Notizie

Exclusive: Fran Harris, co-writer on BBC cop show Blue Lights, is developing a Cold Feet-style drama series with backing from Irish pubcaster RTÉ.

Harris has been working on the relationship drama Laura McNicholas, founder of Dublin-based indie 925 Productions, who is here in Rome at Mia Market pitching Yes! to buyers, co-production partners and distributors. RTÉ is aboard alongside Screen Ireland to support development, but the series isn’t yet greenlit.

McNicholas told Deadline it was being set up as an hour-long relationship drama “along the lines of Cold Feet as an ensemble. “There will ideally be multiple storylines and threads we can explore, giving it renewability for many seasons,” she added.

The plot is being billed as a “generational story about self-rediscovery” in which several unhappy college friends who reconnect in their late-30s been look for new venues after hitting crises in their lives, such as being widowed or divorced.

Paul Mescal and Sharon Horgan were among the winners at the Irish Film and Television Awards.

Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.

Read on for the full list of winners.

Film Categories

Best Film

“Aisha”

“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner

“God’s Creatures”

“Lakelands”

“Róise & Frank”

“The Wonder”

Director – Film

“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner

“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh

“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes

“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds

“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon

“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy

Script – Film

“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner

“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh

“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley

“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan

“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon

“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...

A+E Networks Boosts Co-Pro Offering With Double UK Hire

A+E Networks has boosted its international co-production team with the hire of British TV vets Ninder Billing and Alexandra Finlay. The pair take up the roles of Vice President Unscripted Co-Productions International and Vice President Scripted Co-Productions International respectively. Billing’s role is new and Finlay replaces Moreyba Bidessie. Based in London, they will be responsible for identifying opportunities with global appeal and overseeing development and production, while working closely with third-party producers. A+E’s international co-productions include PBS Masterpiece’s Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Disney+’s Red Election, BBC drama North Sea Connection and Paramount+ doc Damian Lewis: Spy Wars. Former Channel 5 commissioner Billing joins from her post as Creative Director of Banijay-backed Darlow Smithson Productions, while Finlay was Vice President, Creative and Co-productions at Shaftesbury and is a former acquisitions exec for BBC Studios-owned UKTV.

“The Banshees of Inisherin,” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, led the nominations for the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) as the full list of nominees was unveiled on Monday night local time, picking up 11 nods in the film category.

“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.

Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”

“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...

After a year off, the U.S.-Ireland Alliance’s 16th Oscar Wilde Awards returns on March 24, moving to the Ebell of Los Angeles from its longtime home of Bad Robot studios in Santa Monica.

The awards celebrate contributions in entertainment notably from creatives who are Irish (and some who are not). This year’s honorees are Adam McKay, Kenneth Branagh, Jamie Dornan and Dónall Ó Héalai.

“The whole purpose of the event is really to build ties between the industry in Northern Ireland, Ireland and the U.S. And so we built it around honoring talent that have some connection to Ireland,” Trina Vargo, founder and president of the U.S.-Ireland Alliance, told Variety.

J.J. Abrams will be back as the night’s emcee, while Andrew Garfield is a presenter. Guests include Katie McGrath, Reinaldo Marcus Green and Fig O’Reilly. Loah & Bantum and True Tides will perform as musical guests.

Casting

English-language thriller series “North Sea Connection,” the next Viaplay Original produced by Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent), is currently filming in Ireland and has confirmed that Sinéad Cusack (“V for Vendetta”; pictured) will star alongside Lydia McGuinness (“Wild Mountain Thyme”), Kerr Logan (“Alias Grace”), Alida Morberg (“Black Lake”) and Claes Ljungmark (“Borg”).

The series follows Ciara (McGuinness), who is forced into an unenviable situation when her brother Aiden (Logan) becomes involved in illicit drug trafficking. With both the cartels and a Swedish law enforcement officer (Morberg) closing in, Ciara must come up with a plan to protect her family from a volatile and dangerous situation.

“North Sea Connection” will premiere on the Viaplay platform and on RTÉ in Ireland in 2022. It’s produced in association with Screen Ireland by Mopar Studios and Subotica, co-produced by Irish broadcaster RTÉ and distributed by A+E Networks International.

Education

The School of Film...

Mediawan takes ‘For The Record’ rights

Exclusive: French distributor Mediawan has taken worldwide distribution and European/LatAm format rights for For The Record, CBC Gem’s shortform comedy from Suits actor Julian De Zotti. Mediawan will take the comedy, which stars De Zotti alongside The Expanses’ Anna Hopkins, on the road following this week’s Mipcom. The show had its international premiere earlier this year at SXSW and features an interconnected cast of characters who are brought together in each episode by a song from Universal Music’s back catalogue. Mediawan’s move is “part of a larger effort of Canadian content and its creators to cross borders and find success abroad,” according to De Zotti, who was speaking exclusively to Deadline and cited the success of Schitt’s Creek. Mediawan VP content, Charles Touboul, said: “For The Record is a timeless love story with universal themes and unforgettable music, perfect for a global market.