World Screen

LONDON: The brand-new production company New Pictures is launching today with a senior management team that includes Elaine Pyke, formerly the controller of Sky Atlantic, and Willow Grylls, who joins from Company Pictures. Pyke had been with BSkyB as controller of Sky Atlantic, having overseen a 15-percent year on year …

LONDON: Celia Taylor, Sky Entertainment's head of factual and features, has become a three-year member of The Grierson Trust's Board of Trustees. During her time at Sky Entertainment, Taylor has commissioned such titles as Pineapple Dance Studios and Ross Kemp Extreme World. She has also edited the theatrical release documentary strand on Sky …

MADRID: FOX International Channels (FIC) has secured a two-year agreement with NFL International to broadcast one NFL game per window in English across parts of Europe, starting with the 2013 season. The games will air across FOX Sports channels, FOX Sports branded blocks and FOX Sports services. The lineup includes …

STOCKHOLM: The Scandinavian outfit Svensk Filmindustri has acquired the Swedish producer Tre Vänner. Tre Vänner's CEO, Jonas Fors, is taking over as CEO of Svensk Filmindustri, as of October 1. Svensk Filmindustri's current owner, Bonnier Growth Media, will now own 90 percent of the share in the company, with Tre …

PARIS/NEW YORK: Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is bringing Paramount Channel to France, to be broadcast in HD on pay-TV CANAL+ platforms, Numericable and on IPTV. This is the second Paramount Channel to launch. The service provides movies from the 100-year-old film library of Paramount Pictures. Daily programming will include …

LONDON: Laurence Jones has been promoted to commercial director of Endemol UK, while Nick Samwell-Smith is being elevated to managing director of the entertainment production arm Initial. Jones was previously the managing director of Initial, a role that will now be taken over by Samwell-Smith. In his new post as …

LONDON: A new affiliate agreement signed by Turner Broadcasting System Europe sees CNN International sharing resources with N1, a news network that is gearing up to launch in the Adria region. N1 becomes the exclusive news channel affiliate for CNN in the region. This gives N1 exclusive access to video …

LONDON: Emily Mortimer (HBO's The Newsroom) is joining Sky Vision at MIPCOM to launch her first original comedy series, Doll & Em, which she co-created and co-stars in with Dolly Wells, who will also be in attendance. Doll & Em is produced by King Bee Productions for Sky Living HD. …

CANNES: Set in the picturesque Welsh countryside, Hinterland is a detective drama series with an edge. “We’re seeing edgy crime dramas really taking off in the digital space, and we’re really excited by the digital opportunities and different scheduling models we can bring with Hinterland,” says Paul Corney, the VP …

CANNES: Starring Burak Özçivit and Fahriye Evcen, Calikusu is a new drama series presented by Global Agency that has “great international appeal,” according to Senay Tas, the company’s sales manager for Central and Eastern Europe. Described by Tas as “a wonderful Cinderella story,” I Still Have Hope incorporates such themes …