Yahoo News BBC Backs Bansky Doc; Sundance London; BBC One Lines Up Saturday Night Format – Global Briefs
Danny Boyle is teaming up with controversial artist Banksy for a Christmas special. The Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire director is fronting The Alternativity, an hour-long film for BBC Two, that will see him travel to Bethlehem to capture a festive performance of the nativity created by Banksy. The artist is putting on the event in the carpark of his The Walled Off hotel around the corner from Manger Square, Bethlehem – believed to be the birthplace of Christ himself. The one-off special, which will launch in December, is produced by Acme Films, which recently produced C4 doc Public Enemies: Jay Z vs Kanye and previously worked with Banksy to produce a promo for his amusement park Dismaland in 2015. Commissioned by BBC Two Controller Patrick Holland, BBC Documentary Commissioning Editor Danny Horan and BBC Head of Arts Commissioning Mark Bell, the doc is exec produced by Jaimie D’Cruz and Simon Ford and directed by Martin Webb and Lauren Jacobs.
BBC One is launching a Saturday night sports quiz that will feature former England and Liverpool footballer Michael Owen and presenter Stacey Solomon. The UK pubcaster has commissioned And They’re Off For Sport Relief, a six-part entertainment series produced by STV Productions and Motion Content Group, the company formerly known as GroupM Entertainment, which co-developed the format. The series, which is launched as part of the Comic Relief spin-off, will celebrities take part in obstacle courses, including running through mud and hurtling down giant water slides before a final showdown. And They’re Off For Sport Relief was commissioned by BBC entertainment controller Kate Phillips and entertainment and daytime commissioning editor Jo Street and is exec produced by STV’s Gary Chippington. It will be presented by Strictly Come Dancing 2016 champion Ore Oduba.
The Sundance Film Festival is to return to London in 2018. The Park City event is once again heading to the UK capital after the Sundance Institute teamed up with Picturehouse Cinemas. It will run from 31 May to 3 June 2018, following the Utah festival, which takes place 18 – 28 January. The program will be announced next spring but it is likely to feature a raft of U.S and international premieres. Last year’s London event featured 14 films including the international premiere of Miguel Arteta’s Beatriz at Dinner, and closed with the UK premiere of David Lowery’s A Ghost Story, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. The London festival, which has been running since 2012, has previously featured talent including Michael Fassbender, Gemma Arterton, Ryan Reynolds, Lake Bell and Rose McGowan with support from The Prince of Wales.
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