Author: SD

Tributes from across the UK and international film world have poured in for Simon Field, the UK producer and festival director who died last week aged 80 after an illness. The former International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) head – from 1996 to 2004 – was also the celebrated producer of films including Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s 2010 Palme d’Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. “I have lost an important companion, with whom we built the films together with love, over many years,” said Apichatpong via Instagram. “I cannot dream of a more caring and supportive producer, and a kind…

Irish actress Brenda Fricker, who won an Oscar for her role in My Left Foot, has died aged 81. Her agent Phil Belfield said in a statement that she died after a period of ill health. “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her,” he added. ”I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.” Fricker won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1990 for…

The Hungarian film industry breathed a collective sigh of relief as Péter Magyar’s government, elected in May, confirmed it is removing the cap on new registrations for the tax incentive.  This cap was introduced last year by the outgoing Hungarian administration and is acknowledged to have had a very damaging effect on the production sector. Uncertainty around the incentive, worth 30%, rising to 37.5% if non-Hungarian costs are included, led to some major projects shooting elsewhere. This week, however, Ervin Nagy, state secretary for culture, has confirmed the “blockage on the tax incentive system” has been lifted. “We stand by…

  Ahead of what is expected to be its huge opening weekend, The Odyssey grossed $17.6m from preview screenings in 3,300 North American cinemas on Thursday (July 16), the biggest domestic preview take of the year so far.  The performance just beat the $17.5m that Toy Story 5 took from North American previews one month ago.  In international markets where it opened on Wednesday (July 15) or Thursday, the film has taken $22.2m over its first two days.  Universal Pictures releases The Odyssey today (July 17) in 3,919 North American theatres and over the weekend in 73 markets around the…

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has revealed an additional five films for its special presentations programme, among them David and Nathan Zellner’s Alpha Gang and Rachel Morrison’s Love Of Your Life.  Alpha Gang, a US sci-fi comedy with Cate Blanchett, Dave Bautista, Chris Pine and Lea Seydoux, is billed by TIFF as an international premiere (suggesting the film may be in line for a world premiere at another autumn festival).  Love Of Your Life, a US romantic drama with Margaret Qualley, from Amazon MGM Studios, will get its world premiere in Toronto.  The three other newly announced special presentations…

The first industry speakers have been confirmed for Screen International’s ‘Financing the Future of UK Film’ summit, taking place on September 29 at the BFI Southbank in London. They include Ben Browning, co-CEO of Pathe UK, and president of global film. Browning joined the company this year, relocating to London from his role as president of motion pictures at FilmNation in Los Angeles to spearhead Pathe’s renewed focus on English-language filmmaking. Frederic Fiore, president of French production, sales and distribution company Logical Pictures Group, has also joined the lineup. The company’s second Logical Content Ventures fund recently backed Simon Woods’…

Series financed by the international streaming platforms were the main beneficiaries of the TV-focused German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) in the first six months of 2026. Fifteen local and international TV series received almost 90% of the total €70m paid out to the German producers and co-producers of these series. They included the eight-part limited series Wild Things, produced by the US’ Imagine Entertainment and in Germany by Henning Molfenter’s Berlin Production Group for Apple TV+, which received the maximum payout of €20m. Wild Things stars Andrew Garfield and Jude Law as German-born magicians Siegfried & Roy,  The second-largest tranche of GMPF funding…

Rank Film (origin)DistributorJuly 10-12TotalWeek  UK-Ireland top five, July 10-12 1 Moana (US) Disney £2.8m £2.8m  1 2  Toy Story 5 (US)  Disney £2.5m £42.4m  4 3  Minions & Monsters (US) Universal £1.6m £7.3m  2 4  Evil Dead Burn (US) Studiocanal £696,706 £696,706  1 5  The Invite (US) Black Bear £430,000 £1.8m  2 GBP to USD conversion rate: 1.34 Disney pulled off a one-two at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend as Moana topped the charts, followed closely by Toy Story 5. The live-action Moana opened on £2.8m…

EXCLUSIVE: Ena Sendijareviç’s anticipated next project The Possessed and Nina Gantz’s animation project Once Upon An Egg will be among the projects presented at the second edition of Dutch industry showcase NLWave26, which will run September 30 to October 2 in Utrecht.  The Possessed is a love triangle drama set during Europe’s 17th-century witch hunts. Ariane Labed stars in the French-language film, which is in pre-production. It is being produced by Maarten Van Der Ven’s Studio Ruba as a coproduction with Barcelona-based Distinto Films, with backing from Catalan fund ICEC.  Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker Sendijareviç’s previous film Sweet Dreams premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2023…

Neon has closed a transaction to sell a “significant” stake to Department M and will use the capital influx to continue expanding operations and launch Neon TV. The long-anticipated move sees Neon founder Tom Quinn remain as CEO while Department M partner Michael Schaefer becomes Neon’s chief content officer. Department M partner Mike Larocca remains at that company and joins the Neon board. In other key executive news, Jeff Deutchman continues as president of acquisition, production and development for film while Carina Sposato joins the company as EVP, television. Both report directly to Schaefer. The investor will contribute development assets and…