Iceland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Kate Middleton this week urged business leaders to prioritise wellbeing in the workplace to support family life as she launched her Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, of which supermarket giant Iceland is a member. A video shared on Kensington Palace’s social media channels on Saturday shows Kate’s recent visit to an Iceland food warehouse in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, with the firm’s executive chairman Richard Walker.They discussed the long-term Shaping Us campaign, spearheaded by Kate, which aims to “transform the issue of early childhood from one of scientific interest to one of the most strategically important topics of our time”.

Get your sweet tooth ready. Zac Efron’s favorite chocolate brand is dropping one of its best-selling candies in the U.S. for the very first time.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s attendance at King Charles’ Coronation has got to be the most talked about royal issues of the moment.

Alissa Simon Film Critic The ninth edition of Iceland’s Stockfish Film & Industry Festival, which runs March 23 to April 2, is innovating under an ambitious new team that includes one of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch, Hrönn Kristinsdottír (“Lamb”), as artistic director and festival veteran Carolina Salas as managing director. Among the highlights will be a masterclass with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (“Tár”), who is currently in Iceland shooting the fourth season of HBO’s “True Detective.” The screening program opens with Ukraine’s “Pamfir,” directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk and includes tributes to Oscar-nominated Polish helmer Jerzy Skolimowski and U.K. producer Mike Downey, recipient of the fest’s first “Outstanding Contribution to the Industry” kudos.

Eurovision 2023 Semi-Final running orders have been revealed – check it out below.The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will take place at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool from May 9-13, with Mae Muller set to represent the UK with ‘I Wrote A Song’.The UK city was announced to stage the contest on behalf of Ukraine, after organisers deemed the country unable to host the event due to the ongoing war with Russia.You can find all the songs that are entered for this year’s competition here.This week, Eurovision shared the running order for the Semi-Final shows, which take place on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11.Norway will kick off proceedings for the first Semi-Final, closed out 15 acts later with a performance by Finland. The second event is set to be opened by Denmark, with Australia hitting the stage last.We got #Eurovision2023 Semi-Final running orders ✨➡️ https://t.co/V1tz85qvRD pic.twitter.com/hSjYqudp6j— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) March 22, 2023The Big Five participants – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom, which make the biggest financial contributions to the contest – along with Ukraine, automatically qualify for the Grand Final.Check out the full schedule below.First Semi-Final Eurovision 20231. Norway2. Malta3. Serbia4. Latvia5. Portugal6. Ireland7. Croatia8. Switzerland9. Israel10. Moldova11. Sweden12. Azerbaijan13. Czechia14. Netherlands15. FinlandSecond Semi-Final Eurovision 20231. Denmark2. Armenia3. Romania4. Estonia5. Belgium6. Cyprus7. Iceland8. Greece9. Poland10. Slovenia11. Georgia12. San Marino13. Austria14. Albania15. Lithuania16. AustraliaMeanwhile, Eurovision final 2023 tickets sold out in just 36 minutes.Tickets for all nine shows including the live Grand Final went on sale

As Kate Middleton urged business leaders to prioritise wellbeing in the workplace to support family life following the launch of her business taskforce on early childhood, one body language expert believes she is "not afraid to push boundaries" in her new role. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Darren Stanton shared his opinion on Kate, as she stepped out to deliver a speech for the business-based campaign in London yesterday.

Kate Middleton has urged business leaders to prioritise wellbeing in the workplace to support family life as she launched a business taskforce on early childhood. The Princess of Wales is hoping global firms who have joined her taskforce will be the catalyst for change, encouraging businesses across the country to train and help staff to maintain their social and emotional welfare, aiding their work and home life.

Kate Middleton is today launching a business taskforce to support her campaign to transform early childhood development. The Princess of Wales, 41, is hosting the inaugural meeting of the taskforce at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London on Tuesday – arriving for the event in an effortlessly chic outfit that included a cream blazer, black cigarette trousers and simple black court heels.The global firms and major brands on board include Unilever, Ikea, Deloitte, Lego, Aviva, Co-op and Iceland.

Icelandic Political Drama ‘The Minister’ Greenlit For Season Two

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Mobile 101, a Nokia Story,” a series about the dramatic rise and fall of the Finnish phone company, has been acquired by Disney+ and Walter Presents in multiple territories. The series was produced by Finland’s Rabbit Films and is represented in international markets by the outfit. The six-part series, which sheds light on how a small Finnish company specializing in rubber boots became the world’s biggest mobile manufacturer at the turn of the 21st century, has been picked by Disney+ Italy, Netherlands and Belgium. Walter Presents, meanwhile, bought it for the UK & Ireland. RUV Iceland has also acquired season one of the series.

A brave mum died from a cancer so rare that some of the nurses had never even heard of it.

Iceland shoppers have been left buzzing about a recent announcement regarding an exciting collaboration with a much-loved food brand. The budget supermarket, along with its sister store The Food Warehouse, is known for its affordable deals on frozen goods as well as bakery items and cupboard essentials.

Daði Freyr, Iceland’s 2021 representative in the Eurovision Song Contestant, has announced his debut album and shared four songs from it.‘I Made An Album’ will be released in late summer, and today (March 17) Freyr has released the tracks ‘I’m Fine’, ‘Limit To Love’, ‘Shut Up’ and ‘Thank You’.Of the upcoming release, he said: “Good vibes only. Love who you are, unless you’re a horrible person, then change! I’m making an album. I started making it in 2021 and I’m almost done with it.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Xavier Henry-Rashid’s London-based sales agency Film Republic has closed deals for multiple territories on “F*cking Bornholm,” a tart comedy of social discomfort. The film had its international premiere in the main competition section of Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it won the Europa Cinemas Label award. In his review, Variety’s Guy Lodge commented that Polish writer-director Anna Kazejak‘s “precise, piquant film deserves wider festival exposure and discerning distributor interest.” It has now been acquired by Iceland’s Bio Paradis, Arsenal for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Lithuania’s Garsas, Slovenia’s RTV, Israel’s Yes and Sweden’s Lucky Dogs. The international trailer has its debut below.

Sigur Rós have confirmed the upcoming release of a new album and announced a limited run of dates across Europe and North America – find tickets here.The band will release their first studio record in 10 years this June, with the upcoming shows coinciding with the release.Sigur Rós will kick off their tour at Meltdown Festival in the UK, where the band will perform with the London Contemporary Orchestra. The LCO will also accompany them on their following European tour dates.They will be then accompanied by the Wordless Music Orchestra in North America.

Frozen food supermarket Iceland has closed a number of stores in the last few weeks - and now, a further three are set to shut within the next two weeks.

Shoppers can get £10 off a food shop this month as part of a supermarket cashback deal. The offer, which runs for a month, could be a lifeline for those struggling in the cost of living crisis.

teenage sex offender who targeted girls for online and in person abuse was ordered to be detained for four years today. A judge also ordered that Logan Summers should be supervised for a further four years and warned that if he failed to comply with licence conditions during that period he could be returned to custody. Lady Poole told Summers that he was being given a chance to rehabilitate and contribute to society and urged him: "Take it.

King Charles III's Coronation is fastly approaching with it taking place this May at Westminster Abbey, and it is believed Queen Consort Camilla has a special role in mind for her grandchildren during the ceremony. It has been reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children Archie, three, and Lilibet, 21 months, won't be attending the ceremony on May 6 as they are thought to have been deemed "too young" to attend.

Alissa Simon Film Critic Icelandic writer-director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson (“Under the Tree”) makes a smooth transition to English-language directing with the high-concept comedy “Northern Comfort,” co-written with longtime collaborators Halldór Laxness Halldórsson and Tobias Munthe. It centers on a disparate group of people who share a disabling fear of air travel, which they are trying to overcome through a high-end fearless flyers course. As a final challenge, the class is scheduled for a short, roundtrip “exposure” flight during which they should face and conquer their phobias. But this practical plan soon runs into some literal and figurative turbulence. Combining human drama and absurdist comedy, “Northern Comfort” should fly into other festivals before making a comfortable landing at a boutique art-house distributor or streamer.

Björk has revealed that Frank Ocean asked her to perform with him at Coachella 2023.The Icelandic singer-songwriter was being interviewed on the radio when she spoke about her excitement playing the upcoming edition of the music and arts festival in Indio, California that’s again held over two weekends this summer.“[Coachella] is going to be a fun challenge,” Björk told Rás 2 radio last month, according to translations and recordings of her interview by people on Twitter.“I’m going to take a bit of a risk and I’m going to have Orkestral. Just strings and me.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children will "not be invited to King Charles' Coronation in May, it has been claimed. Whilst Archie, three and Lilibet, 21 months, are thought to have been deemed "too young" to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, Queen Consort Camilla's grandchildren are expected to be invited in an official role.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Charades has boarded “Northern Comfort,” an Icelandic black comedy by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson (“Under the Tree”) which is world premiering at SXSW. The well-established sales company (“Sanctuary,” “Disco Boy”) has unveiled an exclusive clip for the film ahead of its world premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section. “Northern Comfort” follows a bunch of phobic flyers, including a middle-aged property developer, a couple of twenty-something influencers and a former SAS-serviceman turned crime-novelist in his 60’s. Seeking to overcome their fear of flying, they embark on a high-end therapeutic course on a flight whose final destination is Iceland. But the experience ends up being a complete nightmare. When the group finally steps onto solid ground, their anxiety levels are off the charts and the idea of taking a flight back home to London becomes an unbearable prospect. As their intended flight is repeatedly delayed, they end up in a remote luxury ‘wellness’ hotel somewhere in the bleak, wild moonscape of the Reykjanes peninsula, finally forced to deal with one another.

Naman Ramachandran Birmingham Rep will co-produce “Sinatra The Musical,” the first official musical based on the life and career of Frank Sinatra, with Michele Anthony, Bruce Resnikoff and Scott Landis for Universal Music Group Theatrical, and Tina Sinatra and Charles Pignone on behalf of Frank Sinatra Enterprises.  The team behind the musical includes two-time Tony-winning writer Joe DiPietro (“What’s New Pussycat?”) and Olivier-winning and three-time Tony-winning director and choreographer, Kathleen Marshall (“Anything Goes”). The musical begins on New Year’s Eve, 1942, where a skinny 27-year-old Italian American singer is about to step onto the stage of New York’s Paramount Theatre and give a performance that will change music history. As Frank Sinatra’s career suddenly skyrockets, he struggles with balancing the love of his wife, Nancy, against the demands and temptations of being the most popular singer in America. But when he begins an affair with movie goddess Ava Gardner, his records stop selling and the press turns against him, sending his career into a tailspin. Driven by his devotion to his family, Sinatra stages the greatest comeback in showbiz history.

Nordic Networks Team For ITV Studios Drama Deal

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Autlook Filmsales has sold “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood,” which won the directing award for Anna Hints in the World Cinema Documentary section at Sundance, to more than 20 territories in North America, Europe and Australia. Deals are confirmed with Neue Visionen in Germany, Trigon in Switzerland, Against Gravity in Poland, Fidalgo in Norway, Ost For Paradise in Denmark, Vedetta in Benelux, Filmtrade in Greece and Cyprus, FilmIn in Spain, Alambique in Portugal, Filmladen in Austria, Pasaka Films in Lithuania, Artcam in Czech Rep. and Slovak Rep., Best Film in Latvia, Mozinet in Hungary, and Madman in Australia and New Zealand. The rights in U.S. have been picked up by Greenwich Entertainment and in Canada by Sherry Media Group. The theatrical release in Estonia is by ACME Film.

TV personality Kerry Katona has told of her ‘awful’ family holiday after her daughter DJ suffered a health scare. The mum-of-five took her family to Turkey before her youngest child became seriously unwell, according to the Mirror. Opening up about the ordeal, Kerry said she got a nasty scare when brushing her daughter’s hair.

People were left 'terrified' after hearing what they thought was an explosion just after midday on Saturday (March 4). It has now been confirmed that this was a sonic boom which heard across parts of the UK.

Holly Jones France-U.K. sales-production-distribution house Alief (“Matadero”) has closed U.K. and Irish theatrical sales for on Tallinn Black Nights Grand Prix winner “Driving Mum, with Newcastle upon Tyne-based exhibition and distribution outfit Tull Stories (“A Clever Woman”) ahead of its bow in at the Glasgow Festival on Monday. Warsaw-based Aurora Films (“I Love My Dad”) has simultaneously snapped up Polish theatrical rights. “We could not be happier to have found the perfect match for ‘Driving Mum’ in the U.K and Ireland, key markets in our company’s DNA. What a joyful day, I’ll finally be able to take my mother to one of our movies in London,” Brett Walker, president of Alief, told Variety.

Whether it's a weekend treat or something you'd usually only eat after a tipple or two, most people have enjoyed a doner kebab at some point.

Met Office forecasts predict snow to drop across Greater Manchester next week as freezing winds sweep across the country.

The March talk at the West Lothian History and Amenity Society is on local woman, Isobel Wylie Hutchison (1889-1982), a writer, botanist, film-maker, Arctic traveller and poet.

Laufey has released ‘A Night At The Symphony’, a new live album from her shows at Reykjavik’s Harpa Concert Hall last year. Check it out below.The sold-out gigs took place in October as part of a world tour in support of the Icelandic-Chinese artist’s debut album, ‘Everything I Know About Love’.

Snow is set to fall over parts of Greater Manchester next week as a cold blast hits.

Whether you are a fan of flying or not, who you’re surrounded by can make or break your flight experience. Crying babies, someone who takes their shoes off beside you, seat kickers, chatterboxes or the dreaded elbows digging into you by the passenger in the middle seat.

Many people dream of the perfect proposal and spend months planning out every last detail in order to create a magical memory they will never forget. It’s rarely smooth sailing to achieve a dreamy proposal without encountering any bumps in the road along the way - and for one man from Cheshire it was no different.