“We welcome help from any quarter that supports our member companies’ business continuity planning,” said Charlie Bloye, CEO of Film Export UK (FEUK), of the new government measures. “Resilience and flexibility are characteristics embedded in the independent film sector but we need those qualities more than ever now,”

However, although permanent employees at UK film companies will benefit from these measures, they are understood to not be enough to help the large number of freelancers working in the film production sector. Government official support so far only allows for freelancers and the self-employed to claim universal credit with no “minimum income floor”.

A BFI spokesperson confirmed the organisation was assessing the support for self-employed and freelance workers impacted by the new coronavirus outlined in the Budget and what support that could offer the industry. ”We will continue to work closely with the DCMS, advocating for the sector and passing intelligence in both directions,” they said.

”The situation is obviously a rapidly evolving one but we are working at pace to understand the impact of COVID -19 across the entire ecosystem,” they continued.  ”As a financier, we are obviously supporting our productions with advice on a case by case basis as they encounter any issues with regard to coronavirus, including insurance – obviously each case is different and complex. They are all different projects, with completely different variables, so there isn’t one size fits all guidance, and we are advising them through this challenge, as we would with the many other unexpected challenges that productions encounter.”

As for advice for the wider film community, the spokesperson explained the BFI was providing that on a case by case basis and “signposting to Government and Public Health England advice”.

Many productions ongoing… for now

Production at the UK’s major studios is mostly continuing as normal for now, with productions such as Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts 3 still gearing up to shoot. However, Disney announced a production hiatus of live-action titles including The Little Mermaid which is filming at Pinewood, late on Friday (March 13).

“We are monitoring the situation and following government advice but all our studios across the Pinewood Studios Group are fully operational,” Andrew Smith, corporate affairs director at Pinewood, told Screen.

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission, also confirmed the studios are carrying on as usual as of today.

“All of the studios, to my knowledge, are operating as normal. There is a lot more hand sanitiser being used and everyone is following WHO and NHS guidelines in the way they absolutely should,” Wootton said. “We haven’t heard of any extreme decision being made by anybody. Obviously, that situation could change but not [for] now. Until the government advice changes or we are instructed or advised to do otherwise, the UK film and television industry is carrying on.”

The future

Embankment’s Haslam discounted the suggestion the film market might suffer from a glut of films after the virus is finally contained. “If the film satisfies the audience, it is going to play on whatever platform. It is never a question of having too many,” Haslam said. “The demand is there.”

“We will see where there are opportunities at the same time. We are highly positive people because we believe in storytelling and entertaining audiences,” he added.

One Embankment title, Peter Cattaneo’s feelgood comedy-drama Military Wives opened on over 650 screens by Lionsgate in the UK last Friday (March 6).

“The first weekend, we felt the effects of the virus,” Haslam claimed. “However, fortunately, we’ve got really good midweek figures. If you’re releasing a film at this stage, all the media campaigns [are already] spent.”

Embankment’s employees are now working from home. “Number one, health is wealth. We have to be responsible to our people and to each other – and to put health first,” said Haslam.

He warned companies will now be “very cautious with their cash flow and [will] predict forward for the next year and a half. It is not just about now. It is about the next 18 months.”

Advice for UK film and TV freelancers affected by coronavirus

UK broadcasting union Bectu advises that if an employer cancels a contract because of coronavirus, members should find out if the production is covered by a Bectu agreement in ”feature film, TV drama, the construction sector of film or as a supporting artist, or in the advertising production sector”. If so, workers will have some rights if covered by one of these agreements.

Bectu also advises workers to ask employers to offer at least two weeks of notice payment instead of the one week; press employers for early written confirmation of a job; and agree a cancelation fee in advance of starting a job.

Freelancers advised to self-isolate will not usually be entitled to any Statutory Sick Pay unless they are on PAYE contracts, where the payments will be very small. Because of this, Bectu is urging members to seek a fairer level of compensation for this scenario. Employees at the BBC will be receiving 100% of their salary for any period of self-isolation as a result of Bectu negotiations.

Previously, Bectu head Philippa Childs said she was asking the government to lobby insurance companies to cover freelancers for self-isolation, establish a system to cover lost earnings and guarantee support for businesses that cannot afford this emergency cover.

Click here for the latest advice from Bectu.

Directors UK, the professional association of directors, has urged its members to check employment contracts for any work that is cancelled in case there is any protection offered, however it admits this is unlikely.  They added: “The likelihood is that you will not receive any actual support from your contract in the event of suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak, or you may only receive a notice period payment in the event of termination.”

As part of a detailed FAQ for members, there is also advice on the next steps for those who have lost income due to COVID-19, sick pay, insurance and travel.

Finally, The Film and TV Charity said it is “concerned about the potential impact of coronavirus on people working in film, TV and cinema, particularly in relation to freelance workers and those on limited hours contracts,” and point those affected towards their 24/7 support line at 0800 054 0000 or live chat service on their website.

 

Source: www.screendaily.com

 

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Birmingham students’ film night to raise funds for charity – March 29th

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A group of Birmingham students are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for local youth homelessness charity St Basils with a series of fundraising events, including a special screening of ‘Pretty Woman’ to mark 30 years since the film’s release!

‘Pretty Woman – Immerse Yourself: 30 Years On’ takes place at Birmingham Mailbox’s Everyman cinema on Sunday 29 March, with the event set to include a screening of the Hollywood blockbuster accompanied by dancers and singers in the cinema.

The fundraiser is one in a series of events being hosted by Birmingham City University’s Fashion Business and Promotion students in March, which sees undergraduates tasked with delivering a successful live event without a starting budget.

Lecturer Laura Arrowsmith said: “Each year our students do a fantastic job of not only raising funds to deliver such spectacular events, but generating huge amounts of cash for charity at the events too.

“We run this module each year and it’s really popular with students who love the hands-on experience of organising an event from scratch.”

Other activities planned for March include dog therapy classes and flower arranging with afternoon tea.

All funds raised from the students’ efforts will go to St Basils, who work with more than 5,000 young people each year who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, supporting them to regain stability in their lives and rebuild a fulfilling future.

Tickets

Tickets for ‘Pretty Woman – Immerse Yourself: 30 Years On’ which include complimentary refreshments cost £15 and can be purchased at tickettailor.com/events/visionaryeventsuk/358287.

Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, ‘Pretty Woman’ was one of the highest-grossing films of the 90s and is hailed by many of as one of the greatest rom-coms of all time. A musical based on the film debuted in the West End earlier this month, receiving mixed reviews from critics.

Source: www.birminghamupdates.com

 

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Back In Screenings celebrate emerging black British filmmakers

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The upcoming filmmakers exiting the BACK IN programme will be premiering their new films at The Electric Cinema, supported by Punch Records.
As part of its development programmes, Punch Records invested in a programme to develop black film makers from Birmingham. During the programme, filmmakers were commissioned to create their own films, which will now be shown to audiences at the BACK IN Film Screening.
With genres ranging from thriller to drama, you can see some of the best upcoming filmmakers & directors this region has to offer; who have all been a part of our Back In project over the last year. This event will be hosted by award-winning director, Daniel Alexander.
Date: Tuesday 10th March 2020 & Wednesday 11th March 2020
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Location: The Electric Cinema (47-49, Station St, Birmingham B5 4DY)
Tickets cost £5 and are limited.

Tuesday tickets

Wednesday tickets

 

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Enter Stage Write Screenwriting and Playwright competition – March 11th

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Award-nominated production company Transition Stage Company presents Enter Stage Write, a glittering awards night celebrating new writing from a nationwide screenwriting and playwright competition.

An X Factor style writing event showcasing West Midlands acting talent, the top five playwrights will see their work brought to life in front of a panel of industry heavy-weights. Accompanied by a comedy compere, the evening opens with a surprise celebrity singer with an uplifting tune and ends with the Hip-Hop Dance company ‘Let’s Make It Happen.’

The Industry Judges:

Chris Sudworth – Director of Artistic Programme at Birmingham Hippodrome
Sean Foley – multi-Olivier Award-winning actor, writer, director and newly appointed Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Darcia Martin – Director of Hollyoaks and BBC’s Call the Midwife
Lisa Walters – Producer of Backlight TV’s 4Stories series for Channel 4
David Ralf – Executive Director at The Bunker Theatre, London
Corey Campbell – Associate Artistic Director of Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and owner of the award-winning theatre company, Strictly Arts
Martin Sketchley – Published novelist and scriptwriter, West Midlands Chair, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain
Neil Reading – Director of Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
Andrea Montgomery – Director and Writer, Belfast based production company Terra Nova Productions
Zac Hancock- Head of the content of Social Chain

Expect a fast paced night of dance, comedy, live singing and suspense as you decide who wins the £1,000 prize and is crowned Enter Stage Write Champion 2020.

Details
Date: 11th March, 2020
Time: 7pm
Location: Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

Dress code is smart as this is a red-carpeted gala event.

Click here for tickets.

 

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Top Coventry director passes on her skills to college students

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Young filmmakers at Stratford College were thrilled to receive a few tips from a top director during a recent visit to the campus. Coventry-based film director Debbie Isitt dropped by to teach Creative Media students about her improvisational filmmaking style.

Debbie, whose credits include Confetti and the Nativity film franchise, was keen to encourage the students to experiment with improvisational filmmaking, Debbie stressed to them the importance of knowing exactly what story a director wants to tell before any improvisation takes place. She said: “The process of making a film is a really wonderful experience. As a director, I take the cast and crew on a journey that’s physical and emotional, and work with talented people on a project that everybody feels a sense of ownership over… I don’t make up the story on set; we only improvise the dialogue. The story has to be very carefully conceived, structured and controlled. The actual words that are spoken aren’t as important as the subtext and the story.”

During her visit, Debbie also talked to students about the real-world challenges they may face in the industry and how they can successfully overcome them.

“While it’s good to be optimistic about the industry, I think it’s important to know about the hardships as well. That way, you can develop tenacity as well as technical skills.” she said.

 

Source: www.stratford-herald.com

 

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MIPTV 2020 in Cannes cancelled

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The 2020 edition of MIPTV, due to take place March 30-April 2 in Cannes, has been cancelled this year due to coronavirus concerns. MIPDoc and MIPFormats, programmed for March 28-29, have also been cancelled.

The third edition of Canneseries, set to run parallel to MIPTV, has been postponed to October 9-14, alongside MIPCOM. Screen has confirmed that as of today, TV event Series Mania is still going ahead as planned from March 20-28 in Lille, France.

MIPTV organisers Reed MIDEM said last week they had been hopeful of going ahead on the original dates, but a spate of new infections in France, and the recent ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people, appears to have forced their hand.

In a statement, Reed MIDEM chief executive Paul Zilk said, ”In the current context, many of our clients have expressed concerns about travelling at this time. Rescheduling MIPTV in the coming months is not feasible, so the most appropriate course of action is to cancel MIPTV for 2020. The well-being of our clients, partners and staff is our priority. We are grateful to clients for their support and constructive input during this challenging period. We look forward to welcoming everyone to MIPCOM in October 12-15 and we are delighted that CANNESERIES will be at our side again this year”.

The next edition of MIPTV will take place April 12-15, 2021, with MIPDoc and MIPFormats set for April 10-11, 2021. The fourth edition of Canneseries will run in April 2021 during MIPTV.

 

Source: www.screendaily.com

 

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Gujarati feature filmed in Birmingham set for release

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After announcing his debut Gujarati film, Actor Vatsal Sheth confirms that he has wrapped up filming “Hu Mari Wife Ne Ano Husband”. He says it’s a wild comedy film which audiences will enjoy. Vatsal Sheth was interacting with media on the sidelines of Kushal Tandon’s new restaurant Arbour28 in Mumbai.

Talking about his first Gujarati film, Vatsal said, “My first Gujarati film is titled Hu Mari Wife Ne Ano Husband, is out and out comedy film. We have wrapped the film, so I am pretty excited about it. We shot the film Birmingham. Veteran actor Johnny Lever is also part of the film and it’s his Gujarati film as well”

“It’s a mad comedy film which usually a Gujarati audience enjoys and I am very excited being part of Gujarati film and I hope when the movie comes out, everyone likes it. The film might release in May or June, the dates hasn’t been finalized as yet” added actor.

The film also stars Johny Lever, Varjesh Hirjee, Esha Kansara.

Vatsal, made his acting debut with Just Mohabbat in the late 1990’s. He then starred in the 2004 film Taarzan: The Wonder Car, Ek Hasina Thi, and series Haasil.

 

Source: www.socialnews.xyz

 

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