Author: SD

“Both sides of this debate benefit from copyright law,” said a joint response to the UK government’s AI consultation from the UK parliament’s cross-party culture, media and sport committee and the science, innovation and technology committee.  The government is proposing a new exemption in copyright law that would allow tech companies to train their AI models on creative works including films, TV shows and audio recordings without permission, unless creators actively opt out – akin to the European Union’s approach. The letter was addressed to Peter Kyle, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology and Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for…

Conclave director Edward Berger will deliver the keynote address at the annual UK Cinema Association conference to be held at Picturehouse Central in London on March 18-19.  Further notable speakers include Nick Rush, Disney’s senior vice president of studio distribution; Eve Gabereau, Vue Lumiere director and Modern Films founder; Erika Lewington, Universal Pictures’ marketing director; Clare Binns, Picturehouse Cinemas managing director; and Matt Smith, head of theatrical distribution at Lionsgate Films UK.  Panels will explore topics including how to attract Gen Z and Alpha audiences, improving the cinema experience, and distributing independent titles.  This year’s event is titled Innovation and…

The 2025 Berlin International Film Festival has reported 336,000 ticket sales – a record across the 75 editions of the festival. Admissions are up slightly on the previous record of 335,986 sales from 2016, with exact figures still to come. The sales from the Berlinale Goes Kiez programme, screening festival films at Berlin neighbourhood cinemas, are also still to be reported. The sales figures are also an increase on the 329,502 tickets sold at the 2024 edition. Numbers of accredited professionals were down slghtly, to 19,000 from 19,968 in 2024. This year’s 75th edition featured around 1,000 public screenings, and…

Worldwide box office: February 14-16 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Ne Zha 2 (various) $279.6m $1.64bn $272.4m $1.63bn 4 2. Captain America: Brave New World (Disney) $180.9m $180.9m $92.4mm $92.4mm 53 3. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (various) $32.8m $34.3m $32.8m $34.3m 73 4. Detective Chinatown 1900 (various) $26m $443.5m $26m $441.6m 8 5. Paddington In Peru (various) $20.3m $128.8m $7.3m $115.8m 54 6. Chhaava (various) $19.1m $19.1m  $17.3m  $17.3m 21 7. Dog Man (Universal) $13.9m …

Dag Johan Haugerud’s Dreams (Sex Love) was awarded the Golden Bear for best film at the Berlin International Film Festival tonight (February 22). Scroll down for full list of winners Dreams (Sex Love) sees Haugerud complete his Sex Love Dreams trilogy with the story of a young woman whose writings about a crush on her French teacher shock her mother and grandmother, causing them to re-examine their own fantasies. M-Appeal are handling sales. Haugerud said on stage that it was “beyond [his] wildest dreams” to win the Golden Bear, and speaking in his other life as a librarian and novelist, recommended…

Romanian writer-director Radu Jude’s social satire Kontinental ’25 has sold to a slew of European territories after world premiering in Berlin Film Festival’s competition.  Paris-based Luxbox, which is handling international sales, has sold the film to France (Météore Films), Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Poland (Aurora), Portugal (Films4you), Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark (Njutafilms), Greece (Cinobo), Estonia (Filmstop), Lithuania (Scanorama), Hungary (Mozinet), Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania (MCF), Slovenia (Fivia), and Bulgaria (Beta films). Other territories are currently in negotiations. The film follows a bailiff who tries to find ways to ease her troubled conscience after…

With the Bafta results shaking up the awards race once more, many of the key categories still remain up in the air according to Screen’s awards-season experts. In our latest Screen Awards Podcast for the 2024/25 race, Screen’s editor-in-chief Matt Mueller and awards & box office editor Charles Gant are joined by Vue International CEO Tim Richards to break down the Bafta winners and what it means for the final stretch of awards season.  The trio discuss whether the Oscars and the Baftas need to expand the minimum number of screens eligible titles play on and what impact the awards…

Disney has named former Paramount top executive Daria Cercek president of its live action theatrical division. Cercek will oversee the studio’s live action theatrical slate, development and production of films inspired by the intellectual property stable, and champion original projects. She reports to president of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios David Greenbaum. The upcoming Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios’ slate includes the third entry in the Avatar franchise towards the end of the year, as well as Snow White, Lilo & Stitch, Tron: Ares, Predator: Badlands, The Devil Wears Prada sequel, the live-action Moana feature, and…

Ethan Hawke, speaking at the Berlinale press conference for Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, said audiences needed to care about offensive art if they wanted it to keep getting made. “You guys, the community, has to make it important for offensive art to have a place in our conversation. It has to be cared about,” Hawke said. He plays songwriter Lorenz Hart as he battles with alcoholism and depression on the opening night of Oklaoma! which was co-written by his former creative partner Richard Rodgers. “When we prioritise money at all costs, what we get is generic material that appeals to the most people…

Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail has taken the lead on Screen’s Berlin jury grid with a strong 3.4 while Ari, Dreams, The Ice Tower and Reflection In A Dead Diamond also land. The Blue Trail received four four stars (excellent) and five three stars (good), already beating the score of last year’s joint winners My Favourite Cake and The Devil’s Bath with 3.1. Denise Weinberg stars in the dystopian fable as a 77-year-old who embarks on a journey through the Amazon. Click on the image above for the most up-to-date version of the grid. Close behind was Michel Franco’s Dreams which secured an…