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Manori Ravindran International Editor British model and actor Cara Delevingne got to be herself on screen for the first time in her forthcoming docuseries “Planet Sex” and says she realized she was more of a prude than she thought. Speaking in Cannes at international TV market Mipcom on Tuesday, the 30-year-old said the Fremantle-produced show for Hulu and the BBC took her in directions she never imagined when offering to tell her personal journey with sexuality in a series. “I went into the masturbation seminar thinking it was going to be a classroom and I’d have a notepad, and instead it was a pink, leather gym mat on the floor, with six people going, ‘Well, take your underwear off. This is the lube,’” explained Delevingne. “I didn’t realize I was a prude. I think I’m a pretty hip, young, cool, down-with-anything kind of girl but I was like, ‘Sorry what? Sorry, no, absolutely not, I will not do that.’ But I kind of did everything I felt comfortable doing.”

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David Tennant’s ‘Litvinenko’ Sells to AMC+, Sundance Now

Manori Ravindran International Editor The David Tennant-starring “Litvinenko” has sold into AMC+ and Sundance Now in the U.S., along with a host of other buyers in 80 international markets. The drama has pre-sold ahead of its debut on ITV’s forthcoming U.K. streaming service ITVX, which launches this fall, and NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and Baltics. Written by George Kay (“Lupin”) and produced by Patrick Spence, ITV Studios and Tiger Aspect Productions, the drama tells the story of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer, whose death from polonium poisoning in November 2006 triggered one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

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It’s About Time: U.K. TV Leaders Will Make Commitments to Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent Talent in Groundbreaking Showcase Event

Manori Ravindran International Editor British TV industry leaders are set to convene at an event in celebration of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent that will address their lack of representation on screen and commit attendees to specific action points. Created by Bridge06 and Hot Coals Productions, the event — entitled About Time! — is positioned as a “call to action” for broadcasters, commissioners, casting agents, producers and agents — key roles that are central to improving the opportunities for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creative communities. Taking place on Oct. 28 at BAFTA, the event will feature 10 working deaf, disabled and neurodivergent actors, musicians and performers and will be hosted by the BAFTA-nominated “Don’t Take My Baby” actor Ruth Madeley and “Coronation Street” star Cherylee Houston.

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South Asian International Film Festival Sets New Leadership, Outgoing Director to Set Up Sales Outfit (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor New York’s South Asian International Film Festival has appointed Chayan Sarkar as its new president. A filmmaker, entrepreneur and festival director, Sarkar is also the founder of the Indian International Film Festival of Queensland in Australia. He takes over from SAIFF founder Shilen Amin, who will step down as president, but will remain a member of the festival’s board of directors. Sarkar joins SAIFF as the festival enters its 19th year as a leading film festival in the U.S. for new cinema from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, and within the Indian diaspora. In recent years, SAIFF has become increasingly influential as a platform for South Asian cinema, both in the U.S. and internationally. Fourteen of India’s submissions for the international feature film Oscar have had their North American premieres at the festival.

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‘Baroness von Sketch Show’ Star to Lead Figure Skating Comedy for Crave From Catalyst, Blue Ant Studios (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor “Baroness von Sketch Show” star Carolyn Taylor will front a new unscripted comedy series for Canadian streaming service Crave, produced through Catalyst and Blue Ant Studios. The six-part comedy series has been commissioned by the Bell Media-owned SVOD, and is produced by Catalyst — the Toronto-based development and funding company focusing on women-centric content — and Blue Ant Studios as part of a strategic partnership to develop female-generated programming for the global marketplace. Taylor is best known as one of the stars and co-creators of CBC’s comedy hit “Baroness von Sketch Show,” which aired across five seasons from 2016 to 2020. Starring four female comedians, the satirical sketch comedy offered clever takedowns of contemporary culture through the female gaze. Some of the show’s most famous skits include “Private Vagina,” “Mom Says Hello” and “Not All Men.”

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‘Glass Onion’ to Hit U.K. Cinemas as Netflix Strikes Deals With Vue, Cineworld

Manori Ravindran International Editor Netflix has struck deals with European cinema giant Vue International and Cineworld to put “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” in British movie theaters. The film will screen at select Vue and Cineworld cinemas across the U.K. an entire month before the movie hits the streaming service. “Glass Onion” will screen from Nov. 23-29, and then leave cinemas for three weeks before dropping on Netflix on Dec. 23. Tickets are now on sale for the U.K. cinema run. Tim Richards, founder and CEO of Vue International, said: “This is an exciting moment in our relationship with streaming platforms and for the wider ecosystem as a whole. Studios have recognized the value of the theatrical window and now we’re seeing Netflix embracing the big screen theatrical release too.

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‘Monty Python’ Star John Cleese to Host Show on Right-Leaning U.K. Channel GB News

Manori Ravindran International Editor “Monty Python” star John Cleese is set to host a regular show on right-wing news channel GB News next year. The 82-year-old actor revealed his new project on BBC Radio 4’s popular “Today” program on Monday morning. “I was approached and I didn’t know who they were,” said Cleese of GB News, which set up shop in Britain in 2021. “I don’t know much about modern television because I’ve pretty much given up on it — I mean, English television. Then, I met one or two of the people concerned and had a dinner with them and I liked them very much. “What they said was, ‘People say it’s a right-wing channel, but it’s a free speech channel,’” explained Cleese, who is working on the show with political satirist and comedian Andrew Doyle.

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BAFTA TV and Craft Awards Are Trying to Right the Balance for Female Directing Nominees

Manori Ravindran International Editor BAFTA has made key changes to its Television and TV Craft awards in an attempt to level the playing field for women in historically imbalanced categories such as directing. For the 2023 awards, which are set to take place next spring, the Director categories of factual, fiction and multi-camera will see the top three male and top three female directors from the Round One membership vote automatically going through to jury consideration. The new intervention is a first for the TV Craft Awards, and intended to increase the visibility of women at the crucial longlisting stage, “with the longer-term aim to encourage a greater representation of women considered,” according to BAFTA.

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BBC Creative Diversity Boss June Sarpong Defends Broadcaster: Women of Color at BBC Need to ‘Stick With It, Because Change Is Happening’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor When presenter June Sarpong agreed to take on the most public-facing diversity and inclusion role at the BBC in the fall of 2019, the corporation — and indeed the world — was a different place. “I joined when the BBC was just coming out the other side of everything that had happened with [breakfast presenter] Naga Munchetty,” Sarpong tells Variety on her last official day at the BBC, capping off three years as head of creative diversity. “Feelings were heightened.” The U.K. public broadcaster was smarting from a heavy backlash against the attempted censure of Munchetty, who was reprimanded for breaching impartiality guidelines after she criticized, on air, then U.S. President Donald Trump for perceived racism. The decision was overturned by then BBC director general Tony Hall, but only after widespread outcry against the corporation for punishing one of its top hosts for calling out racism, which many felt should be exempt from impartiality rules.

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BFI London Film Festival Director Tricia Tuttle to Step Down After 2022 Edition

Manori Ravindran International Editor BFI festivals director Tricia Tuttle is stepping down from the role after 10 years. This month’s edition of the London Film Festival will be her last in the post. Tuttle has, for the last five years, led as director the BFI London Film Festival as well as BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. She was previously deputy head of festivals from 2013 to 2017. She will remain in the role through to early 2023, while the BFI recruits for a new festivals leader. Tuttle leaves the festival during what’s shaping up to be one of its strongest editions yet: the festival has more world premieres than ever this year, with headline films including Matthew Warchus’ “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” and Asif Kapadia’s “Creature.”

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BAFTA Introduces Year-Round Special Awards for North American Recipients

Manori Ravindran International Editor BAFTA is expanding its U.S. awards activity with the year-round presentation of Special Awards to recipients in North America. BAFTA Special Awards are honorary awards presented to those who have made a significant contribution to film, games and television through a particular project or their overall body of work. The Special Awards, which among others include the Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award and the Fellowship Award, are a mainstay of the British Academy’s U.K. prizes. BAFTA says these year-round awards are an “evolution” of the Britannia Awards ceremony, an event that was previously hosted once a year in Los Angeles, and which last took place in 2019. The org has made clear to Variety that the Britannia’s aren’t necessarily canceled, but will rather take on a different shape as more awards are presented across the calendar year.

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‘RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K.’ Contestant George Ward, Known as Cherry Valentine, Dies at 28

Manori Ravindran International Editor “RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K.” contestant George Ward, who performed as Cherry Valentine, has died at the age of 28. A cause of death is still unknown. Ward, who also worked as a mental health nurse, starred in Season 2 of the British “Drag Race” adaptation in 2021. Ward’s agent Emma Bunning confirmed the news of his death, on Sept. 18, to Variety and shared a statement from the actor’s family: “It is with the most heart wrenching and deepest sadness to inform you that our George – Cherry Valentine – has tragically passed away,” reads the statement. “This will come as a profound shock to most people [and] we understand there is no easy way for this to be announced.

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Thunderbird Entertainment Group Hires Kidscreen’s Nelson Huynh as Director of Distribution Sales

Manori Ravindran International Editor “Kim’s Convenience” producer Thunderbird Entertainment Group has appointed Nelson Huynh as director of distribution sales. Huynh will license Thunderbird’s animated and live-action kids series from Atomic Cartoons and primetime scripted series to broadcasters and streamers with a focus on Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America and Asia. Reporting to Richard Goldsmith, president of global distribution and consumer products, he will also work to secure commissions, pre-sales and co-productions for new series from Thunderbird’s animated, scripted and unscripted (from in-house production banner Great Pacific Media) series production divisions.

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Alexander Siddig Headlines Supernatural Series ‘Fallen’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor “Shantaram” star Alexander Siddig is set to lead a supernatural series for Brazilian streaming service Globoplay. “Fallen,” which has begun principal photography, will star Siddig alongside Sarah Niles (“Ted Lasso”), Jessica Alexander (“Get Even”), Gijs Blom (“The Letter for the King”) and Timothy Innes (“The Last Kingdom”). Produced by Silver Reel and Night Train Media, and co-produced with Globoplay, “Fallen” (8 x 60′) follows the story of Luce, a young woman who is sent to a cult-like rehab facility called Sword & Cross to serve time for a crime she can’t remember committing.

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A24 Strikes Multi-Picture Deal With Canada’s Sphere Films (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor Canada’s Sphere Films has signed a multi-picture deal with A24 that will cover nine of the U.S. studio’s films in the Canadian market. Under the deal, Sphere Films will theatrically release pics including Charlotte Wells’ Cannes breakout “Aftersun,” which is currently screening as part of TIFF, and Ari Aster’s “Disappointment Blvd.” starring Joaquin Phoenix. The latter is believed to be A24’s biggest production to date. The A24 deal comes off the back of Sphere Films’ acquisition of MK2 Mile End in April. Charles Tremblay, former boss of MK2 Mile End and now the president of Sphere Films, said: “We felt that by joining a larger media company like Sphere that would help our chances of being a larger distributor than on our own.”

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IFC Films Buys ‘BlackBerry’ Movie, About World’s First Smartphone (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor IFC Films has acquired the U.S. rights to “Operation Avalanche” director Matt Johnson’s new movie, “BlackBerry,” about the ill-fated smartphone that took the world by storm in the early 2000s. The highly anticipated film, which was first revealed by Variety last month, tells the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the BlackBerry, and stars an ensemble cast including Jay Baruchel (“This Is the End”), Glenn Howerton (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and Cary Elwes (“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning”). The pic will detail the operations of BlackBerry’s Canadian parent company Research in Motion, which was one of the country’s most illustrious and well-known tech companies before it floundered in legal disputes and eventually lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple and Samsung. At the heart of the story is the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.

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Rugby Icon Jonah Lomu, Man United’s Peter Schmeichel Get Feature Docs From Dogwoof, Sylver Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran International Editor New Zealand rugby icon Jonah Lomu and former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel will be the subjects of two new documentaries from U.K.-based sales agent and distributor Dogwoof and Sylver Entertainment. The companies previously collaborated on “McEnroe,” a documentary about the tennis great John McEnroe, which was released in U.K. cinemas in July and premiered on Showtime on Sept. 2. As development financiers and executive producers on both projects, Dogwoof will be presenting the projects to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.