Channel 4 Orders Follow-Up To Influential Princess Diana Film
Channel 4 has commissioned Blink Films to make a follow-up to its explosive documentary on Princess Diana’s infamous Panorama interview with the BBC in 1995. The revelations in Blink’s first film, Diana: The Truth Behind The Interview, have sparked an independent inquiry at the BBC to get to the bottom of whether Diana was coerced into the Panorama conversation by reporter Martin Bashir through forged documents and misinformation. The Diana Interview: The Truth Behind The Scandal will examine the fallout and provide further revelations from Freedom of Information requests and royal insiders. The executive producer is Dan Chambers, the producer is Lesley Davies and the director is Andy Webb. It was commissioned for Channel 4 by Shaminder Nahal.
Black Nights Industry Winners
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has named the winners of its Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event program. The MIDPOINT TV Launch HBO Europe Award ($5,000) went to Afterparty (Croatia) from writer Dora Sustic and producer Maja Pek-Bruenjes. The Script Pool Film and TV Awards (€5,000) went to 20,000 Species Of Bees (film) from writer Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren and production companies Gariza Films and Sirimiri Films, and When You Fall (TV), from writer Biljana Crvenkovska and production company OXO Production.
The event’s work in progress award winners were: Post-Production Award (€5,000): Kalev, directed by Ove Musting, and Nuuccha, directed by Vladimir Munkuev; the Baltic Event Works in Progress Award (€1,500): I Am Fine, Thanks, directed by Ernestas Jankauskas, and Neon Spring, directed by Matīss Kaža; Just Film Works in Progress Award (€1,000): The Sleeping Beast by Jaak Kilmi.
The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (€20,000) went to Electric Sleep, written and directed by Zeynep Dadak, the Best Pitch Award went to Tasty, written and directed by Egle Vertelyte, and the Marché du Film Producers’ Network Award 2021 went to Laura McNicholas, 925 Productions, Ireland and Marina Naumova, Garpastum Pictures, Russia.
Amazon French Comedy
Amazon Prime has ordered French original comedy reality series LOL: Tu ris, tu perds. The show, to be presented by Philippe Lacheau, will pit 10 famous French comedians against one another to see who can keep a straight face while simultaneously trying to make their opponents laugh, in a competition for a grand prize of €100,000 that will go to the winner’s charity of choice.