Awards Jamboree
The Asian Film Awards Academy has revealed several events around the annual Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. Veteran filmmakers, jury president of this year’s awards, Japan’s Kurosawa Kiyoshi and Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan, will share their filmmaking experiences and artistic concepts in a joint masterclass. Thai star Metawin Opas-Iamkajorn (“2gether” series and film) known as Win, will be honored with the Afa Rising Star Award and the event will host the world premiere of his new film “Under Parallel Skies.”
There will also be six themed panel discussions featuring actors Wan Fang (Taiwan), Rachel Leung and Yoyo Tse (both Hong Kong), Tergel Bold-Erdene (Mongolia), Awat Ratanapintha (Thailand) and Shirata Mihaya (Japan). The discussions will also include filmmakers Nick Cheuk, Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, Dominic Sangma, Oscar-winning production designer Tim Yip, production and costume designers Eric Lam, Man Lim Chung, Mitsumatsu Keiko, Elaine Ng, Zhang Menglun, editors Keith Chan Hiu Chun,...
The Asian Film Awards Academy has revealed several events around the annual Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. Veteran filmmakers, jury president of this year’s awards, Japan’s Kurosawa Kiyoshi and Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan, will share their filmmaking experiences and artistic concepts in a joint masterclass. Thai star Metawin Opas-Iamkajorn (“2gether” series and film) known as Win, will be honored with the Afa Rising Star Award and the event will host the world premiere of his new film “Under Parallel Skies.”
There will also be six themed panel discussions featuring actors Wan Fang (Taiwan), Rachel Leung and Yoyo Tse (both Hong Kong), Tergel Bold-Erdene (Mongolia), Awat Ratanapintha (Thailand) and Shirata Mihaya (Japan). The discussions will also include filmmakers Nick Cheuk, Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, Dominic Sangma, Oscar-winning production designer Tim Yip, production and costume designers Eric Lam, Man Lim Chung, Mitsumatsu Keiko, Elaine Ng, Zhang Menglun, editors Keith Chan Hiu Chun,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Former Rx France execs Liliane da Cruz and Samira Haddi have launched Indicium Consulting, an events management biz for the entertainment industry.
The pair, who exited Mipcom and MipTV organizer Rx France last year, debuted their new business last week at the inaugural Sica 2023, an African content event held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire in Côte d’Ivoire.
The pair have worked in TV and film events management for more than 15 years. Their new B2B business will specialise in restructuring, planning, organizing, and executing events in the entertainment content industry.
Their debut event, Sica, ran from November 20 to 22 with the backing of the Côte d’Ivoire state. The line-up included the world premiere of Kagiso Lediga’s Classified. The series is billed as a gripping teen espionage drama from by Skybound Galactic and Johannesburg-based Diprente. It’s set to stream on Amazon Freevee in the U.S.
The pair, who exited Mipcom and MipTV organizer Rx France last year, debuted their new business last week at the inaugural Sica 2023, an African content event held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire in Côte d’Ivoire.
The pair have worked in TV and film events management for more than 15 years. Their new B2B business will specialise in restructuring, planning, organizing, and executing events in the entertainment content industry.
Their debut event, Sica, ran from November 20 to 22 with the backing of the Côte d’Ivoire state. The line-up included the world premiere of Kagiso Lediga’s Classified. The series is billed as a gripping teen espionage drama from by Skybound Galactic and Johannesburg-based Diprente. It’s set to stream on Amazon Freevee in the U.S.
- 11/28/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Christine Horn and Sule Rimi have been tapped to star in Kagiso Lediga’s newly titled Amazon Freevee series Classified (fka Untitled Kagiso Lediga), a coming-of-age drama from Skybound Galactic, a joint venture between Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television, and Johannesburg-based producer Diprente. Horn and Rimi join previously announced lead Imani Pullum. The series will premiere in the U.S. on Amazon Freevee.
Created by Lediga, the eight-episode series follows 15-year-old Ella Gardner (Pullum), a student at a public school in Oakland, California. Arrested at a protest and facing serious jail time, Ella avoids incarceration, but as part of the deal, Ella must leave her home in California and spend the remainder of her secondary education with her family in Johannesburg. Ella’s world is turned upside down as she navigates a very different reality than the one she has known.
Created by Lediga, the eight-episode series follows 15-year-old Ella Gardner (Pullum), a student at a public school in Oakland, California. Arrested at a protest and facing serious jail time, Ella avoids incarceration, but as part of the deal, Ella must leave her home in California and spend the remainder of her secondary education with her family in Johannesburg. Ella’s world is turned upside down as she navigates a very different reality than the one she has known.
- 3/1/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Rising young actor Imani Pullum has been cast as the lead in Amazon Freevee’s coming-of-age drama Untitled Kagiso Lediga Project. The eight-episode series hails from Queen Sono creator Lediga, Skybound Galactic, a joint venture between Skybound Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television, and Johannesburg-based producer Diprente.
Pullum will play the lead role of Ella Gardner in the eight-episode series which will premiere in the U.S. on Amazon Freevee.
Created by Lediga, the coming-of-age drama follows 15-year-old Ella, a student at a public school in Oakland, California. Gifted with a flowing tongue, Ella is a weaver of yarns. A skateboarder with a skillful street style, she is a firebrand—defiant and rebellious in nature. Arrested at a protest and facing serious jail time, Ella avoids incarceration thanks to her stepmother, Dianne, who has connections in high places. As part of the deal, Ella must...
Pullum will play the lead role of Ella Gardner in the eight-episode series which will premiere in the U.S. on Amazon Freevee.
Created by Lediga, the coming-of-age drama follows 15-year-old Ella, a student at a public school in Oakland, California. Gifted with a flowing tongue, Ella is a weaver of yarns. A skateboarder with a skillful street style, she is a firebrand—defiant and rebellious in nature. Arrested at a protest and facing serious jail time, Ella avoids incarceration thanks to her stepmother, Dianne, who has connections in high places. As part of the deal, Ella must...
- 11/10/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Documentaries
Toronto Raptors vice-chair and president Masai Ujiri has joined the upcoming documentary series on the Basketball Africa League (Bal), a partnership between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), as an executive producer.
Fremantle and Passenger are producing the as yet untitled series, which tells the story of the creation, launch and inaugural season of the Bal, a new professional basketball league in Africa featuring 12 club teams from across the African continent. The series is being directed by emerging South African director Tebogo Malope.
Ujiri was the architect behind the Raptors’ historic 2019 NBA Championship win and he also serves as president of Giants of Africa, the non-profit he co-founded in 2003, which uses basketball as a tool to educate and enrich the lives of African youth.
The first edition of Bal took place in May in Kigali, Rwanda. Working alongside showrunner and executive producer Richard Brown...
Toronto Raptors vice-chair and president Masai Ujiri has joined the upcoming documentary series on the Basketball Africa League (Bal), a partnership between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), as an executive producer.
Fremantle and Passenger are producing the as yet untitled series, which tells the story of the creation, launch and inaugural season of the Bal, a new professional basketball league in Africa featuring 12 club teams from across the African continent. The series is being directed by emerging South African director Tebogo Malope.
Ujiri was the architect behind the Raptors’ historic 2019 NBA Championship win and he also serves as president of Giants of Africa, the non-profit he co-founded in 2003, which uses basketball as a tool to educate and enrich the lives of African youth.
The first edition of Bal took place in May in Kigali, Rwanda. Working alongside showrunner and executive producer Richard Brown...
- 10/28/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Masai Ujiri, vice-chairman and president of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, has been brought on board to executive produce the Fremantle/Passenger docuseries based on the newly launched Basketball Africa League.
Ujiri joins as EP alongside Fisher Stevens (Tiger King) and Akin Omotoso (The Greek Freak), while Emmy-winning editor Andy Worboys has boarded as lead editor. South Africa’s Tebogo Malope is directing.
The docuseries is being produced by Fremantle and Richard Brown’s Passenger as part of their multi-year deal.
With the first Bal season taking place in Rwanda in May, the series will showcase stories of players, coaches and teams across Africa as they prepare for and compete in the season-ending tournament. The league is a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation.
Ujiri, who was the architect behind the Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship team, grew up in Zaria, Nigeria and attended college in the U.S.
Ujiri joins as EP alongside Fisher Stevens (Tiger King) and Akin Omotoso (The Greek Freak), while Emmy-winning editor Andy Worboys has boarded as lead editor. South Africa’s Tebogo Malope is directing.
The docuseries is being produced by Fremantle and Richard Brown’s Passenger as part of their multi-year deal.
With the first Bal season taking place in Rwanda in May, the series will showcase stories of players, coaches and teams across Africa as they prepare for and compete in the season-ending tournament. The league is a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation.
Ujiri, who was the architect behind the Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship team, grew up in Zaria, Nigeria and attended college in the U.S.
- 10/28/2021
- by Anuj Radia
- Deadline Film + TV
Mandy Chang, the head of BBC documentary strand Storyville, is stepping down after four years in the role to join super-indie Fremantle as global head of factual.
Chang, whose role was officially commissioning editor of Storyville and acquisitions, will stay in the post until August, though recruitment for the role will begin in due course. The former Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) arts boss boarded the Beeb in 2017, taking over for Kate Townsend, who left the public broadcaster to join Netflix’s documentary team.
At Fremantle, Chang will oversee the strategy and creation of Fremantle’s new factual arm, reporting into group COO Andrea Scrosati. The super-indie has been investing heavily in unscripted in recent years, launching shows such as Samuel L. Jackson’s “Enslaved” as well as documentary series “Punk.”
At Storyville, Chang helped to deliver more than 85 feature docs, including “The Fourth Estate,” “Maiden,” “The Cleaners,” “The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea,...
Chang, whose role was officially commissioning editor of Storyville and acquisitions, will stay in the post until August, though recruitment for the role will begin in due course. The former Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) arts boss boarded the Beeb in 2017, taking over for Kate Townsend, who left the public broadcaster to join Netflix’s documentary team.
At Fremantle, Chang will oversee the strategy and creation of Fremantle’s new factual arm, reporting into group COO Andrea Scrosati. The super-indie has been investing heavily in unscripted in recent years, launching shows such as Samuel L. Jackson’s “Enslaved” as well as documentary series “Punk.”
At Storyville, Chang helped to deliver more than 85 feature docs, including “The Fourth Estate,” “Maiden,” “The Cleaners,” “The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea,...
- 5/10/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Fremantle and Passenger, the company founded by True Detective producer Richard Brown, are teaming with sports marketing company Infront to make a documentary series about the launch of the NBA-affiliated Basketball Africa League.
South African director Tebogo Malope (Queen Sono) is helming the series, which charts the inaugural season of Bal, a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa tipping off on May 16 in Kigali, Rwanda.
It follow players, coaches, and teams as they prepare for and compete in the competition, which is a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation, marking the first NBA-operated league outside of North America.
The series was developed by Malope alongside executive producers Brown, Oscar-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens, and Nigerian director/producer Akin Omotoso, who is currently directing The Greek Freak for Disney+. Anthony Scheinman and Christian Vesper also serve as executive producers for Infront and Fremantle respectively.
Brown said: “I...
South African director Tebogo Malope (Queen Sono) is helming the series, which charts the inaugural season of Bal, a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa tipping off on May 16 in Kigali, Rwanda.
It follow players, coaches, and teams as they prepare for and compete in the competition, which is a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation, marking the first NBA-operated league outside of North America.
The series was developed by Malope alongside executive producers Brown, Oscar-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens, and Nigerian director/producer Akin Omotoso, who is currently directing The Greek Freak for Disney+. Anthony Scheinman and Christian Vesper also serve as executive producers for Infront and Fremantle respectively.
Brown said: “I...
- 4/28/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
The nascent Basketball Africa League (Bal), a partnership between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), is set to get its own documentary series.
Fremantle, “True Detective” executive producer Richard Brown and sports marketing company Infront have teamed with the Bal to produce an original documentary series telling the story of its launch and inaugural season.
The Bal is a new professional league featuring 12 teams from across Africa that starts May 16 in Kigali, Rwanda. It marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.
The series will be directed by South African director Tebogo Malope, who directed Netflix’s first African original series “Queen Sono.” It will follow stories of players, coaches and teams from across Africa, spotlighting the ambition behind the pan-African basketball league and the individuals who have worked to change the landscape of sports on the continent through this initiative.
Fremantle, “True Detective” executive producer Richard Brown and sports marketing company Infront have teamed with the Bal to produce an original documentary series telling the story of its launch and inaugural season.
The Bal is a new professional league featuring 12 teams from across Africa that starts May 16 in Kigali, Rwanda. It marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.
The series will be directed by South African director Tebogo Malope, who directed Netflix’s first African original series “Queen Sono.” It will follow stories of players, coaches and teams from across Africa, spotlighting the ambition behind the pan-African basketball league and the individuals who have worked to change the landscape of sports on the continent through this initiative.
- 4/28/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has released a trailer for its anticipated first African original series, titled “Queen Sono.” The series represents the streaming giant’s ongoing push into the African continent — a still relatively untapped source of talent and content.
“Queen Sono” is a South African crime drama created by actor and director Kagiso Lediga, starring Pearl Thusi (“Quantico”) as a Jason Bourne-like operative who tackles dangerous missions while contending with personal challenges.
Thusi is joined in front of the camera by Vuyo Dabula, Sechaba Morojele, Chi Mhende, Loyiso Madinga, Rob Van Vuuren, Kate Liquorish, Khathu Ramabulana, Enhle Maphumulo, Abigail Kubeka, Connie Chiume, Otto Nobela and James Ngcobo. The series was ordered for a six-episode first season by Netflix in December 2018, with Lediga as executive producer alongside Tamsin Andersson. Lediga and Tebogo Malope directed all six episodes.
The first season is set to be released on Netflix in its entirety on February 28.
In...
“Queen Sono” is a South African crime drama created by actor and director Kagiso Lediga, starring Pearl Thusi (“Quantico”) as a Jason Bourne-like operative who tackles dangerous missions while contending with personal challenges.
Thusi is joined in front of the camera by Vuyo Dabula, Sechaba Morojele, Chi Mhende, Loyiso Madinga, Rob Van Vuuren, Kate Liquorish, Khathu Ramabulana, Enhle Maphumulo, Abigail Kubeka, Connie Chiume, Otto Nobela and James Ngcobo. The series was ordered for a six-episode first season by Netflix in December 2018, with Lediga as executive producer alongside Tamsin Andersson. Lediga and Tebogo Malope directed all six episodes.
The first season is set to be released on Netflix in its entirety on February 28.
In...
- 1/30/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
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