Conecta Fiction Analysis: Free Services Dominate Video Streaming; FAST Channels Spread; CTV Poaches Linear Ad Revenues

For many superhero fans, the best version of a TV series or film based on a comic book is none other than “Batman: The Animated Series” from the ‘90s. That series blew the minds of kids and adults alike by taking the source material seriously and presenting some of the best storytelling you’ll ever see involving capes and cowls.

Emilia is back with another bop!

EXCLUSIVE: Starstruck co-writer Alice Snedden is directing a Channel 4 comedy about love in the cost-of-living crisis.

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor In the last decade, the Maltese film industry has undergone radical development, with a strong focus on seeing the island country evolve from a service provider to Hollywood productions to telling their own stories on screen. Speaking with Variety ahead of the second edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival, Maltese filmmakers have highlighted the importance of fostering local talent, rerouting foreign investment into native productions and strengthening bonds with neighboring countries in the Middle East and North Africa. “Things have changed drastically in recent years,” said veteran filmmaker Mario Philip Azzopardi, whose 1971 “Il-Gaġġa” is widely presumed to be the first full-length feature filmed entirely in Maltese.

EXCLUSIVE: Mr Bean is moving into the FAST lane.

DirecTV and Lionsgate have made a new, wide-ranging licensing agreement that will promptly make five Lionsgate channels available to all DirecTV and DirecTV Stream consumers, both streaming and satellite subscribers.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent TOLEDO Spain — “K-Dream” and “The Adventures of a Turbo-Folk Princess,” two scripted shows about young women chasing their dream of becoming pop stars, won big at Thursday evening’s Gala Awards at this year’s Conecta Fiction. Shot in Spanish and Korean, musical drama “K-Dream,” now in development and directed at teens, sees a Venezuelan-Spanish teenager, a victim of bullying, focusing on her musical career to achieve her goal: Creating her very own K-pop band in Korea. The eight part half-hour turns on her “discovering a non-label-able identity that doesn’t fit into her snobbish and classist environment,” stated creator Mi Hoa Lee, who also exec produces alongside Rosa Castro at Spain’s Angeli Pictures.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent TOLEDO, Spain — Delivering a masterclass on the first full day of Conecta Fiction in Spain’s Toledo, Javiera Balmaceda – Amazon Studios’ head of international originals, Latin America – underscored one of the perils of frequent air travel, in her case around South America: a voice reduced at times to a near gasp. All credit to her; she soldiered on, and her ideas came over loud and clear. Takeaways from her masterclass, one of the highlights of early Conecta Fiction.

Holly Jones Spanish creators will pitch their series projects to producers as the SGAE Foundation celebrates its eighth consecutive year of boosting regional talent at this year’s Conecta Fiction & Entertainment market. Heading to the forum are six projects from writers and filmmakers Roberto Márquez, Borja Echevarría, Samu Fuentes, David Caiña, Vicenta Ndongo, Diego Sabanés, Ignacio del Valle and Rai García.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Producer Dominic Barlow, whose credits include “The Last Kingdom,” “Mr. Selfridge,” and “Discovery of Witches,” has teamed up with writer-executive producer Brendan Foley on “The Angolan Clan,” which will be pitched at Toledo, Spain-based TV forum Conecta Fiction & Entertainment.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Now on its 8th edition, the international TV forum Conecta Fiction & Entertainment (CF&E), held in the ancient Spanish city of Toledo from June 18 to 21, is turning its focus to Brazil and Portugal. The South American country is haltingly reactivating its audiovisual industry under President Lula de Silva’s new government, which earmarked nearly $1 billion for the sector last year.

Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and Whiplash, has announced that it is stepping into the world of video games with six new indie titles.The creators of Immortality will be working on Project C. There’s also a Stardew Valleyesque farming sim where one of the townsfolk is a serial killer, Grave Seasons.

A holidaymaker was left in shock after he got a 'parking ticket' while he was 2,000 miles away in Lanzarote.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Prince Albert II of Monaco opened the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival Friday, accompanied by a panoply of stars led by Morgan Freeman, “SEAL Team’s” David Boreanaz and “Bridgerton’s” Simone Ashley. The opening ceremony took place under stormy skies at the Grimaldi Forum, where the world premiere of limited series “The Gray House” opened the event.

Kneecap have announced the biggest show of their career at the Belfast Arena. Find all the details below.The rap group, who released their debut album ‘Fine Art’ today (June 14), will play their largest headline gig in their hometown, where they are set to play at the SSE Arena on December 21.In a statement, they wrote: “What’s Happenin a chairde Gael, the long wait is over and our debut album is finally here!! After 800 years of tomfoolery from the British government we have potentially struck the final blow to the imperialists.“We will have our biggest show in Belfast in December, our final gig of the year at the SSE with 6000 fenians for a night of debauchery,” they added.

Prime Video‘s Blade Runner 2099 has another lead. THR reports that “Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer joins Michelle Yeoh on the cast list of the upcoming limited series.

New CCTV footage of absconded prisoner Daniel Gee shows the gangster boarding a train to Liverpool - with a mystery woman.

Naman Ramachandran Prime Video has unveiled the premiere date of the anticipated Season 3 of hit Indian series “Mirzapur.” Originally created by Karan Anshuman and Puneet Krishna, the crime thriller is a saga of power, revenge, ambition, politics, betrayal, deceit and complex family dynamics set in the badlands of northern India. Season 3 is written by Apurva Dhar Badgaiyann, Avinash Singh Tomar, Avinash Singh and Vijay Narayan Verma.

Do you remember the 2004 TV film “Sucker Free City?” Probably not. Despite being directed by Spike Lee, the film debuted with very little fanfare.

Alex Ritman “How to Have Sex” breakout and newly-crowned BAFTA Rising Star winner Mia McKenna-Bruce has landed her next major role. The British actress is set to lead the cast of “The Seven Dials Mystery,” Netflix‘s upcoming Agatha Christie series written by “Broadchurch” creator and former “Doctor Who” showrunner Chris Chibnall, Variety has learned. Joining McKenna-Bruce are Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman.