BBC Natural History Unit Launches ‘The Green Planet’-Inspired Content Initiative, Philanthropic Campaign (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Locarno Film Festival’s Locarno Pro initiative dedicated to pics in post is set to look at German films that are in their final stage of production for its upcoming edition.The fest, located in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, in a statement said that the initiative, now in its tenth edition, will celebrate the up-and-coming cinema of a country that has been “crucial to the history” of the fest. Locarno Pro is now looking closer to home after being a springboard for pics from Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Israel, Poland, the Baltic Countries, Portugal, Serbia and Switzerland itself.“German filmmakers and producers and the work they have given us has been at the heart of so many memorable editions of the Locarno Film Festival, the fest said in a statement.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentDubai-based independent film distributor and producer Front Row Filmed Entertainment has acquired global rights – excluding theatrical, which is limited to the MENA region – for Lebanese drama “Death of a Virgin and the Sin of Not Living” that launched last year from Berlin’s Panorama section.Produced by Beirut-based Bee On Set Productions, “Death of a Virgin” marks director George Peter Barbari’s feature debut. It stars newcomers Etienne Assal, Adnan Khabbaz, Jean-Paul Franjieh and Elie Dankoura Saad.

WARSAW, Poland -- Local authorities and officials in central Poland on Monday protested government plans to gift Hungary one of the country's most precious manuscripts that dates back 500 years in order to highlight the two nations' close ties.Torun city leaders and church authorities signed a petition urging lawmakers to abandon the plan to give away the 15th century document authored by Naldus Naldius, a writer and painter from Florence.“We have the opinion of experts who say that this move would be against the constitution,” said Regional Governor Piotr Całbecki. “I think we should appeal to the hearts of the lawmakers and to their conscience.

K.J. Yossman “I would not have chosen to direct my first film in the middle of a global pandemic,” Graham Moore said wryly of his move from scribe to auteur.In 2015, the novelist and screenwriter won an Academy Award for his adaptation “The Imitation Game,” in which Benedict Cumberbatch played World War II codebreaker Alan Turing.

Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish delighted fans by sharing some sneak peeks as they film Men in Kilts in New Zealand.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentTrustNordisk has closed a flurry of sales on a pair of 3D-animated family features, “Little Allan — The Human Antenna” and “The Super,” underscoring the market appeal of independent youth-skewing movies.“Little Allan – The Human Antenna” marks Danish film Amalie Naesby Fick’s follow up to her commercially successful debut “The Incredible Story of The Giant Pear,” which premiered in the the Generation Kplus section at Berlin in 2018. This year, the helmer has her daring drama series “Sex” selected for the Berlinale Series.The film takes place during summer vacation, when introverted, 11-year old Allan starts acting as a human antenna for his old neighbor, who thinks a huge invasion fleet from the outer space is on its way.

Christopher Vourlias Fox Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to “Khan: The Series,” from Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s AR Content, Variety can reveal.Currently in development, the epic action series is based on the best-selling book “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford, and will focus on the largest contiguous empire in human history and its iconic creator.Writer and executive producer Chris Collins will serve as showrunner, with Sergei Bodrov tapped to direct and executive produce.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorGlobal Screen has closed a raft of presales for 3D-animated feature film “My Fairy Troublemaker,” and will present new scenes to buyers at Berlin’s European Film Market.The film has been sold to U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), Spain and Portugal (Big Picture Films), Italy (Koch), Scandinavia (Selmer Media), Poland (Kino Swiat), CIS (Silver Box), Ukraine (UFD), Baltics (Garsu Pasaulio), former Yugoslavia (Karantanija), Bulgaria (Pro Films), Middle East (Gulf Film), South Korea (Big Film), Malaysia (Suraya) and Vietnam (Lightening McQueen).In the film, Violetta, a cheeky fairy, smuggles herself into the human world.

Bold brights might be on trend in the fashion world, but we’re fully in the neutral gang around here when it comes to nails. From pretty rhinestones and stick-on pearl details to beige and chocolate swirls that look good enough to eat, there are neutral nail ideas out there to prove to anyone that less really can be more. In full agreement is singer and This Morning presenter Rochelle Humes, who has been spotted on Instagram this week sporting the perfect chic and simple manicure.

Sony Pictures Television and WarnerMedia have extended a content deal that will see the likes of Spider Man: No Way Home and Ghostbusters: Afterlife made available on HBO Max and HBO channels across Central Eastern Europe.

Christopher Vourlias Two-time Berlinale prize winner Małgorzata Szumowska (“Body,” “Mug”) will write and direct “The Gambler Wife,” a revelatory portrait of novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s wife Anna Snitkina, to be produced by Russia’s Hype Film, Variety can reveal.Adapted from Andrew D. Kaufman’s book “The Gambler Wife: A True Story of Love, Risk, and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky,” the film tells the story of the courageous woman who saved the life of the Russian literary icon and, as the first Russian woman to found her own publishing house, became a pioneer in the country’s literary history.Ilya Stewart of Hype Film (“Petrov’s Flu,” “Persian Lessons”) will produce in collaboration with Polish production company Nowhere.

Wilson Chapman editorMSG Networks is doubling down on sports betting, launching a new programming slate dubbed “Bet-A-Palooza.” And in a first, MSG will simulcast two New York Knicks games featuring play-by-play announced through the lens of sports betting.“Bet-A-Palooza,” announced on Tuesday by the sports network, will run every night this week as a lead up to the Super Bowl. The event, which kicked off on Monday, will continue through Feb. 13, the day of the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals game.The centerpiece of the programming slate is a live discussion every night that covers Super Bowl trends, game odds and prop bets.

Euro Box Office Stats For 2021

Naman Ramachandran Italian actor and singer Michele Morrone is set to make his Indian debut alongside Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez with music video “Mud Mud Ke.” Morrone starred in Polish erotic film ‘365 Days,’ which is getting two sequels from Netflix. Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actor who made a mark in Bollywood with “Kick,” alongside Salman Khan, and has upcoming films co-starring Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar.The ‘Mud Mud Ke’ video is from Desi Music Factory and features music by Tony Kakkar who also sings with Neha Kakkar. Mihir Gulati has directed the video, which has been choreographed by Shakti Mohan.

Outlander co-stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish were spotted at a New Zealand food truck as they film Men in Kilts.