RESTRUCTURING Multinational cinema operator Cineworld‘s proposed restructuring now has the backing of most of its lenders, the company said on Thursday. The restructuring, which was announced in April, “now has the support of lenders holding and controlling approximately 99% of the legacy facilities and at least 69% of the outstanding indebtedness…
Nigeria
When Chukwudi Iwuji was a kid growing up in Nigeria and Ethiopia, he imagined he could fly. The second youngest of five, he would spend hours on his own, meticulously reenacting scenes he’d seen on TV, playing every part himself. Virtually all of what captured his imagination were American shows…

“Abbott Elementary,” “Better Call Saul,” “Severance,” “Mo,” “Reservation Dogs” and “We’re Here” are among the entertainment nominees as the Peabody Awards’ board of jurors revealed 42 nominees for this year’s Peabodys in entertainment, arts, children’s/youth, podcast/radio, interactive & immersive, and public service. They join the 27 news and documentary nominees announced by…
“The Power” offers a novel twist on culture and the ramifications of historical hierarchies, without any hitting-us-over-the-head preachiness.
Four African episodic screenwriters will take the stage Tuesday at Series Mania to pitch the genre-flavored series they currently have in development, a crop of shows that reflect the rich and fertile landscape for African series creators looking to tap into the global TV market. The shows are created by…
“Luther” star Idris Elba and media mogul Mo Abudu are joining forces to empower talent from Africa and the diaspora through their respective production companies, Green Door Pictures and EbonyLife Media. The new partnership aims to provide opportunities through capacity building as well as large-scale global productions. New education and…

In the chase for scale in streaming, it’s the technology behind NBCUniversal’s Peacock that could be the saving grace for African SVOD service Showmax. Pan-African pay-TV operator MultiChoice revealed on Thursday that it will be relaunching its regional streamer Showmax with Peacock technology. NBCUniversal and the U.K.’s Sky will take…

Giacomo Abbruzzese’s debut feature is a hazily seductive, frequently dreamlike study of life in the French Foreign Legion, fixated on masculine bodies in synchronized and sometimes violently clashing motion. It is also called “Disco Boy.” You almost certainly wouldn’t choose that subject, tone and title for a film if you…

Paris-based Italian director Giacomo Abbruzzese says making the Berlin Film Festival competition cut with his first feature, “Disco Boy,” which toplines German star Franz Rogowski (“Passages,” ”Undine”), is “certainly a dream come true.” But he also points out that his remarkable debut was a long time coming. A graduate of…

“YOP,” “Unspoken,” and “Asma” look like potential standout titles at this year’s Series Mania’s Forum Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, still one of Series Mania’s industry centerpieces which in 2023 is shaping up in many ways to be a bumper edition. Running March 21-23, the Forum hosts now a swathe of ever…

Italy’s Coccinelle Film Sales has acquired world rights to Nigerian director Babatunde Apalowo’s gay-themed drama “All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White,” ahead of the film’s Berlin Film Festival launch. “All the Colours” is the feature film debut of Apalowo, who was born in Ogbagi-Akoko, Nigeria,…

Philippines-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter-producer Eyedress has signed with RCA Records and dropped a new, Valentine’s Day-themed single, “Flowers & Chocolate,” the label announced today (Feb. 13). The song’s accompanying music video, directed by Eddie Huang (author of “Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir” and director/writer of the upcoming film “Tuna…