A second study finds that music venues “are not places of infection” for COVID-19

2 min read Auckland and Brisbane have failed to progress their bids for the 2026 Gay Games as the shortlist has been reduced to just three cities. The shortlisted host cities are Guadalajara, Mexico, Munich, Germany, and Valencia, Spain.

Netflix has picked up the global SVOD rights to the Sundance documentary “Misha and the Wolves,” it was announced on Monday.In addition, Netflix will debut the film exclusively in North America and other markets.

The hotly contested competition to host the 2026 Gay Games has progressed. Overnight the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Munich in Germany and Valencia in Spain each progressed to the final round, while the Australian hopes were dashed when Brisbane failed to progress.Held every four years, the games were most recently held in Paris in 2018, and will next year be held in Hong Kong.The bidding process began in January 2020, with 20 cities at the time expressing interest in hosting the games.

Ed Meza @edmezavarMandy Patinkin and Lena Dunham have joined German filmmaker Julia von Heinz’s next film, “Iron Box,” about a New York businesswoman who decides to take her aging father back to his native Poland, where she hopes to explore her Jewish roots.In an interview with Variety during last year’s Venice Film Festival following the premiere of her latest pic, “And Tomorrow the Entire World,” von Heinz said she planned to send Patinkin and Dunham the script and expressed hope that they

Ed Meza @edmezavarDanish-German company Adomeit Film is set to explore uncharted territory with what could be the world’s first romantic comedy set in Afghanistan.Shahrbanoo Sadat’s “Kabul Jan,” the third part in a planned pentalogy based on co-writer Anwar Hashimi’s autobiographical work, follows a young camera operator who falls in love with a married TV reporter twice her age.Set in the biggest private TV station in Kabul, the story explores the forbidden romance while also examining the

Germany’s major cinema organization HDF Kino has expressed concerns about a proposed model for the country’s exit from lockdown that places cinemas last in line.

Ed Meza @edmezavarSony Pictures Entertainment Germany has picked up “Hide and Seek,” Ukraine’s first crime noir series, in a deal struck with ZDF Enterprises.The show is expected to air on the Sony Channel, available on German pay TV via cable and satellite, this fall in both German and original Russian language.Filmed in over 80 locations in the Ukraine, “Hide and Seek” is a tension-filled story about children who mysteriously disappear from a small industrial town and the two determined

ProSiebenSat.1 has taken the unusual step of providing some insight on its fourth-quarter earnings before the financials have been audited. And it’s good news for the German broadcasting giant, which said its revenue of €4 billion ($4.9B) topped expectations despite the tumult of the coronavirus pandemic.

Joe Biden was officially named the new President of the United States on Wednesday and will soon call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home.And there is a big change he will be bringing to the White House – his two adorable German Shepherds Champ and Major!MORE: Celebrities react to Joe Biden becoming presidentFormer POTUS Donald Trump was actually the first president in 130 years not to have a pet dog living at the White House – something Joe capitalised on when he posted an election campaign video to

direct to your inbox Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine could produce a strong enough immune response to stop people who get the vaccination from spreading coronavirus, a medic in Israel has claimed. The Mail reports researchers found in a small study that recipients developed up to "20 times more antibodies" within a week of having a second dose of the jab.

Primavera Sound festival’s recent trial for the return of gigs with no social distancing has found no infection rate, the study says.Last month, the Barcelona festival hailed a successful trial event held in Barcelona, which saw 1,000 people attend an event in a 1,600 capacity venue.

Ed Meza @edmezavarStienette Bosklopper of the Netherlands’ Circe Films and Meike Martens of Germany’s Blinker Filmproduktion have boarded “Do Fish Sleep With Their Eyes Open?,” the latest film from director Nele Wohlatz, whose 2016 documentary hybrid “The Future Perfect” won best feature in Locarno.The co-production partnerships add European support and financing muscle to an Argentine project produced by Buenos Aires’ Ruda Cine, which has already attracted a Brazilian partner, CinemaScópio.In

The world is a little less magical today.

Naman Ramachandran Giant streamer Netflix was the second largest TV group in Europe by revenue in 2020, according to new data from research firm Ampere Analysis.Comcast, which owns pay TV operator Sky’s European operations, remains the leader with a 12% market share by revenue. However, with a 6.1% share, Netflix has leapfrogged German public broadcaster ARD.