BBC Studios Inks Gobstopper Deal; New Saudi Regional Film Commission; UK Climate-Focused Doc Fund – Global Briefs

the glaring lack of international inclusivity in the Grammys’ newly redubbed global music (formerly world music) category. In the category’s 38-year history, almost 80% of African nations have never had an artist nominated; no Middle Eastern or eastern European musician has ever won; every winner in the past eight years has been a repeat winner; and nearly two-thirds of the nominations have come from just six countries (the US, the UK, Brazil, Mali, South Africa, India).

Sony Pictures Classics has taken world rights – excluding UK, France and Germany – to The Lost Leonardo, the feature documentary directed by Andreas Koefoed about the remarkable story behind the most expensive painting ever sold.

BFI London Film Festival Dates

Bob Marley, Pink Floyd and The Cure during its 60-year history.Five of the 12 live shows have been announced by South Facing today (March 11), including gigs from Dizzee Rascal & The Outlook Orchestra (August 14), Supergrass (August 20) and The Streets (August 21-22).Max Richter (August 28) and the English National Opera (August 27 and 29) will also perform.

Meghan's suicidal feelings. The couple initially fetched up in British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada, with the intention of continuing to serve the Queen in a Commonwealth nation.

BritBox UK Launches On Amazon Prime Video Channels BBC and ITV streamer BritBox UK is rolling out on Amazon Prime Video Channels from today, making it accessible on more than 40 million devices.

BBC Casts ‘My Name Is Leon’ BBC One has announced the cast for its adaptation of Kit de Waal’s debut novel My Name is Leon. Malachi Kirby (Small Axe), Monica Dolan (A Very English Scandal), Olivia Williams (Counterpart), Christopher Eccleston (The A Word), Poppy Lee Friar (In My Skin), and Sir Lenny Henry CBE (The Lord of the Rings) headline the drama special.

AMC Networks siblings RLJE Films and Shudder have teamed to acquire North American rights to Seance, the horror film written and directed by Simon Barrett, the You’re Next and The Guest scribe who is making his feature directorial debut. A theatrical, on-demand and digital bow via RJLE Films is set for May 21, with Shudder bowing it on its platform later this year. Shudder also acquired UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand rights.

Fox Corp. streaming service Tubi is expanding its animation offerings via a licensing agreement with Japan’s Toei Animation.

Good Morning Britain hosts debated whether or not pets should be getting tested against coronavirus. It's reported that South Korea has introduced free Covid tests for pets living in positive households, or from those with symptoms.If the pet is positive, they must quarantine for two weeks.They turned to doctor Amir Khan for advice, who discussed whether or not we need to worry about pets contracting the deadly virus.

Preparing for the worst…

UK and California Covid variants ‘have merged into mutated virus’Two Covid-19 variants have reportedly merged into a mutated hybrid version of the virus, sparking warnings that the pandemic could be entering a new phase. The hybrid virus was discovered in a sample at a US laboratory, and is the result of the “recombination” of a UK and California strain, scientists said.

direct to your inboxScientists have identified another new variant of coronavirus which has potentially concerning mutations.The new strain, known as B.1.525, contains the E484K mutation, which is also found in the Brazilian and South African 'variants of concern'.Scientists say the E484K mutation can escape human defences, making them more efficient at evading natural and vaccine-triggered immunity.Public Health England (PHE) has said there is no evidence that the mutations in the new variant

BritBox To Launch In South Africa BritBox, ITV and BBC Studios’ joint-venture UK streamer, is to expand into South Africa in the second half of 2021. It follows previous launches in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, as the Spitting Image streamer targets a presence in 25 territories.