Banijay Partners With Prolific ‘La Vie En Rose’ & ‘The Spy’ Producer Alain Goldman

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNetflix has paused all future projects and acquisitions from Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, Variety has learned.The streamer had four Russian originals in the pipeline, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has been put on hold. The 1990’s set series was Netflix’s first original series filming in Russia.A source close to Netflix said the company was assessing the impact of current events.Elsewhere in the film and TV industry, Russia has been barred from major festivals and award shows.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has issued a chilling warning that any impending world war 'will become nuclear'.

Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday will focus, as they always do, on a laundry list of priorities, but it may end up being the most memorable for what  he says about the unfolding situation in Ukraine.

Major European distributors BBC Studios, All3Media and ITV Studios have put trade with Russia on pause in light of the escalating situation in Ukraine.

UK TV trade body Pact has called on its 700-strong member base to suspend all co-operation and trade with Russia.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentReed Expositions (RX), the organization behind the international TV showcases MipTV and Mipcom, has issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” Although Reed Expositions is a private business, it said that it will follow “government sanctions and policies in each territory where (it) operates.” In practical terms, it means there won’t be any Russian film and TV outfits attending MipTV which is set to take place in April in Cannes, a source close to Reed Expositions told Variety. “RX stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, particularly with our employees around the world who have family and friends in the Ukraine,” said Reed Expositions.

Russian film and TV organization Roskino has been banned from next month’s Series Mania and Millennium Media exec Yariv Lerner has issued a call to help Ukrainian film professionals, as the media world continues to react to the conflict.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentRussia’s Roskino, the government-backed advocacy organization for the nation’s film and TV industry, has been barred from participating in Series Mania, the international TV showcase that will unfold in Northern France next month, Variety has confirmed.The Russian org was expected to host a presentation of buzzed-about content at Series Mania’s industry showcase in Lille, which runs from March 18-25. The festival disinvited Roskino after the French culture ministry vetoed its presence at at the event in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The news of Series Mania’s stand against Roskino was first reported by Screen.Roskino has in recent years ramped up its presence at key industry events, reflecting the emergence of new generation of Russian filmmakers on the international scene.

UEFA have voted to move this season's Champions League final to Paris as a result of Russia making the decision to invade Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Shares plunged Thursday ahead of the open as geopolitical conflict deepened with Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, dampening investor sentiment. Execs from Discovery touched on it in a conference call with analysts following earnings this morning.

This Morning host Holly Willoughby announced a big last-minute change to the ITV daytime TV schedules amid the news that Russia has invaded Ukraine. Thursday 24 February's episode of This Morning was running five minutes behind schedule, with an important news bulletin about the rising tension in Ukraine taking its place instead.

A young woman finds herself facing a terrifying dilemma in “Happening.” The French film chronicles its main character, Anne, and the consequences surrounding her unplanned pregnancy. Faced with a lack of access to abortion services, the ’60s era student must confront dangerous options as well as a judgemental society intent on punishing her at every turn.

A young woman finds herself facing a terrifying dilemma in “Happening.” The French film chronicles its main character, Anne, and the consequences surrounding her unplanned pregnancy. Faced with a lack of access to abortion services, the ’60s era student must confront dangerous options as well as a judgemental society intent on punishing her at every turn.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentEdouard Weil and Alice Girard, the producers of Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion-winning “Happening” and Valerie Lemercier’s Celine Dion movie “Aline,” won the Toscan du Plantier Award at a fancy Paris ceremony hosted by the Cesar Academie. Weil and Girard, who run the Paris-based production banner Rectangle Productions, were selected by 1,557 voters, including all the artists and crew members who have been nominated at the Cesar Awards since 2008, as well as the 164 members of the Association for the Promotion of Cinema.Besides “Happening” and “Aline,” Rectangle Productions delivered several other critically acclaimed films within the last year, including Jean-Christophe Meurisse’s “Bloody Oranges,” Gaspar Noé’s “Vortex” which played at Cannes.