Global Bulletin: Directors Now Initiative Gives Hope, Roadmap to Young British Filmmakers

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, Netflix picks up four originals in Nigeria, Amazon Prime Video gets Noggin in several major European markets, Walter Presents buys three Polish series, and IWC Schaffhausen and the BFI announce finalists and jury for this year’s Filmmaker Bursary Award.Netflix has announced a slate of new original series and films from Nigeria, doubling down on its commitment to finding and promoting talent on the African continent.One new series and three Nigerian films

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWarner Bros. is to end its decades-old film distribution relationship in Australia and New Zealand with Roadshow Films.The studio has notified the Australian distributor that its current contract to handle the theatrical releases of Warner titles will not be renewed beyond its expiry at the end of December.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, the global film community calls for the release of Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka, Jana Bennett is announced as Congress ’20 closing speaker, PBS Masterpiece heads to Amazon in Canada, Leonine gets Oliver Vogel for W&B Television role, the Production Guild of Great Britain opens nominations for 2020 Innovation Awards and The Story Lab sells “Game of Clones” format in Brazil.CALL FOR RELEASESudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka, whose films “Beats of the Antonov”

The return of Great British Bake Off is imminent, and we’re getting our mixing bowls at the ready and the ovens on in a bid to try and follow along with those show stopping soufflés and iced fingers.

John Boyega has decided to step down as the global ambassador for the British cologne company Jo Malone after they replaced him for a campaign in China, but still used his concepts.

Also Read: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on Working From Home: 'I Don't See Any Positives'Bajaria joined Netflix in 2016 to lead the company’s expansion into unscripted programming.

Tenet has taken nearly £114 million ($150 million) globally at the box office following its release in the past few weeks.The much-delayed film, which stars John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, finally hit UK screens a few weeks ago, with the US following last week.Tenet has, however, been anticipated as an arbiter of the health of the cinema industry amid the coronavirus pandemic, as it is viewed as being the biggest release since cinemas re-opened over the summer.According to Variety,

Tom Grater International Film ReporterSPI International has taken rights for U.S., UK, CEE, Turkey, Benelux, Portugal and China on crime-thriller Watch The Sunset, billed as Australia’s first one-take feature film. The deal was brokered by Australian distribution and international sales company Fighting Chance Films.

Adele is still celebrating! The singer raised eyebrows with a new Instagram pic on Sunday as she celebrated the weekend the annual event have taken place, if not for the coronavirus pandemic, with a throwback pic to festivities past. The carnival is led each August by members of the British West Indian community in London's Notting Hill neighborhood.«Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London

tested positive for the coronavirus in Australia while filming their Elvis Presley biopic. The couple isolated themselves and are keeping their spirits up, sharing their experience on Instagram.Former Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko posted on Instagram Sunday that she was self-quarantining after testing positive for the coronavirus.

British Gas has agreed to pay £1.48 million to customers and £250,000 more into the energy redress fund after changing meter providers and not telling some people they would need to top-up their cards at a different shop until almost a month after the switch took place.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorMTV Launches BLM Shorts MTV International is today launching a short-form series to support the Black Lives Matter movement, featuring the likes of Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Pinnock and other names, including Munroe Bergdorf, Ray BLK, Nathan Henry, Duckie Thot, Serious Klein, will explore issues impacting Black youth and speak about their own experiences and what it takes to create positive change.

Naman Ramachandran Australian streamer Stan and NBCUniversal Global Distribution have announced a long-term, exclusive content partnership that will see Stan become the Australian home of new productions from Sky Studios and NBCUniversal International Studios, as well as Peacock content produced by Universal Studio Group.Stan will also become the exclusive home of new DreamWorks Animation TV shows produced for Peacock, in addition to NBCUniversal’s children’s programming, scripted and

Jake Kanter, Tom Grater BritBox Acquires ‘Cold Courage’ BritBox UK has acquired Viaplay and Lionsgate’s John Simm-fronted political drama Cold Courage. The BBC and ITV-owned streamer will premiere the eight-part series on September 3, telling the story of how two Finnish women get drawn into a clandestine group dedicated to righting the wrongs of the powerful, influential and corrupt.