DISASTER documentARIES
Content creation and distribution company BossaNova has sold two documentaries to Channel 4 in the U.K. The deals, brokered by Channel 4 acquisitions executive Felix Jones and BossaNova head of sales Holly Cowdery, feature shows from ITN Productions and BriteSpark Films.
ITN’s “MH17: The Plane Crash that Shook the World” marks the 10th anniversary of the Malaysian Airlines tragedy. The one-hour special includes interviews with victims’ families, journalist Matt Frei, and prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer. It explores the incident’s impact on Ukraine’s war readiness and international relations. BriteSpark’s two-part series “Tsunami, The Day The Wave Hit” chronicles the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster. Using firsthand accounts and archival footage, it details the immediate aftermath and long-term consequences of the event that claimed nearly 230,000 lives.
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BBC BREADTH
The Beeb’s international audience remains robust, hitting 450 million weekly viewers in 2024, according to its latest Global Audience Measurement. Despite stiff competition from state-backed rivals, BBC News, World Service, and Studios maintained their collective reach, up slightly from 447 million in 2023.
Topping the charts for trust, reliability, and independence among global news providers, the World Service across 42 languages drew 320 million viewers, the BBC said. BBC News Arabic saw a 9% bump to 35 million weekly, while World Service English climbed to 84 million.
The revamped BBC News channel snagged 112 million weekly viewers outside the U.K. Hindi remains the top BBC language service, followed by Arabic and Swahili.
BBC News deputy CEO Jonathan Munro lauded the results, citing audience trust during major news events. He acknowledged challenges ahead for the World Service but expressed confidence in the BBC’s position and commitment to “fearless and fair reporting.”
DASHING DUMAS DRAMA DEBUTS
Entertainment Film Distributors has set Pathe’s “The Count of Monte Cristo” for an Aug. 30 theatrical release in the U.K. and Ireland. The adaptation of Alexandre Dumas‘ classic novel, directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière, stars Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei and Laurent Lafitte.
Following its Out of Competition premiere at Cannes 2024, the film opened in France to a $10 million first-week box office. The plot follows Edmond Dantes, wrongfully imprisoned on his wedding day, who escapes after 14 years to seek revenge as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo.
NETFLIX, NFDC NURTURE NEW VOICES
India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Netflix India have launched “The Voicebox,” an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India. The initiative offers training in eight languages across seven Indian cities, targeting 30 participants in each batch with a 50% quota for women. Top performers will contribute to Netflix’s “Azaadi ki Amrit Kahaniya” project, narrating stories of India’s independence movement.
“The Voicebox” is backed by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, a $100 million annual commitment over five years to support underrepresented communities in TV and film globally. This fund aims to create opportunities and amplify diverse voices in the entertainment industry.
The partnership was solidified at New Delhi’s Shastri Bhawan, with key figures present including Sanjay Jaju, secretary of India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Vrunda Desai, joint secretary (films) at the ministry, and Prithul Kumar, MD of NFDC. Netflix was represented by Aditya Kutty, legal director, Freddy Soames, head of competition policy and Kiran Desai, general counsel and senior director of business and legal Affairs for India. Sharad Mehra, chair of Pearl Academy, the program’s training partner, also attended.
Interested professionals can find application details on NFDC’s platforms.
