Global Bulletin: Will Smith’s Telepool Appoints Jan Frouman as Chief Executive

Naman Ramachandran Germany’s ZDF solves “The Puzzle Lady”; All3Media hires Mike Gould for digital partnerships; Lookout Point taps Pippa Brown for comedy; and Indian streamer Disney Plus Hotstar buys animated version of Bollywood “Dabangg” franchise.Germany’s ZDF Enterprises has partnered with new Canadian outfit December Films and the U.K.’s Factual Fiction (“Agatha and the Midnight Murders”) to develop mystery drama series, “The Puzzle Lady,” based on American author Parnell Hall’s

Nicola Sturgeon ’s husband as party chief executive is becoming “more untenable” every day. Jim Sillars said Peter Murrell is in “dangerous territory” over WhatsApp messages which appear to show him calling for pressure to be put on the police in the Alex Salmond case.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcasters ITV and Channel 4 win International Emmys; Sundance Now buys Stan’s “The Night Caller”; ZDF wraps factual series; GoQuest takes Czech drama “Rats”; UKTV joins Creative Diversity Network; and “Chef In Your Year” format bows in Chile.“Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag” by the U.K.’s Hardcash Productions and ITV, has won the International Emmy for current affairs, adding to the BAFTA current affairs TV award that it has already won.

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

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”

Naman Ramachandran Amazon teases “El Cid” series; ViacomCBS develops TV drama “Jamila”; BFI London Film Festival adds “One Night in Miami”; Studiocanal ups executives; Anti-Worlds acquires “Jumbo” and “Murder Me, Monster”; KIX action channel launches in Africa; and Viu sets Malaysian pitching forum.Amazon Studios has released the first set of images from Spanish blockbuster series “El Cid.” The series tells the story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, A.K.A.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorAmazon Music is now offering millions of episodes of free podcasts and has set a slate of original programming coming to the platform, representing a major new rival to Spotify and Apple Podcasts.The free podcasts are available on all tiers of Amazon Music for no additional cost and have first launched in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky reports its latest Diamond diversity data, Abacus Media sells “Trickster” abroad, Channel 4 commissions a new home remodeling format and Pier 21 announces two executive appointments.DIVERSITYSky in the U.K. has released its latest Diamond diversity data, reporting progress towards diversity targets for original U.K.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, “The Nest” tops Deauville, ITV outlines plans for carbon neutrality, Abacus Media Rights sells “People You May Know” in key territories, Southeast Europe gets its first premium independent series co-production and Sky enlists Gabriela Sperl to document German’s Wirecard financial scandal.“The Nest,” directed by Sean Durkin and starring Jude Law and Carrie Coon, was the big winner at the recently concluded 46th Deauville American Film Festival, taking home

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, the European Film Academy and Berlin Film Festival call for Nasrin Sotoudeh’s immediate release from prison, Banijay appoints Dominique Farrugia as managing director for Endemol Shine in France, Amazon Prime Video announces a slate of sports docs in Spain, and the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers preps for December’s digital edition.The European Film Academy and Berlin International Film Festival have released a joint call for the immediate

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC acquires Anna Kendrick HBO rom-com “Love Life”; Rainmaker sells lockdown comedy “Staged” globally; Wooden Horse hires Coeli Cutliffe; Zinc launches Red Sauce label; Marrakesh workshop goes online; and Edith Bowman hosts BAFTA Scotland awards.The BBC has acquired romantic comedy anthology series “Love Life,” featuring Oscar-nominee Anna Kendrick, from Lionsgate Television.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, U.K.

Naman Ramachandran ViacomCBS experiments with remote shooting; Manchester’s Space Studios plots expansion; ZDF sells kids’ content; Discovery ups Tony Qiu; BBC commissions “Uncle Vanya”; and Antalya reveals competition line-up.ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) and ViacomCBS Digital Studios International (VDSI) are partnering with the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) and VodafoneZiggo to remotely produce MTV’s first Live 5G Remote Production.The show will feature Dutch MTV EMA’s

In today’s Global Bulletin the U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport asks for an extension to the current furlough scheme, San Sebastian will close with Fernando Trueba’s “Forgotten We’ll Be,” ITV looks to invest, MediaWorks sells its TV business to Discovery, ZDF commissions a new WWII factual series and “The Eight Hundred” gets a U.K.

German licensing, distribution, and production company Telepool said Friday that it has named Jan Frouman CEO and managing director, effective immediately. He replaces André Druskeit who has stepped down from his role at the German rights group "to pursue other opportunities," the firm said.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterTelepool, the German producer and distributor that is owned by Will Smith and Swiss investor Elysian Fields, has appointed Jan Frouman as CEO and Managing Director.Frouman was previously founder and CEO at Red Arrow Studios.

East Ayrshire Council HQ for the final time in January 2021 she says it’ll be the first time in her life she’s never had a plan.The chief executive says her 43 years of public service has genuinely been her life.After 16 years at the helm of the council, Ms Lees is leaving at a juncture where profound uncertainty reigns and the local authority faces the biggest economic challenge in its history.On top of serialised cutbacks to its operating budget, the council will have to contend with the

Naman Ramachandran Discovery consolidates top management, BBC launches virtual MIPCOM showcase, Korean factual producer Buzz rebrands as UniK, Audible commissions “High Strangeness,” Jed Mercurio’s “Bloodlands” scores pre-sales, and Neil Gaiman’s “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” gets postponed to 2021.Discovery has streamlined leadership roles across its Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations.James Gibbons’ role will now encompass the Nordic markets in addition to the U.K., and

Jamie Lang In today’s global bulletin German VFX company Rise Visual Effects opens London offices, ViacomCBS International, Banijay and ITN make major promotions and BBC Studios sells “Doctor Foster” format in Turkey.Despite holdups caused by COVID 19 and Brexit, leading European visual effects studio Rise Visual Effects will open a new office in London this month, expanding its German-based operations into the U.K.There, Lara Lom, recently appointed as managing director, has been heading the

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin young U.K. directors get a powerful new resource in Director Now from “Humans” director Lewis Arnold, Endemol Shine Poland starts shooting “The Crack,” Starzplay gets “High Fidelity” in Latin America and parts of Europe, plus Australia Media House and Leonine announce major hires.DIRECTORSMore than 100 emerging U.K.