Latest news with #BlackFruit
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UK's Reputation As Production Hub Under Threat Due To Lack Of Government Funding In BFI, Report Says
An increased workload coupled with a real-term decrease in government funding has reduced the British Film Institute's efficiency, threatening the UK's reputation as a filming destination, according to a new report. The assessment was shared this morning in a lengthy report by the influential UK Culture, Media & Sport Committee (CMSC). Zeroing in on the BFI's structure and responsibilities, the report said the organization was tasked with taking on an expanded brief in 2011 following the closure of the UK Film Council. More from Deadline Lamin Leroy Gibba On His Breakout Series 'Black Fruit' & The Fight To Maintain Progressive Storytelling In Germany: "We Have To Be Loud" - BFI Flare Tom Cruise To Receive BFI Fellowship BFI Flare Programmer Grace Barber-Plentie On Landing 'The Wedding Banquet' & How Industry Shifts Are Creating Space For Queer Film Culture 'Since then, the BFI's remit has continued to expand, now including video games and Extended Reality as well as film and HETV,' the report reads. The report adds that the BFI's expanded responsibilities have not been supplemented by increased grant-in-aid or National Lottery funding. For the organization to be able to continue to 'offer financial support to those other parts of the screen industry,' the report concluded, its budget must be increased. The full conclusion reads: 'Too often, the BFI's responsibilities have been expanded by the Government without a commensurate, long-term increase in the grant-in-aid support available to it. That has put the UK's reputation with inward investors at risk and could undermine the growth of the vital sectors under its remit.' The report identifies key sections of the BFI, like the organization's Certification Unit, which are operating at a greatly reduced level of efficiency due to increased demand and a lack of funding. 'Since 2011, the number of tax incentives administered by the BFI Certification Unit has increased from one (film) to six (film, independent film, HETV, video games, animation, children's TV), with applications also increasing five-fold,' the report reads. 'However, that increased demand had not been reflected in an increase in grant-in-aid, resulting in a backlog of applications and an increase in turnaround times from 4–6 weeks to 18–20 weeks.' The report states that certification delays are beginning to hit the UK's reputation as a production destination, citing evidence by Northern Ireland Screen, which said the delays were 'beginning to undermine [the UK's] reputation for stability and security.' 'There is a significant risk that studios will seek faster processes when considering where to make future productions, especially as other countries are making large investments in production infrastructure to attract inward investment,' the report reads. In a statement to Deadline, Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive, welcomed the report as the first official look into the UK audiovisual sector in over 20 years. 'Many of the recommendations align directly with work that the BFI is delivering across a number of fronts including supporting access to finance for production, distribution and exhibition – including dedicated support for independent cinemas and UK distributors; international business development; growing the workforce and Good Work guidance; a soon to be published report on where the sector is working with generative AI,' Roberts said. 'We are happy to see the report note the success of the UK Global Screen Fund and the importance of our screen heritage and the role of the BFI National Archive. We await the response from Government and are ready to offer support where we are able to on ensuing priorities.' Elsewhere in the report, the Committee officially recommended a 5% streamer levy to the government that it said should be enshrined into law if the industry fails to introduce it within a year. Curiously, despite the observations laid out above, the report recommends that the levy revenue be funnelled into a new cultural fund administered by none other than the BFI to support domestic production. The committee also called on the BFI to 'urgently conduct analysis' on changes to the high-end TV tax credit and, separately, to help develop an 'AI observatory and tech demonstrator hub.' In a separate statement, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, which administers a large portion the BFI's budget, said: 'We acknowledge the challenges facing our brilliant film and TV industry and are working with it through our Industrial Strategy to consider what more needs to be done to unlock growth and develop the skills pipeline. We thank the Committee for its report, which we will respond to in due course.' Best of Deadline Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' 'The Last Of Us' Season 2: Everything We Know So Far Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Black Fruit:' ZDF Studios Takes International Distribution Rights On Buzzy German-Language Series From Lamin Leroy Gibba
EXCLUSIVE: ZDF Studios has acquired international distribution rights to Black Fruit (Schwarze Früchte), the buzzy debut series from actor-writer Lamin Leroy Gibba. A co-production between Jünglinge Film, Studio Zentral, and ARD Degeto, Black Fruit debuted at last year's Tribeca Film Festival before a highly-publicized release on ARD in Germany. More from Deadline 'Ku'damm 77' Begins Filming: New Season Continues Family Saga With ZDF Studios Across Sales ZDF Studios & WedoTV Team For Factual & Relaxation Channels Miranda Tapsell & Gwilym Lee On 'Top End Bub', The Follow-Up To Rom-Com Hit 'Top End Wedding' And "What Happens After Happily Ever After?" Set in contemporary Hamburg, the series follows the journey of mid-twenty Lalo (Gibba) as he grapples with the sudden loss of his father, embarking on a tumultuous path of impulsive decisions that reverberate through his life and those around him. Alongside his ambitious best friend Karla, Lalo strives to define his identity amidst societal pressures and personal struggles. The show is one of the first serial productions in Germany to chronicle the lives of Queer people of color. Gibba stars in the series and also serves as the showrunner. Writers on the show include Sophia Ayissi, Naomi Kelechi Odhiambo, Lisa Tracy Michalik, and Sarah Claire Wray. The wider cast features Melodie Simina, Vanessa Yeboah, Benjamin Radjaipour, Daniel Hernandez, Nick Romeo Reimann, Simon Kluth, Thapelo Mashiane, Christine Rollar, Sheri Hagen, Jerry Kwarteng, and more. Elisha Smith-Leverock and David Uzochukwu directed the eight-episode series. The series EP credits include Faraz Shariat, Paulina Lorenz, and Lasse Scharpen. Producers are Raquel Dukpa and Olivia Kpaleté. The show had funding from MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein. Gibba is a German-based writer and actor. Black Fruit is his debut series. He co-produced, wrote, and starred in the 2022 short Dogfriend, which screened at Tribeca. He studied acting at the New School in New York. Black Fruit screens at the upcoming BFI Flare film festival. Best of Deadline Epic Universe: The Latest Images Of The New Universal Orlando Theme Park Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office
