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.

Ahead of the Oscar nominations announcement, the Academy CEO is touting the largest turnout of voters of its nearly 10,000-person membership in its 94-year history. Following the close of Oscar nomination voting, which ended Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Pt, Dawn Hudson, Academy CEO, sent an email to the membership to praise its “highest ever participation during voting at any time in the Academy’s history.” Hudson also noted in the letter that ballots were submitted from 82 countries, among the 9,487 members that were eligible to participate in voting. However, neither the letter nor the Academy specified the actual participation number. Marking the first year that banned studios and awards campaigns from sending DVD screeners, highlighting one of the Academy’s focuses on “environmental sustainability,” Hudson took the opportunity to promote the success of the Academy Screening Room, the digital platform that industry voters use to view the eligible titles...

Roland Emmerich on the future of non-franchise movies: "I would love to make a movie of the book 'The Forever War,' or 'Childhood's End' would be also a great film, but I don't think they will be getting made. Maybe as a TV series, I don't know, because people stay away from these single fiction ideas. And then, just as long as they can do Marvel movies, and DC comic movies, and keep going with the 'Star Wars' saga, they will be happy. The studios want to make money, and the streamers want to make money. So the only way I can see that is [you have to work] with the streamers, which defeats the purpose of making a movie for a big screen, and then maybe have it only in a couple of theaters playing and then get streamed. So it's difficult. I'm very skeptical [about] where we go from here, because it can come back to old movie experiences, swing full back to the movie theaters, but I don't believe that will quite happen.”... ...

Studio Ghibli has confirmed that the doors will open on November 1 alongside an image of Totoro, its mascot and the title character in Hayao Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro”. The Studio Ghibli theme park will open in Aichi Prefecture in the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, which already holds a recreation of Satsuki and Mei's house from "My Neighbor Totoro." Using the Shinkansen (bullet train) and local train lines, it's about a three-hour ride from Tokyo to Nagoya Station, and then another hour ride from there to the site of the park. Eventually, there will be five areas or "lands" in the Ghibli theme park, but they'll have a staggered opening, so only the first one (Totoro-themed) will debut this year. Local officials have said (per Variety) that two other areas, including a "Princess Mononoke" section and a section themed to "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Howl's Moving Castle," will open next year, while the final two areas are planned for a 2024 opening at the latest...

Super Bowl ads can be weird and wonderful, and occasionally even wish fulfillment for fans. Such may be the case with this year’s recently released Nissan ad, a spot that will get prime ad space during Super Bowl LVI and features none other than Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy playing a superhero. Oh yeah, and stars from Marvel movies Brie Larson, Dave Bautista, Danai Gurira also pop in...

A Republican New Mexico legislator wants movie actors and other film-set professionals to undergo state-sponsored gun-safety training after a cinematographer was fatally shot last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition. State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department....

After two years of lockdowns and disruptions, Canada’s production sector appears to be entering into a post-COVID boom. As proof, look no further than the fact that American streaming giants and broadcasters are not only returning to Canada for location shoots — they’re setting up shop for good with new builds of production stages, soundstages and studios. “The fact that Netflix is taking long-term leases and buying studio space, the fact that CBS did that as well, you’re seeing big international entities seeing value in investing in real estate to service their productions here and are committed to staying,” says Mark Bishop, co-CEO of Toronto-based indie producer marblemedia, creator of the reality glass-art competition series Blown Away on Netflix...

The Oscar Wilde Awards are returning to their original home, the Ebell of Los Angeles, for its 16th annual edition March 24.The event, which celebrates the work of those from Ireland — and some who are not — who contribute to film, television and music...