News

Exclusive: Cj Beckford and Mirren Mack will lead the cast of UK indie feature Arthur & Clara, the directorial debut of Kieran Bourne.

Arthur & Clara is a romantic comedy about a filmmaker whose identity crisis is affecting his writing of a superhero story; and an insecure film star who goes missing from her press tour. The duo meet at a farmhouse and form a connection.

Production is slated for Q3 this year in Cornwall.

The film is produced by Oriane Pick for UK company Candid Broads, which is also making folk horror Black Samphire this year.

Beckford’s credits include Steve McQueen...

Acquisition

U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has picked up South African detective drama “The Cane Field Killings” starring Kim Engelbrecht (“Bullet Proof”) and Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”). The eight-episode series, which launched last year in South Africa, will launch on Channel 4 on Apr. 10. The drama tells the story of a brilliant criminal profiler, Reyka Gama (Engelbrecht), who is struggling to comes to terms with her dark past. Having been abducted as a child by farmer Angus Speelman (Glen), Reyka now channels that traumatic experience to enter into the mindset of Africa’s most notorious criminals. The series follows her investigation into a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of Kwa-Zulu-Natal.

The show is produced by Serena Cullen for Serena Cullen Productions and Harriet Gavshon for Quizzical Pictures. “The Cane Field Killings” is a co-production between M-Net and Fremantle and is distributed internationally by Fremantle.

Awards

After taking 2020 off, BAFTA’s Children’s Awards are set to return in November 2022 following a review starting in May of last year. The upcoming awards will place a stronger focus on engaging young audiences through updated categories and a ceremony to be held at the end of a larger weekend of BAFTA Kids activities. Entry to the awards will open in May of next year with an extended eligibility period reaching back to July 1, 2019. Details for the revised categories, eligibility and rules will be announced in due time. BAFTA was recently recognized, alongside children’s mental health charity Place2B, by Action for Children’s Arts with an outstanding contribution award.

Documentary

Discovery Plus has commissioned a new docuseries with former England striker-turned-pundit and podcaster Peter Crouch, “Save Our Beautiful Game.” Banijay’s Workerbee will produce the eight-part series, which follows Crouch as he returns to grassroots soccer...

Exclusive: 12 projects selected for the Film London scheme, which in the past has produced films starring Riz Ahmed (pictured) and Ben Drew.

Film London has announced the 12 entries shortlisted for Microwave - the scheme to help emerging filmmakers from the capital with their first projects.

This year’s shortlisted films and crews are:

Beneath the Mind, Ella Bennett (director), Kieran Bourne (writer), Oliver Nlemadim (producer), Hannah Bailey (producer).Bird of Truth, Oninye Egenti (writer-director), Linda Biney (producer).Borderline, Alice Seabright (director), Miles Mantle (writer), Merlin Merton (producer).Divided, Rayna Campbell (writer-director), Sue Caro (producer), Audrey Davenport (producer).Down From London, Douglas Ray (writer-director), Louise Palmqvist (producer)Hackney Marsh, Ryan Vernava (writer-director), Joe Copplestone (writer), Matt Hopper (producer).Mari, Georgia Parris (writer-director), Emma Duffy (producer)Miss Universe, 2016 Screen Star of Tomorrow Kate Herron (writer-director), Briony Redman (writer), Dougie Cox (producer). Outgrown, Jay Choi (director), Clare Sumi (writer), Kyle Blanshard (producer)Smalltown Boy, Alex Winckler (writer-director...