Disaster Docs & Global Reach: News Roundup
BossaNova Sells Disaster Documentaries to Channel 4
Content creation and distribution company BossaNova has secured two documentary deals with Channel 4 in the UK. The acquisitions, brokered by Channel 4's Felix Jones and BossaNova's Holly Cowdery, feature productions from ITN Productions and BriteSpark Films.
ITN's "MH17: The Plane Crash that Shook the World" commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Malaysian Airlines tragedy. The hour-long special features interviews with victims' families, journalist Matt Frei, and prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer. It delves into the incident's impact on Ukraine's war preparedness and international relations.
BriteSpark's two-part series "Tsunami, The Day The Wave Hit" chronicles the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Through firsthand accounts and archival footage, the series details the immediate aftermath and long-term consequences of the event, which claimed nearly 230,000 lives.
BBC's Global Influence Remains Strong
The BBC's international audience remains substantial, reaching 450 million weekly viewers in 2024, according to its latest Global Audience Measurement. Despite competition from state-backed rivals, BBC News, World Service, and Studios maintained their collective reach, slightly up from 447 million in 2023.
Topping the charts for trust, reliability, and independence among global news providers, the World Service, broadcasting in 42 languages, drew 320 million viewers. BBC News Arabic saw a 9% increase to 35 million weekly viewers, while World Service English climbed to 84 million.
The revamped BBC News channel attracted 112 million weekly viewers outside the UK. Hindi remains the top BBC language service, followed by Arabic and Swahili.
BBC News deputy CEO Jonathan Munro highlighted the audience trust during major news events. He acknowledged challenges for the World Service but expressed confidence in the BBC's position and commitment to "fearless and fair reporting."
Dumas Classic Gets Cinematic Reboot
Entertainment Film Distributors has set Pathe's "The Count of Monte Cristo" for a UK and Ireland theatrical release on August 30th. The adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel, directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière, stars Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, and Laurent Lafitte.
Following its Out of Competition premiere at Cannes 2024, the film opened in France with a $10 million first-week box office. The plot follows Edmond Dantes, wrongfully imprisoned on his wedding day, who escapes after 14 years to seek revenge as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo.
Netflix and NFDC Empower New Voices
India's National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Netflix India have launched "The Voicebox," an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India. The initiative offers training in eight languages across seven Indian cities, targeting 30 participants in each batch with a 50% quota for women. Top performers will contribute to Netflix's "Azaadi ki Amrit Kahaniya" project, narrating stories of India's independence movement.
"The Voicebox" is supported by Netflix's Fund for Creative Equity, a $100 million annual commitment over five years to support underrepresented communities in TV and film globally. This fund aims to create opportunities and amplify diverse voices in the entertainment industry.
The partnership was formalized at New Delhi's Shastri Bhawan, with key figures including Sanjay Jaju, secretary of India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Vrunda Desai, joint secretary (films) at the ministry; Prithul Kumar, MD of NFDC; Aditya Kutty, Netflix's legal director; Freddy Soames, head of competition policy; Kiran Desai, general counsel and senior director of business and legal Affairs for India; and Sharad Mehra, chair of Pearl Academy, the program's training partner. Interested professionals can find application details on NFDC's platforms.
