International
World Film Premiere Festival to coincide with International Film Expo in Manila
NEW DELHI: A World Premiere Film Festival is to be launched by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in June next year to coincide with the annual International Film Expo (IFX)
The inaugural edition will host 25 to 30 feature films including a 12-film competition and a programme of films from ASEAN countries. Organisers expect that the competition films will be world premieres or, at least, Asian premieres.
The festival has already struck a partnership with the Shanghai International Film Festival, which will next year screen a programme of films from the Philippines. The Manila event will be hosted either before or after SIFF.
WPFF will be hosted at SM Mall of Asia and at the new SM Aura in Metro Manila’s Taguig City, which includes a 449-seat IMAX screen.
The festival also hopes to introduce a distribution component so that films have a life after the festival.
According to FDCP Head Briccio G. Santos, he is already in talks with various embassies in Manila – including those of Italy and Spain – to secure films to broaden the range of foreign films reaching local cinemas.
International
Council of Europe to unveil new TV and streaming co-production convention
Series Mania Forum to host landmark signing to boost global TV collaboration
LILLE: The small screen is getting a big policy push. At this year’s Series Mania Forum in Lille, Alain Berset will take centre stage to chair the opening ceremony for a new international convention aimed at reshaping how television and streaming series are co-produced across borders.
Set for March 26 at the Théâtre Marie Curie in Lille Grand Palais, the signing marks the debut of the first legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent co-production of series. In an industry where stories travel faster than ever, the move aims to make collaboration smoother, fairer and more transparent.
Backed by the Council of Europe, the convention is designed to strengthen cultural ties, give independent producers a firmer footing, and bring greater clarity to deals in a rapidly evolving content landscape. With streaming platforms fuelling a surge in global storytelling, the timing feels deliberate.
Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset, underscored the cultural heft of series today, noting how they carry voices and viewpoints across borders. He called on member states and countries beyond Europe to sign on, framing the initiative as a way to turn culture into a tool for cooperation and democratic exchange.
For Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, hosting the signing is both symbolic and strategic. She described the convention as a step that could widen the range of stories reaching audiences, staying true to the forum’s long-standing mission of championing diverse storytelling.
The ceremony will unfold alongside the Lille Dialogues, a high-level summit that gathers policymakers and industry leaders to debate the future of Europe’s audiovisual sector. Berset is also set to deliver the opening address there, adding political weight to a week already rich in creative ambition.
In short, as screens multiply and borders blur, Europe is putting a framework in place to ensure that storytelling keeps pace, collaboratively and coherently.
