region European: Last News

Alex Ritman Artem Vasilyev, the Russian producer and CEO of Metrafilms and its animation arm Studio Metrafilms, has launched the new label Lazy Sunday, based in Ireland and dedicated to developing and producing both animation and live-action projects for international audiences. The new outfit will serve as a bridge linking Western Europe with Eastern Europe, Vasilyev hopes, while also connecting with his current base of operations in Moldova.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Bosnian crime drama “I Know Your Soul,” created by Jasmila Žbanić – who directed Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Grbavica” and Oscar-nominated “Quo Vadis, Aida?” – and Damir Ibrahimović – who was a producer on those films – was named best drama series Sunday at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival. “Smashing It” was named best comedy show. Eight series were nominated in 14 categories.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Sega is selling off “Company of Heroes” developer Relic Entertainment and laying off 240 employees across Sega’s Europe and UK-based teams, including Creative Assembly and Sega Hardlight. The cuts make Sega the latest video game company to downsize its staff in 2024.

Christopher Vourlias Beta Film has acquired international distribution rights to “I Know Your Soul,” a new series from Oscar nominee Jasmila Žbanić (“Quo Vadis, Aida?”) that premieres Out of Competition next month at the Venice Film Festival. The six-episode limited series is led by European Film Award-winning actress Jasna Đuričić, who plays Nevena Murtezic, a prosecutor in the process of divorce and single mother to a teenage son.

World health experts have warned we should prepare for deaths in Europe from monkeypox.

Emilio Mayorga Spain’s Navarre will analyse a 40% tax deduction on R&D investment and other factors turning it into one of Spain’s fastest-building animation hubs at a June 15 panel, held at Annecy’s MIFA market.Located in northern Spain,   Navarre currently has six animated features in development, two in production, one recently launched, and two shorts, according to Ana Herrera, audiovisual and digital projects manager at the Navarre Government. “For a community of 663,612 inhabitants, these are very stimulating statistics.,” Herrera said. Herrera went on to underscore the importance of the partnership between private companies and public institutions to boost the sector, which takes in several government areas – economy, employment, Navarre’s tax office and culture.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that 77 additional cases of the monkeypox virus have been discovered in the UK, bringing the total to 302.

Christopher Vourlias Since hosting its first dedicated drama series conference during the 2017 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event – the festival’s industry arm – has continued to expand the scope of its popular TV Beats Forum.This year’s event, which will take place during the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event from Nov. 18-25, includes a conference program focused on the latest industry trends, preview screenings of the newest series from the Nordic, Baltic and Central and Eastern European regions, and a co-financing market showcasing a curated selection of eight-10 series currently in development.Marge Liiske, managing director of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, says the growing TV strand is a recognition of the “well-established reality” facing Baltic producers today.

Smilegate and Amazon Game Studios are working on “an entirely new region of servers in Europe” to accommodate demand for Lost Ark at launch, however many European players are leaving negative reviews on Steam to show their dissatisfaction with the current server state.Yesterday (February 13), Smilegate announced via a blog that it is “working as quickly as possible to set up an entirely new region of servers in Europe.”According to Smilegate, this is a joint expansion between itself and publisher Amazon Game Studios, and it’s “the only way to accommodate more players in Europe.”At the moment, the demand for Lost Ark in Europe is causing players in that region to suffer from lengthy queue times. Many of these players are leaving negative reviews on Steam, with some reviews stating queue times in Europe can be upwards of four hours.“While we understand lengthy queue times may persist, we will need time to ensure everything is set up to be in top shape to help accommodate all players to get in game.

Nintendo of America has said it has “no plans” to cut the price of the Nintendo Switch, following the console’s standard model’s price drop in Europe earlier this week.In the UK, the standard Nintendo Switch has dropped from its original retail price of £279.99 to £259.99, while in Europe the new price appears to be €269.99 (down from €329.99), just under a month before the launch of the Switch OLED model.However, it appears that US fans hoping for a similar price drop are out of luck, according to Axios reporter Stephen Totilo.“The trade price adjustment is for the European region only,” a spokesperson said.