ACQUISITION
Abacus Media Rights (AMR) has picked up global distribution rights to BBC Two’s Joan Collins documentary, produced by Salon Pictures and commissioned by Mark Bell at BBC Arts. Promising to tell the life story of the Hollywood actor from her point of view, the 90-minute documentary will be narrated by Collins herself. Clare Beavan (“Bricks!”) will direct as well as co-produce with Karen Steyn, Nick Taussig and Annabel Wigoder. Karen Steyn (“Tea With the Dames”) is executive producer.
“National treasures don’t come more glamorous than Dame Joan Collins and after seven decades of stardom her shine remains undimmed,” said Bell. “Her story too is priceless; this film will be an account of the ups and downs of an entertainment career like no other – candid, revelatory and occasionally hilarious.”
AMR managing director Jonathan Ford added: “This will be the definitive story of Dame Joan Collins told in her own words and her own way, delivering a fascinating insight into her incredible life and remarkable career which has spanned more than 70 years.”
FESTIVALS
The Jerusalem Film Festival announced the full slate of winners for this year’s event, where more than 1 million ILS ($312,290) was distributed amongst the various winners. Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6” was the week’s top winner, taking the best international feature prize from the international competition. The jury praised Kuosmanen’s work as “entertaining, clever, and remarkably endearing. This is free cinema, released from confinements, where an entire world exists within a cramped train car and where impossible connections are forged between people from different borders and cultures.”
Jonas Poher’s animated feature “Flee” continued its impressive run of form with a Jerusalem special mention, having previously won a grand jury prize at Sundance and Annecy’s Cristal for best animated feature among several other awards. Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta,” a hit in Sundance’s World Cinema section, won the prize for best first feature in Jerusalem.
A full list of winners is available on the festival’s website: https://jff.org.il/en/article/49275
Credit: Sami Kuokkanen/Aamu Film Company
STREAMING
Fox Entertainment’s ad-supported streaming service Tubi has closed a deal with BBC Studios picking up more than 400 hours of content. Among the BBC series which are immediately available are “Atlantis,” “Misfits,” “Monarch of the Glen,” “Robin Hood” and many others. A second batch of BBC programs will land on Tubi starting Sept. 15, including the culturally iconic “Antiques Roadshow,” Will Arnett-starrer “The First Team,” “Life,” and “High & Dry” from Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow. Tubi now hosts more than 35,000 films and series from over 250 content partners. The app is available on Android and iOS devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub, and on several OTT streaming devices.