Event Coverage
The Same Sky secures international deals
CANNES: Ahead of its world premiere in Cannes this MIPCOM night, Beta Film has secured a row of international deals for its prestigious series The Same Sky (ZDF/UFA Fiction/Beta Film). The multi layered family drama set in Cold War-Berlin heads to European broadcaster Rai, France 3, Belgium’s VRT and RUV (Iceland). Netflix is premiering it in certain territories, among them the English speaking world. Contracts with the major Scandinavian broadcasters SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland) had been closed earlier this year.
The six hour series by Academy Award nominated director Oliver Hirschbiegel will celebrate its world premiere at the famous Cannes Film Festival Palace on Monday night, October 17th, 6.30 pm in the presence of multiple awarded creator/writer Paula Milne and the international cast Sofia Helin (“The Bridge”), Tom Schilling (“Generation War”) and Friederike Becht (“The Reader”).
Beta CEO-Jan Mojto: “The Same Sky combines European talent: Paula Milne as an exceptional British creator/writer, German born director Oliver Hirschbiegel and a German/international cast. It’s wonderful to see this program conquering the world.”
Oliver Hirschbiegel (“Downfall”, “Billions”): “If you want to reach the world, you’ve got to stand by your own identity rather than denying it. The Same Sky tells a universal story, which can be understood everywhere in the world without losing the specific German perspective. And then there are sometimes small miracles, like the chemistry between Friederike Becht, Tom Schilling, and the truly wonderful Sofia Helin. It’s simply a pleasure watching them bringing these characters to life”.
Paula Milne (“The Politician’s Wife”, “The Virgin Queen”): “The Same Sky is about divided families in a divided city. It is the timeless story of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time – and the choices they are forced to make”.
The Same Sky centers around the relationship between an East German agent (Tom Schilling) and his target (Sofia Helin) in the West, the woman he has to seduce for the sake of his country – a relationship driven by passion but built on deceit. The series recreates the uniquely charged atmosphere in the Cold War city by portraying the fates of two families, one on each side of the wall, in a tale interweaving East German dissidents and informers and West German hustlers and agents, as well as American and British diplomats. Divided by ideology, the only thing the people of Berlin all share is the sky above.
The Same Sky is an UFA FICTION / Beta Film production for ZDF in co-production with Mia film in association with Rainmark Films.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
