Major European Distributors BBC Studios, ITV Studios and All3Media International Pause Trade With Russia

The head of an international film festival in Lithuania has expressed support for the proposed boycott of Russian cinema, despite the majority of major fests declining to join the movement.

National Geographic has signed up BBC Studios’ Factual boss Tom McDonald, the exec and commissioner behind some of the UK’s biggest natural history series including Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II.

Mike Myers is back.

Team,Like many of you, I am closely following the devastating, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The resulting humanitarian crisis and its ripple effects on the lives of millions of people across Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and in Russia itself, is heartbreaking to witness.Since the beginning of this crisis, our teams across the world have been working around the clock to determine the best, and most importantly – safest – ways we as a business can show our support for all those impacted.

Sony Pictures is the latest company to pause its business operations in Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. SPE’s Tony Vinciquerra informed staff of the decision in a memo Friday that was obtained by TheWrap, and the pause of business operations includes halting planned home entertainment releases of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and other future TV distribution deals.

Tim McGraw rarely uses social media to make political statements but took to his Instagram to use the platform for good and spread awareness.MORE: Faith Hill shares rare insight into married life with Tim McGrawREAD: 5 ways to cope with news induced anxiety right nowThe country star shared a picture on his social feed from the middle of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, featuring several Ukrainian soldiers walking through a smoky night.WATCH: Five ways to help in the Ukrainian crisisHowever, the one thing that stood tall and shone bright in the shot was the Ukrainian flag, and Tim paired his post with an emotional message.He simply wrote: "The loss of innocent lives is heartbreaking.  Praying for peace as night falls on Ukraine.

Discovery and WarnerMedia are ceasing operations in Russia amid the ongoing war with Ukraine, the latest in a string of media and entertainment companies along with retail, tech and other businesses that are pulling out.

ScreenSkills Invests £10M In UK High-End TV

Naman Ramachandran Premium documentary titles featuring iconic musicians including John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Tupac Shakur and Amy Winehouse have sold widely for BBC Studios.Rogan productions’ feature-length documentary for BBC Two, “Freddie Mercury: The Final Act,” charts the final chapter of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s life story. International sales include the U.S.

RT America, the sister network to Russia’s state-sponsored RT, is ceasing production, after being dropped by DirecTV and Roku following the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has sent shockwaves around the world. Amid the chaos and destruction, the international distribution community, which we record, is reacting in real time with dismay and uncertainty. The human impact is stark and overwhelming. Inevitably, there are significant consequences for local businesses.

Banijay has paused all activity in Russia until further notice.

ITV Studios has ordered Russian networks TNT and Channel One to take I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and The Voice Kids off air.

A24, the indie studio behind “Moonlight” and “Lady Bird,” has tapped BBC executives Rose Garnett and Piers Wenger to oversee its international film and TV slate.The appointments are a major coup for A24 — and a heavy loss for the BBC — given Garnett and Wenger are the go-to execs in the U.K. for film and scripted television, respectively, anywhere the Beeb is concerned.Garnett most recently served as director of BBC Film, where she has overseen a slate of movies including “The Power of the Dog,” “The Nest” and “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always.” Prior to that, she worked at Film4 where she helped produce the likes of “The Favourite,” “Room” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.” Wenger served as director of BBC Drama, where he has overseen such hit television series as “I May Destroy You,” “Bodyguard,” “A Very English Scandal” and “Normal People.” Previously he was head of drama at Channel 4 where he commissioned “Humans,” “National Treasure,” and “The End of The F**cking World.”Both Garnett and Wenger will leave the BBC in May.

A24 has made two splashy international hires in the shape of BBC executives Rose Garnett and Piers Wenger who will join the ambitious U.S. distributor and producer to oversee their growing international film and TV slate.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. screen trade body Pact has called on its members to suspend all co-operation and trade with Russia.In a statement released on Tuesday, Pact said: “Pact expresses our deepest sympathy for the people of Ukraine, and in particular our colleagues working in Ukraine’s film and television sector.