Canal+ Picks Up HBO’s ‘Patria’; UK #LoveCinema Campaign; HGTV Orders; STV Productions Rebrands — Global Briefs

Jake Kanter and Tom Grater
·5 min read

HBO’s ‘Patria’ Heads To France
France’s Canal+ has acquired HBO Europe’s first Spanish original drama, Patria. Set in Spanish Basque Country and taking place over 30 years during, Patria tells a story through the eyes of two families divided by the violent conflict. The show will premiere in HBO Europe’s 21 territories on September 27, while it will be released on the same day in the U.S. on HBO and HBO Max. Patria was created and written by Aitor Gabilondo, based on the bestselling novel by Fernando Aramburu.

UK Cinemas Promo Campaign Launched
UK cinema promoting body Cinema First has unveiled the campaign it hopes will encourage greater numbers of the population to return to cinemas as they continue to get back to business. The majority of UK venues have now re-opened and the release of Tenet on August 26 is seen as a major potential boost to operators who have been hit hard by the pandemic. The #LoveCinema campaign include a video featuring clips from more than 50 films form the annals of cinema, as well as upcoming pic including the Nolan film. The trailer will play out on film distributors’ and cinema operators’ websites and social channels, as well as being supported by a paid for multimedia campaign, said Cinema First. “The global pandemic has had a colossal impact on the film industry, presenting cinemas across the UK with unprecedented challenges. As an industry that employs over 20,000 dedicated people, of which 40% of are under the age of 30, they need our support. Cinemas are ready to welcome audiences back,” said Iain Jacob, Cinema First Chair.

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Discovery Orders Trio Of HGTV Shows
Discovery has announced a trio of fresh UK commissions for its HGTV channel. Raise The Roof Productions will make 10-part My Mortgage Free Home, in which presenter Amanda Lamb will show families what they could buy if they ditched their mortgage debt by selling and using their equity to buy a new home. Raise The Roof will also make Quick Little Builds, another 10-part series in which Gabrielle Omar advises families on home-improvement projects. True North will make My Dream Derelict Home In The Sun, a 16-part series in which Scarlette Douglas follows people buying properties abroad in need of improvement. Finally, Outline Productions’ Sarah Beeny’s Renovate Don’t Relocate will return for a third season.

Zurich Film Fest Unveils Opening Movie
This year’s Zurich Film Festival will open with Swiss tragicomedy My Wonderful Wanda on September 24. The Bettina Oberli-directed pic marks the first time a feature helmed by a female director will open the fest. The film tells the story of Polish-born Wanda who looks after patriarch and post-stroke patient Josef at his lakeside family villa. Zurich is pressing on with plans to hold a physical edition this year, September 24 – October 4.

Swedish SVOD Unveils Plan To Back Cinemas
Draken Film, the SVOD platform operated by Sweden’s Goteborg Film Festival, has ramped up its initiative to support the country’s cinemas. Having already partnered with Swedish distributors to launch new films online, with 50% of revenue going to exhibitors, the platform will now offer complimentary cinema tickets to a curated selection of current release for its subscribers. As part of the deal, Draken will pay a full discounted ticket price to each cinema. Initial titles will include Little Joe and Disco, the latter is released by Draken. Sweden’s top arthouse distributors, such as Nonstop Entertainment and Folkets Bio, and an initial thirty cinemas have signed up to the initiative.

STV Productions Rebrands
STV Productions is to become STV Studios. The producer behind Elizabeth Is Missing and Catchphrase also holds a majority stake in Primal Media, a minority stake in Patrick Melrose producer Two Cities, and has an exclusive deal with Elaine Collins’ Tod Productions. STV Studios said it has 68 drama projects in development, of which 35 are in funded development. Across unscripted, 75 projects are in development, with a large number in advanced discussions with commissioners.

Banijay Rights Hands Top Role To Matt Creasey
Banijay Rights has named Endemol Shine International’s Matt Creasey as EVP of sales, co-productions and acquisitions, rest of the world. He will report to CEO Cathy Payne having worked at Endemol Shine International for the past 14 years. “He has an undisputed knowledge of the industry and is sure to thrive in his new position leading rest of the world across the united catalogues,” Payne said.

Channel 5 Signs Up Online Shorts
Channel 5’s streaming service My5 has signed a content deal with discover.film. The company’s short-form content, including animation Take Rabbit, comedy Edmund the Magnificent and political satire Capital, will be available to stream on My5. “It’s perfect for viewers who want to watch high-quality content in short bursts,” said Oli Thomas, VP, digital lead at Channel 5.

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