Boutique Streamer Topic Deepens African Creative Community Ties By Acquiring South Africa And Senegal Academy Award Submissions

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the rights to “A Winter’s Journey,” an animated film from director Alex Helfrecht and the animation team behind “Loving Vincent.” SPC picked up the North American rights to the film as well as those for Latin America, Middle East, Scandinavia, Australia/New Zealand, Turkey, India, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Thailand, and worldwide airlines. No release date has been set.

Although it was expected for Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their children Archie and Lilibet to return to the UK this spring, it seems their plans are up in the air now due to ongoing issues surrounding security.

Jamie Lang DAZN , the world’s leading dedicated sports streaming platform, has amped up its 2022 global original content slate launch with the news that the U.K.-based outfit is launching a new, bespoke production wing dedicated to original content. Accompanying the news, DAZN has also given Variety exclusive access to the international trailer for the streamer’s most ambitious original play yet, Eva Longoria Bastón’s directorial debut “La Guerra Civil,” playing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.“La Guerra Civil” documents the epic rivalry between all-time great boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez in the 1990s, which ignited a cultural divide between Mexican nationals and Mexican-Americans on both sides of the border.

Best Picture: “The Harder They Fall”Best Director: Jeymes Samuel (“The Harder They Fall”)Best Screenplay: “Don’t Look Up” (Adam McKay)Best Actor: Will Smith (“King Richard”)Best Actress: Jennifer Hudson (“Respect”)Best Supporting Actor: Corey Hawkins (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)Breakout Actor: Saniyya Sidney (“King Richard”)Best Ensemble: “The Harder They Fall”Emerging Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green (“King Richard”)Best Music: “The Harder They Fall” (Jeymes Samuel, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z)Best Independent Feature: “Who We Are”Best Documentary: “Summer of Soul”

UK counter- terrorism officers are working with authorities in the US after a British hostage-taker was shot dead after an hours-long stand-off at a synagogue.

A hostage-taker who was shot dead after a stand-off at a synagogue in Texas was British.

The Sundance Institute has been named as the recipient of the American Cinema Editors’ 2022 Golden Eddie Award—breaking ground as the first film organization ever to earn the ACE Eddie Awards’ top honor.

American Idol isn’t planning to replace mentor Bobby Bones directly and will instead lean on a number of alums of the talent contest.

EXCLUSIVE: Myriad Pictures has licensed Irish comedy Deadly Cuts to Level 33 Entertainment for distribution in North America.

Minka Kelly and Trevor Noah’s romance seems to be heating up!

NEW YORK -- Librarians aren't only loved for the books they recommend.This year's winners of the I Love My Librarian were cited for everything from their support during the COVID-19 pandemic to their participation in community baseball. On Monday, the American Library Association (ALA) announced 10 award recipients, each of whom receives $5,000, along with a $750 donation to their library.Some 1,300 nominations were submitted by patrons nationwide.“Even in these unprecedented times, our nation’s librarians continue to empower their patrons, promote inclusion in their space and collections, and provide essential services for their communities,” ALA President Patty Wong said in a statement.Winners include Yuliana Aceves of the Arlington, Texas, Public Library, cited for the virtual programs she has led during the pandemic; William Gibbons of the City College of New York library, whose projects include working with the Harlem Little League; and Renee Greenlee of the Marion, Iowa, Public Library, where she has started a digital archive of communities about COVID-19.The other recipients are Shamella Cromartie of the Western Carolina University library in Cullowhee, North Carolina; Shannon Horton of the Decorah, Iowa, Middle School and High School library; John Mahofski of the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland; Tammi Moe of the Octavia Fellin Public Library in Gallup, New Mexico; George Oberle of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia; Melissa Pillot of the Forsyth School in St.

EXCLUSIVE: A day before the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, Cinema Libre Studio announced the acquisition of a documentary about one of the most famous men to be held at the U.S.-operated prison.

EXCLUSIVE: Boutique streamer Topic has greenlit a documentary about a Scandinavian prison project in the U.S. and acquired dramas from the UK, Finland and Russia, as it sets a path to growth for 2022 and narrows focus to “elevated crime and suspense.”

She said yes! Josh Duhamel and girlfriend Audra Mari are engaged, the actor announced on his new fiancee’s 28th birthday.