ACORN TV
Programming from several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, and UK. AMC Networks chief Josh Sapan told The Hollywood Reporter that Acorn TV has "among the lowest churn" among major services owing to its focus as well as viewers' "dedication and affinity" for its content.

In a year when around 115,000 U.S. theater workers saw their employers forced to shutter, Universal Pictures spent the time and money to celebrate the ushers, greeters, ticket-tearers and theater managers who kept us moving through the cinema before coronavirus devastated the industry. Matthew McConaughey shouted out his favorite staffer at Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse. Ethan Hawke introduced the crowd to Aaron Baseman, a worker at New Jersey’s Princeton Garden Theatre and an aspiring filmmaker. Lopez underscored the value of original storytelling for her pop star romance “Marry Me,” then deferred to a front-of-house member at the Bronx’s Concourse Plaza Multiplex named Leon. 86-year-old Katherine Lawrence of the AMC Village Theaters in Manhattan was spotlighted by Jake Gyllenhaal.Their placement in the studio’s premium reel wasn’t just classy, but a reminder of what is at stake for theatrical exhibition. Especially in the plush CinemaCon auditorium, which was much emptier than usual this year thanks to the ongoing pandemic... (Courtesy Matt Donnelly)

The higher the intensity of a trailer, the slower the song that accompanies it. This may seem fairly recent as a reliable rule, but it’s not a completely new phenomenon. More recent examples of the trend include FJØRA’s echoey take on the 4 Non Blondes perennial “What’s Up?” in the terrifying trailer for 2020’s “Welcome to the Blumhouse”; Lana Del Rey’s creepy version of “Once Upon a Dream,” from the classic Disney animated film “Sleeping Beauty,” in the trailer for 2014’s “Maleficent”; and ConfidentialMX featuring Becky Hanson’s operatic interpretation of the Bee Gees’ “I Started a Joke” in the dark trailer for 2016’s “Suicide Squad.” All have shown that the formula keeps viewers buying movie tickets and streaming services ticking. “It’s what I call the old-comfortable-shoe phenomenon,” says Jonathan McHugh, a music supervisor, director and founding member of the Guild of Music Supervisors. “In a two-minute trailer, people are assessing whether or not they want to see the film,” says McHugh. “It’s all about manipulating the emotions of the viewer with music that is provocative while still showing the action and getting the message across. Audiences familiar with a song will remember it, and the younger people will say, ‘I discovered this.’”.

American Cinema Editors (ACE) has created an international partnership programme allowing film editors from outside the US to become members of the honourary society. The ACE International Partners programme will be officially launched at the society’s EditFest Global virtual conference event, staged this year on August 28 and 29. Applicants, who must have spent at least six years as a credited feature or TV editor, will be interviewed before the ACE board of directors votes on their admission. Once accepted to the programme, members will become part of ACE’s network of editing professionals and be able to vote in the final round of the feature film categories of the group’s annual Eddie Awards. After two years as an ACE International Partner, programme members will be able to request an upgrade to full active membership of the society if their work gets distributed in the US...

Yash Raj Films’ untitled Bollywood feature Production 70 has become the first project to access Russia’s 40% cash rebate programme for internatonal productions, launched two years ago at the AFM. According to the Russian Export Center and Ministry of Economic Development, it will receive $650,000 in support, based on the declared budget for production in Russia at the time of submitting the application...

Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish is teaming up with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez ("Spy Kids," "Sin City") for "Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles," a new concert experience which features the acclaimed singer/songwriter performing the entirety of her new album "Happier Than Ever" on stage at the famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Gustavo Dudamel, will conduct the L.A. Philharmonic orchestra adding a huge orchestra to Eilish's frequently subtle vocals. "Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles" debuts on Disney+ on September 3, 2021...