ITV

Category: International

  • Dinklage gets down and dirty as The Toxic Avenger

    Dinklage gets down and dirty as The Toxic Avenger

    MUMBAI: Talk about a clean act gone gloriously messy! Peter Dinklage swaps thrones for toxins in The Toxic Avenger, which scrubs its way onto digital platforms in India this Halloween. The cult-classic reboot will be available for premium rental at Rs 499 on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Youtube starting October 31.

    The horror-comedy follows Winston Gooze, a mild-mannered janitor whose ordinary life takes a hazardous turn after a toxic accident transforms him into a monstrous yet oddly endearing hero, the so-called “Toxie.” What follows is a riotous blend of slime, satire and superhero chaos as he takes on corporate villains threatening his family and town.

    Alongside Dinklage’s unlikely avenger are Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay and Taylour Paige, rounding out a cast as eclectic as the film’s tone. Directed and written by Macon Blair with Lloyd Kaufman and Joe Ritter, the film first turned heads at the Edinburgh Film Festival earlier this year before making its global theatrical rounds.

    A cheeky nod to its 1984 cult predecessor, this reboot promises buckets of irreverence, a dash of gore and a surprising dose of heart. So grab your mop and your remote, it’s time to get gloriously toxic.

     

  • Only Distrib Steals the Show with a Bold and Diverse MIPCOM Line-Up

    Only Distrib Steals the Show with a Bold and Diverse MIPCOM Line-Up

    MUMBAI: MIPCOM 2025 just got a little more daring and a lot more diverse. Only Distrib is heading to Cannes armed with over 100 hours of brand-new programming that promises to both provoke thought and spark conversation across genres like documentary, factual entertainment, and lifestyle.

    The distributor’s slate features stories that range from the spine-chilling to the socially daring. Among the biggest head-turners is Vanished: Victoria Charlton Investigates (12×21’), a gripping true-crime series led by the popular Youtuber and investigator Victoria Charlton, who reopens cold cases of mysterious disappearances.

    Wildlife enthusiasts can look forward to Animals Inside Out: Attack & Defense (2×52’), a visually stunning exploration of nature’s most ingenious survival tactics. Meanwhile, Hope (6×52’) steps into climate storytelling with a dose of optimism, examining tangible ways humanity can fight climate change.

    And then there’s the show that’s sure to get people talking Hey, Check Out My Penis (1×45’). Bold, unflinching, and unashamedly topical, the documentary dissects the modern-day phenomenon of unsolicited explicit images with honesty and nuance, promising an intelligent take on a taboo subject.

    Beyond its ready-to-air slate, Only Distrib is also inviting co-production and pre-sale partners to join in on projects still in development and production. One such title, Fletcher Street produced for France Télévisions’ 25 Nuances de Doc tells the moving story of an 18-year-old African American man who finds purpose and peace among Philadelphia’s community of Black cowboys, bonding with his first horse as he reclaims his sense of belonging.

    Only Distrib head of sales and acquisitions Laurène Voilliot summed up the ambition behind the line-up: “Our goal is to bring compelling, original voices and high-quality productions to the international market. This year’s MIPCOM marks a major step forward in both the volume and diversity of our catalogue.”

    With a line-up that ranges from gripping investigations to cultural reckonings, Only Distrib seems poised to make more than just a splash at MIPCOM, it’s bringing waves of originality to global storytelling.

    Would you like me to make the headline a bit more playful (for instance, “Only Distrib Goes All In at MIPCOM with a Reel Bold Slate”)?

  • Moscow rolls out the red carpet for Indian filmmakers

    Moscow rolls out the red carpet for Indian filmmakers

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera, Moscow! Indian filmmakers now have a blockbuster reason to pack their cameras and head to Russia’s capital. At FICCI Frames 2025, Moskino unveiled the Moscow Film Cluster, offering a fully integrated ecosystem and up to a 45 per cent international rebate for productions.

    Designed as a one-stop shop, the Film Cluster streamlines the filmmaking process with sound stages, backlots, post-production facilities, and a central operational platform. From pre-production to premiere, Moskino ensures producers can focus on creativity, not logistics.

    The incentives are compelling: 30 per cent cash rebate on expenses, plus an additional 15 per cent value in services, visas, and accommodation discounts. And with the Moscow Film Commission providing free services: location scouting, permits, street closures, and dynamic filming support, shooting in Moscow has never been easier.

    Legendary Gorky Film Studio, the sprawling Film Park, and the futuristic Film Factory (home to Russia’s largest LED virtual production pavilion) ensure filmmakers have every tool at their fingertips. Moskino even operates 13 cinemas, offering built-in exhibition potential for completed films.

    From the Kremlin’s iconic spires to Moscow City’s sleek skyline and sprawling parks, the city doubles as multiple European or Asian capitals while retaining its own cinematic grandeur. With world-class crews and infrastructure, Moscow is positioning itself as Asia’s next major production hub for Indian cinema.

    Producers attending FICCI Frames 2025 can visit the Moscow Film Cluster booth to explore collaborations and discover how Moscow can turn their next project into an international success story.
     

  • Trump to slap 100 per cent tariff on foreign films?

    Trump to slap 100 per cent tariff on foreign films?

    WASHINGTON: Donald Trump has declared war on foreign-made movies. The American president announced on Monday that he would impose a 100 per cent tariff on all films produced outside the United States, threatening to blow up Hollywood’s international operations. As well as possible revenues that Indian films make in Uncle Sam. 

    The move, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, marks an audacious expansion of his protectionist trade agenda into cultural industries. “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing candy from a baby,” he wrote, taking a swipe at California’s “weak and incompetent” governor Gavin Newsom.

    Yet the announcement left crucial questions unanswered. The White House offered no details on the legal authority Trump would invoke or how such tariffs would work in practice. Studio executives are baffled: modern filmmaking splices together production, financing, post-production and visual effects from multiple countries. How would a film shot in New Zealand with British money and American stars be classified?

    Legal experts are equally sceptical. Films are intellectual property traded as services—a category where America typically runs a surplus. That raises doubts about whether tariffs can even be applied. Co-productions with foreign studios have become routine, further muddying the waters.

    Trump first floated the idea in May, calling foreign productions a “national security threat” that imports “messaging and propaganda.” Entertainment executives were flummoxed then and remain so now.

    The industry has increasingly decamped from Hollywood to chase tax breaks in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. California is scrambling to compete: Newsom has pushed to expand the state’s film tax credits. But some productions film abroad simply because their stories demand it. Directors like Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan favour shooting on location rather than on soundstages.

    The major American studios declined to comment to Reuters. Netflix shares, however,  slipped 1.5 per cent in early trading.

    The silence from studios suggests an industry still trying to parse whether Trump’s threat is bluster or genuine policy. Either way, it signals fresh uncertainty for an entertainment business already grappling with streaming upheaval and rising costs.

  • MovieVerse Studios and Beacon Media forge new alliance

    MovieVerse Studios and Beacon Media forge new alliance

    MUMBAI: MovieVerse Studios, the mainstream content arm of IN10 Media Network, has partnered with Beacon Media to launch a first-of-its-kind global content alliance aimed at amplifying narratives from the Global South. Targeting over 3 billion viewers, this collaboration is designed to connect emerging cultural powerhouses—spanning Hollywood, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America—through borderless storytelling.

    IN10 Media Network managing director, Aditya Pittie said, “In today’s connected world, the future of storytelling depends on meaningful collaborations that bring together creativity, technology, and reach. This partnership encourages the industry to work more closely, fostering a diverse and inclusive content ecosystem that resonates with global audiences,”.

    “We are entering an era where collaboration, not competition, is the key to success,” said Beacon Media chairman Manoj Narender Madnani. “This alliance is not just about creating content—it’s about reshaping the global entertainment landscape, ensuring that diverse stories reach audiences across all formats and are made accessible worldwide. It’s 1+1=11 in action—where strategic partnerships, such as this one with IN10 Media, backed by visionary entrepreneurs like Aditya Pittie and Anand Mahindra, multiply impact.”

    The partnership will develop feature films, premium series, and bite-sized micro-series for platforms such as Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. The alliance’s first slate includes a Malayalam-language feature film for global release, adaptations of Dr Deepak Chopra’s bestselling fiction, and a range of digital-first projects built for next-generation audiences.

    MovieVerse Studios CEO Vivek Krishnani said, ‘’The Global South is home to some of the most dynamic and culturally rich stories waiting to be told. With this partnership, we are ensuring these culturally rooted narratives reach the global stage in the most impactful way possible. We are excited to develop content that resonates across geographies and platforms, whether it is through compelling cinematic storytelling or strategic digital-first initiatives.”

    With Saudi Arabia and the UAE emerging as major investors in India’s entertainment and technology sectors, the partnership aims to deepen economic and creative collaboration between the regions.

    To lead its ambitious slate, Beacon Media has named author and screenwriter Manini Priyan as head of content. The company also has a production alliance with Fadi Ismail, former director of drama at MBC Group, to create Arabic-language digital content at scale.

  • Hybe’s K-pop cine fest hits a high note with 320,000 fans across Asia

    Hybe’s K-pop cine fest hits a high note with 320,000 fans across Asia

    MUMBAI : Hybe turned the volume up to 11 with its Asia edition of Hybe Cine Fest, drawing over 320,000 fans into more than 370 cinemas across 10 regions from July 10 to 13. Backed by Weverse and in partnership with Trafalgar Releasing, the four-day extravaganza turned multiplexes into mosh pits, K-pop style.

    The lineup? A mic-drop of Hybe’s biggest acts: concert films of BTS, Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together, and Enhypen brought screaming fans back to the front row. The main event? #Runseokjin_Ep.Tour featuring BTS’ Jin was livestreamed from Japan on July 12, sending armies into a euphoric meltdown.

    But this was no regular cinema crawl. With Hybe Cinema Noraebang turning theatres into full-blown karaoke sessions, fans belted out 22 iconic tracks from 10 Hybe artists, all while waving lightsticks and dancing in the aisles. Adding to the chaos and charm were selfie booths, dance challenges, and walls where fans left notes for their idols.

    First rolled out in Latin America, the cine fest’s Asian sequel played in Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Japan is next on the bill, with encore screenings planned in Indonesia and Hong Kong to keep up with fan frenzy.

    For Hybe, it’s not just content, it’s a K-pop carnival on the big screen.

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  • FIFA Club World Cup live at PVR Inox

    FIFA Club World Cup live at PVR Inox

    MUMBAI: PVR Inox is set to deliver one of the most anticipated global sporting events of the year to Indian audiences with its upcoming in-cinema screening of the FIFA Club World Cup Final 2025, in an exclusive partnership with DAZN, the official global broadcaster of the tournament.

    The thrilling finale is scheduled to go live at 12:30 AM IST on July 14, 2025, and will be screened across select PVR INOX cinemas in key cities, subject to state-level permissions currently being initiated. The event promises a high-voltage football experience like no other—bringing the global fever of the Club World Cup into the heart of India’s cinemas.

    Taking the live viewing experience several notches higher, the FIFA Club World Cup Final will feature an extravagant halftime show produced by Global Citizen, starring global music sensations Doja Cat, J Balvin, and Tems. The combination of electrifying sport and power-packed performances will turn cinemas into cultural arenas, uniting football fans and music lovers alike.

    “The FIFA Club World Cup Final 2025 is a powerful addition to our growing portfolio of alternate content offerings at PVR INOX. As cinemas evolve into multi-purpose entertainment venues, we are committed to curating experiences that go beyond movies, bringing live sports, music, and cultural events to the big screen. Events like these redefine what it means to go to the movies and allow us to build deeper, more dynamic engagement with our audiences. We’re proud to partner with DAZN to make this global moment accessible to fans across India in an immersive, community-driven format” said PVR Inox Ltd chief business planning and strategy officer, Kamal Gianchandani.

    With its cutting-edge projection systems, Dolby surround sound, ultra-wide screens, and plush recliner seating, PVR Inox will offer fans an immersive and energetic stadium-style atmosphere—without leaving the city.

    (If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

  • Asian Cinema Fund unveils 14 bold bets for 2025

    Asian Cinema Fund unveils 14 bold bets for 2025

    MUMBAI: The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), a key pillar of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), has unveiled its 14 official selections for 2025 — drawn from a record 850 submissions, up 23 per cent from last year. The picks, spanning three categories, champion fearless storytelling and fresh cinematic forms, offering a snapshot of the region’s creative pulse.

    Three projects have been selected under the ‘Script Development Fund’, each awarded KRW 10 million and a spot at the Asian Project Market 2025. Black Star Angel tells the gripping tale of a woman breaking free from war-fuelled trauma. Heaven Help Us! revisits the Manila Film Center disaster with aching intimacy, and New Life maps the emotional terrain between a grieving mother and daughter.

    The ‘Post-Production Fund’ shortlist includes four films — two Korean, two from the wider region — all set to bow at the 30th Busan International Film Festival this September. Korea’s Coming of Age dives into class and generational shifts, while The Observer’s Journal serves up a quirky, tense thriller. From India, If on a Winter’s Night interweaves complex love stories, and The River that Holds Our Hands traces displacement and memory across borders.

    Meanwhile, the ‘AND Fund’ for feature-length documentaries has backed seven titles with an eye for visual poetry and political poignancy. Korea’s Sea, Star, Woman and Sprouted Potato Lives On explore personal loss and collective memory, while Weathering Architect meditates on Seoul’s vanishing skylines through the lens of veteran architect Joh Sung-yong. From Asia, Kampuchea wrestles with inherited trauma, and Oma profiles a silent yet steely survivor.

    The chosen projects — sharp, subversive, and deeply local — promise to elevate Asia’s voice on the global screen. BIFF 2025 runs 17–26 September at the Busan Cinema Center, with the 20th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market slated for 20–23 September at BEXCO.

  • Hybe brings K-pop to the big screen with Cine Fest Asia – four days, five mega acts, all fandoms

    Hybe brings K-pop to the big screen with Cine Fest Asia – four days, five mega acts, all fandoms

    MUMBAI:  Move over Marvel, K-pop is taking over the multiplex. Hybe and Trafalgar Releasing are lighting up 350 cinemas across Asia from July 10–13 with Hybe Cine Fest in Asia, the region’s biggest K-pop film event yet. Sponsored by Weverse, the four-day fiesta features five electric concert films and a sing-along session that promises to turn movie halls into mini stadiums.

    Tickets go live June 4 at 8:00pm KST in most territories, with India, Japan and Korea following suit shortly. Fans can register and track updates on www.hybecinefest.com.

    What’s playing on the K-pop big screen?

    The festival is stacked with star power:

    * BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E – A visual juggernaut from their 2020 online concert era, returning to engulf ARMY in cinematic scale.

    * SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [BE THE SUN] – From Seoul to the Tokyo Dome, the boyband’s arena-roaring tour is reborn in Dolby glory.

    * TOMORROW X TOGETHER ACT : SWEET MIRAGE – TXT’s dreamy, high-octane 2023 tour now has its own encore in cinemas.

    * ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR [FATE] – From rookie to global sensation, ENGENEs get front-row seats to their meteoric rise.

    * Hybe Cinema Noraebang – A karaoke-cinema crossover where fans belt out bangers from BTS, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, TWS and more.

    Not just screenings – it’s an IRL K-fan party

    With special zones in cities like Seoul (CGV Yongsan), Singapore (Shaw JEWEL), Manila (SM MOA), Bangkok (SF Central World), and Taipei (Vieshow Qsquare), fans can expect exclusive merch, photo ops, and surprises galore. India and Japan special location details are still under wraps.

    Why now?

    After clocking over 260,000 footfalls in Latin America last year, Hybe is ready to replicate the frenzy across Asia. And with cinemas still rebounding post-pandemic, K-pop might just be the new summer blockbuster formula.

    Get your lightsticks ready – this July, the stage is cinematic.

  • From Bhojpuri to global bigwig: Abhay Sinha’s star turn at FIAPF

    From Bhojpuri to global bigwig: Abhay Sinha’s star turn at FIAPF

    MUMBAI: Abhay Sinha, the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (Imppa) president, has sashayed his way into a starring role on the global stage. He’s been unanimously elected vice-president of FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations), the apex body of  of film producers from over 30 countries. The vote took place on 17 May, 2025, at the FIAPF Annual General Assembly in Cannes, France,

    This isn’t just a proud moment for Immpa, which has been in the game since 1937, but for the entire Indian film industry. Under Sinha’s leadership, Imppa has become a veritable dynamo, championing Indian producers and filmmakers both at home and abroad. He’s been working tirelessly to ensure Indian content creators get the recognition they deserve.

    One of Sinha’s greatest hits has been leading Imppa’s  presence at the Cannes Film Festival for two years running. In 2025, over 40 Indian films and a legion of delegates graced the festival, putting India’s diverse cinema firmly in the global spotlight. He even graced the Bharat Pavilion with his wisdom, speaking on a panel about the Changing Paradigm of Film Screening: Theatres to OTT, Digital Platforms and Beyond. He’s truly got his finger on the pulse of where film viewing is headed.

    But Sinha isn’t just about the glitz and glamour of international festivals. He’s been a driving force behind shaping better film policies across India. Think improved subsidy systems in Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. He’s also pushed for easier film certification and greater industry representation in national film bodies.

    Ever the industry advocate, Sinha has tackled critical concerns like vrtual print fees (VPF), exhibition hurdles, and taxation reforms, aiming to lighten the financial load on producers and distributors. And he’s not one to shy away from a fight, having actively voiced concerns about the proposed 100 per cent tariff by the US on foreign entertainment content. He argues such tariffs are a real cliff hanger for cultural exchange and the global reach of Indian cinema, calling for fair trade policies to protect the creative and economic interests of Indian filmmakers.

    Beyond his leadership roles, Sinha is also the founder of Yashi Films, a production powerhouse with over 150 feature films in various languages and more than 5,000 TV episodes under its belt. He’s also the mastermind behind the International Bhojpuri Film Awards (IBFA), the only global award platform for Bhojpuri cinema, which has travelled to multiple countries with the backing of Indian tourism bodies. These events have truly given regional Indian cinema and Bhojpuri artists a global stage.

    Sinha’s election as FIAPF vice-president is a landmark moment, giving Indian producers a much stronger voice on the world stage and opening up a treasure trove of new opportunities for collaboration and growth. It seems the reel world just got a whole lot more exciting for India.