ACORN TV
Programming from several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, and UK.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas-based theater chain that has become a favorite with cinephiles for its dine-in service and fan-forward approach to exhibition, has filed for Chapter 11. The bankruptcy filing comes as part of an asset purchase agreement with Altamont Capital Partners, a previous investor in the company, as well as affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, a new backer. The company says that operations will continue as normal and the Chapter 11 process and sale will give it the capital it needs to continue operating as it emerges from a public health crisis that left many of its locations closed for months....

The Eurimages Co-production Development Award was created to encourage international co-production from the development stage of a project “for reasons other than simple co-financing,” per organization sources. The Eurimages Award carries a cash prize of €20,000 ($24,000) and must be used exclusively to cover the development expenses of the co-production project. The project must be developed by one or more independent production companies from a Eurimages member state (including associate members) with the purpose of involving at least one other production company from a different Eurimages member state. Due to the high number of applications for Eurimages funding, its network has seen significant expansion over the years. In 2018, the award was presented at 10 co-production markets. Cartoon Movie runs online March 9-11...

Portugal’s cash rebate scheme, introduced in 2018, is attracting major international productions and new production outfits and facilities, and providing significant leverage for domestic film and TV productions. Shoots slowed during the pandemic, with several projects lensed in bubbles, but production is expected to surge in the second half of 2021. The current cash rebate is tabbed at 25/30% of eligible production spend and may be upwardly revised in the near future. €22.5 million ($27.5 million) in total cash rebate has been disbursed since 2018, roughly equally split between international shoots and 100% Portuguese productions and co-productions. High-profile projects include Ira Sachs’ “Frankie,” with Isabelle Huppert, Richard Stanley’s “The Color Out of Space,” starring Nicolas Cage, Marco Pontecorvo’s “Fatima,” with Harvey Keitel, and three Bollywood pics. These projects have accessed cash rebate per pic varying between €631,000 ($770,000) and €1.9 million ($2.4 million) Portugal is also shaking up its production eco-system. Pubcaster RTP has shifted from telenovelas to series and documentaries aimed at the international market, including co-productions with streamers such as Netflix, Amazon and HBO... 

Sony is shutting down its digital video store after double-digit growth in the sector in 2020 amid the pandemic. In the U.S. last year, electronic sell-through sales rose 16% to $3 billion and VOD rentals were up 18%, to $2.3 billion, according to trade group DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. But it’s a crowded space, with rivals including Apple’s iTunes, Amazon Video, Comcast-owned Fandango and Vudu, Google Play and Roku. Sony evidently concluded that incremental TVOD revenue generated via the PlayStation Store wouldn’t be worth the ongoing investment required to keep it going. After PlayStation Store stops selling and renting VOD titles, customers will still be able to access movie and TV content they purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on PS4 and PS5 consoles and mobile devices...