Sarajevo Director Exit & New Hire; Amazon India ‘Modern Love’ Series; ITV Studios New Channels; WarnerMedia Turkey Hire & RTL Deal; FilmLondon Role — Global Briefs

Sarajevo Director Exits After 27 Years

Mirsad Purivatra, the founder of the Sarajevo Film Festival, is leaving the SFF Director position after 27 years. Purivatra will assume the role of President of the Obala Art Centar Association, the umbrella organization behind the Sarajevo Film Festival. Purivatra’s successor will be Jovan Marjanović, previously in charge of the SFF Industry Department and the Festival Co-director. Said Purivatra: “I am proud of everything we have accomplished over the last 27 years. We started from nothing, when our city was under siege, and today we are a globally renowned institution attended by filmmakers and film industry professionals from the region and the whole world. We have faced many challenges on this journey. Our recognizable strong teamwork has turned challenges into successful projects by always setting and attaining high standards. All along we have been dedicated to our mission to discover, support and promote local and regional film authors and industries. I am happy that the Sarajevo Film Festival has become the most significant platform for the development of BiH film industry and co-production in the region and thus a part of many success stories about BiH film and regional film.” He added: “I can freely say that Jovan Marjanović is a child of the Festival. He joined us as a nineteen-year-old, after graduating from high school. He grew up with the Sarajevo Film Festival, demonstrated true talent for the creative industry, graduated from prestigious schools, developed an excellent network in the film industry and I believe he will be a great leader capable of leading the team and the Festival in the right direction.” Screen was first up with the news.

Amazon’s ‘Modern Love’ Getting Three Indian Adaptations

Amazon Prime Video is planning multiple Indian-language adaptations of its U.S. romantic comedy anthology series Modern Love. The show will be remade in Hindi as Modern Love: Mumbai, in Tamil as Modern Love: Chennai and in Telugu as Modern Love: Hyderabad. Based on the eponymous New York Times column, the show will feature diverse love stories and will launch later this year. The series has run for two seasons in the U.S. “India is the land of love – and with our Indian adaptions we are aiming at taking stories of love that are rooted in Indian soil to audiences across India and the world,” said Aparna Purohit, head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video. “The series which will be made across multiple languages, will explore the countless shades of love. While these heartwarming stories are adapted from the famous New York Times column, they’re quintessentially Indian at heart, with the metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad serving as the perfect canvas. We’re truly excited to bring these incredible stories to our customers across India and the world.”

ITV Studios Launches Drama And ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Channels

ITV Studios is launching Europe-wide channels focused on drama and Hell’s Kitchen after striking a deal with Samsung TV Plus. The two channels, which are free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) with associated AVOD, will kick off in the UK before being rolled out to European markets on the Samsung platform. The first, Storylands, will bring together ITV Studios drama catalog in Europe with shows such as Aber Bergen and Un Village Français, while the dedicated Hell’s Kitchen channel will feature round-the-clock episodes of the U.S. version of Gordon Ramsay’s hit format. ITV Studios Global Distribution Manager Ruth Berry said the FAST/AVoD space is a “key strategic focus” for the global producer-distributor.

WarnerMedia & RTL Deutschland Collab On Police Thriller

WarnerMedia and RTL Deutschland are to collaborate for the first time on mini-series Two Sides of the Abyss from Brüder creator Kristin Derfler. The show will air on RTL’s streamer in Germany while WarnerMedia SVoD HBO Max takes in 61 territories across the U.S., Latin America and Europe and WarnerTV Serie shows on pay-TV in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Two Sides of the Abyss, Wuppertal police officer Luise Berg (Anne Ratte-Polle) heads for an inevitable catastrophe after her daughter’s murderer is released early from prison. A psychologically complex game of confusion begins, in which the boundaries of guilt and innocence, perpetrators and victims, law and justice are constantly blurred.

WarnerMedia Max Originals Turkey Hire

 WarnerMedia International has set Nermin Eroğlu as Executive Producer, working across development and production for Max Originals commissioned and produced in Turkey. HBO Max is planned to launch in Turkey in 2022. She will report to Mia Edde, Executive Director Turkish Content, WarnerMedia International, who is responsible for all Max Originals commissioned and produced in Turkey for HBO Max. Antony Root, EVP and Head of Original Production, WarnerMedia leads the pan EMEA original programming team that commissions and produces Max Originals. Prior to joining HBO Max, Eroğlu was a producer at production company Ay Yapim, and between 2017 and 2019 was the Deputy General Manager, Drama at Kanal D where she produced drama series Vatanim Sensin (Wounded Love). Prior to this, Eroğlu worked for TIMS Productions, BKM Film, and was the executive producer of Muhteşem Yüzyil (Magnificient Century), Asi and Firtina.

Andy Harries Succeeds David Puttnam In Film London Role

Film London announced today that David Puttnam will be stepping down as Chair of the Film London Executive Taskforce this month. He will be succeeded by Left Bank Pictures CEO Andy Harries. Film London Executive Task Force is a collection of key stakeholders from industry and the public sector such as Netflix, Channel 4, Metropolitan Police and The Production Guild who work to ensure London remains one of the most production-friendly cities in the world. As inaugural Chair, Puttnam has led the Task Force since 2004. During his tenure he has overseen the introduction of the first road closure legislation for filming in the UK, as well as the launch of the London Filming Partnership in 2005. Harries established Left Bank Pictures in 2007 and as its CEO has produced a range of hit shows, including The Crown.