World Screen

SANTA MONICA: Ovation and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) have set the U.S. premieres for the dramatic mini-series Laconia and What To Do When Someone Dies as well as the two-hour feature Holy Flying Circus for the channel’s new branded programming night, The Best You’ve Never Seen. Laconia is written by Alan …

LOS ANGELES: Golden Globe- and Grammy Award-winner Queen Latifah is to star in and executive produce the Lifetime original movie Steel Magnolias, a TV adaptation of the play and 1989 film of the same name. Latifah (Chicago, Hairspray, Beauty Shop) will star alongside an all-star cast that includes Golden Globe …

LOS ANGELES: OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is restructuring its operations in New York and Los Angeles, cutting 30 positions and redistributing the responsibilities among the network and its partners Discovery Communications and Harpo Studios. As part of the restructure, Neal Kirsch, the CFO of Discovery’s U.S. networks, will be moving …

NEW YORK: Ellen Lovejoy, previously the senior director of international content sales at A+E Networks, is now VP of international content sales.   Lovejoy oversees off-network sales of A+E Networks content to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She develops and implements sales strategies for the programming catalogue, and she will …

HOLLYWOOD: Mance Media has appointed Ralitsa Trifonova as sales executive for Eastern Europe.  Trifonova will be responsible for sales and contract negotiations of Mance Media’s library throughout Eastern Europe. She previously worked as director of worldwide distribution for Associated Television International (ATI). “I’m thrilled to bring on such a high …

LOS ANGELES: MarVista Entertainment has picked up three new Hallmark Channel original movies and additional television movies spanning a range of different genres to present at MIPTV. The Hallmark Channel original movie acquisitions consist of A Dog Named Duke, A Mother’s Choice and Christmas Comes Home. The additional films which …

NEW YORK: Rose Catherine Pinkney has been appointed to the role of VP of development and original programming at TV Land. Reporting to Keith Cox, the executive VP of development and original programming at TV Land, Pinkney will assist in managing TV Land’s existing original series and contribute to the …

LOS ANGELES: Anthony Zuiker, the creator of the CSI franchise, and his production company Dare to Pass are working with Yahoo! on a new motion-picture event, Cybergeddon. Casting and production have officially started on this project, which will bring to life the growing threat of cybercrime. The motion-picture event is …

NEW YORK: IFC has unveiled its 2012-13 programming slate, which includes a third season of the original comedy Portlandia alongside new series. Portlandia’s third season will premiere in January 2013. Starring Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and musician Carrie Brownstein, the series is a comedy with sketches that center on …

LOS ANGELES: Osiris Entertainment has partnered with the on-demand streaming site Prescreen.com for the distribution of the independent feature thriller Behind Your Eyes. Prescreen.com, founded in 2011 by Shawn Bercuson, the former VP of business development at Groupon, invites users to share their favorite movies in exchange for rewards and …