Expectation has appointed Kirstie Macdonald as Creative Director, Drama. She joins from World Productions where she script edited the first series of hit show Line of Duty and she's worked on a number of programs as script executive including BAFTA-nominated series Outlaws and The Fear as well as a new Sky Atlantic…

Jennifer Hudson and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale have joined the UK version of The Voice. Singer-actress Hudson, a 2004 American Idol finalist whose career has earned her a Grammy and a Oscar for her role as Effie in Dreamgirls, will make her debut with Rossdale on the show as coaches on the singing competition. They…

The Doha Film Institute unveiled today 25 projects – comprising 14 narrative feature films, five feature documentaries, one feature experimental film and five short films – which will receive grant funding for development, production or postproduction. Coming on the back of the well-received inaugural market-meeting…

Gael Garcia Bernal has been confirmed as a Qumra Master for the Doha Film Institute’s inaugural Qumra film initiative, which takes place March 6-11. Twenty-three feature films, 4 feature docus and 4 shorts will participate in an industry programme designed to propel the projects to the next stage of…

Ben Kingsley has joined the cast of Wake opposite Bruce Willis. John Pogue directs the action thriller about a sociopath with no fear (Willis), who returns to his childhood home on a remote island for his brother’s wake.  When the island comes under siege, he must save the very family that banished him from his…

The Doha Film Institute has unveiled plans for the inaugural edition of its Qumra initiative for first- and second-time filmmakers. Directors and producers attached to up to 25 projects in development or postproduction, including those with funding from DFI, will be invited to participate in the event. The program…

The Doha Film Institute has launched a film fund designed to support Qatari filmmakers. The announcement, made during the Ajyal Film Festival, will see up to four features and up to eight short films supported by the Qatari Film Fund. At least one feature film from the development fund will also receive production…

The Doha Film Institute unveiled today its lineup for the 2nd annual Ajyal Film Festival. The fest, which unspools December 1-6, will host 90 films from 43 countries including the Middle East premiere of Salma Hayek-produced Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet, directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King). The animated film…

Keshet International has sold Prisoners Of War, the Israeli format upon which Showtime's Homeland is based, to Televisa in Mexico. The deal will see a Spanish-language version of the show broadcast in Mexico (Televisa) and Colombia. while Univision also will hold rights for the U.S. Hispanic market to air the show on…

‘Sherlock’ Season Finale Ratings Tops Weekend In UK A roundly lauded finale for Season Three of Sherlock was the weekend’s most-watched TV program in the UK. The modern detective series’ third installment, entitled “His Last Vow,” drew 8.77M viewers for a 32.1% share, according to the overnights. While it was possibly…

New Study Looks At Entertainment Media Consumption In The Middle East Northwestern University in Qatar and the Doha Film Institute are partnering on a research project to explore trends in entertainment media consumption in the Middle East. The survey research will cover entertainment, culture, and sports in six…