Legacy is a brand-new original podcast placing historic figures from the past under a contemporary spotlight to explore their lives from the perspective of now. In a collaboration between Wondery and Goalhanger, the series asks the question: do these figures have the reputation that they deserve? Hosted by writer, broadcaster and journalist Afua Hirsch and author and historian Peter Frankopan...
- 11/8/2023
- by PodcastingToday
- Podcastingtoday
Aisling Bea And Matthew Lewis Join Romesh Ranganathan Comedy ‘Avoidance’
Aisling Bea and Matthew Lewis are among the cast who have joined the upcoming season of Romesh Ranganathan’s BBC comedy Avoidance. Filming started this week, and the returning cast includes Jessica Knappett (Drifters), Kieran Logendra, Mandeep Dhillon (Afterlife), Lisa McGrillis (Mum), and Bruce Mackinnon (The Catherine Tate Show). Also joining the show are Louise Ford (The Windsors), Olive Tennant (Belfast), Alex Ranganathan, Jessica Ransom (Horrible Histories), Paula Wilcox (Upstart Crow), Philip Jackson (Brassed Off), Ed Kear (Here We Go), Colin Hoult (Murder in Successville), Michael Spicer (The Room Next Door) and Brona C Titley (The Outlaws). “I’m delighted to be back on set with this amazing cast, so much so it almost makes up for the crushing agony of my recent spandex-filled wardrobe fitting,” said Ranganathan.
Afua Hirsch And Peter Frankopan To Lead History Podcast
Afua Hirsch and...
Aisling Bea and Matthew Lewis are among the cast who have joined the upcoming season of Romesh Ranganathan’s BBC comedy Avoidance. Filming started this week, and the returning cast includes Jessica Knappett (Drifters), Kieran Logendra, Mandeep Dhillon (Afterlife), Lisa McGrillis (Mum), and Bruce Mackinnon (The Catherine Tate Show). Also joining the show are Louise Ford (The Windsors), Olive Tennant (Belfast), Alex Ranganathan, Jessica Ransom (Horrible Histories), Paula Wilcox (Upstart Crow), Philip Jackson (Brassed Off), Ed Kear (Here We Go), Colin Hoult (Murder in Successville), Michael Spicer (The Room Next Door) and Brona C Titley (The Outlaws). “I’m delighted to be back on set with this amazing cast, so much so it almost makes up for the crushing agony of my recent spandex-filled wardrobe fitting,” said Ranganathan.
Afua Hirsch And Peter Frankopan To Lead History Podcast
Afua Hirsch and...
- 11/8/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Leonardo DiCaprio and his Killers of the Flower Moon co-star Lily Gladstone have teamed once again, this time as cover stars for the October issue of British Vogue.
In an interview conducted ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the two open up about their collaboration in Martin Scorsese’s epic story in which they play real-life husband and wife Ernest and Mollie Burkhart, a couple living on the Osage Reservation in 1920s Oklahoma amid a tragic time. It’s a rare showing for DiCaprio, who rarely sits for lengthy interviews or covers. He does so this time with Gladstone for writer Afua Hirsch and a shoot by photographer Craig McDean with styling by the mag’s Edward Enninful.
“Lily is absolutely astonishing in this movie,” the Oscar winner says of Gladstone. “She carries the entire film and the story.” He also says that Scorsese knew straight away that she...
In an interview conducted ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the two open up about their collaboration in Martin Scorsese’s epic story in which they play real-life husband and wife Ernest and Mollie Burkhart, a couple living on the Osage Reservation in 1920s Oklahoma amid a tragic time. It’s a rare showing for DiCaprio, who rarely sits for lengthy interviews or covers. He does so this time with Gladstone for writer Afua Hirsch and a shoot by photographer Craig McDean with styling by the mag’s Edward Enninful.
“Lily is absolutely astonishing in this movie,” the Oscar winner says of Gladstone. “She carries the entire film and the story.” He also says that Scorsese knew straight away that she...
- 9/19/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Universal Studios Group Chair Pearlena Igbokwe has said there is determination from all sides to find an “equitable” solution to the Hollywood labor strikes.
The veteran exec, who has helmed the creation of shows such as Dexter and The Blacklist over a three-decade career, took a hopeful tone when questioned about the writers and actors strikes in the U.S. during a session at the Edinburgh TV Festival today.
“I know for a fact the CEOs and top senior leaders are invested and committed to figuring out a deal that is fair and equitable for everybody,” she said. “I got into this business to make TV shows and not to sit around for three months and not do anything. I want us to find that deal that makes everyone happy.”
Despite her comments, the atmosphere in Hollywood remains downbeat, with chances of a deal being done looking bleak at the moment.
The veteran exec, who has helmed the creation of shows such as Dexter and The Blacklist over a three-decade career, took a hopeful tone when questioned about the writers and actors strikes in the U.S. during a session at the Edinburgh TV Festival today.
“I know for a fact the CEOs and top senior leaders are invested and committed to figuring out a deal that is fair and equitable for everybody,” she said. “I got into this business to make TV shows and not to sit around for three months and not do anything. I want us to find that deal that makes everyone happy.”
Despite her comments, the atmosphere in Hollywood remains downbeat, with chances of a deal being done looking bleak at the moment.
- 8/24/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Greenbird Flies To New Owner
Scotland’s Stv Studios has acquired the 15 companies operated by “Lego Masters” company Greenbird Media for £21.4 million ($27.3 million). Israel’s Keshet International acquired 60% of Greenbird five years ago. Stv Studios has now acquired 100% of Greenbird, including Keshet’s stake.
Greenbird founders, Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin, will join the Stv Studios board in the roles of chief commercial officer and finance and integration director respectively, working alongside COO, Paul Sheehan, and under the leadership of MD, David Mortimer.
The deal boosts the number of labels within Stv Studios from nine to 24. As a result of the acquisition, Stv Studios now has expanded bases in Glasgow and London, as well as offices in Cardiff, Belfast, Brighton and Manchester.
Hit shows made by the producers in Greenbird’s cluster include: “Lego Masters” (Tuesday’s Child for Channel 4/Fox) and “The Hit List” (Tuesday’s Child for BBC One...
Scotland’s Stv Studios has acquired the 15 companies operated by “Lego Masters” company Greenbird Media for £21.4 million ($27.3 million). Israel’s Keshet International acquired 60% of Greenbird five years ago. Stv Studios has now acquired 100% of Greenbird, including Keshet’s stake.
Greenbird founders, Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin, will join the Stv Studios board in the roles of chief commercial officer and finance and integration director respectively, working alongside COO, Paul Sheehan, and under the leadership of MD, David Mortimer.
The deal boosts the number of labels within Stv Studios from nine to 24. As a result of the acquisition, Stv Studios now has expanded bases in Glasgow and London, as well as offices in Cardiff, Belfast, Brighton and Manchester.
Hit shows made by the producers in Greenbird’s cluster include: “Lego Masters” (Tuesday’s Child for Channel 4/Fox) and “The Hit List” (Tuesday’s Child for BBC One...
- 7/6/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Edinburgh TV Festival has unveiled Channel 4 strategy boss Kiran Nataraja as its 2023 Advisory Chair.
Nataraja, who is the broadcaster’s Director of Content Strategy and Planning, will oversee panel sessions and keynotes for the annual festival that has been extended to four days this year. It will run from August 22 to 25 and theme is The Passion and The Power of TV.
Nataraja joined the Gogglebox broadcaster in 2011 and has since worked her way up to running the planning and scheduling teams while shaping commissioning strategy across the Channel 4 portfolio, including VoD player All4.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with TV,” said Nataraja.
“I was endlessly fascinated by different worlds and voices on screen. I’m honored to take on this role so we can explore the passion and responsibility we all share for creating powerful shows that can bring positive change to a viewer.
Nataraja, who is the broadcaster’s Director of Content Strategy and Planning, will oversee panel sessions and keynotes for the annual festival that has been extended to four days this year. It will run from August 22 to 25 and theme is The Passion and The Power of TV.
Nataraja joined the Gogglebox broadcaster in 2011 and has since worked her way up to running the planning and scheduling teams while shaping commissioning strategy across the Channel 4 portfolio, including VoD player All4.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with TV,” said Nataraja.
“I was endlessly fascinated by different worlds and voices on screen. I’m honored to take on this role so we can explore the passion and responsibility we all share for creating powerful shows that can bring positive change to a viewer.
- 2/7/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Fremantle has promoted Christian Vesper to the newly created position of CEO of global drama. He will report to Andrea Scrosati, Group COO and CEO Continental Europe.
Previously, Vesper served as president of the department, a role he was appointed to in 2020 after joining the company four years earlier as executive vice president and creative director of global drama.
In the expanded capacity, Vesper will continue to build on Fremantle’s portfolio of scripted dramas and have direct oversight over the company’s scripted labels, including Miso Film (“The Investigation”), Wildside (“My Brilliant Friend”), The Apartment, Element Pictures, Lux Vide (“Medici”), Dancing Ledge Productions (“The Salisbury Poisonings”) and the group’s most recent acquisition, Passenger.
Also Read:
Lux Vide CEO Explains Why Being Acquired by Fremantle Was the Best Way Forward
He will also oversee Fremantle’s talent and deal roster, which includes “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck and Michael Paret...
Previously, Vesper served as president of the department, a role he was appointed to in 2020 after joining the company four years earlier as executive vice president and creative director of global drama.
In the expanded capacity, Vesper will continue to build on Fremantle’s portfolio of scripted dramas and have direct oversight over the company’s scripted labels, including Miso Film (“The Investigation”), Wildside (“My Brilliant Friend”), The Apartment, Element Pictures, Lux Vide (“Medici”), Dancing Ledge Productions (“The Salisbury Poisonings”) and the group’s most recent acquisition, Passenger.
Also Read:
Lux Vide CEO Explains Why Being Acquired by Fremantle Was the Best Way Forward
He will also oversee Fremantle’s talent and deal roster, which includes “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck and Michael Paret...
- 1/5/2023
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Fremantle has promoted Christian Vesper to the newly created role of CEO global drama, reporting into Andrea Scrosati, group COO and CEO continental Europe.
In the new role, Vesper will have direct oversight of some of Fremantle’s scripted labels, including Miso Film (“Face to Face”), Wildside (“My Brilliant Friend”), The Apartment (“Bones and All”), Element Pictures (“Normal People”), Lux Vide (“Medici”), Dancing Ledge Productions (“The Salisbury Poisonings”) and Passenger (“This England”).
He will also oversee Fremantle’s roster of talent partnerships and deals, which includes “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s Sinestra, Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films, Afua Hirsch’s Born In Me and The Creatives, Fremantle’s three-year partnership agreement with a creative alliance of nine leading independent production companies.
Based in London, Vesper and his team will also work in close partnership with its regional drama heads across all territories in which Fremantle operates, including UFA in Germany,...
In the new role, Vesper will have direct oversight of some of Fremantle’s scripted labels, including Miso Film (“Face to Face”), Wildside (“My Brilliant Friend”), The Apartment (“Bones and All”), Element Pictures (“Normal People”), Lux Vide (“Medici”), Dancing Ledge Productions (“The Salisbury Poisonings”) and Passenger (“This England”).
He will also oversee Fremantle’s roster of talent partnerships and deals, which includes “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s Sinestra, Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films, Afua Hirsch’s Born In Me and The Creatives, Fremantle’s three-year partnership agreement with a creative alliance of nine leading independent production companies.
Based in London, Vesper and his team will also work in close partnership with its regional drama heads across all territories in which Fremantle operates, including UFA in Germany,...
- 1/5/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Fremantle has promoted Christian Vesper to CEO of Global Drama, handing him oversight of a number of scripted labels acquired in the past few months.
In the newly-created role, Vesper will oversee the Rtl-owned super-indie’s drama and film slate along with the likes of Normal People producer Element Pictures, Italian indie Lux Vide and Richard Brown’s This England outfit Passenger. Along with Dancing Ledge Productions, all these producers have been acquired by the highly-acquisitive Fremantle in the past few months. Companies bought longer ago such as Miso Film, Wildside and Bones and All producer The Apartment will also be brought within the Vesper fold.
The former Sundance drama chief, who was previously President of Global Drama – a role he took in October 2020 – will also oversee talent partnerships including Chernobyl director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s Sinestra, Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films, Afua Hirsch’s Born In...
In the newly-created role, Vesper will oversee the Rtl-owned super-indie’s drama and film slate along with the likes of Normal People producer Element Pictures, Italian indie Lux Vide and Richard Brown’s This England outfit Passenger. Along with Dancing Ledge Productions, all these producers have been acquired by the highly-acquisitive Fremantle in the past few months. Companies bought longer ago such as Miso Film, Wildside and Bones and All producer The Apartment will also be brought within the Vesper fold.
The former Sundance drama chief, who was previously President of Global Drama – a role he took in October 2020 – will also oversee talent partnerships including Chernobyl director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s Sinestra, Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films, Afua Hirsch’s Born In...
- 1/5/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Does Meghan and Harry’s Netflix documentary live up to its no-holds-barred expectations? Well, within the first five minutes we’ve seen a makeup-less Meghan, hair wrapped in a towel, crying into her phone camera – so I’m going to say yes.
“What are we doing?” the couple wonder more than once, as they reflect on their actions in this slightly hysterical fever dream of self-aggrandisement. They say they want to be able to tell their story, a story they feel they weren’t allowed to tell before, but now seem to tell professionally for a living. There are no major revelations here, nothing so incendiary that it will cancel King Charles’s coronation next year; in fact, certain quotes are becoming a bit pat. The first three episodes cover their early courtship up to the eve of their wedding, and are a mix of melodramatically soundtracked, soft-focused photo montages,...
“What are we doing?” the couple wonder more than once, as they reflect on their actions in this slightly hysterical fever dream of self-aggrandisement. They say they want to be able to tell their story, a story they feel they weren’t allowed to tell before, but now seem to tell professionally for a living. There are no major revelations here, nothing so incendiary that it will cancel King Charles’s coronation next year; in fact, certain quotes are becoming a bit pat. The first three episodes cover their early courtship up to the eve of their wedding, and are a mix of melodramatically soundtracked, soft-focused photo montages,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Jessie Thompson
- The Independent - TV
Click here to read the full article.
“My reality isn’t always nice,” Rose Ayling-Ellis told the Edinburgh TV Festival in the annual Alternative MacTaggart keynote on Friday.
The deaf English actress (EastEnders, Dancing With the Stars) offered her perspective on the stark realities of life as a deaf person working in television via a 30-minute address and an interview with journalist and producer Afua Hirsch.
“It is not nice when my access is compromised. It is not nice to realize my presence is a token. It is not nice when my favorite TV shows don’t have subtitles. It is not nice to feel frustrated and unheard,” Ayling-Ellis said. “However, let me clarify one thing, it is not frustrating being deaf. Being deaf is my proudest identity. Having a disability is not a barrier. I am disabled because I live and work in a world that disables me.”
She...
“My reality isn’t always nice,” Rose Ayling-Ellis told the Edinburgh TV Festival in the annual Alternative MacTaggart keynote on Friday.
The deaf English actress (EastEnders, Dancing With the Stars) offered her perspective on the stark realities of life as a deaf person working in television via a 30-minute address and an interview with journalist and producer Afua Hirsch.
“It is not nice when my access is compromised. It is not nice to realize my presence is a token. It is not nice when my favorite TV shows don’t have subtitles. It is not nice to feel frustrated and unheard,” Ayling-Ellis said. “However, let me clarify one thing, it is not frustrating being deaf. Being deaf is my proudest identity. Having a disability is not a barrier. I am disabled because I live and work in a world that disables me.”
She...
- 8/26/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Making a BBC documentary, Psychosis and Me, about his experience with his mental health struggles made him confront his lowest lows, actor and author David Harewood (Homeland, The Night Manager, Supergirl) told a TV industry gathering on Thursday. “It scared the shit out of me,” he told the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Asked about the overall experience of coming out about his mental health problems and sharing his experience in a doc, he said: “It was the toughest thing I have ever done.”
Recalling specifically going through documents featuring his comments from his time in a psychiatric hospital, Harewood said, “You are reading your disturbed self.”
After “a very difficult period,” he went through “a period of healing” and is now feeling comfortable discussing the topic, he shared.
Questioned whether he was ever worried that his career would be affected by the doc, he shared: “Oh my God,...
Making a BBC documentary, Psychosis and Me, about his experience with his mental health struggles made him confront his lowest lows, actor and author David Harewood (Homeland, The Night Manager, Supergirl) told a TV industry gathering on Thursday. “It scared the shit out of me,” he told the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Asked about the overall experience of coming out about his mental health problems and sharing his experience in a doc, he said: “It was the toughest thing I have ever done.”
Recalling specifically going through documents featuring his comments from his time in a psychiatric hospital, Harewood said, “You are reading your disturbed self.”
After “a very difficult period,” he went through “a period of healing” and is now feeling comfortable discussing the topic, he shared.
Questioned whether he was ever worried that his career would be affected by the doc, he shared: “Oh my God,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
David Nevins, Paramount Premium Group CEO and Chair, is to deliver the annual Edinburgh TV Festival Worldwide Address, as the festival sets panels on football, Ukraine, public broadcasting and true crime featuring Sara Payne, the mother of murdered child Sarah Payne.
In conversation with former Sky Studios boss Jane Millichip, Nevins, who is also Chief Creative Officer for the streamer’s scripted series, will discuss the current scripted landscape, his experiences in maximizing creative ingenuity, talent relationships and IP. He will touch on whether the industry can sustain the influx of streamers both from a Psb and talent drain perspective.
Through a 30-year career, Nevins has run Image TV and overseen entertainment for Showtime, during which time he greenlit the likes of Homeland and Billions. In his current role, he still has responsibility for the network.
The festival, which is chaired by Afua Hirsch this year and taking place August...
In conversation with former Sky Studios boss Jane Millichip, Nevins, who is also Chief Creative Officer for the streamer’s scripted series, will discuss the current scripted landscape, his experiences in maximizing creative ingenuity, talent relationships and IP. He will touch on whether the industry can sustain the influx of streamers both from a Psb and talent drain perspective.
Through a 30-year career, Nevins has run Image TV and overseen entertainment for Showtime, during which time he greenlit the likes of Homeland and Billions. In his current role, he still has responsibility for the network.
The festival, which is chaired by Afua Hirsch this year and taking place August...
- 7/14/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Brian Cox And Rose Matafeo Unveiled For Packed Edinburgh TV Festival Lineup
Succession star Brian Cox, Starstruck creator Rose Matafeo and the biggest UK broadcasting bosses will feature at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, which unveiled its Alternative MacTaggart speaker. Deaf Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis will deliver the annual alternative address, billed as an “uncompromising speech about her experiences as a deaf actress and the stark realities of life as a young person with a disability in this industry.” Her speech comes a year after Help scribe Jack Thorne’s blistering MacTaggart, which blasted the UK TV industry for “utterly and totally” failing disabled people. Elsewhere, Cox will discuss his lauded career in an in-depth interview and Matafeo will be in conversation with Dolly Alderton, the creator of BBC One’s Everything I Know About Love, which debuted last night. Masterclasses will feature stars from...
Succession star Brian Cox, Starstruck creator Rose Matafeo and the biggest UK broadcasting bosses will feature at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, which unveiled its Alternative MacTaggart speaker. Deaf Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis will deliver the annual alternative address, billed as an “uncompromising speech about her experiences as a deaf actress and the stark realities of life as a young person with a disability in this industry.” Her speech comes a year after Help scribe Jack Thorne’s blistering MacTaggart, which blasted the UK TV industry for “utterly and totally” failing disabled people. Elsewhere, Cox will discuss his lauded career in an in-depth interview and Matafeo will be in conversation with Dolly Alderton, the creator of BBC One’s Everything I Know About Love, which debuted last night. Masterclasses will feature stars from...
- 6/8/2022
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Some of the U.K.’s biggest TV and streaming stars are set to appear at the 2022 Edinburgh TV Festival. Among those who will be present at the in-person event in Edinburgh are “Succession” patriarch Brian Cox, “Heartstopper” star Kit Connor and “Strictly Come Dancing’s” Rose Ayling-Ellis, who will give this year’s Alternative Mactaggart speech.
Actor Ayling-Ellis, who was “Strictly’s” first deaf contestant and is a British Sign Language (Bsl) campaigner, is set to discuss her experiences in the industry in what is sure to be a no-holds barred speech that follows on from last year’s Alternative Mactaggart lecture by “His Dark Materials” writer and disability campaigner Jack Thorne.
Cox will appear in conversation to discuss his career, his scene-stealing role as Logan Roy and his working-class Scottish roots while the cast and creative team from Netflix hit “Heartstopper” will also be on hand to discuss the coming-of-age romantic drama,...
Actor Ayling-Ellis, who was “Strictly’s” first deaf contestant and is a British Sign Language (Bsl) campaigner, is set to discuss her experiences in the industry in what is sure to be a no-holds barred speech that follows on from last year’s Alternative Mactaggart lecture by “His Dark Materials” writer and disability campaigner Jack Thorne.
Cox will appear in conversation to discuss his career, his scene-stealing role as Logan Roy and his working-class Scottish roots while the cast and creative team from Netflix hit “Heartstopper” will also be on hand to discuss the coming-of-age romantic drama,...
- 6/8/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Appointments
Eminent British media personality Afua Hirsch has been named advisory chair for the 2022 edition of Screen Scotland‘s Edinburgh TV Festival. Founder of Born in Me Productions, an independent production company focusing on scripted and non-scripted television, movies and podcasting, Hirsch is renowned for her work on black culture, history, identity and culture in the African diaspora and worldwide. Hirsch has presented documentaries including “African Renaissance,” a documentary series for the BBC on African art, “Enslaved,” an Epix series about the history of the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L. Jackson, and podcast series “We Need to Talk about the British Empire,” for Audible. Hirsch is also the author of “Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging” and bestselling children’s book ‘Equal to Everything’. She is currently the Wallis Annenberg Chair of Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Hirsch has been a festival...
Eminent British media personality Afua Hirsch has been named advisory chair for the 2022 edition of Screen Scotland‘s Edinburgh TV Festival. Founder of Born in Me Productions, an independent production company focusing on scripted and non-scripted television, movies and podcasting, Hirsch is renowned for her work on black culture, history, identity and culture in the African diaspora and worldwide. Hirsch has presented documentaries including “African Renaissance,” a documentary series for the BBC on African art, “Enslaved,” an Epix series about the history of the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L. Jackson, and podcast series “We Need to Talk about the British Empire,” for Audible. Hirsch is also the author of “Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging” and bestselling children’s book ‘Equal to Everything’. She is currently the Wallis Annenberg Chair of Journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Hirsch has been a festival...
- 3/1/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Afua Hirsch, a broadcaster, journalist and presenter on Samuel L. Jackson’s Epix series Enslaved, has been appointed Advisory Chair of this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival.
Hirsch, a passionate diversity advocate, will examine themes around how those in the TV industry are in a unique position as storytellers to shape the world, asking which stories we are telling and which we aren’t.
She replaces Amazon Studios Europe Head Georgia Brown in the one-year role and will oversee the first in-person Edinburgh for three years.
Hirsch is best known for her work on black culture, history and identity. She has presented documentaries including Samuel L Jackson’s Enslaved for Epix and the BBC’s African Renaissance and has regularly contributed to media outlets including BBC News, Sky News and The Guardian. She also runs a TV production company, Born in Me Productions.
Her Advisory Board includes Hometown presenter Mobeen Azhar,...
Hirsch, a passionate diversity advocate, will examine themes around how those in the TV industry are in a unique position as storytellers to shape the world, asking which stories we are telling and which we aren’t.
She replaces Amazon Studios Europe Head Georgia Brown in the one-year role and will oversee the first in-person Edinburgh for three years.
Hirsch is best known for her work on black culture, history and identity. She has presented documentaries including Samuel L Jackson’s Enslaved for Epix and the BBC’s African Renaissance and has regularly contributed to media outlets including BBC News, Sky News and The Guardian. She also runs a TV production company, Born in Me Productions.
Her Advisory Board includes Hometown presenter Mobeen Azhar,...
- 3/1/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
BAFTA has revealed the newest crop of U.S. and U.K. participants for its Breakthrough program, the British Academy’s annual initiative aimed at supporting emerging talent across film, TV and video games.
The 36 names — 24 from the U.K. and 12 from the U.S. — were selected by a cross-industry global jury that included writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch and Irish actress (and former Breakthrough) Niamh Algar. Each will be offered individually tailored mentoring and development opportunities aimed at supporting them during this breakout stage of their careers.
Now backed by Netflix, the BAFTA Breakthrough program ...
The 36 names — 24 from the U.K. and 12 from the U.S. — were selected by a cross-industry global jury that included writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch and Irish actress (and former Breakthrough) Niamh Algar. Each will be offered individually tailored mentoring and development opportunities aimed at supporting them during this breakout stage of their careers.
Now backed by Netflix, the BAFTA Breakthrough program ...
- 12/8/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
BAFTA has revealed the newest crop of U.S. and U.K. participants for its Breakthrough program, the British Academy’s annual initiative aimed at supporting emerging talent across film, TV and video games.
The 36 names — 24 from the U.K. and 12 from the U.S. — were selected by a cross-industry global jury that included writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch and Irish actress (and former Breakthrough) Niamh Algar. Each will be offered individually tailored mentoring and development opportunities aimed at supporting them during this breakout stage of their careers.
Now backed by Netflix, the BAFTA Breakthrough program ...
The 36 names — 24 from the U.K. and 12 from the U.S. — were selected by a cross-industry global jury that included writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch and Irish actress (and former Breakthrough) Niamh Algar. Each will be offered individually tailored mentoring and development opportunities aimed at supporting them during this breakout stage of their careers.
Now backed by Netflix, the BAFTA Breakthrough program ...
- 12/8/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Elizabeth Hurley To Star In Caribbean Rom-Com
Elizabeth Hurley is to play the lead in The Caribbean Christmas, the rom-com shot in St Kitts and Nevis from Msr Media producer Philippe Martinez. Pic started filming this week. Cast on the film, which is the latest to be shot this year in the Caribbean island under its multi-film deal with Msr, includes Bridgerton’s Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox (Kingdom Of Heaven), Edoardo Costa (Live Free or Die Hard) and Incitement’s Hadar Cats. The film follows the story of an abandoned British bride, who spends December in the Caribbean with her bridesmaids as love blossoms. Hurley described the offer to film in the Caribbean after a difficult 18 months as “irresistible.” Martinez will direct and write alongside Cox.
Bafta Talent Unveils US-uk Jury
Handmaids’ Tale creator Bruce Miller, documentary maker Afua Hirsch and Netflix UK Features Director Fiona Lamptey are to feature in the U.
Elizabeth Hurley is to play the lead in The Caribbean Christmas, the rom-com shot in St Kitts and Nevis from Msr Media producer Philippe Martinez. Pic started filming this week. Cast on the film, which is the latest to be shot this year in the Caribbean island under its multi-film deal with Msr, includes Bridgerton’s Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox (Kingdom Of Heaven), Edoardo Costa (Live Free or Die Hard) and Incitement’s Hadar Cats. The film follows the story of an abandoned British bride, who spends December in the Caribbean with her bridesmaids as love blossoms. Hurley described the offer to film in the Caribbean after a difficult 18 months as “irresistible.” Martinez will direct and write alongside Cox.
Bafta Talent Unveils US-uk Jury
Handmaids’ Tale creator Bruce Miller, documentary maker Afua Hirsch and Netflix UK Features Director Fiona Lamptey are to feature in the U.
- 10/26/2021
- by Anuj Radia
- Deadline Film + TV
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has revealed high powered U.K. and U.S. jury members for the 2021 BAFTA Breakthrough initiative, supported by Netflix.
The U.K. jury is chaired by Ade Rawcliffe, group director of diversity and inclusion at ITV, and members include Fiona Lamptey, director of U.K. features at Netflix; journalist and cultural commentator Afua Hirsch; Alisa Pomeroy, senior commissioning editor, factual at Channel 4; Sheffield Doc/Fest interim director Clare Stewart; David P. Davis, executive producer at Bad Wolf; and Jodie Azhar, CEO and games director at Teazelcat Games.
The U.K. jury also includes producer Julia Godzinskaya, Nest Entertainment; “Saint Maud” casting director Kharmel Cochrane; “The Informer” costume designer Molly Emma Rowe; “It’s a Sin” director Peter Hoar; Siobhan Reddy, studio director at Media Molecule; writer/performer Tim Renkow; and “Ted Lasso” DoP Vanessa Whyte.
The U.S. jurors include “Jurassic World: Dominion...
The U.K. jury is chaired by Ade Rawcliffe, group director of diversity and inclusion at ITV, and members include Fiona Lamptey, director of U.K. features at Netflix; journalist and cultural commentator Afua Hirsch; Alisa Pomeroy, senior commissioning editor, factual at Channel 4; Sheffield Doc/Fest interim director Clare Stewart; David P. Davis, executive producer at Bad Wolf; and Jodie Azhar, CEO and games director at Teazelcat Games.
The U.K. jury also includes producer Julia Godzinskaya, Nest Entertainment; “Saint Maud” casting director Kharmel Cochrane; “The Informer” costume designer Molly Emma Rowe; “It’s a Sin” director Peter Hoar; Siobhan Reddy, studio director at Media Molecule; writer/performer Tim Renkow; and “Ted Lasso” DoP Vanessa Whyte.
The U.S. jurors include “Jurassic World: Dominion...
- 10/26/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The BBC is under fire for Director General Tim Davie’s alleged involvement in blocking the appointment of prominent diversity champion Marcus Ryder, with a growing chorus of industry voices declaring that campaigning for racial equality shouldn’t be viewed as an impartiality issue.
In an open letter to BBC chairman Richard Sharp, published on Wednesday, a body of journalists, producers and freelancers of color have asked for reassurance that “advocating for our industry to be more diverse will not disadvantage or block people from being employed by the BBC” and will instead be seen as a positive attribute that’s in line with the corporation’s values.
The letter was spearheaded by Angela Ferreira, managing director of Douglas Road Productions, a Banijay-backed production company helmed by actor Lenny Henry, who is a close collaborator of Ryder’s. It has so far been signed by Henry, journalists Afua Hirsch and Gary Younge,...
In an open letter to BBC chairman Richard Sharp, published on Wednesday, a body of journalists, producers and freelancers of color have asked for reassurance that “advocating for our industry to be more diverse will not disadvantage or block people from being employed by the BBC” and will instead be seen as a positive attribute that’s in line with the corporation’s values.
The letter was spearheaded by Angela Ferreira, managing director of Douglas Road Productions, a Banijay-backed production company helmed by actor Lenny Henry, who is a close collaborator of Ryder’s. It has so far been signed by Henry, journalists Afua Hirsch and Gary Younge,...
- 10/20/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Senior Black and Asian UK creatives including Sir Lenny Henry, Afua Hirsch and Pat Younge have written an open letter to BBC Chair Richard Sharp seeking reassurances that “advocating for our industry to be diverse will not block people from being employed by the BBC.”
The open letter was organized by Angela Ferreira, who runs Henry’s indie Douglas Road, in response to allegations over the weekend in UK newspaper The Daily Mail that BBC Director General Tim Davie vetoed the appointment of diversity champion Marcus Ryder to the corporation.
Ryder, who used to work for BBC Scotland and has in recent years been plying his trade for Chinese news agency Cgtn, is said to have been invited to apply for the role of executive editor overseeing radio news program Newsbeat and radio station Asian Network.
The job eventually went to an internal candidate and reports have suggested Davie interfered...
The open letter was organized by Angela Ferreira, who runs Henry’s indie Douglas Road, in response to allegations over the weekend in UK newspaper The Daily Mail that BBC Director General Tim Davie vetoed the appointment of diversity champion Marcus Ryder to the corporation.
Ryder, who used to work for BBC Scotland and has in recent years been plying his trade for Chinese news agency Cgtn, is said to have been invited to apply for the role of executive editor overseeing radio news program Newsbeat and radio station Asian Network.
The job eventually went to an internal candidate and reports have suggested Davie interfered...
- 10/20/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer and European Film Academy Chair Mike Downey is being honored with the Kristián Lifetime Achievement Award, at the Prague International Film Festival – Febiofest.
The award will be presented at the opening of the festival on Friday by Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning British filmmaker Stephen Daldry. The honor is in recognition of Downey’s services to cinema.
Downey was the founder, with producing partner Samantha Taylor, of Film and Music Entertainment (F&me) in 2000. He has more than 100 producer credits, including Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan” and Fatmir Koçi’s “Elvis Walks Home.”
On the humanitarian front, Downey was part of the team that launched the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) at the Venice Film Festival in 2020. The Icfr aims to activate the film community’s collective response to filmmakers who face political persecution for their work.
“In the difficult times which we are all experiencing,” said Downey,...
The award will be presented at the opening of the festival on Friday by Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning British filmmaker Stephen Daldry. The honor is in recognition of Downey’s services to cinema.
Downey was the founder, with producing partner Samantha Taylor, of Film and Music Entertainment (F&me) in 2000. He has more than 100 producer credits, including Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan” and Fatmir Koçi’s “Elvis Walks Home.”
On the humanitarian front, Downey was part of the team that launched the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (Icfr) at the Venice Film Festival in 2020. The Icfr aims to activate the film community’s collective response to filmmakers who face political persecution for their work.
“In the difficult times which we are all experiencing,” said Downey,...
- 9/17/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
BBC Orders Comedy-Thriller ‘Black Ops’
BBC Comedy has commissioned new comedy-thriller series Black Ops created by Famalam actors Gbemisola Ikumelo and Akemnji Ndifornyen and writing duo Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woof (Click and Collect). The six-part (6×30) series, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2022, follows the story of Dom and Kay, who join the Met Police in the hope of cleaning up their community but are unwittingly thrust into the murky world of deep cover infiltration as they become part of a powerful criminal enterprise. But for the duo, it quickly becomes more of a fiasco than Donnie Brasco. Series was commissioned by BBC head of comedy Tanya Qureshi and is produced by Ndifornyen and Josh Cole, the exec producer for BBC Studios Productions. Gregor Sharp is the commissioning editor for the BBC and BBC Studios will distribute the series internationally. Casting details are expected to be announced shortly.
BBC Comedy has commissioned new comedy-thriller series Black Ops created by Famalam actors Gbemisola Ikumelo and Akemnji Ndifornyen and writing duo Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woof (Click and Collect). The six-part (6×30) series, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2022, follows the story of Dom and Kay, who join the Met Police in the hope of cleaning up their community but are unwittingly thrust into the murky world of deep cover infiltration as they become part of a powerful criminal enterprise. But for the duo, it quickly becomes more of a fiasco than Donnie Brasco. Series was commissioned by BBC head of comedy Tanya Qureshi and is produced by Ndifornyen and Josh Cole, the exec producer for BBC Studios Productions. Gregor Sharp is the commissioning editor for the BBC and BBC Studios will distribute the series internationally. Casting details are expected to be announced shortly.
- 8/25/2021
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC has ordered a raft of factual and arts programming, including three-part BBC Two docu-series Frida & Diego, an exploration of the personal and political life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and her relationship with Diego Rivera.
The Rogan Films production will be directed by Louise Lockwood. Executive producers are James Rogan, Nancy Bornat and Mark Hedgecoe. BBC commissioner is Emma Cahusac.
Four-part series Black Art Matters will examine how African-American creativity has transformed popular culture. It is the first series commission for BBC Small Indie Fund company Milk And Honey Productions, whose previous work for the BBC includes The Trouble With Naipaul, Stacey Dooley Investigates Spycams and Sex Criminals. Executive producer is Lucy Pilkington and the series will be made in association with Afua Hirsch and her production company, Born In Me.
Meanwhile, the new slate also includes Union With David Olusoga, a five-part BBC Two docu-series about union and disunion in the UK.
The Rogan Films production will be directed by Louise Lockwood. Executive producers are James Rogan, Nancy Bornat and Mark Hedgecoe. BBC commissioner is Emma Cahusac.
Four-part series Black Art Matters will examine how African-American creativity has transformed popular culture. It is the first series commission for BBC Small Indie Fund company Milk And Honey Productions, whose previous work for the BBC includes The Trouble With Naipaul, Stacey Dooley Investigates Spycams and Sex Criminals. Executive producer is Lucy Pilkington and the series will be made in association with Afua Hirsch and her production company, Born In Me.
Meanwhile, the new slate also includes Union With David Olusoga, a five-part BBC Two docu-series about union and disunion in the UK.
- 8/9/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Samuel L. Jackson’s docuseries “Enslaved” was well under way before this year’s global “Black Lives Matter” movement resurgence, but he admits the project has taken on an urgency for which he wasn’t quite prepared.
“It was serendipitous that it came out at this particular time. That was not a plan,” says Jackson.
The “Avengers” star has narrated documentaries, from Ken Burns’ “The War” to Disney Nature’s “African Cats,” but hadn’t participated creatively until “Enslaved,” which he executive produced with his wife, actor Latanya Richardson Jackson.
The six-part docuseries, which premiered Sept. 14 on cabler Epix and is distributed globally by Fremantle, examines 400 years of the slave trade from Africa to the New World and takes the actor back to his ancestral roots in Gabon in West Africa. Elsewhere, a dynamic group of divers hunt for sunken slave ships, while British author Afua Hirsch and Israeli-Canadian journalist...
“It was serendipitous that it came out at this particular time. That was not a plan,” says Jackson.
The “Avengers” star has narrated documentaries, from Ken Burns’ “The War” to Disney Nature’s “African Cats,” but hadn’t participated creatively until “Enslaved,” which he executive produced with his wife, actor Latanya Richardson Jackson.
The six-part docuseries, which premiered Sept. 14 on cabler Epix and is distributed globally by Fremantle, examines 400 years of the slave trade from Africa to the New World and takes the actor back to his ancestral roots in Gabon in West Africa. Elsewhere, a dynamic group of divers hunt for sunken slave ships, while British author Afua Hirsch and Israeli-Canadian journalist...
- 10/11/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Samuel L. Jackson’s new television documentary series Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will launch worldwide after broadcasters in some 130 territories snatched up the six-part series on the history of human trafficking.
Jackson hosts and executive produced the series, which sees him, alongside historians Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici, travel across continents to retrace the path of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Jacobovici served as series director.
The series premiered Sept.14 on Epix in the U.S.
Fremantle, which is handling international sales on the series, closed deals with France’s TF1 Group for its Histoire ...
Jackson hosts and executive produced the series, which sees him, alongside historians Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici, travel across continents to retrace the path of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Jacobovici served as series director.
The series premiered Sept.14 on Epix in the U.S.
Fremantle, which is handling international sales on the series, closed deals with France’s TF1 Group for its Histoire ...
- 9/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Samuel L. Jackson’s new television documentary series Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will launch worldwide after broadcasters in some 130 territories snatched up the six-part series on the history of human trafficking.
Jackson hosts and executive produced the series, which sees him, alongside historians Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici, travel across continents to retrace the path of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Jacobovici served as series director.
The series premiered Sept.14 on Epix in the U.S.
Fremantle, which is handling international sales on the series, closed deals with France’s TF1 Group for its Histoire ...
Jackson hosts and executive produced the series, which sees him, alongside historians Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici, travel across continents to retrace the path of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Jacobovici served as series director.
The series premiered Sept.14 on Epix in the U.S.
Fremantle, which is handling international sales on the series, closed deals with France’s TF1 Group for its Histoire ...
- 9/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Currently airing on Epix is “Enslaved,” a Samuel L. Jackson-hosted docuseries that sheds new light on 400 years of human trafficking from continental Africa to the West. Based on a DNA test identifying his ancestral tribe, the series traces Jackson’s personal journey from the USA to Gabon for his induction into the local Benga tribe, providing unprecedented access to local customs that are typically not made public.
Accompanying Jackson on this six-episode journey are British author/broadcaster Afua Hirsch and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici, who are there to put Jackson’s discoveries into context. Each episode follows three separate story lines: the quest for a sunken slave ship, a personal journey by Jackson and a historical investigation.
“When the project was presented to me they told me that they identified these ships that were in the Atlantic that were ships that were taking enslaved people all the way to...
Accompanying Jackson on this six-episode journey are British author/broadcaster Afua Hirsch and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici, who are there to put Jackson’s discoveries into context. Each episode follows three separate story lines: the quest for a sunken slave ship, a personal journey by Jackson and a historical investigation.
“When the project was presented to me they told me that they identified these ships that were in the Atlantic that were ships that were taking enslaved people all the way to...
- 9/22/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Let's face it. You all have lost your loving feeling for episodic television that goes week to week. At least, given the dismal numbers that we're seeing on the few shows that Are airing weekly.
So, you should be pleased with many things this week, even as some networks still desperately try to get your attention for weekly viewing.
There are binge-watches dropping across multiple platforms and some great new weekly series. There are movies and horror-adjacent and teen dramas galore, with a timely docuseries dropped into the mix, too. Check it out!
Saturday, September 12
8/7c Coastal Elites (HBO)
If you're of a liberal mind and a Trump hater, you should find something to love in HBO's adaptation of Paul Rudnick's play, which was expected to go into production this year, but, well, Covid.
If Bette Midler has the appearance of a screaming shrew on Twitter, she's the perfect...
So, you should be pleased with many things this week, even as some networks still desperately try to get your attention for weekly viewing.
There are binge-watches dropping across multiple platforms and some great new weekly series. There are movies and horror-adjacent and teen dramas galore, with a timely docuseries dropped into the mix, too. Check it out!
Saturday, September 12
8/7c Coastal Elites (HBO)
If you're of a liberal mind and a Trump hater, you should find something to love in HBO's adaptation of Paul Rudnick's play, which was expected to go into production this year, but, well, Covid.
If Bette Midler has the appearance of a screaming shrew on Twitter, she's the perfect...
- 9/12/2020
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Jameela Jamil, the British star of award-winning series “The Good Place,” has called out the patriarchal underpinnings of U.S. and U.K. media, saying she remains “unafraid” to tackle it head on.
Jamil was delivering the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday, in conversation with journalist and documentary maker Afua Hirsch. Jamil, who is the founder of activism platform I Weigh, is well known as a fearless, outspoken and occasionally controversial voice on feminism, body positivity and inclusivity.
Responding to a question from Hirsch where she was asked about how she feels when old, white men get triggered seeing her being herself on TV, Jamil said, “I am disobedient, I am rebellious, and I also talk back. I am so unafraid of other people’s opinions, therefore I am a scary prospect for the patriarchy within this industry. And that’s because this is still...
Jamil was delivering the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday, in conversation with journalist and documentary maker Afua Hirsch. Jamil, who is the founder of activism platform I Weigh, is well known as a fearless, outspoken and occasionally controversial voice on feminism, body positivity and inclusivity.
Responding to a question from Hirsch where she was asked about how she feels when old, white men get triggered seeing her being herself on TV, Jamil said, “I am disobedient, I am rebellious, and I also talk back. I am so unafraid of other people’s opinions, therefore I am a scary prospect for the patriarchy within this industry. And that’s because this is still...
- 8/28/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The U.K.’s BBC has acquired four-part documentary series “Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” featuring actor and human rights activist Samuel L. Jackson from producer and distributor Fremantle.
The series, directed by Simcha Jacobovici (“Atlantis Rising”), sheds new light on 400 years of human trafficking, as millions of enslaved Africans were shipped to the Americas by Western European slave traders. It follows deep sea divers at U.K., Caribbean and Florida dive sites as they search for and locate ships that sank drowning the enslaved humans aboard, while on land, experts investigate the stories behind related locations, in Ghana, England and the Americas.
Each episode follows separate story lines: the location and investigation of sunken slave ships, and a historical analysis of the transatlantic slave trade led by Jackson, author Afua Hirsch and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici. The show will play on the BBC Two channel.
The series, directed by Simcha Jacobovici (“Atlantis Rising”), sheds new light on 400 years of human trafficking, as millions of enslaved Africans were shipped to the Americas by Western European slave traders. It follows deep sea divers at U.K., Caribbean and Florida dive sites as they search for and locate ships that sank drowning the enslaved humans aboard, while on land, experts investigate the stories behind related locations, in Ghana, England and the Americas.
Each episode follows separate story lines: the location and investigation of sunken slave ships, and a historical analysis of the transatlantic slave trade led by Jackson, author Afua Hirsch and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici. The show will play on the BBC Two channel.
- 8/21/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The rapid onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic caused several media events around the world to take rapid decisions to either cancel and postpone to 2021 or pivot to digital. The U.K., one of the worst hit countries in the world, was no different, and the venerable Edinburgh TV Festival, now in its 45th year, decided on the digital route.
“The question about staging a long-running event like ours moved quite quickly from ‘how can we’ to ‘how should we?’,” festival managing director Campbell Glennie tells Variety. “We are governed by The TV Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit charity, and very much designed for the industry in collaboration with it. When we decided to move to digital, we knew that serving our free-to-access schemes and audiences had to come first, and we’ve all had a challenging year. Being digital makes us more accessible and affordable, and we wanted to make sure...
“The question about staging a long-running event like ours moved quite quickly from ‘how can we’ to ‘how should we?’,” festival managing director Campbell Glennie tells Variety. “We are governed by The TV Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit charity, and very much designed for the industry in collaboration with it. When we decided to move to digital, we knew that serving our free-to-access schemes and audiences had to come first, and we’ve all had a challenging year. Being digital makes us more accessible and affordable, and we wanted to make sure...
- 8/21/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
BBC Two has picked up the UK rights to Samuel L. Jackson’s CBC/Epix slavery series Enslaved: The Lost History Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade from Fremantle.
Enslaved will air in the UK in a re-versioned, four-part series, which will shed new light on 400 years of human trafficking after millions of Africans were shipped to the Americas by Western European slave traders.
The show has used new diving technology to locate and examine sunken slave ships in the UK, the Caribbean and Florida, retrieving information and underwater artifacts that help reveal more about the transatlantic slave trade.
Each episode follows separate story lines: the location and investigation of sunken slave ships, and a historical analysis of the transatlantic slave trade led by Jackson, author Afua Hirsch and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici.
BBC Two controller Patrick Holland said: “I had the privilege to meet with Samuel L Jackson, Afua Hirsch...
Enslaved will air in the UK in a re-versioned, four-part series, which will shed new light on 400 years of human trafficking after millions of Africans were shipped to the Americas by Western European slave traders.
The show has used new diving technology to locate and examine sunken slave ships in the UK, the Caribbean and Florida, retrieving information and underwater artifacts that help reveal more about the transatlantic slave trade.
Each episode follows separate story lines: the location and investigation of sunken slave ships, and a historical analysis of the transatlantic slave trade led by Jackson, author Afua Hirsch and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici.
BBC Two controller Patrick Holland said: “I had the privilege to meet with Samuel L Jackson, Afua Hirsch...
- 8/21/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Epix has released the official trailer for “Enslaved,” an upcoming docuseries that will feature three storylines, including one that centers on Samuel L. Jackson’s journey to identify his ancestral tribe.
Here’s Epix’s synopsis for “Enslaved”: “Using new diving technology — such as advanced 3D mapping and ground-penetrating radar — to locate and examine sunken slave ships on three continents, the series reveals an entirely new perspective on the history of the transatlantic slave trade. The series also tracks the efforts of Diving With a Purpose, a collaborating organization with The National Association of Black Scuba Divers, as they search for and locate six slave ships that sank drowning the enslaved humans aboard. Featuring the most dives ever made on sunken slave ships, “Enslaved” also chronicles the first positive identification of a “Freedom Ship,” an American schooner that ferried African American runaways to Canada.”
Each episode follows three separate...
Here’s Epix’s synopsis for “Enslaved”: “Using new diving technology — such as advanced 3D mapping and ground-penetrating radar — to locate and examine sunken slave ships on three continents, the series reveals an entirely new perspective on the history of the transatlantic slave trade. The series also tracks the efforts of Diving With a Purpose, a collaborating organization with The National Association of Black Scuba Divers, as they search for and locate six slave ships that sank drowning the enslaved humans aboard. Featuring the most dives ever made on sunken slave ships, “Enslaved” also chronicles the first positive identification of a “Freedom Ship,” an American schooner that ferried African American runaways to Canada.”
Each episode follows three separate...
- 8/18/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Jameela Jamil, the British star of award-winning series “The Good Place,” who is also a podcast host, writer and advocate, will deliver the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival.
Launched in 1997, the Alternative MacTaggart looks to shape debate in the global television industry from an unconventional perspective. In the past, it has been delivered by a range of personalities including Nicola Sturgeon, Mary Portas, Charlie Brooker, Al Gore, Armando Iannucci, Sharon Horgan and Russell Brand.
Jamil, who is the founder of activism platform I Weigh is well known as a leading voice on feminism, body positivity and inclusivity. She will share her experiences of working in television in the U.K. and the U.S., dealing with online trolling and using her platform to campaign for radical inclusivity. She will be in conversation with journalist and documentary maker Afua Hirsch.
Jamil said: “I really bloody love the Alternative MacTaggart talks,...
Launched in 1997, the Alternative MacTaggart looks to shape debate in the global television industry from an unconventional perspective. In the past, it has been delivered by a range of personalities including Nicola Sturgeon, Mary Portas, Charlie Brooker, Al Gore, Armando Iannucci, Sharon Horgan and Russell Brand.
Jamil, who is the founder of activism platform I Weigh is well known as a leading voice on feminism, body positivity and inclusivity. She will share her experiences of working in television in the U.K. and the U.S., dealing with online trolling and using her platform to campaign for radical inclusivity. She will be in conversation with journalist and documentary maker Afua Hirsch.
Jamil said: “I really bloody love the Alternative MacTaggart talks,...
- 8/6/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A release date for Samuel L. Jackson’s next project is inching closer: “Enslaved,” a new docuseries that is partially about Jackson identifying his ancestral tribe, is slated to premiere on Epix on September 14.
Variety reported that the six-part docuseries will feature three storylines, one of which will center on Jackson using a DNA test to identify his ancestral tribe and trace his journey from the U.S. to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe. The other two storylines will center on the quest for a sunken slave ship and a historical investigation led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch. The series will premiere in Canada on CBC on October 18.
While Jackson isn’t involved in two of the docuseries’ storylines, Hirsch told Variety that including his story in the series helped broaden its appeal and would help viewers emphasize with important historical elements from the other storylines.
Variety reported that the six-part docuseries will feature three storylines, one of which will center on Jackson using a DNA test to identify his ancestral tribe and trace his journey from the U.S. to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe. The other two storylines will center on the quest for a sunken slave ship and a historical investigation led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch. The series will premiere in Canada on CBC on October 18.
While Jackson isn’t involved in two of the docuseries’ storylines, Hirsch told Variety that including his story in the series helped broaden its appeal and would help viewers emphasize with important historical elements from the other storylines.
- 8/5/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Samuel L. Jackson’s latest project, a docuseries which is looking to shed new light on 400 years of human trafficking from Africa to the New World, has set its premiere date.
Titled “Enslaved,” the six-part Epix series will premiere Sept. 14 in the U.S., and on Oct. 18 on CBC in Canada. The series uses a DNA test to identify Jackson’s ancestral tribe and trace his personal journey from the U.S. to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe. It was originally slated to debut this summer.
Each episode follows three separate story lines: Jackson’s personal story, the quest for a sunken slave ship, and a historical investigation led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch.
Earlier this year, Variety caught up with Hirsch to discuss the series, described as the most comprehensive un-scripted project ever to cover the transatlantic slave trade, and the significance of having Jackson on board.
Titled “Enslaved,” the six-part Epix series will premiere Sept. 14 in the U.S., and on Oct. 18 on CBC in Canada. The series uses a DNA test to identify Jackson’s ancestral tribe and trace his personal journey from the U.S. to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe. It was originally slated to debut this summer.
Each episode follows three separate story lines: Jackson’s personal story, the quest for a sunken slave ship, and a historical investigation led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch.
Earlier this year, Variety caught up with Hirsch to discuss the series, described as the most comprehensive un-scripted project ever to cover the transatlantic slave trade, and the significance of having Jackson on board.
- 8/4/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Nearly 6,500 film and TV workers have now signed two open letters calling for an end to systemic racism and the introduction of equal opportunities for Bame creatives at every level of the industry.
The two letters have sprung up independently in recent days, fuelled by a sense of injustice over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and emboldened by the Black Lives Matter movements across the world.
The letters serve different purposes, but have a shared goal of banishing the lack of diversity that has riddled the UK’s film and TV industries for decades. Their message is simple: enough is enough.
That they have gathered support so quickly is a sign that they have struck a chord, not just with those from diverse backgrounds, but with notable white stars and decision-makers, who recognize that now is the time for action.
The first letter, published by the newly-formed Black,...
The two letters have sprung up independently in recent days, fuelled by a sense of injustice over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and emboldened by the Black Lives Matter movements across the world.
The letters serve different purposes, but have a shared goal of banishing the lack of diversity that has riddled the UK’s film and TV industries for decades. Their message is simple: enough is enough.
That they have gathered support so quickly is a sign that they have struck a chord, not just with those from diverse backgrounds, but with notable white stars and decision-makers, who recognize that now is the time for action.
The first letter, published by the newly-formed Black,...
- 6/22/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
MGM premium TV service Epix announced Tuesday that it will exclusively premiere in the U.S. in summer 2020 the six-part docuseries “Enslaved,” executive produced by and featuring Samuel L. Jackson.
Presented by Jackson and author (“Brit(ish”) and journalist Afua Hirsch, “Enslaved” will be aired on Canada’s CBC and the Documentary Channel from this fall — first broadcasts after Epix for a series which, says Hirsch, comes in at the magnitude and impact of the slave trade from a novel and needed double perspective which closes the gap between big picture statistics and the personal narrative of “Roots.”
Visiting firmer slavery hubs, such as slave dungeons at Elmina in Ghana, where one of Hirsch’s ancestors lived, and, introducing a sense of adventure to painstaking research, capturing six dives to locate and examine sunken slave ships, “Enslaved” documents the enormity and mortality of the slave trade.
As many as 12 million...
Presented by Jackson and author (“Brit(ish”) and journalist Afua Hirsch, “Enslaved” will be aired on Canada’s CBC and the Documentary Channel from this fall — first broadcasts after Epix for a series which, says Hirsch, comes in at the magnitude and impact of the slave trade from a novel and needed double perspective which closes the gap between big picture statistics and the personal narrative of “Roots.”
Visiting firmer slavery hubs, such as slave dungeons at Elmina in Ghana, where one of Hirsch’s ancestors lived, and, introducing a sense of adventure to painstaking research, capturing six dives to locate and examine sunken slave ships, “Enslaved” documents the enormity and mortality of the slave trade.
As many as 12 million...
- 4/1/2020
- by John Hopewell and Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Endeavor Impact will host international programming for all employees throughout March and launch a global social media campaign today in support of International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8. As part of the campaign, Endeavor will donate $5 to support Unicef’s women and girls’ education programs for every employee post shared.
In Los Angeles, Endeavor Impact is hosting a Women in Entertainment Panel with female agents and executives at Endeavor slated to discuss leadership and reflect on their respective successes. Panelists include Wme agents Ashley Holland, Wme partners Elyse Scherz and Cori Wellins, Endeavor Content Partner Christine D’Souza Gelb, and Wme Literary Packaging co-head Sylvie Rabineau, moderated by Endeavor’s head of social impact, Romola Ratnam.
At a financial equality-focused ‘Lunch + Learn,’ Tracy Gray, founder of the non-profit We Are Enough will share the importance of investing in businesses owned and led by women. We Are Enough aims to...
In Los Angeles, Endeavor Impact is hosting a Women in Entertainment Panel with female agents and executives at Endeavor slated to discuss leadership and reflect on their respective successes. Panelists include Wme agents Ashley Holland, Wme partners Elyse Scherz and Cori Wellins, Endeavor Content Partner Christine D’Souza Gelb, and Wme Literary Packaging co-head Sylvie Rabineau, moderated by Endeavor’s head of social impact, Romola Ratnam.
At a financial equality-focused ‘Lunch + Learn,’ Tracy Gray, founder of the non-profit We Are Enough will share the importance of investing in businesses owned and led by women. We Are Enough aims to...
- 3/6/2020
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
The film world more often than not relies on the auspices of a project to drive audience members into the theaters for a strong opening weekend, but on the television side, where week after week performance is pivotal, things shake out a bit differently. This is especially true of the unscripted space, where a mix of talent, timely themes and repeat-viewing-friendly formats are essential.
“Clearly, having a superstar like Samuel L. Jackson helps draw attention to our series, but he’s not in the series playing the role of a superstar,” Simcha Jacobovici, executive producer and director of “Enslaved,” says of the six-episode hour-long documentary series from Associated Producers. “[He] cares about the subject matter and he’s made the story his own.”
Besides Jackson — who executive produces and hosts — and Jacobovici, “Enslaved” boasts the star power of author Afua Hirsch.
The series is a “boots on the ground” look at...
“Clearly, having a superstar like Samuel L. Jackson helps draw attention to our series, but he’s not in the series playing the role of a superstar,” Simcha Jacobovici, executive producer and director of “Enslaved,” says of the six-episode hour-long documentary series from Associated Producers. “[He] cares about the subject matter and he’s made the story his own.”
Besides Jackson — who executive produces and hosts — and Jacobovici, “Enslaved” boasts the star power of author Afua Hirsch.
The series is a “boots on the ground” look at...
- 10/14/2019
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Cinema Retro's Mark Mawston takes you on the red carpet for the 2018 BAFTA Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London with some up close and personal photos of the celebs. (All photos copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved).
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the festivities.
Gary Oldman and family.
Naomi Harris and Afua Hirsch
Anna Taylor-Joy
Allison Janey
Daniel Kaluuya
Lilly James
Patrick Stewart
Continue reading "Cinema Retro's Mark Mawston Covers The BAFTA Awards"...
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the festivities.
Gary Oldman and family.
Naomi Harris and Afua Hirsch
Anna Taylor-Joy
Allison Janey
Daniel Kaluuya
Lilly James
Patrick Stewart
Continue reading "Cinema Retro's Mark Mawston Covers The BAFTA Awards"...
- 2/19/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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