Lionsgate Films to Bow on Streaming Aggregator Platform ScreenHits TV – Global Bulletin

STREAMING

Lionsgate‘s on-demand film content will be available on streaming aggregator platform ScreenHits TV thanks to a new partnership that was revealed on Thursday. The content will be available via Lionsgate’s AVOD and linear channel, Moviesphere.

Territories covered by the deal currently include the U.K., Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Malta.

The ScreenHits TV app allows subscribers to integrate their existing streaming platforms, such as Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, StarzPlay, Moviesphere, Kidoodle, Paramount Plus, Britbox, MUBI, ITV Hub and BFI Player.

Lionsgate titles ScreenHits TV users will gain access to include “Are you Here?,” starring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler; “The Son of No One,” starring Al Pacino and Channing Tatum; Werner Herzog’s “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes and Val Kilmer; romantic drama “The Immigrant,” starring Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix; “The Winning Season” starring Sam Rockwell, Emma Roberts and Rooney Mara; “Playing For Keeps” starring Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid; and Nicolas Cage thriller “Looking Glass.”

“Our collaboration not only builds on the studio’s international rollout initiatives in new markets but clearly demonstrates its strong support for innovative, diverse, female-led media tech companies,” said Rose Adkins Hulse, founder and CEO of ScreenHits TV. “Because of its forward-thinking mindset, founders of young startups like myself have a chance to bring new ideas, technology and products to the market with a fair chance at achieving great success. Lionsgate is setting a great example, paving the way for new talent to become stakeholders in this new evolution of TV.”

COMPETITION

The annual Series Mania Festival (Aug. 26-Sept. 2) in Lille, France, will open with the world premiere of U.K. thriller “Vigil,” a World Production for BBC, in association with ITV Studios in partnership with ARTE, starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie.

The international competition jury will be chaired by screenwriter, director and producer Hagai Levi (“The Affair”) and contenders include “Kamikaze” (Denmark, HBO Max); “Anna” (Italy, Sky Italia, ARTE); “Blackport” (Iceland, RÚV, ARTE); “Furia” (Norway,Germany, Viaplay/ZDF); “Germinal” (France, Italy, Salto/France 2); “Hamlet” (Turkey, GAIN MEDYA); and “Jerusalem” and “The Echo of Your Voice” (both Israel, HOT).

SERIES

U.K. broadcaster ITV is launching “#MyPride,” a six-part digital series championing younger members of the LGBT+ community. Across July, ITV will publish six short-form films across ITV’s digital platforms and ITV Hub, featuring LGBT+ role models sharing their personal stories of coming out, self-acceptance and advice for young members of the community who may be struggling with their identity.

The films will feature co-founder of U.K. Black Pride Lady Phyll; ITV presenters Dr Ranj and Rob Binder; MC, musician and actress Paigey Cakey; “Drag Race U.K.” series 2 participant Tia Kofi; and author and presenter Riyadh Khalaf. The series is produced by Karma.

PODCAST

“Pieces Of Britney,” an eight-part podcast series from BBC’s Radio 4 presented by journalist and broadcaster Pandora Sykes, traces Britney Spears’ life and asks what her journey tells us about women are seen in the public eye. It shows how Spears joined a roster of women fetishised by the media, citing numerous examples, from the time including Rolling Stone’s description of Alicia Silverstone as “a kittenish 18 year-old who lots of men want to have sex with,” and when it was reported that Billie Eilish was the most searched for name on Pornhub when she turned 18.

Written by Katie Hims, the podcast mixes documentary, archive, interviews and drama and features contributions from social psychologist Dr Karen Dill-Shackleford; Jude Ellison S. Doyle, author of “Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear… and Why”; culture historian Jennifer Otter Bickerdike; and child star Mara Wilson.

“Pieces Of Britney” is available on BBC Sounds from July 1.