ALL AT SEA TOGETHER
The inaugural edition of the Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival will be held next month (Nov. 23-29) on the Japanese island of Okinawa. With a 40-title lineup, a competition and a robust international selection, the festival says its mission is to explore the ocean and Pacific regions [with] film acting as a global lens [that] allows us to bridge the gap between different islands, fostering an inclusive atmosphere in Okinawa, where diverse cultures and nationalities converge.”
The festival will open with “From Okinawa With Love,” by Sunairi Hiroshi, which premiered at the DMZ documentary Festival in Korea, and tracks the work of a photographer who investigated the African American G.I. scene around the island’s U.S. air bases. It will close with “We Are Still Here,” a portmanteau film by indigenous people from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
The competition section includes: Rolf de Heer’s “The Survival of Kindness”; Andres Peyrot’s documentary “God Is a Woman”; “Orpa,” by Indonesia’s Theo Rumansara; Alaskan picture “One With the Whale”; “Bee and the Spectrum of Misunderstanding,” by Fabien Laubry from New Caledonia; “Intimate Space,” from Japan’s Koshikawa Michiko; “The Mimicry,” by Taiwan’s Chung Yu-lin; “Abang Adik,” also from Taiwan, directed by Lay Jing Ong; and “Lonely Eighteen,” by Tracy Choi from Macau.
The festival is curated by Japan-based Taiwanese director Huang Yin-yu. Prizes for the competition will be decided by a jury headed by Iranian director Amir Naderi.
PETS RETURN
Australian star, Jai Courtney (“Terminator Genisys” “The Suicide Squad”) will return as the narrator of “For the Love of Pets,” an eight-part animal care docuseries following the heart-warming stories of the staff, volunteers and animals that come through the doors of two animal care organizations. In Season 2, the story moves to Queensland to follow a cast of passionate and colourful characters at RSPCA Queensland and 24/7 animal hospital QVS Pet Emergency. Vets and nurses perform life changing and lifesaving surgeries, alongside skilled animal behaviorists and rehoming experts.
“For the Love of Pets” Season 2 (8 x 60′) was financed by Omnicom Media Group subsidiary, OMnet Australia for the 9Network Australia and is executive produced by Context Media’s Peter Jenetsky and Tim Clucas, alongside series producer, Ian Withnall. Escapade Media handles international distribution. The first season played in Australia on the 9Network and was licensed to broadcasters in the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand.
CASTING
“Sex Education” producer Eleven has launched a casting call for the TV adaptation of William Golding’sclassic novel“Lord of the Flies.” In the book, which has been previously adapted as films, schoolboys marooned on a Pacific island create their own savage civilization. The 4 x 60’ drama for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, the first time the work has been adapted for television, is written by Jack Thorne (“Help”) and executive produced by Eleven’sJoel WilsonandJamie Campbell.
BAFTA-winning casting directorNina Gold(“Game of Thrones”) will lead the casting process and the production has announced a call outfor boys aged between 10-13. No previous acting experience is required. Parents and guardians areaskedto apply by email to[email protected].
Shooting is set to beginin Australia from April 2024 onwards.
***
Elsewhere, popular Bollywood star Tiger Shroff has joined the cast of “Singham Again,” the fifth instalment of director Rohit Shetty‘s cop universe, which is derived from filmmaker Hari‘s Tamil-language “Singam” films. Shroff will play assistant commissioner of police Satya. A-lister Deepika Padukone recently joined the cast as cop Shakti Shetty and the other cops in the universe are played by Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh. “Singham Again” is due in 2024.
GOING FOR A SONG
Young singersHayla, Maisie and Yazmin have been chosen to form girl group Stand Uniqu3, which will represent the U.K. at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. They will perform the track “Back To Life” by songwriters Sky Adams, Jakke Erixson and Jack Hawitt.
***
Content powerhouse Banijay Asia debuted in the live entertainment and special events arena with a pre-match entertainment concert at the India-Pakistan cricket match during the ongoing World Cup. Produced and executed by Banijay Asia, and orchestrated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the event, titled “A Musical Odyssey,” took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in front of an audience of over 100,000 cricket enthusiasts. The evening, directed by Varun Gupta, featured Bollywood musical talent including Shankar Mahadevan, Arijit Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Neha Kakkar, Darshan Rawal and Sukhvinder Singh.
***
Meanwhile, Sony Music Entertainment has released the first song from Netflix film “The Archies,” Zoya Akhtar‘s 1960s-set Indian homage to the beloved comics. The video for “Sunoh” features cast members Dot (Aditi), Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda. The song is composed by Ankur Tewari and The Islanders, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar and Dot, and performed by Tejas Menon and Shivam Mahadevan.
