Official Trailer - 'David is Dying' - Release date to be announced on Valentines Day 2012!

'David is Dying' (2011)

SAR production presents a feature film written,  produced and directed by Stephen Lloyd Jackson.  The film is about a young, successful hedge fund manager, David,  who has just been informed that he is HIV positive. He is informed of the possibility that his unborn child could also be infected and so too the child’s mother, his long-term fiancée, Carla.  Through an intense therapy session with his psychiatrist, David takes us on a pernicious journey that starts twelve months prior – the women, the sex and the demons.

David knows that he will die. He must live with that. However, he must also resolve the ghosts of the past before he can face his end.

'David Is Dying' is a dark, disturbing psychodrama, which illustrates the ugly side of love and tragic passion.

The film has already enjoyed the success of being nominated for nine International awards,  including 'Best Actor' at the American Black Film Festival in 2011.


The release dates will be announced on Valentines Day 2012.

David is Dying official website

Remake of Iconic Jamaican Film 'The Harder They Come' Expected 2012

U.K. production company Xingu Films, Canada's Conquering Lion and Jamaican producer Justine Henzell have linked together to remake the classic film "The Harder They Come',  writes Jennine Punter for Variety Magazine.


With the working title of "Harder", the remake is set to be produced by Henzell, Xingu's Trudie Styler and Alex Francis and Conquering Lion's Damon D'Oliveira and Clement Virgo.  


Punter writes that 'D'Oliveira described the new version as a re-imagining that will move to contemporary reggae and reggae-influenced grooves.  The original was written and directed by Henzell's father Perry Henzell, who died in 2006.  Principal photography is targeted for 2012.

The film is expected to be set in Jamaica and London, it's being writen by former New Musical Express scribe Chris Salewicz.

Source:  Variety.com   Date: 11 April 2011

Nadia Denton's 'Black Filmmaker's Guide to Success' - Free E-Book Download

Nadia Denton is the author of a new e-book entitled:  'The Black British Filmmaker’s Guide to Success'.  

This is a fantastic FREE resource packed full of advice from Nadia's experiences as a practitioner,  and also other industry professionals through extensive and exclusive interviews conducted by Nadia.

The author writes:  

" It has been written as a guide for black British filmmakers. The guide also bears relevance to the wider international community of black filmmakers and filmmakers of other backgrounds making black content, or other cultural specific work.

It is a personal development guide that is packed with very practical guidance to assist filmmakers in securing funding, marketing and distribution opportunities for their films. The book contains extensive good practice interviews with 42 key black filmmakers and decision makers in the industry".

To access the book,  you'll need to complete a short survey which is access in the link below:

Free Download

'White Jamaicans' - a documentary by David Ritter

A trailer on the documentary by David Ritter that examines the minority of Jamaica from a contemporary and historic outlook.  Launched onto DVD summer 2011

Winner of 2011 BBC Four World Cinema Awards Announced

The Separation has been announced as the winner of the BBC Four World cinema awards for 2011.


The Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin), a gripping and insightful drama telling the story of the break up of a marriage and its devastating consequences.

Executive producer Negar Eskandarfar collected the award at a ceremony held on 15th November at the BFI Southbank as Iranian director Asghar Farhadi was unable to attend the awards ceremony in person.

Read full article here

Date:  18th November 2011   Source:  BBC News

Rahman 'Slumdog' composer lifetime achievement award

CHENNAI -- Indian composer A.R. Rahman will receive a lifetime achievement honor at the 8th Dubai Film Festival.

Rahman won two Oscars and a BAFTA, Grammy and Golden Globe for his "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack. He also won multiple nominations for "127 Hours."

Considered India's pre-eminent composer, Rahman has scored more than 100 films in the Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Mandarin and Malayalam languages besides his work in Hollywood.

He is a part of supergroup Superheavy, the other members of which are Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart and Damien Marley.

Source:  Variety 18th November 2011

New Film Channel for European Films

Nick Holdworth reports that The Film Europe Media Company has launched a new film channel dedicated to screening European Films.

"MOSCOW -- The Film Europe Channel, which is dedicated to screening only European films, launched late Thursday to subscribers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Film Europe Media Company founder and CEO Ivan Hronec said it will eventually go continent-wide.

The channel will show annually up to 500 European films in their original version with subtitles 24 hours a day, seven days a week without advertisements. It will broadcast in SD via satellite, with an HD option using fiber-optic cable.

"We will offer viewers film productions not only from the traditionally strong countries like the U.K., France, Italy, Poland and Russia, but also from smaller countries, such as Portugal, Denmark, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Austria and even Liechtenstein, the latter being the co-producer of 'Paris je t'aime,' which we aired symbolically yesterday as the very first film on our programming schedule."

The channel is being launched by a company that, since it was founded six years ago, has opened 10 TV channels across Europe.

Film Europe Media Company, which is privately owned, has been built without government subsidies from individual countries or the European Union, Hronec said.

"We want to show that the project has a strong commercial foundation and only then will we take on partners. This is the path that culture today must take -- responsible projects that have a healthy financial approach, while at the same time bringing cultural and artistic value to audiences," Hronec added.

In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, project partners for the new channel are the satellite platform Skylink, M7 Group and Slovak Telecom, which will be an exclusive partner in the beginning for IPTV. Slovak Telecom will include the television channel as part of its satellite package.

At the same time, Slovak Telecom will include films from Film Europe in its VOD service, Magio".

Source: Variety  18th November 2011

Mile Davis - Feature Film in Production.

According to Black Talent News,  George Tillman, Jr. has been signed to develop and direct the upcoming feature film, ‘MILES DAVIS’.

Producers Nick Davis Raynes and Ged Dickinson have partnered with Gregory Davis, Miles’ eldest son to bring the true story of Miles Davis’ life to the screen and preserve his legacy. The script is loosely based on Gregory Davis’ book ‘DARK MAGUS The Jekyll and Hyde Life of Miles Davis’, and the filmmakers have access to much of Miles Davis’ music (primarily from 1963-1977).

Miles Davis’ epic story spans five decades of music history in which he continuously reinvented himself as a musician, a composer and a man. His ability to change and acclimate to the innovations of young musicians, bring them into his fold, and direct the course of music history distinguished him as a unique historical icon. The film is a poignant look at the rise, fall and rise again of Miles Davis, a superbly talented yet abundantly flawed personality.



Besides Miles, there are many supporting characters featured in the film including Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Cicely Tyson, Gil Evans, Michael Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Sugar-Ray Robinson, Betty Mabry, Francis Taylor.


Date:  9th November 2011

'Riverwood' is Kenya’s Hollywood

CHRISTOPHER VOURLIAS writing for Variety highlights that NAIROBI is now the center of a localised film industry that produces more than 100 pics a year.  The local industry is called "Riverwood," after Nairobi's River Road where the industry got its start, it's Kenya's homegrown attempt to give a local face to filmmaking.

Click here to read more

Date:  12 November 2011

Google Report Reveals South Africa's Mobile TV Viewing Figure On Smartphones.

Mobile TV gains popularity with South Africa's smartphone users

Rebecca Hawkes reports that a new report from Google reveals 50% of South Africa's smartphone users watch at least one video on their smartphones each month, 49% watch TV on their smartphone, and 35% would prefer to give up TV than their smartphone. YouTube is the most popular destination for video watching, with 64% of South African smartphone users visiting the Google owned digital video site.

RIM's BlackBerry has the largest market share of smartphones in Africa at 44%, followed by Nokia with 27%, according to the Google data. Consumers are primarily using their smartphones at home, with browsing (56%) and emailing (57%) said to be the two most popular internet-based pass times.

The majority of users said they indulged in cross media usage along with their smartphones, with 62% also listening to music, 49% using the internet on a PC or other device, and 49% also watching TV.

About 63% of South Africa's smartphone users also access social networks each day via their mobile devices, with Facebook – at 95% for both mobile and fixed access – the country's leading social media destination.

Source:  www.filmcontact.com

Opportunity: International Film Distribution Workshops at University of Trinidad and Tobago

CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution joins forces with Animae Caribe and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company  to promote and distribute T&T Films on the world stage.

The first in a series of regional workshops on International Film Distribution will take place next week Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 1-5 pm at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, National Academy of Performing Arts, Keate Street, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Entitled “Taking Caribbean Films to the World” and presented by CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution -- the Region’s premier film distribution company, the event is aimed at film and television producers, film industry stakeholders and film and animation students.

It marks the Official Launch of an important new partnership between CTWD, the Animae Caribe Film and New Media Festival, and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, that envisions Trinidad and Tobago films holding an increased platform and building a stronger profile on the world stage.

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CTWD said: “We are delighted to be working with these two extremely important local organizations in a sustainable partnership that will bridge the gap between local production and the international market and take the local industry to the next stage.”

Carla Foderingham, CEO of the TTFC, said."The CTWD-led workshop is timely as the commercialization of local content is the next natural area of focus for local filmmakers and by extension the TTFC." 

The workshop will cover principles of marketing and distribution of Caribbean content, and ways to work with international distributors. Solomon added “We know these are areas where local producers can benefit from a deeper and better understanding of skilled practice.”

Last week the TTFC was pleased to increase its sponsorship support of the 2011 Animae Caribe Animation Festival to facilitate a two-day CTWD-led intensive mini – incubator called “The Pitching Game”.  Some thirty (30) T&T filmmakers were trained in areas including marketing and distribution at the participatory session that was tutored by Solomon, and adjudicated by a panel of international experts. The first prize -- a scholarship to attend the well-respected ten-day CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase and Incubator Program (2012) that runs alongside the Toronto International Film Festival, was won by 20-year old Claire Hamel-Smith of Lab206 Studio.  

“We worked really hard on our pitch and I am very excited that it paid off. I can’t wait to go to Toronto to tell the world about Lab206 and all the work we are doing here in Trinidad.” enthused the young animator.

Animae Caribe’s CEO and Founder Camille Selvon Abrahams summed it up: “Our partnership with CTWD is necessary and integral to the development of our industry going forward, as it is exposing producers to the bigger picture.”

The cost of the workshop is $175TT, with a special discounted rate for students of $50.

Those interested in attending the CTWD International Film Distribution Workshop on November 19, 2011, should call 701 4722 or RSVP to emailinfo@caribbeantales-worldwide.com.

European Union sensors their own funded film on Afgan Woman

Orla Guerin, writing for BBC News has reported that The European Union has blocked the release of a documentary on Afghan women who are in jail for so-called "moral crimes".  The article states that The EU says it decided to withdraw the film - which it commissioned and paid for - because of "very real concerns for the safety of the women portrayed".

However, human rights workers say the injustice in the Afghan judicial system should be exposed.

Half of Afghanistan's women prisoners are inmates for "zina" or moral crimes.

A statement from the EU's Kabul delegation said the welfare of the women was the paramount consideration in its decision.

No official from the delegation was prepared to be interviewed about the film.

Date:  10 November 2011

BAFTA announces new award for 'Constructed' TV series

According to the BBC,  The New BAFTA award for 'Constructed TV Series' will honour shows where participants are "put into environments or formats, then observed interacting in situations devised by the producers".  Made in Chelsea, The Apprentice and The Only Way is Essex are among shows that could be recognised in the new "reality and constructed factual" category.

The 2012 British Academy Television Awards will be held on 27 May.

2012 Oscars: Grazer replaces Ratner after Gay Slur

Jeremy Kay reports that following Eddie Murphy stepping down as show host after the Gay Slur from Oscar and telecast producer Ratner,  Brian Grazer will replace Ratner as producer of the 2012 Oscars and team up with Don Mischer on the 84th Academy Awards telecast on Feb 26, 2012.

“Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work,” Academy president Tom Sherak said. “He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars.”
Earlier on Wednesday Murphy issued the following statement: “First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”
Ratner issued a public apology after his comments at a Tower Heist Q&A last week and has agreed to take part in a series of public discussions organised by GLAAD about the image of LBGT in Hollywood.

Source:  Screen Daily 9th November 2011

Welcome to Stella Vision!

StellaVision was established to promote the best of British Indie films and World Cinema; especially the work of new Directors,  Writers and Producers.  The group believed that there was a need to create a forum to share industry information from across the global world of film.  StellaVision has two key aims,  to introduce world cinema to new audiences,  and to promote the best of emerging talent in the UK and further afield.

StellaVision plan to launch a Film Society in January 2012 at the New Art Exchange in Nottingham,  England.  The programme will include monthly screenings of films,  more details about the programme to follow shortly.