International
Producers Guild Award creates history with a tie in Outstanding Picture category
MUMBAI: On Sunday, 19 January, the Producers Guild Awards (PGA) was announced at the Beverley Hilton with a major twist. For the first time in the 25 years of PGA history, two films have won the coveted statuette. Alfonso Cuaron’s space epic Gravity and the harrowing historical drama 12 Years a Slave shared the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.
In the past week, 12 Years a Slave landed wins from the Golden Globes (drama film) and the Critics’ Choice Awards. American Hustle won the Globe (comedy film) and the SAG Ensemble prize.
Gravity has been hailed as an Oscar front-runner since its release with 10 Oscar nominations in its kitty. However, it had not scored any high-profile top prizes until Sunday. The PGA win is a giant leap for the film.
Frozen, Disney’s latest animated feature film which surpassed box office records worldwide, won the award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures. This does not come as a surprise since it also won a Golden Globe award in the same category.
On the television front, Breaking Bad won The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama, while Modern Family won The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy. The Michael Douglas and Matt Damon HBO movie, Behind the Candelabra won The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television.
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.
