DISTRIBUTION
Anthony LaPaglia‘s upcoming factual series “The Black Hand” is set to be distributed internationally by eOne.
The three-part series will explore Australia’s Italian community, looking at the difficulties they face, their politics, the threat of war and the mafia. According to the series synopsis, The Black Hand is the name for a gang of Italian criminals in Australia.
Alan Erson, LaPaglia, Michael Tear exec produce. Adam Grossetti and Kate Pappas produce. “The Black Hand” is directed by Kriv Stenders and written by Grossetti, Stenders and Anya Beyersdorf.
The series was produced by Wildbear Entertainment for ABC in Australia. The deal with eOne excludes Australia and Scandinavia.
“The Black Hand is truly the definition of premium factual,” said Kate Cundall, eOne’s VP for acquisitions. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to take to market a hugely popular genre like true crime with some amazing auspicious.”
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Meanwhile, Shout! Kids, in collaboration with Ukraine’s Animagrad Animation Studio and Film.UA Group, will release “Mavka: The Forest Song” in North America on home entertainment and digital on Aug. 15.
Produced by Animagrad Animation Studio amid the ongoing attack from Russia, the filmmaking process was hindered by bombardment, gunfire, unrest and property destruction. Based on the Ukrainian drama “The Forest Song” by poet and author Lesya Ukrainka, the English-language film unfolds in a universe that blends ancient Slavic traditions and folklore with a modern narrative that showcases Ukrainian culture, values, designs and music. Oleg Malamuzh and Sasha Ruban direct and the voice cast includes Laurie Hymes, Eddy Lee and Sarah Natochenny.
AWARDS
BAFTA has revealed the timeline for the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards. Voting takes place over three rounds: longlisting, nominations and winners, by the academy’s global voting film membership – comprising over 7,500 industry creatives. The awards rulebook will be published during the week commencing July 10; round one voting will open on Dec. 8; the longlists will be published and round two voting will open Jan. 5, 2024; the BAFTA tea party in Los Angeles will take place on Jan 6, 2024; nominations will be announced and round three voting will open Jan. 18, 2024; and the BAFTA Film Awards will take place on Feb. 18, 2024.
ACQUISITION
Gravitas Ventures have acquired British sci-fi film “Coyote” for North America. The film, by Dustin Curtis Murphy, is set to be released on June 20. It stars “The Witcher’s” Therica Wilson-Read and “Absentia’s” Borislava Stratieva. According to the logline, it is “a story of forbidden love in a dystopian future where teleportation technology enables two refugees to escape genocide.”
Addy Raja and Chris Kyriacou co-produced the pic.