innovations: Last News

Ben Croll South Korea’s Green Narae Media won the inaugural Unifrance Distribution Prize at this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris, claiming $10,290 in prize money honoring the distributor’s innovative local rollout of Trần Anh Hùng’s “The Taste of Things.” Released in South Korea this past June, the Cannes prizewinner turned French Oscar submission went on to bank more than 45,000 local admissions, making the romantic drama a boutique success story for 2024. After buying the title off script, the Korean distributor put together a robust social media campaign that targeted young audiences while emphasizing the film’s mouth-watering content.

Ninja's January sale is going all out, offering discounts on everything from air fryers to knife blocks. Some items even come with freebies and bonus items to sweeten the deal.

William Earl Variety is returning to the Sundance Film Festival this year with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. The studio will begin on Friday, Jan. 24, and run through Sunday, Jan.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. You can now have Michelin star-worthy meals delivered straight to your house, thanks to Goldbelly’s new “Chef of the Month” subscription announced this week.

Stirling and Clackmannanshire is to receive more than £350million to support vital council services alongside funding for new school buildings under the 2025-26 Scottish budget.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Warner Bros. Discovery said Anthony Noto, CEO of financial services company SoFi, and Joey Levin, who is stepping down as CEO of Barry Diller’s IAC, have been appointed to its board. Noto joined the board as of Jan.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus, The White Lotus), Caroline Aaron (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, 21 Jump Street), Noam Ash (The Other Two), and Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll, The Acolyte) are set for 5x Media‘s Bookends from filmmaker Mike Doyle.

Thania Garcia Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation is granting $500,000 to Los Angeles fire relief efforts carried out by the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund. The Los Angeles wildfires area have caused widespread destruction in communities across the city since Jan. 7.

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran literary agent Ian Greenstein is joining Innovative Artists. He is coming off a decade at Gersh, most recently as Co-Head of Television Literary. Te majority of his clients are expected to follow him to Innovative.

Ninja's January sale is in full swing and there's plenty of discounts on everything from air fryers to knife blocks to go around. Some items even come with freebies and bonus items to sweeten the deal.

Saying that AI was discussed at CES last week is a bit like saying oxygen was breathed during the giant tech confab. There was simply no way of avoiding the topic.

She's known for her tidying and home makeover tips, but cleaning and DIY isn't the only thing Stacey Solomon is popular for.

Olly Alexander has released an “epic love song” called ‘When We Kiss’. Check it out below.Following the release of singles ‘Cupid’s Bow’, ‘Polari’ and ‘Archangel, ‘When We Kiss’ marks the fourth taste from Alexander’s upcoming album ‘Polari’, due on February 7 (pre-order/pre-save here.Created alongside Danny L Harle (Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek), ‘Polari’ draws from the earliest innovators in electro-pop, charting desire, voyeurism and fate, and is Alexander’s first album release since abandoning the Years & Years moniker.Describing the newest track, the former Eurovision entrant said it was “an epic love song” inspired by a “difficult moment in a relationship when you don’t know whether you should break up or if you should stay together forever.”He continued: “I wanted this song to reflect those conflicted feelings, all the pain and ecstasy of loving someone.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor From AI to webtoons to advertising and distribution innovations, the discussions featured Jan. 8 at the annual Variety Entertainment Summit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas ran the gamut of hot topics driving the business of media and entertainment.The daylong conference opened with a panel of top programming executives who weighed in on the big shifts in streaming content and the business focus of major networks and platforms.Beatrice Springborn, president of NBCUniversal’s UCP and Universal International Studios, cited “the new normal” of commissioning and production volume following 2023’s actors and writers strikes and the wave of consolidation among media giants.“There is an adjustment from the peak TV era where we’re not making hundreds and hundreds of shows.

Drawings have shown how a new primary school planned to address demand from a major housing development in Bishopton could look once built.

The Göteborg Film Festival and Nordisk Film & TV Fond have announced the five inaugural Nordic Series Script Award nominees.

Air fryers are continuing to change the way people cook. The innovative kitchen appliance is convenient, energy-efficient and perfect if you want to cook your food using very little oil.

Disney said it is expanding its “Magic Words” advertising feature, introduced last year, to live programming.

Todd Longwell Will.i.am has a long list of accomplishments as a member of the mega-platinum hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas (“Imma Be,” “Boom Boom Pow,” “I Gotta Feeling”) and a songwriter and producer for superstars including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Nicky Minaj, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and U2. But in his conversation with Variety senior entertainment and crafts editor Carolyn Giardina at today’s Variety Summit at CES 2025 at the Aria in Las Vegas, he focused on his innovative work as a tech entrepreneur, most notably as founder and CEO of fyi.ai.Will.i.am spent the bulk of his time on stage giving a demonstration of the fyi.ai app, billed as “an AI-powered productivity tool designed to serve the creative community and beyond.”On Monday at CES, will.i.am appeared at LG’s press conference to introduce the line of audio products he developed as the “experiential architect” of the company’s new “xboom by will.i.am” brand, including Bluetooth speakers that use AI to automatically adjust their sound to emphasize the melody, rhythm or voice.Will.i.am told Giardina that regulations and governance for AI is needed as soon as possible, but he’s not scared by the technology.“I’m not worried about AI making music because it’s making music differently than what I need to make music for,” he said.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach resort has been named one of the best family-owned theme parks in the world, alongside parks in Dubai, the USA and China.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor “Nurse Unseen” and “The Glassworker” are both set to screen at the inaugural Napa Valley Asian American Film Festival (NVAAFF). The festival celebrates Asian and Asian American excellence in storytelling and highlights the creativity and innovation at the forefront of contemporary American cinema.