Rotterdam Film Festival Roars With Expanded Tiger Competition

It’s a nerve racking for anyone the first time you meet your new in-laws, but when the family you’re being introduced to is the Royal family, the prospect is even more daunting. It was 2016 when Meghan first began started dating Prince Harry, after being introduced by a friend, Misha Nonoo.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield broke down in tears as they watched a video of a Ukrainian girl singing ‘Let it Go’ in a bomb shelter. The This Morning co-hosts watched the viral video of a small girl singing the beloved Frozen song in her native language in the basement of a building in Ukraine.They listened to the sweet young girl’s voice as she stood amongst beds, medical supplies in a cramped space.

Dancing on Ice fans flocked to social media as they spotted the show's presenter Holly Willoughby make a small slip up within the first few minutes of Sunday 6 March's show. Holly and her co-host Phillip Schofield were opening the hit ITV show after an impressive group dance featuring the final six couples and the ITV show's judges - Olympic legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

Tyson Fury has outlined his plans to hang up his gloves following his upcoming bout against Dillian Whyte, despite the likelihood of a unification bout. The 33-year-old stated last week that he will bring an end to his illustrious career after his clash against his fellow Brit at Wembley on April 23rd.

EastEnders legend Martine McCutcheon has stunned fans one again with a super stylish ensemble shared on her Instagram account.The 45-year-old, who recently wowed with her amazing eyebrow transformation after undergoing a microblading treatment, posed in the perfect transitional outfit. whilst “springing a quick photoshoot." The actress, who is best-known for her portrayal of Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders, was complimented for her “absolutely beautiful” outfit which was head-to-toe high street – apart from her designer Saint Laurent black crossbody bag.

EMILY Atack looked amazing as she posted a snap to wish her cousin Molly Robbins happy birthday. The 32-year-old stunned in the photo with Molly, who stars in Netflix series Extreme Cake Makers.

Naman Ramachandran As the invasion of Ukraine continues, seven leading Ukrainian filmmakers allege complicity by the Russian artistic community. They are now calling for cultural sanctions against Russia.Valentyn Vasyanovych, director (“Black Level,” “Atlantis,” “Reflection”)Insidious shelling of residential areas with civilians, as well as blackmail of nuclear weapons – is a manifestation of the powerless rage of the fascist regime of Russia and the lack of chances to defeat the Ukrainian army and people in a direct military confrontation.The whole bloody history of Russia, as imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet, is based on the bloodthirsty attitude towards its neighbors and its people, who have never been united ethnically or culturally.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentLondon-based Beyond Rights has scored sales to Italian broadcasters on more than 500 hours of TV content, including topical doc “The Prince and the Paedophile.”The BriteSpark Films investigation into the friendship between Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, which is also said to uncover new details on Epstein’s other British connection –– including to Ghislaine Maxwell –– has been acquired by linear broadcaster La7, which is the flagship station of the country’s third generalist TV group in terms of ratings.Comcast-owned pay TV Sky Italia re-upped their licensing deal on lifestyle show “Love It Or List It,” acquiring 290 new hours of the franchise, including four seasons from the original series and seasons from “Love It Or List It: Vancouver”; “Love It Or List It: Quebec” and “Love It Or List It: Australia.”   Discovery Italy purchased a 103-hour, multi-genre package comprising true crime titles such as “Fatal Vows,” and “Deadly Women,” plus “Massive Engineering Mistakes,” and auto show “Flipping Bangers.” AETN Italy picked up the latest two seasons of “Forbidden History” and the show’s new upcoming two instalments, one of which examines war propaganda methods used in Nazi Germany.Finally, GotGame, a new digital channel dedicated to the gaming world, bought 105 hours of science and tech programming from Beyond Rights comprising the shows “Myth or Science,” “How Hacks Work,” and “Superhuman Science.”“We are delighted that our extensive factual catalogue can meet the needs of so many key broadcasters at the same time in such an important territory as Italy.” said Sarah Bickley, Beyond Rights’ SVP sales for Italy, in a statement. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAustralia-set, Jamie Dornan-starring thriller series “The Tourist” has been widely licensed for broadcast in Europe and Asia. Dornan stars as a man who, after an epic car chase in the outback, wakes in hospital with no idea of who he is. He is forced on a brutal, and often funny journey of self-discovery, while trying to stay one step ahead of the people trying to kill him.With All3Media International handling rights sales, the show has been licensed to NPO for The Netherlands, VRT for Belgium, RTE for Ireland, Cosmote for Greece, and France Télévisions (for its France 3 channel).

Christopher Vourlias A fortnight ago, documentary filmmaker Vera Krichevskaya was anticipating the Russia release of her latest feature, “F@ck This Job,” a spirited, behind-the-scenes portrait of the country’s last independent broadcaster, TV Rain. But just days before the film’s Moscow premiere, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine.

Ed Meza @edmezavarIndian drama “Pebbles,” by Vinothraj P.S., won the main competition Tiger Award at this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Sunday.

Ed Meza @edmezavarMads Mikkelsen took time from shooting “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3” in London to call into the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Wednesday to chat about his eclectic career, including his latest work, Anders Thomas Jensen’s “Riders of Justice,” which opened this year’s fest.The Danish thesp, who in November replaced Johnny Depp in the role of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in David Yates’ latest instalment of Warner Bros.’ J.K. Rowling fantasy franchise, is also currently starring in another Danish film, Thomas Vinterberg’s drama “Another Round,” Denmark’s submission for the Oscars’ international feature film category, and winner of four prizes at the European Film Awards.

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe Rotterdam Film Festival’s IFFR Pro Days and CineMart came to a close on Friday with awards for projects from Greece, China and Afghanistan, including the latest work from Kabul-based filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat.

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe impact of the ongoing pandemic on the film and television industry will change production practices, re-shape the exhibitor sector, transform distribution and expand global opportunities for European producers over the next five years, according to the latest Nostradamus Report, which forecasts trends in film and TV.Presented by author Johanna Koljonen at the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus seminar, the 8th Nostradamus Report, entitled “Transforming Storytelling Together,” bases its findings on research and interviews with industry experts.Among those findings: The unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has accelerated structural changes that were already underway.

Ann-Marie Corvin Set in turn-of-the-century Dominican Republic, “Liborio” received its world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam this week in the Tiger Competition.The directorial feature debut of Madrid-based Dominican-born film editor Nino Martínez Sosa, the Spanish-language film tells the true story of Olivorio Mateo, a peasant who disappears into a hurricane and returns, it is claimed, with the power to cure the sick and take away evil.The film takes place as the Caribbean Island was attempting to solidify its independence as well as fighting occupation by the U.S. Marines.

Ed Meza @edmezavar“Game of Thrones” star Iwan Rheon, Jack Wolfe (“The Witcher”), Asha Banks and Amir Wilson (“His Dark Materials”) have joined Roland Emmerich’s production of “The Magic Flute,” a modern retelling of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s popular opera.The pic is set to begin principal photography on Feb. 8 at Bavaria Studios in Munich.Starring alongside the young British actors will be some of the world’s most renowned opera stars, among them French soprano Sabine Devieilhe, Mexican-French tenor Rolando Villazón and U.S.

Ed Meza @edmezavarVirtual cinema platforms that sprung up in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 lockdowns are set to remain a part of the landscape after theaters and film festivals reopen.That was the consensus of participants taking part at an IFFR Pro conference on the growing possibilities for film distribution at the Rotterdam Film Festival on Tuesday.Wendy Lidell, senior VP at Kino Lorber, joined Eve Gabereau, founder of London-based distrib Modern Films, producer Mynette Louie (“Swallow”) and Jovan Marjanović, the Sarajevo Film Festival’s head of industry, for the talk.Lidell said exhibs would continue the practice in view of the fact that so many theaters had already launched their own platforms.

Ed Meza @edmezavarProgrammers from leading international film festivals gathered for an online roundtable on the opening day of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Pro Days industry section to discuss the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic.

Ed Meza @edmezavarNew York-based non-profit distributor Cinema Tropical has acquired North American rights to Brazilian documentary “My Darling Supermarket,” the debut feature by Tali Yankelevich.Cinema Tropical plans to release the film in virtual cinemas starting on Feb. 24, including New York City’s Film Forum, followed by other cities nationwide.A co-production between Brazil’s Casa Redonda, in co-production with Denmark’s Good Company Pictures and Brazil’s Mão Direita, “My Darling Supermarket” had its world premiere in the IDFA Competition for First Appearance and has unspooled in numerous film festivals, among them MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, Visions du Réel, Edinburgh, Thessaloniki, Guadalajara and DOXA.

Ed Meza @edmezavar“Lovecraft Country” and “His House” lead Wunmi Mosaku, a BAFTA award winner, has been cast in Gabe Klinger’s fact-based drama “Dreyana Grooms.”The film focuses on 16-year-old Dreyana Grooms, who as a young teenager was implicated in a fatal shooting in Chicago during her summer break from school. The event radically altered the course of her young adult life.Grooms and Klinger co-scripted the project, which is being presented this coming week at the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s CineMart co-production market.

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam is celebrating its 50th anniversary under a new artistic director this year, and while the event has been forced online due to the ongoing pandemic, organizers are hopeful that an extended edition in June could see festgoers returning to cinemas this summer.Moving the festival and its IFFR Pro Days industry section online has nevertheless created opportunities.For festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, it became apparent early on that her debut would be different than what she had originally anticipated.

Ed Meza @edmezavarMandy Patinkin and Lena Dunham have joined German filmmaker Julia von Heinz’s next film, “Iron Box,” about a New York businesswoman who decides to take her aging father back to his native Poland, where she hopes to explore her Jewish roots.In an interview with Variety during last year’s Venice Film Festival following the premiere of her latest pic, “And Tomorrow the Entire World,” von Heinz said she planned to send Patinkin and Dunham the script and expressed hope that they would do the film, an adaption of Australian writer Lily Brett’s bestselling novel “Too Many Men.”Following the article’s publication, Patinkin and Dunham’s agents reached out to the director and expressed interest in the project.

Ed Meza @edmezavarDanish-German company Adomeit Film is set to explore uncharted territory with what could be the world’s first romantic comedy set in Afghanistan.Shahrbanoo Sadat’s “Kabul Jan,” the third part in a planned pentalogy based on co-writer Anwar Hashimi’s autobiographical work, follows a young camera operator who falls in love with a married TV reporter twice her age.Set in the biggest private TV station in Kabul, the story explores the forbidden romance while also examining the often dangerous work of reporters in the bustling newsroom along with the absurdities of modern-day life in the city.“It’s also a tribute to all the journalists in Afghanistan,” says producer Katja Adomeit, noting the alarming number of reporters who