Indie labels accepting demos

Fatima Salaria is exiting Fremantle -backed The Apprentice indie Naked after three years in post. The former BBC and Channel 4 commissioner has been MD since 2020 and will leave in the spring, with her replacement appointed in due course. Salaria has overseen a period of growth during her tenure in which Naked merged with fellow Fremantle label Boundless and was responsible for the likes of BBC Three’s The Rap Game, Netflix’s Snowflake Mountain and ITV’s Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile . Other notable successes include the Cara Delevingne-helmed Planet Sex for BBC Three and Hulu. Fremantle UK CEO Simon Andreae said the team will “miss her greatly.” “It’s been wonderful to see Naked grow and expand under her leadership – she has helped set a new path for the company and she leaves with a raft of exciting new projects in the pipeline for Naked,” he added. Salaria said she is “incredibly proud of everything we have achieved both on and off … [Read more...] about Fatima Salaria To Exit ‘The Apprentice’ Indie Naked

A commenter named Brad replied to an Oscar predictions piece I put up over the weekend and said: “There used to be a time when I anticipated the Oscar Nominations. But I feel that time has not been good to the Academy Awards and with so many awards ceremonies these days, the Oscars do not seem special like they once did.” He has a point, as did Cate Blanchett when, during her Critics Choice Award acceptance speech , she wished for the “televised awards horserace” to end and everyone be declared a winner. There is so much noise, so many precursor groups handing out awards that the Oscar nominations look more often like a rubber stamp these days, even if it clearly remains the only film award truly coveted. At 95 years old, it still will be the first line in any winner or nominee’s obit. But looking at today’s list of nominees , particularly Best Picture, can we say that any of them are actually surprising? Stunners? Shockers? Are any of them not the names we … [Read more...] about Oscar Nominations Analysis: Blockbusters, Acclaimed Indies, A Couple Of Surprises, Elvis & Marilyn Liven Up Mostly Predictable List

TMZ.com Diddy 's son Christian "King" Combs isn't accepting the "nepo baby" label critics keep tacking onto his name, but he's fully up to the challenge of upholding his dad's legacy!!! We got King Wednesday at LAX and got his honest feedback on people automatically thinking he has a silver spoon in his mouth -- due to his father's bank account -- and he says that's one criticism he shrugs off. KC tells us he understands the notoriety that comes along with being a rich kid, but calls his birthright as the Bad Boy heir apparent nothing short of a blessing. Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Successful offspring of rich and famous parents have been under the microscope as of late, but as it turns out ... King's been earning his keep in the rap game lately. He and Diddy made father-son history in November when their songs both hit No. 1 on different Billboard charts and the title of Christian's song, "Can't Stop Won't Stop," is now … [Read more...] about Diddy’s Son Christian Combs Dismisses ‘Nepo Baby’ Label

With the lively, fun and star-packed Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night at the Fairmont Century Plaza ballroom (and accompanying viewing party upstairs that elegantly handled the 300 members and guests who lost the organization’s ticket lottery and couldn’t get a seat) now history, there is really nothing between it and the January 24 announcement of Oscar nominations. With the nationally televised show airing 48 hours before Oscar balloting closes (Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT) though, its influence could be strong, especially for moving speeches from the likes of Brendan Fraser ; an impressive sweep of top categories Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan becoming the runaway train of acting winners thus far this season) for Everything Everywhere All At Once ; and among other memorable moments, the great Guillermo del Toro looking to continue sweeping up every animated trophy in sight. But as a group of critics spread across the … [Read more...] about Critics Choice Awards Go Big For ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, But What Does It Mean For Oscar?

As sellers and buyers roll into the chilly climes of Park City and Sundance starting tonight, a batch of promising films await at the Sundance Film Festival. Along with hopes of all-nighter auctions and the opportunity to find the next CODA. After a number of conversations with vets on both sides, the simple truth is, we won’t know if there’s a towering deal ahead, until some of the top titles his the screen over the next week. This is the first in-person version of Sundance in a good long time. While the festival’s terrific online portal made it pretty painless to feel connected to sales titles in the last couple years, there is nothing like trudging through the snow to a Sundance theater and discovering a gem and the next Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. That is Sundance’s enduring superpower, and the reason why everyone has returned despite questionable confidence in the theatrical release market for adult-themed fare. Will the streamers gobble up the marquee titles? Will … [Read more...] about 20 Titles To Heat Up Chilly 2023 Sundance Festival

Everybody has a Willie Nelson story, including Willie Nelson himself. “We really opened ourselves to have somewhat of a nonlinear story so that we gave ourselves the opportunities, and five hours give you that chance to kind of go on tangents and come back into the story, skip back,” Willie Nelson & Family co-director Oren Moverman says about the decision he and Thom Zimny made for their five-part docuseries about the legendary 89-year-old musician. “Almost like talking with Willie, where he’ll tell you a story from 1963 and then tell you a story about something that happened yesterday and all these times are really part of one story. So, we just went with it.” Going with it is the essential vibe of Willie Nelson & Family, which has its Sundance Film Festival premiere today in Salt Lake City. At times as much a meditation on the American experiment as it is on the man himself, the series is a freewheeling ride — as you can see in this exclusive clip: … [Read more...] about ‘Willie Nelson & Family’ Directors Talk Legendary Musician’s Life, Legacy, Covid & Dropping A Very Different Sundance Vibe

Legal docudrama Saint Omer was voted Best Picture at the 34 th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which announced this year’s juried award winners today. Saint Omer wins for its ability “to expertly interrogate issues of society, culture, race, and gender,” the festival release stated. “Alice Diop, as screenwriter and director, delivers a film that explores different dynamics of Black women in contemporary France, drawing empathetic lead performances from Kayije Kagame and Guslagie Malanga (whose characters never interact, save for one momentous glance). By harnessing the skills of her technical team, Diop turns Saint Omer into a shrewd, cogent, ambitious, and overwhelming film which teases a metafictional awareness while remaining clear-eyed and unsentimental.” The Palm Springs festival took place from January 5-16 and screened 134 films from 64 countries, including 27 premieres. The lineup includes 35 of the International Feature Film Oscar … [Read more...] about ‘Saint Omer’ Takes Top Honors At 34th Palm Springs Film Festival

Former Dancing with the Stars and The X Factor EP Andrew Llinares has replaced the retiring Rob Clark at Fremantle . Llinares takes on the Director of Global Entertainment post at the super-indie vacated by Clark next month, who is exiting after two decades with the company. He takes on responsibility for Britain’s Got Talent firm Fremantle’s global entertainment production, development and acquisitions teams. Llinares has spent the past five years as EP of Dancing with the Stars and Deadline revealed his departure last March. He oversaw numerous seasons including the all-athletes season 26 and the 30th, which featured one of the most exciting finales in the show’s lengthy history. Llinares was the original showrunner on The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent UK in 2004 and 2007 respectively, spent some time EPing the U.S. X Factor from 2011 and used to head up co-productions for Fremantle label Thames and Simon Cowell’s Syco . Fremantle … [Read more...] about Former ‘Dancing With The Stars’ & ‘The X Factor’ EP Andrew Llinares Replaces Rob Clark At Fremantle

Van Conner , the Screaming Trees co-founding bassist who played on the rock band’s hits including “All I Know” and “Nearly Lost You,” died Tuesday of pneumonia. He was 55. His brother and bandmate, Gary Lee Conner, posted the news on social media. “He was one of the closest friends I ever had and I loved him immensely,” the guitarist wrote on Facebook . “I will miss him forever and ever and ever… .” Screaming Trees formed in Washington State in the mid-1980s and recorded a half-dozen indie albums before signing with Epic Records in 1990 as the grunge scene was coalescing around such groups as Mudhoney, the Melvins, Soundgarden and Nirvana. The band’s major-label debut disc failed to catch fire, but the follow-up — 1992’s Sweet Oblivion — was its breakthrough. The album featured “Nearly Lost You,” which became a Top 5 hit on U.S. Modern Rock radio and sent the disc into the Billboard 200 chart. Sweet Oblivion also included two other singles that hit the Modern … [Read more...] about Van Conner Dies: Screaming Trees Founding Bassist Was 55

TMZ.com Papoose has an enriching message for all artists who are tired of record labels divvying up all their profits -- come join him at Tunecore, where he's just been named the music distributor's head of hip hop!!! TMZ Hip Hop spoke with Pap Tuesday morning, and he was more than thrilled to have the opportunity to pivot independent artists away from record deals that don't benefit them. Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. He explains unlike other distributors, Tunecore allows you to maintain ownership of your masters and obtain 100 percent of the payout your music makes. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, especially if you're still trying to make a name for yourself. Pap tells us his own experiences in the music industry led him to champion Tunecore -- he famously signed a million-dollar record deal under the tutelage of the late, great DJ Kay Slay , but he admits he's made the most traction in his career by going the indie route. … [Read more...] about Papoose Named Head of Hip Hop at Tunecore, Wants Artists to Ditch Majors