Conductor Simon Rattle receives Germany's highest honor

Video: The Duke: Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent star in trailer (Irish Mirror)Matt Willis forced to do Lorraine interview from car due to trafficUsyk returns to Ukraine following Russia invasionKim Kardashian and Kanye West: A look back at their relationshipSnootie Wild attends awards ceremony in 2014Chris Bryant suggests seizing Abramovich’s assetsUkraine: Protesters in London show anger over invasionKeith Lemon gives James Argent health update after 999 ambulance callQIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame Special Contributor: Her Majesty The QueenSir Mark Todd hits horse with a stick repeatedlyFern Britton sends video message to Phillip SchofieldCo-star Kodi Smit-McPhee received a nod for best supporting actor in a motion picture, though the film itself was snubbed by the awards. But Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film Belfast, which focuses on the Troubles in Northern Ireland, did earn a nomination for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.

Netflix is joining forces with Creative UK, the independent network for the country’s creative industries, on an initiative that will develop and fund debut feature films.

The Prime Minister has announced that British workers should "learn from Germany" and not go to work if they are feeling ill.

Series Mania has unveiled the nine shows from six countries competing for the prestigious International Competition along with revealing the lineup and guests of honor for this year’s edition, the first to take place in person for three years.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorCrime show “Divided We Stand,” which will premiere in Germany on the public broadcaster ARD on Feb. 22 with the title “ZERV,” screened this week at the European Film Market in the Berlinale Series Market Selects section.

Amazon Prime Video has signed an expanded multi-year licensing deal for Germany and Austria with Leonine Studios.

Penzing Studios, a significant film and TV studio facility development, has begun a phased opening plan in a former air base 30 miles west of Munich.

Ed Meza @edmezavarOrganizers of the upcoming Berlinale continue to plan for a physical festival under strict safety measures, but with the EFM already moved online due to rising COVID-19 cases, this year looks set to be another gloomy gathering, not only for Germany’s dispirited film sector, but also for Berlin businesses bracing for more lost revenue.Local cinema operators and distributors have welcomed the move, but the condensed event and ongoing Omicron scare is likely to keep attendance on the low side.“This is such an important signal for the entire culture and film industry,” says Christian Bräuer, chairman of independent cinema association AG Kino – Gilde and managing director of Berlin’s Yorck-Kino group. “Of course, as social venues, we are aware of our responsibility.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe leadup to the 2022 Berlin Film Festival has been a veritable rollercoaster ride for co-directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian due to the global spread of the Omicron variant.But while other top fests such as Sundance and Rotterdam went online again, Berlin has stayed the course due to the two chiefs’ determination to not go virtual and also to keep their February slot, albeit in its current reduced Feb. 10-16 form.

Netflix has shown its commitment to the German-speaking creative scene by unveiling 19 projects from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Emiliano De Pablos Barcelona-based indie sales outfit Filmax has taken international sales rights to Jorge Dorado’s noir thriller feature “Objetos” (“Lost & Found”), starring “Money Heist” actor Álvaro Morte.Filmax is launching the film onto the market with a first promo at this year’s European Film Market.Shot October-November at several locations in Spain and Argentina, including Madrid and Jujuy, the film is currently in post-production.“Lost & Found” is produced by Cristina Zumárraga and Pablo Bossi at Tandem Films, the Madrid-based production company, whose recent titles include award-winning comedy “Rosa’s Wedding” and toon feature sales hit “Turu, the Wacky Hen.” A Spain-Argentina-Germany co-production, “Lost & Found” also teams Spain’s Setembro Cine (“A Fantastic Woman”), Argentina’s Pampa Films (“Chinese Take-Away”) and In Post We Trust (“Unknown Origins”), plus Germany’s Rexin Film, with the participation of Spanish pubcaster RTVE, Amazon Studios and Germany’s ZDF.Written by top Spanish scribe Natxo López (“Stolen Away,” “Unauthorized Living”), “Lost & Found” is sets against the sordid world of human trafficking, moving between some characters who treat objects with as much as care as people and others who treat people as if they were objects.The film follows Mario, who works at a large lost and found office, where he looks after all the missing items that have built up over the decades.Having decided a long time ago to live a solitary life, Mario spends his free time investigating the origin of the lost objects, with the aim of returning to people these lost pieces of their lives.Only Helena, a young police officer, who often visits the lost and found office, has been able to crack Mario’s hard, outer shell a

Nathan Evans had to evacuate his hotel in Germany after a rude awakening in the wee small hours.

Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse has opened up on receiving racially abusive messages as well as having trolls cruelly fat-shaming her over the course of her seven years on the BBC competition.The stunning South African-German dancer, 31, swiftly became one of the most popular pros on the show, going on to become the first to win the Glitterball trophy two years in a row. Despite audiences believing Oti was a fantastic addition to the reality TV series, the star has kept quiet about all the nasty comments and vitriol that’s landed in her inbox.The new Dancing On Ice judge, who has been married to Marius Lepure for nearly 10 years, has now opened up on some of the struggles she’s faced behind the scenes, which comes after the star refused to be pushed by Phillip Schofield to confirm one way or the other if she's returning this year.

Leonine And Lionsgate Strike Germany/Austria Film Deal

Naman Ramachandran Leonine Studios has secured all German and Austrian rights for Lionsgate’s upcoming film slate, including Keanu Reeves’ “John Wick 4” and its spin-off “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas.The deal, which extends Lionsgate’s existing relationship with Leonine, also includes culture-clash comedy “About My Father” from stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco (“The Irishman”) starring opposite Oscar-winner Robert De Niro (“Meet The Parents”); action thriller “Shadow Force” with Kerry Washington (“Django Unchained”); the untitled new comedy from director Adele Lim starring Tony winning actress Ashley Park (“Emily in Paris”); gamer comedy “1Up” with Ruby Rose (“Batwoman”); and horror-thriller “Dear David,” centering on the urban legend that had its origins on the Twitter channel of Adam Ellis, starring Augustus Prew (“The Morning Show”) in the lead. Fred Kogel, CEO of Leonine Studios, said: “We are thrilled to extend our strong partnership with our friends at Lionsgate with this tremendous feature film slate.