‘Ukrainians in Exile’’s Janek Ambros to Receive Auteur Filmmaker Award at Spain’s 6th Roots of Europe Fest (EXCLUSIVE)

BEST COMPETITION SERIES“The Amazing Race” (CBS)“Lego Masters” (Fox)“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” (Paramount+)“Survivor” (CBS)“The Traitors” (Peacock)BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY“America’s Got Talent” (NBC)“America’s Got Talent: All Stars” (NBC)“Dancing with the Stars” (Disney+)“The Masked Singer” (Fox)“My Kind of Country” (Apple TV+)“The Voice” (NBC)BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES“Below Deck Sailing Yacht” (Bravo)“Couples Therapy” (Showtime)“Formula 1: Drive to Survive” (Netflix)“The Kardashians” (Hulu)“MTV’s Following: Bretman Rock” (MTV)“Vanderpump Rules” (Bravo)BEST STRUCTURED SERIES“Bar Rescue” (Paramount Network)“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food Network)“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” (Peacock)“Gutsy” (Apple TV+)“Shark Tank” (ABC)“Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi” (Hulu)BEST CULINARY SHOW“The Big Brunch” (HBO Max)“José Andrés and Family in Spain” (discovery+)“Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines” (Magnolia Network)“Selena + Chef” (HBO Max)“Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi” (Hulu)“Top Chef” (Bravo)BEST GAME SHOW“Barmageddon” (USA)“Jeopardy!” (Syndicated)“Lingo” (CBS)“Password” (NBC)“The Wall” (NBC)“Weakest Link” (NBC)BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW“Geography of Bliss with Rainn Wilson” (Peacock)“The Great Food Truck Race” (Food Network)“José Andrés and Family in Spain” (discovery+)“The Piece Maker” (Magnolia Network)“The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy” (Apple TV+)“Somebody Feed Phil” (Netflix)BEST BUSINESS SHOW“American Greed” (CNBC)“Bar Rescue” (Paramount Network)“House Hunters” (HGTV)“Restaurant: Impossible” (Food Network)“Shark Tank” (ABC)“Wahl Street” (HBO Max)BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW“Big Beasts” (Apple TV+)“The End Is Nye” (Peacock)“Frozen Planet II” (BBC One)“Our

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Emmy Award-winning director Adam Bernstein (“30 Rock,” “Fargo,” “Better Call Saul”) is set to helm new Prime Video Italy original “Costiera,” an English-language action drama set on Italy’s iconic Amalfi Coast. The high-end show is being co-produced by Amazon Studios and Luca Bernabei for Lux Vide, the prominent Italian company behind financial thriller “Devils” that is owned by Fremantle. Though production on “Costiera” is set to start on location this summer, the international cast is being kept under wraps. Under a highly innovative deal structure, Fremantle will handle global sales on “Costiera” in all territories outside of Italy, France, Spain and Portugal where Amazon is holding on to full exclusive rights.

Callum McLennan The sixth edition of the Quirino Awards, an annual event dedicated to the promotion of animation in Spain, Portugal and Latin America, saw a triumph for Portuguese cinema, with animations from the country taking home four of the nine awards.  The Quirino Awards also proved a veritable showcase of Portugal’s rich animation history– apt as the event also marked the centenary of animation in Portugal.  The feature film “Nayola,” helmed by Portuguese director José Miguel Ribeiro, walked off with the best feature film award.  The film, a Praça Filmes production, is a moving depiction of three generations of Angolan women grappling with the aftermath of the civil war that devastated their country in the late 20th century. Ribeiro’s first feature, “Nayola,” which premiered in main competition at the Annecy Animation Festival in 2022, is based on the play “A Caixa Preta” by Eduardo Agualusa and Mia Coutode. Its bold color palette, and melding of myth and a female perspective on the traumas of war clearly struck the jury. 

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Javier Bardem is the first recipient of San Sebastian’s prestigious Donostia Award for this year’s 71st edition. He will accept the prize, San Sebastian’s highest accolade, granted for career achievement, at the festival’s opening gala on September 22. His image will also feature on the poster of this year’s edition, unveiled today in San Sebastian.  The only surprise about Bardem’s Donostia Award is that it hasn’t come earlier. A rugby player for Spain’s national team, Bardem first came to fame as a local village hulk playing opposite his now spouse Penélope Cruz in Bigas Luna’s 1992 flamboyant social critique “Jamón, Jamón.” 

The San Sebastian Film Festival will fete Javier Bardem with its prestigious Donostia Award at its 71st edition, running 22 — 30 September.

Zoe Hewitt Substantial change doesn’t take place instantaneously, whether it’s designing a feature film, or even editing one. And, when it comes to women’s roles in the arts, the crucial journey may be longer than one may wish. Aiming to facilitate change is Kering’s Women in Motion program, which launched in 2015. While its initial goal was to promote women in cinema, it has since expanded to include multiple art forms, with photography, music and choreography among them. Just a few of their many initiatives include artist recognition with monetary rewards, talks and podcasts. They provide support in word, as well as deed, with actions reminiscent of Gloria Steinem’s talking circles at times.

Sophia Scorziello editor Eva Longoria’s fictional feature directorial debut “Flamin’ Hot” staring Jesse Garcia will open the 2023 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, announced Wednesday as part of the full festival lineup. This year, the festival will feature over 80 films, 19 world premieres and 100 student films. LALIFF will take place May 31-June 4 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Longoria’s film is based on the true story of Richard Montañez (Garcia), the Frito Lay janitor who used his Mexican American heritage to turn one snack into a global sensation. Closing the festival is the Los Angeles premiere of Julio Torres’s A24 feature film “Problemista” starring Torres and Tilda Swinton, which tells the story of an aspiring Salvadorian toy maker in New York City and the race against his work visa as he tries to realize his dreams.

Pusha T has today (May 9) postponed his UK and European tour again because of “production issues”.The rapper was set to bring his lauded 2022 album to the UK and Europe across the UK and Europe last year but these were postponed and rescheduled. Now, it’s been announced that a further postponement will take place.Taking to Instagram, Pusha wrote: “Apologies to my European family, but I have to shift my European tour dates due to production issues.“After the overwhelming demand and sellouts it breaks my heart.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Monte-Carlo Television Festival has revealed the nominees for its Golden Nymph Awards. The festival will open June 16 with the world premiere of the first episode of “Harlan Coben’s Shelter.” Hollywood producer and writer Howard Gordon (“The X-Files,” “24,” “Homeland,” “Accused”) will receive the Honorary Golden Nymph Award, the festival’s highest accolade, bestowed on a professional for their contribution to the entertainment industry. In the Fiction competition are “Poker Face” (U.S.), starring Natasha Lyonne, “The Warrant: Breaker’s Law” (U.S.), “Ten Pound Poms” (U.K./Australia), “The Seed” (Germany, Norway, Czech Republic), “Chorus Girls” (Denmark), “Fence” (Japan), “Le Colosse aux pieds d’argile” (France), “Miró” (Spain) and “Trust No One” (Israel).

Shonda Rhimes is being recognized for her achievements.

UK record industry trade group BPI has announced the first recipients of its new BRIT Billion award, handed out to artists who have achieved more than a billion UK streams. Among them are Abba, Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Ellie Goulding, AJ Tracey and Lewis Capaldi.Announced last year and joining the existing platinum, silver and gold BRIT Certified awards, the BRIT Billion trophy is the first such award to recognise an artists’ success across multiple projects.

K.J. Yossman Content company Catalyst has partnered with intimate apparel company Knix to launch a documentary fund. The Knix Fund Catalyst Docs for Change Project is set to launch at Banff World Media Festival, which kicks off on June 11. Catalyst founder Julie Bristow and Knix founder Joanna Griffiths will appear at the festival in a moderated conversation on June 14 to outline the fund’s objectives. The fund will open to submissions around the same time, with Catalyst and Knix green lighting the most promising entry. “The values of Knix and the thought-leadership that Joanna has provided on so many women’s issues align perfectly with Catalyst’s mission to open eyes, minds, and hearts with unapologetically brilliant storytelling by and about women,” said Bristow. “To achieve a more inclusive world, we need more stories led by women creators. Sometimes the only way to catalyse change is to challenge legacy business models by investing in new paradigms. This partnership does just that. We will ensure important stories get told because we’ll finance them.” 

Manchester United have reportedly been told they will not be able to enter talks with Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.

Actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander will each receive the 2023 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today

The Women’s World Cup faces a potential TV blackout for this summer’s tournament in the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France after FIFA president Gianni Infantino threatened to withhold rights over what he said where insufficient bids. Infantino, speaking Tuesday at at the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, said it was the soccer governing body’s “moral and legal obligation not to undersell” the tournament, set for July 20 until August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.“Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair, we will be forced not to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup into the ‘Big 5’ European countries,” Infantino said, drawing a line in the sand despite FIFA’s media rights agreements with 156 other nations and territories.Prize money will notably increase for this year’s tournament by 300% to $150 million from 2019, which was won by the U.S.

Naman Ramachandran British presenter, broadcaster, filmmaker, author and historian, professor David Olusoga, will be presented with a BAFTA Special Award at the upcoming BAFTA Television Awards on May 14. The award is one of BAFTA’s highest honors recognizing an outstanding contribution to film, games or television. Olusoga’s credits include presenting history series “A House Through Time” (BBC Two), writing and presenting series “Black & British: A Forgotten History” (BBC Two) and the BAFTA-winning “Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.” In recent years he led major interviews with the former President of the United States, Barack Obama and lectures including the Edinburgh TV Festival MacTaggart Lecture in 2020.

K.J. Yossman Actors and creatives from “Star Trek” and “Ghosts” are set to host Master Classes during the Banff World Media Festival in June, Variety can confirm. The two Paramount Global shows will be repped at the 44th edition of the festival, which is set to take place in Banff, Alberta, Canada from June 11-14. The “Star Trek” masterclass will feature “Star Trek: Discovery’s” Sonequa Martin-Green, “Star Trek: Lower Decks’” Tawny Newsome, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’” Ethan Peck plus Alex Kurtzman, who is an executive producer for the “Star Trek” franchise, and CBS Studios president David Stapf. They will all be on hand do discuss “ushering in the golden age of ‘Trek,’ growing the franchise, and introducing a new generation to this universe all while staying true to what made it a cultural phenomenon 56 years ago,” according to the festival.

Lise Pedersen “The Days I Would Like to Forget” by Ukrainian film collective Tabor, which picked up the top industry award at international documentary festival Visions du Réel, is a trilogy project that examines the consequences of war. It is directed by Alina Gorlova (“No Obvious Signs,” “This Rain Will Never Stop”), Maksym Nakonechnyi (“Butterfly Vision,” “This Rain Will Never Stop”), Simon Mozgovyi (“Salt From Bonneville,” “The Winter Garden’s Tale”) and Yelizaveta Smith (“Solitude,” “Butterfly Vision”), who have been working together and documenting the war in their country for close to a decade. The project is divided into three 70-minute chapters: “Human & War,” which examines the impact of war on everyday life, “Death & Life,” which focuses on the perception of death during the Russian-Ukrainian war, and “Space & Time,” which investigates the link between the war in Ukraine and other parts of the world.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Paul Sng’s “Tish,” an intimate portrait of British documentary photographer Tish Murtha, will open the 30th edition of Sheffield DocFest on June 14. Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Bani-Etemad will be the guest of honor. In his film, Sng – whose work includes “Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché” and “Dispossession” – both celebrates the vision and humanism of a gifted artist, and follows Murtha’s daughter Ella as she fights to preserve her mother’s legacy. “’Tish’ is a powerful tribute to a vital artist, activist and social chronicler, and a rallying call to all whose engagement with art questions who gets seen and heard, who doesn’t, and why,” the festival said in a statement. “This is a story of contemporary Britain, of the fight for culture, as well as the life of a mother and activist.”

News of a Kidnapping,” created by Andrés Wood and Rodrigo García, swept the top prizes for best picture on Saturday night at the 2023 Platino Awards, in a sign of how the global streamers – here Amazon Studios and Prime Video – have lured top-of-their-class talent in Latin America. One highlight of the ceremony, dedicated to films and TV shows in the Spanish-speaking world, was Benicio del Toro’s acceptance speech of a honorary Platino in which he reflected on being typecast for many years in Hollywood as a Latino actor.  “If I had to play stereotypes, I tried to find the character’s humanity, a sense of complicity, so that audiences felt what my character felt and whilst they’re watching, don’t forget who I am and where I come from.,” he said. “What’s important is to share more than be divided,” he added.