Directors Digest — Fri 23 May 2025

In the news this week, Channel 4 sets out plans for in-house production, ITV has announced staff cuts following a shake up of the scheduling and production of its Daytime shows, and UK creatives challenge representation of disability on screen at the Cannes UK pavilion. 

Read about it in this week’s Digest.

News

•  Channel 4 has started to set out plans for in-house production following the removal of its publisher broadcaster restrictions. (Televisual)

•  ITV has announced a shake up of the scheduling and production of its Daytime shows including Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, Loose Women and This Morning. The changes will reportedly result in around 220 of 440 staff involved in the production of the shows at ITV Studios losing their jobs. (Televisual)

•  A new report by the BBC has called for urgent investment from both industry and the government to protect British comedy and its “substantial” cultural and economic returns to the UK. (BBC)

•  Channel 4 has announced that it is to become the first UK broadcaster to bring video programming to Spotify, with content becoming available to audiences from later this week. (Televisual)

•  Google unveiled Flow, a new AI filmmaking tool designed to help professional and upstart directors develop scenes for TV shows and movies. (The Wrap)

Features

•  “Disability doesn’t need to be the defining characteristic”: UK creatives challenge representation on screen at Cannes UK pavilion. (Screen)

Director Interviews

•  ‘I think of those I left behind in prison’: Iran’s Jafar Panahi on life as a banned film-maker. (Guardian)

•  “Can an algorithm understand the weight of a glance between two people?”: Wong Kar Wai on In the Mood for Love at 25 – a new interview. (Sight and Sound)