Romania has officially given a three-year extension to its revamped cash rebate program, the government announced this week during the Transilvania Intl. Film Festival. Under the terms of the new legislation, financing agreements can now be signed through the end of 2029, with payments running through the end of 2031. The program, which is administered by … Read more
Studiocanal is expanding its ambitions for “Pippi Longstocking,” teaming with its “Paddington” production partner Heyday Films, as well as Submarine and The Astrid Lindgren Company to develop a new animated TV series based on the beloved literary heroine. The 52 x 11-minute 3D CGI animation is being developed as a fresh, modern reboot of Lindgren’s … Read more
A robot with expressive eyebrows that is designed to perform basic tasks to free up healthcare workers is being given a trial run by a hospital in Milan. Named “Alter-Ego”, the 1.2-metre tall robot can stand in for a doctor working remotely, bring a patient a bottle of water or guide them to treatment. Daniel … Read more
Humanoid robots able to perform tasks from grape harvesting to welcoming visitors were front and centre at France’s Vivatech trade fair this week, with European firms looking to fill niches beyond what dominant Chinese giants can offer. French company Enchanted Tools was showing off its Mirokai, a “social” robot with long orange ears and wide … Read more
Paris-based sales company Charades has closed a raft of Asian deals on Kohei Kadowaki’s animated feature ‘We Are Aliens’ ahead of its Annecy International Animation Film Festival premiere in Competition.The Japanese-French co-production has sold to Geen Narae Media in South Korea, Hooray Films in Taiwan, Shaw Organisation in Singapore, Intercontinental Film Distributors in Hong Kong … Read more
There’s little that Morgan Freeman hasn’t done throughout his seven decades in show business. He’s won Oscars and Golden Globe Awards, starred in countless movies and Broadway plays, narrated documentaries, championed environmental causes, and lended his star power to political campaigns. And now just one year short of his 90th birthday, he’s broadening out into … Read more
UK leader Keir Starmer swept to power in July 2024 promising to end years of chaos in British politics but has angered voters with numerous U-turns and controversies. Now he faces a likely leadership bid by popular party veteran Andy Burnham after the Greater Manchester mayor won a decisive by-election in the northwest. In his … Read more
Fresh off Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu’s triumph at the Cannes Film Festival, where his latest, “Fjord,” starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, earned the director his second Palme d’Or, spirits are high at this week’s Transilvania Intl. Film Festival, which takes place June 12 – 21. Following the trailblazing success of Mungiu, Cristi Puiu (“The … Read more
The path to liberation does not run through comfort. That much has always been true. In some tellings, as the Pharaoh’s army chased Moses towards the Red Sea, a member of the tribe had to wade nearly up to their chin in the raging waters before Moses raised his staff and the sea split in … Read more
Soccer legend Pelé kneeling to tie his boots in the seconds before kickoff at the 1970 World Cup and the Puma brand on show is a legendary image; less well known is that it was engineered by a Canary Islander. Hans Henningsen, widely cited as a father of modern sports marketing, is now the subject of … Read more