FORMULA ONE SHIFTS GEARS
Fresh from a soggy Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, TV coverage of Formula One motor racing is set to shift broadcasting partner in Asia-Pacific. Sports Business reports that pay-TV broadcaster beIN Sports is finalizing a multi-year deal beginning in 2023 reaching across most of its Asia-Pacific footprint, but excluding Australia, where Foxtel recently renewed its deal, and New Zealand. The anticipated deal would cover Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Singapore. The rights were previously operated by Fox Sports Asia, which Disney closed down this time last year.
GODARD MASTERCLASS
The Busan International Film Festival, which starts later this week, will hold an event to commemorate the late director Jean-Luc Godard, icon of the Nouvelle Vague and director of “numerous masterpieces for over half a century,” including “Contempt,” “Alphaville” and “Breathless.” Godard died on Sept. 13, 2022. The festival has tapped Serge Toubiana, already set as head of the jury for its New Currents Award, to give a masterclass on Monday Oct. 10, 2022. It is expected to cover Godard’s work, his influence on cinematic history, and the Nouvelle Vague movement. In addition, the festival will screen documentary “See You Friday, Robinson,” in which Godard and Iranian literary figure Ebrahim Golestan discussed film, painting and literature over the course of 29 weeks.
OUT OF COURT SETTLEMENT
Richard Liu, celebrated billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce giant JD, over the weekend agreed to settle a civil lawsuit in the U.S., where a Chinese woman had alleged that he raped her in Minneapolis in 2018. Criminal charges had not been filed and Liu repeatedly denied the accusations. He resigned as CEO of JD earlier this year as Chinese authorities put pressure on the country’s internet companies. A joint statement issued on Saturday called the incident a “misunderstanding.”
PRODUCTION
Motivated by a surprising number of Croats who claim to share a family connection with John Malkovich, film director, poet and marketing expert Luka Mavretić decided to make a film about that. His first long documentary “Being Related to John Malkovich” is currently in production with Anita Juka producing through Croatia’s 4film, and Italy’s Tesla Production and Martichka Bozhilova through Bulgaria’s Agitprop as coproducers.
The film starts as a humorous story about the director exploring the connection with John Malkovich in his own family tree, but it soon takes an emotional turn and becomes a deeper exploration of his own family roots and, ultimately, of himself.
The shooting will take 30 days, with several longer breaks, in Zagreb, Jastrebarsko, Karlovac, and a number of villages inside the Karlovac County, including the village of Malkovići, whose residents are believed to be connected to the ancestry of John Malkovich.
Published in association with Film New Europe
APPOINTMENTS
Cédric Brignon is joining Banijay as CFO, reporting into CEO Marco Bassetti. In the post, which he joins from Nov. 1, Brignon will oversee the org’s finance strategy, while working alongside the wider executive committee on delivering against its general long-term business plan and M&A ambitions. He joins Banijay from Netflix, where he served as VP, studio finance for EMEA.
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Abacus Media Rights has appointed Anne Corsak as sales director for North America. Corsak joins the company from Flame Media, where she held the position of senior VP of content sales, responsible for North America and global digital strategy.
AWARDS
“Black Mirror” producer Annabel Jones will be the recipient of this year’s Siân Phillips Award at the annual BAFTA Cymru Awards, taking place on Oct. The award is presented to a Welsh individual who has made significant contributions in either major feature films or network television programs.
Bollywood star Alia Bhatt has been honored with the Time 100 Impact Award by Time magazine, during a celebration held at the National Gallery Singapore on Sunday. The award recognizes visionaries who have gone above and beyond to make an impact and move their respective industries forward. The awards were followed by a viewing party for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.
Bhatt has starred in four major films this year alone – “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” “RRR,” “Darlings!” and “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva.”
PODCASTS
Blanchard House has inked a two-series deal with Audible.
The deal will see the podcasting company deliver two original non-fiction, eight-part series dealing with true-crime.
Joe Nocera (“The Shrink Next Door”) will co-writ and host the series alongside Poppy Damon (“Who Killed CJ Davis?”)
Laurence Grissell, Blanchard House’s head of content, will executive produce both shows.
WME reps Blanchard House and Joe Nocera. Blanchard House is also repped by Scott Goldman of FKKS (Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz).
