NEW ‘NEIGHBOURS’ AS REPRIEVED SERIES PREPARES RETURN
The return of long-running Australian soap “Neighbours” will see a new family, the Varga-Murphys, featuring mums, Remi (Naomi Rukavina) and Cara (Sara West) and teenage sons, JJ (Riley Bryant) and Dex (Marley Williams), moving to the iconic Ramsay Street.
West said: “Cara has a bold, impassioned love for her family and I love that her intentions have, so far, always been good. I hope having the Varga-Murphys on telly will help better reflect the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community that I’m proud to be a part of and I can’t wait to share the family with you.”
Rukavina added: “As a stalwart of Australian drama television, the show is on the front foot of showcasing diverse and real representations of Australian families, not in a tokenistic way.”
“Neighbours,” produced by Fremantle, will premiere for free, exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the U.K. and U.S. in Setember. The series will also stream on Prime Video in Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
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Australia’s Network 10 will retain first-run rights in Australia for the new chapter of the series.
SHOOTING SEASON
Production is underway on Disney+ limited series “Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.” Set immediately after the London bombings in 2005, the U.K. original series will focus on the manhunt for a group of would-be terrorists and the killing of innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, after he is mistaken as a suspect. Jean Charles de Menezes’ parents and other relatives are among those serving as consultants for the series.
Written by Jeff Pope (“Philomena”) and produced by Etta Pictures, Pope’s production label which is part of ITV Studios, the series will be directed by BAFTA winner Paul Andrew Williams (“A Confession”) with BAFTA winner Kwadjo Dajan (“Appropriate Adult”) producing. The drama will be executive produced on behalf of Disney by Lee Mason, director of scripted, Disney+.
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“Garden of Eden,” a feature directed by Marcel Walz, has wrapped principal photography in L.A.
The sophomore film from production company Neon Noir, “Garden of Eden” is a story about a devout Christian family whose generous gifts eventually turn into a nightmare. It stars stars Robert Rusler, Monique T. Parent, Sarah French and Sarah Polednak with support from Gigi Gustin, Sarah Nicklin and Dazelle Yvette. The film was written by Joe Knetter with Marcus Friedlander as the director of photography.
““My heart was full of joy after finishing ‘Garden of Eden,’” said Walz. “This was a such wonderful experience for me, seeing this cast and crew putting so much love and beauty into a movie with so many disturbing and controversial scenes. We created something special.”
APPOINTMENTS
Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz has been appointed president of the ACT, the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe, effective immediately.
She replaces outgoing ACT president Guillaume de Posch, who has been in the role for seven years. Carolina Lorenzon remains in place as chair of the board.
“It’s an honour to be elected as the new president of the ACT,” said Frot-Coutaz. “Now more than ever, Europe should stand behind its broadcasting sector to support the industry’s continued growth and success. Commercial broadcasters and VoD service providers play a critical role in driving forward Europe’s TV industry as a creative, cultural and economic powerhouse and I look forward to representing the views of all our members over the coming years. I also want to thank my predecessor Guillaume for having been so committed to our sector and his leadership of the ACT.”
AWARDS
Judi Dench is set to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA). She will receive the award on July 6 during an “in conversation” event in Dublin, Ireland, hosted by Deirdre O’Kane.
“It’s such an honour to pay tribute to Judi Dench and to celebrate her extraordinary talent, work and career,” said IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty. “Judi is a master of her craft; the breadth and variety of her work on stage and screen has solidified her as one of the most respected and iconic actors of her generation. We look forward to hosting this special event with Judi and presenting her with the Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement Award here in Dublin, the city where her parents grew up.”
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U.K. law firm Ashford has won an award for its work representing Shazam Productions over an infringing “Only Fools and Horses” dining experience. The firm’s IP disputes team won Impact Case of the Year at the Managing IP Awards 2023. Last year Shazam won their case against Only Fools The Dining Experience Limited after a judge ruled a fictional character can be an independent copyright work aside from the medium in which it appeared.
FESTIVALS
Egyptian auteur Yousry Nasrallah will be honored by the Cairo Film Festival with its lifetime achievement award.
Nasrallah is among Egypt’s most highly regarded filmmakers, known for depicting his country’s social and political complexities in multi-layered movies such as El Medina (1999); “Gate of the Sun” (2004); “Aquarium” (2008) and “After the Battle” (2012) which is a meditation on the Tahrir Square revolution.
“I remember my starting point, as well as my current position. I didn’t do it alone,” said Nasrallah in a statement. “Many friends and Egyptian filmmakers helped me a lot. They supported me and worked with me. They helped me to reach my current position. I want to thank them a lot. They deserve to be honored,” he added.
The 45th Cairo Film Festival will run Nov. 15 to 24.
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Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Switzerland, Korean cinema will play a central part in the 19th Zurich Film Festival’s (Sept. 28 – Oct. 8) film lineup. The festival’s New World View section, which showcases countries experiencing a cinematic renaissance, with a particular focus on young talent and emerging voices, will feature 10 Korean films.
PRODUCTION
Ugandan-Australian actor Suzan Mutesi (“The Challenge”), will star alongside Vietnamese -Australian actor Hop Dao in the film “Sanctuary Pariahs” from Australian director and producer Daniel Okoduwa (“Survive or Die”). The film tells the story of people fleeing the state of nature in the old countries, but within the sanctuary, they are both trapped in the past and frozen in the present – in a sub-city where only those termed pariahs live. It is co-produced by Trevor Morgan Doyle, best known for producing Mongolia’s 2019 entry to the Oscars “The Steed.”
MORE FOR MALAYSIA
Streaming service Netflix is to be integrated into the entertainment options of Malaysia’s Unifi telco service from Friday. “Adding this feather to our lifestyle services and converged solutions cap is part of Unifi’s ongoing expansion plans for 2023, as we continue to offer customizable, and best value-for-money solutions that provide something for everyone [..] The addition of Netflix opens up a host of popular and diverse entertainment selections to our lifestyle services,” said Anand Vijayan, TM chief commercial officer and EVP of Unifi. Unifi already Unifi offers 71 premium channels and 17 app partners including Disney+ Hotstar, Viu, WeTV and Lionsgate Play.