ABBA Benny Andersson’s Son Ludvig Andersson Talks Taking a Chance on Berlin-Bound Levan Akin, ABBA Voyage (EXCLUSIVE)

Emily Blunt is in talks to join Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut “The Smashing Machine,” an A24 feature film starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr, Variety has confirmed. The film will begin production this summer.

Angelique Jackson Emmy and BAFTA nominee Dominique Fishback is set to receive the Culture Certified award at The Creative Collective’s inaugural Creative Class celebration. The Culture Certified award will honor both established and emerging Black talent and seeks to recognize individuals whose contributions “significantly impact, influence, and shape cultural landscapes at large.” The special award is presented by the Create Collective (CCNYC) in partnership with Prime Video’s Culture Rated initiative, which champions Black creatives, perspectives, and community across social media, on Prime Video and with in-person events, like CultureCon.

Guy Lodge Film Critic The Berlin Film Festival drew to a close with tonight’s awards ceremony, with French-Senegalese director Mati Diop taking the Golden Bear for her documentary “Dahomey.” Full report to come; full list of winners below.

Winners have been announced at the 74th Berlin Film Festival, with Dahomey by French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop scooping the coveted Golden Bear prize as the best film of the festival’s International Competition. Scroll down for the full list of winners, which were revealed Saturday evening at the Berlinale Palast.

A film that invokes its title in myriad ways, Levan Akin’s newest film, “Crossing,” is predominantly concerned with the differences that emerge across national and gendered identities. A plea for trans acceptance that never preaches to its audience, Akin’s film grounds the story of trans identity in Georgia and Turkey through the narrative of two disparate characters searching for someone in a city they don’t know.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In a milestone move, Sony Pictures Television has unveiled “La Academia,” its first Spanish-language scripted series filmed in Spain for Prime Video and 3Cat. “La Academia” is produced for Sony by Brutal Media, commissioned out of Sony Pictures Television’s international production group.

The number of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is at an all-time high with the latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showing there are now more than 3.4 million people over the age of 16 in receipt of the disability benefit. Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has replaced PIP for all new claimants in Scotland, but an online ‘PIP test’ could also help people north of the border decide whether they should make a claim for support worth up to £691 each month.

Alan Ritchson (Reacher) and Kevin James (The King of Queens) have been set to lead action-comedy Playdate, which will be directed by Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door) from a script written by Neil Goldman (Shrinking).

EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of its world premiere today at the Berlin Film Festival, Cohen Media Group has secured all North American distribution rights to Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger.

Josie Gibson broke down in tears during today's edition of This Morning, 20 February, as she was faced with an incredibly emotional situation when a grieving mother phoned in for one of the viewer segments.The ITV presenter, who was hosting today's programme with Craig Doyle, struggled to hold back as she listened to the caller's account of losing her 19 year old daughter. The pair were joined by two contributors, agony aunt Deidre Sanders and Strictly Come Dancing star and tennis champion Annabel Croft for the chat. Annabel is well-versed on grief having lost her beloved husband unexpectedly last year, and she talked opened about her struggles during her appearance on the BBC competition.

BAFTA has responded strongly after a man crashed the final category at the film awards on Sunday night. The man, an alleged social media prankster who Variety has opted not to name, joined “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan, producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven and star Cillian Murphy on stage after Michael J. Fox named the best film winner at the climax of the ceremony.

With the indie film business in buoyant mood here in Berlin, it’s The TV industry’s turn to take stock today and tomorrow, and it’s safe to say the drama crowd are navigating some choppy waters.

EXCLUSIVE: After we broke news of the studio acquiring Margot Robbie starrer Big Bold Beautiful Journey, we can reveal that Sony Pictures has boarded another of the European Film Market’s most in-demand projects: Past Lives director Celine Song‘s next movie, Materialists, which A24 is selling.

We go back to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in ITV1’s latest drama. Downton Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt stars as Dr Abbey Henderson, a front-line hospital consultant who fights to save her patients as the mystery virus becomes an ever-growing threat. Breathtaking is based on a book by journalist-turned-medic Rachel Clarke and has been adapted for the screen by doctor-turned-screenwriter Jed Mercurio.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Georgian-Swedish director Levan Akin is again winning over audiences with his latest film, “Crossing,” which opened the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section. The touching drama is about retired teacher Lia (Mzia Arabuli), who sets off with a young companion, Achi (Lucas Kankava), on a journey from the Georgian city of Batumi to Turkey, where she hopes to find her long lost niece in Istanbul. Pic follows Akin’s acclaimed 2019 film “And Then We Danced.” It was while researching that film in Georgia that he heard a story about a grandfather who was very supportive of his trans grandchild.

EXCLUSIVE: The EFM market has lift off! In the first major worldwide pact done on the ground here in Berlin, Sony has tied up a deal in the $50M range for Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Colin Farrell (The Batman) package A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which is one of the market’s hottest scripts.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Lionsgate has acquired domestic rights to the Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lily James and Himesh Patel comedy “Greedy People.” The film explores what happens when the eccentric residents of a small, picturesque island town are faced with a sensational murder and the discovery of $1 million next to the body. This sparks a series of increasingly bad decisions that do a number on the peace and tranquility of the community.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mk2 Films, the Paris-based outfit behind Justine Triet’s Oscar-nominated “Anatomy of a Fall,” is set to restore Robert Bresson’s “Four Nights of a Dreamer,” a romantic drama which competed at the Berlinale in 1971 and disappeared from screens in 1985. MK2 Films, the division of a major arthouse cinema chain in France, will digitize “Four Nights of a Dreamer” in 4K and will bring it to global theatres in 2024. “Four Nights of a Dreamer” is the 10th film directed by Bresson and the only one which wasn’t restored.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Dakota Johnson was asked by MTV during a video interview on her “Madame Web” press tour to reveal her “most traumatic audition story.” She didn’t need a lot of time to pick one and revealed that a television creator once slammed her as “pretentious” simply because she introduced herself to the crew that was in the audition room. Johnson did not name the creator, nor did she reveal what show she had gone in to audition for at the time.

EXCLUSIVE: Production has wrapped on indie feature Bad Man, starring Seann William Scott (American Pie) alongside Johnny Simmons (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street), Chance Perdomo (After We Fell), Andre Hyland (Barry), and Lovi Poe (Chelsea Cowboy).