Monaco Releases New Update About Princess Charlene

The World Health Organization has released a new report on Omicron sub-variant BA.2 which shows the strain accounted for 21.5% of all new Omicron cases analyzed worldwide in the first week of February. Omicron, in turn, represented nearly all of the variants identified globally (98.3%) in the genomically-sequenced samples submitted to the GISAID data-sharing hub in the previous 30 days.

Christopher Vourlias Known Associates Entertainment, the production company behind the South African adaptation of the Colombian telenovela that inspired “Ugly Betty,” is planning to break ground on a Hollywood-style film studio outside Johannesburg that will boost capacity in one of the world’s hottest shooting locations.Cradle Film Studios will be built across the road from the Cradle of Humankind, a sprawling archaeological site where traces of some of the earliest humans were discovered.Comprising state-of-the-art studios and backlots, a data center, an innovation hub, and a housing development, the complex will be located 30 miles from Johannesburg and just 10 minutes from an international airport. It will also include a theme park that takes its inspiration from the world-renowned fossil site.

Christopher Vourlias Germany’s Sola Media has closed a wave of international sales for the animated feature “Finnick,” produced by Riki Group, which will be released by Sony Pictures Russia in Russia and CIS on March 24.The CGI-animated comedy follows the adventures of 13-year-old Christine, who befriends the young prankster Finnick – one of the furry and usually invisible beings known as Finns. The odd couple has to team up as detectives to solve the mysterious events happening in their city.The Stuttgart-based sales agency has inked deals with Eagle Pictures (Italy), Independent Films (Benelux), Koch Films (German/Austria/Switzerland), Vertigo Releasing (U.K.), Tanweer (Greece), Selmer Media (Scandinavia), Myndform (Iceland), Rialto (Australia and New Zealand), and Black Sheep Films (South Africa), and holds exclusive distribution rights in multiple additional territories.

Elizabeth Banks Pic Sells For Protagonist

Naman Ramachandran Protagonist Pictures has closed multiple deals for several key territories on Sundance selection and Berlin Film Festival competition title “Call Jane.”Territories sold include DCM for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Umbrella Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Mis.label for Scandinavia, Eagle for Italy, Shaw for Singapore and Empire for South Africa.Directed by Phyllis Nagy, the Oscar nominated writer of “Carol,” the film stars Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara and Chris Messina. The film follows Joy (Banks), a traditional 1960s housewife who unexpectedly falls pregnant and finds the Janes, an underground abortion movement led by Virginia (Weaver).

EXCLUSIVE: AMC Networks’ Shudder has picked up South African supernatural horror Good Madam (Mlungu Wam) and is planning a release in late 2022.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorWorld sales company Global Screen has released the first-look image of “Recipes for Love and Murder,” which has been chosen for Berlinale Series Market Selects lineup at the European Film Market. Acorn has the rights to the series for the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.The 10-part South African and U.K.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Kompromat,” an anticipated spy thriller directed by Jerome Salle (“Zulu,” “L’Odyssée”) with Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”), has been sold by SND to distributors in key territories. Inspired by a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working Siberia who discovers he is being framed by FBI and has to find his way out of the trap.

Princess Diana was raised at the sprawling Althorp Estate which was also where she met Prince Charles after being introduced by her sister Sarah Spencer. The late Princess of Wales, who died in 1997 aged 36, is now buried on a small island in the centre of The Oval Lake which is set in the grounds of the Grade I listed stately home in Northamptonshire.

Rabbi Israel Dresner was a civil rights activist who protested segregation alongside his friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968).Dresner began his life of activism young, well before he became a rabbi, as World War II raged overseas.

EXCLUSIVE: Saban Films has acquired North American and other overseas territory rights to The Old Way, the Western from director Brett Donowho that stars Nicolas Cage. The distributor is targeting a theatrical and VOD release for the pic sometime during the fourth quarter of 2022.

Princess Charlene of Monaco is continuing her recovery.

Candlelight vigil to remember LGBTIQ murder victims at Constitution Hill in May 2021 (Photo: MambaOnline.com)

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe full list appears below, but highlights include Cassandra Jenkins (New York), Coogie (South Korea), Ian Sweet (Los Angeles), Kosha Dillz (New York), La Doña (San Francisco), Moonchild Sanelly (South Africa), Pom Pom Squad (New York), Sloppy Jane (Los Angeles), Wet Leg (England), Wolf Eyes (Detroit) and dozens more.According to the announcement, SXSW continues to plan for a hybrid event (in-person with online viewing and participation options). The festival has updated its Covid-19 guidelines and will continue to coordinate with both the City of Austin and Austin Public Health — more details on SXSW’s Covid protocols are available on the SXSW website.All SXSW Music registrants receive primary access to Music and Convergence Conference programming, including Keynotes and Featured Speakers, Music Festival showcases, the Comedy Festival, exhibitions, networking Meet Ups, the Flatstock Poster Show, Registrant Lounge, the SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake concerts, and the closing BBQ & softball tournament.

Naman Ramachandran The Walt Disney Company’s streamer Disney Plus has confirmed a summer 2022 launch across Europe, Africa and West Asia in 42 countries and 11 new territories. New countries for the service include South Africa, Turkey, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.The countries that the streamer will launch in include Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Oman, Palestine Territories, Poland, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City and Yemen.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the North American rights to “Living,” the film from Oliver Hermanus starring Bill Nighy that made tis premiere at the Sundance Film Festival out of competition.The film is a new take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film “Ikiru” and is written by Kazuo Ishiguro, a Nobel Prize-winning author. Sony Pictures Classics also picked up rights to the film in Latin America, India, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Germany, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and airlines worldwide.