International
Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg succumbs to brain cancer
MUMBAI: After the recent shock of James Gandolfini‘s sudden death, the industry receives another jolt at the demise of Gary David Goldberg, the creator ofFamily Ties and Brooklyn Bridge and co-creator of Spin City. It is reported that Goldberg succumbed to his long battle with brain cancer, early this morning at his house in Montecito in California. He passed away just two days before his 69th birthday.
Goldberg, who shot to fame with his hitFamily Ties, was born in Brooklyn, New York. The American sitcom which spans over three decades was apparently an inspiration from his personal life. The two time Emmy Awards winner also worked onThe Bob Newhart Show and Lou Grant. Among his other laurels Goldberg also won two Golden Globes, two WGA Awards, six Humanitas Prizes and a Peabody.
Goldberg worked with actor Michael J. Fox for Family Ties and Spin City both of which were commercially successful delivering blockbuster ratings. The finale of Family Ties ranked among the Top 10 series finales of all time with 36.3 million viewers and Fox‘s farewell episode on Spin City bringing in 32.8 million viewers, one of the largest audiences for a series this century. Beyond his work in television, Goldberg also directed features such as “Dad,” starring Jack Lemmon; “Bye Bye Love,” with Paul Reiser; and “Must Love Dogs.”
Goldberg till the last, was well supported by his wife, Dr. Diana Meehan, who apart from being a producer, author and advocate also co-founded the Archer School For Girls in Brentwood and his two grown-up daughters, former Friends executive producer and comedy writer Shana Goldberg-Meehan and a freelance writer and Huffington Post contributor Cailin Goldberg-Meehan, both who are following in their father‘s footsteps with careers in TV writing.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
