International
Barbara Streisand to helm 1st film in 16 years
MUMBAI: Veteran Barbra Streisand is ready to get back to direction with a film called Skinny and Cat. This will be her first film in 16 years.
The 70-year-old actress has tapped Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett as the lead couple in the upcoming film that is about the love story between late author Erskine Caldwell and Margaret Bourke White.
Skinny and Cat, which is expected to roll in January 2013, will mark Streisand‘s first directing stint since 1996‘s The Mirror Has Two Faces.
Besides preparing for Skinny and Cat, Streisand is keeping herself busy with some other projects. She has been attached to the big screen take on Broadway musical Gypsy to be written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. She will also appear in The Guilt Trip alongside Seth Rogen.
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.
