Princess Diana Interview Investigation Ruled Out by London Police – Global Bulletin

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In today’s Global Bulletin, London police won’t investigate allegations around the Princess Diana 1995 BBC interview; Amazon European originals chief Georgia Brown to be Edinburgh TV Festival advisory chair; Guadalajara festival shakes up directorial teams; El Gouna festival sets October dates; Restored Charlie Chaplin films to get global rereleases; and Ousmane Sembène’s 1968 classic “Mandabi” to get a U.K. release.

The London Metropolitan Police will not conduct an investigation into the allegations swirling around the BBC’s infamous 1995 interview with Princess Diana, conducted by Martin Bashir.

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The interview, on the “Panorama” program, in which the princess revealed her troubled relationship with Prince Charles, grabbed headlines around the world, but questions arose.

Bashir allegedly forged documents to obtain the interview, in which an ex-employee of the princess’ brother, Charles Spencer was named, and he wrote to the police alleging a security breach.

On Thursday, Scotland Yard said they would not be conducting a criminal probe.

Scotland Yard commander Alex Murray said: “In recent months the Metropolitan Police Service received correspondence alleging unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995. This was carefully assessed by specialist detectives. They obtained legal advice from Metropolitan Police lawyers, independent counsel and from the Crown Prosecution Service.”

“Following this detailed assessment and in view of the advice we received, we have determined that it is not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into these allegations. No further action will be taken,” Murray added. “In this matter, as in any other, should any significant new evidence come to light we will assess it.”

APPOINTMENT

Georgia Brown, director of European originals for Amazon Studios, will be the advisory chair for the 2021 Edinburgh TV Festival.

Brown will be the first advisory chair from a streaming service. She is an alumna of the Edinburgh TV Festival TV Foundation’s ‘Ones To Watch’ scheme.

New to the Festival board will be last year’s advisory chair and BBC’s director of factual, Patrick Holland, Whisper CEO Sunil Patel and Rogan Productions MD Soleta Rogan. BBC commissioning editor for documentaries, Carl Callam, has been appointed to the TV Foundation board.

‘Accelerating Change’ will be the theme of this year’s festival (Aug. 24-27), focusing on how change is happening in the TV business at every level.

FESTIVALS

Mexico’s Guadalajara International Film Festival has shaken up its directorial teams ahead of October’s rescheduled, in person event, as longtime head of industry and markets Angélica Lares moves on to take the reins at the Taller del Chucho, a nearby stop motion animation studio godfathered by Guillermo del Toro with close ties to the festival.

Ximena Urrutia, director of Guadalajara’s U.S. spinoff GuadaLAjara, will step in as the new director of Guadalajara’s film market. Urrutia has produced several award-winning documentaries and in 2015 directed her first short “Ella,” which was nominated for a Mexican Academy Ariel Award. Samantha Buciaga, Guadalajara’s co-production and works in progress section head, will take charge of the entire industry section as the new coordinator of industry programming. – Jamie Lang

Meanwhile, the El Gouna Film Festival, Egypt, is returning for its fifth edition, scheduled to take place from Oct. 14 -22, 2021. The 2020 edition was the first public event to take place at the site of the Gouna Conference and Culture Center, the new home for the festival and its activities, the opening and closing ceremonies, daily red-carpet events, premieres and networking events.

RERELEASE

Piece of Magic Entertainment and MK2 Films have partnered to rerelease restored Charlie Chaplin films worldwide, as “The Kid” (1921) celebrates its centenary year.

Among MK2 Films’ 2k and 4k restorations of Chaplin’s work are “The Great Dictator” (1940), “Modern Times” (1936), “City Lights” (1931), “The Circus” (1928), “The Gold Rush” (1925), besides “The Kid.”

MK2 Films will release “The Kid” in France in the fall with a 4K restoration and Piece of Magic will work with their global network of exhibitors to release this and other films from the collection in over 49 territories, while collaborating with existing MK2 distribution partners.

RELEASE

Studiocanal will release a 4K restoration of Ousmane Sembène’s Senegalese classic “Mandabi” (The Money Order) in cinemas and on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital in the U.K. in June 2021.

Directed, written and produced by the father of African cinema Ousmane Sembène, the film was originally made in 1968 where it won the special jury prize at Venice Film Festival. This will be the first time the film has been released in the U.K. and features new artwork by Nigerian artist Adekunle Adeleke.

The 4K restoration of the film premiered at the Lumière Film Festival 2020 in Lyon with Sembène’s son, Alain Sembène in attendance to present the film.

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