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Andy Harries will take over later this month.

David Puttnam is to step down as chair of the Film London Executive Task Force later this month, with Left Bank Pictures CEO Andy Harries moving into the role.

Puttnam has led the Task Force since becoming its inaugural chair in 2004. During his tenure he has overseen the introduction of the first road closure legislation for filming in the UK, as well as the launch of the London Filming Partnership in 2005.

“We can all take pride in what’s been achieved during my tenure,” said Puttnam, “including the design and implementation of...

Update Nov. 12, 2021: After 14 years, Britney Spears’ conservatorship has been terminated.

The contentious fight over Britney Spears’ conservatorship entered a new phase after the singer’s scathing testimony in front of Los Angeles probate judge Brenda Penny in June, during which the pop star offered a harrowing account of the last 13 years of her life.

Since 2008, Spears’ life has been controlled by a conservatorship led by her once-estranged father, James “Jamie” Spears. The conservatorship has been credited by some with helping right Spears’ career after a tumultuous 2008 ended with a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold; since then,...

FreeBritney rallies have grown around the country since the pop star spoke out against her conservatorship in court last month.

The contentious fight over Britney Spears’ conservatorship entered a new phase after the singer’s scathing testimony in front of Los Angeles probate judge Brenda Penny in June, during which the pop star offered a harrowing account of the last 13 years of her life.

Since 2008, Spears’ life has been controlled by a conservatorship led by her once-estranged father, James “Jamie” Spears. The conservatorship has been credited by some with helping...

Image Source: Megan Thompson

Ever since the release of the Framing Britney Spears documentary, Britney Spears's life has been catapulted back into the spotlight and it's prompted a reckoning around mental health, conservatorships, and how the media treats celebrities. Two people who have been at the forefront of the #FreeBritney movement are the women behind the Britney's Gram podcast, Tess Barker and Barbara Gray.

Tess and Babs initially launched the podcast in 2017 as a way to humorously analyze Britney's Instagram account, but they had no idea that would all change when they received a disturbing voicemail in 2019 from a person who claimed to be a former paralegal who worked on the pop singer's conservatorship. In the voicemail, the paralegal stated that Britney's dad, Jamie Spears, was allegedly forcing her to take medication and put her in a mental health facility against her will. Since then, Tess and Babs have shifted...

Over a week after the premiere of FX’s The New Times Presents episode “Framing Britney Spears,” the picture appears to be straightening out. On Thursday, Feb. 11, Los Angeles Judge Brenda Penny sided with Britney Spears’ legal team, reducing Britney’s father’s powers as sole conservator. Judge Penny ordered James Spears and financial company Bessemer Trust to work together on her financial and business affairs. On Friday, Feb. 12, Justin Timberlake issued a public apology to Britney, as well as for the misogynistic “wardrobe malfunction” prank he pulled on Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl in 2004. While the Britney documentary was a major force in the timing of these developments, they might not be happening if it weren’t for the efforts of Britney Spears’ most avid fans.

“Framing Britney Spears” director Samantha Stark spoke with Den of Geek about how the movement became a force for change. The New...

On April 22nd, 2019, around 50 Britney Spears fans wielding neon posters bearing the hashtag #FreeBritney gathered outside of West Hollywood City Hall. The collection gathered peacefully, wearing her merchandise, playing her hits and explaining to the news teams on site that they were collectively concerned, specifically about the state of her long-running conservatorship. Tess Barker and Barbara Gray, originators of the #FreeBritney movement, probably never had such a scene in mind when they launched their podcast Britney’s Gram in November 2017.

Barker and Gray gathered with fellow #FreeBritney supporters again shortly thereafter,...