Directors Digest — Thursday 7 September

Today’s Directors Digest is a mixed bag, featuring fatwas, fellowships, funding, PACT research, Netflix, copyright and zombies. And more. Read our round-up of the news and views from the industry below. 

Film

Congratulations to Directors UK member Stephen Frears on receiving the 2017 Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Film-maker Award at Venice International Film Festival. The Evening Standard carried this interview with the director after the event. 

Screendaily has a look at how the UK film sector is looking to improve workplace conditions. 

Find out about Maysaloun Hamoud, the female filmmaker who was issued a fatwa for her first film. (BBC)

Three UK StudioCanal executives have been handed international roles as part of a restructuring process. (Variety)

Meanwhile, The Verge posits that the popularity of zombies can be attributed to a copyright error in Night of the Living Dead. (And hey, while you’re at it, we have a pretty good explainer on copyright for directors here.) 

Television

The Royal Television Society (RTS) is commemorating its 90th anniversary with nine new fellowships, including two for Directors UK members Jed Mercurcio and Graham Linehan. Congratulations to them both! (RTS)

The Scottish government has pledged an additional £10m in Film and TV sector investment. (Screendaily) 

A PACT survey has found that only one-third of UK TV production money is spent outside of London. (Guardian)

PACT’s latest financial census reveals that UK Indie revenues are ‘stable’ at £2.5bn. (Televisual)

Wired explains how Netflix is using The Defenders to understand its audience. 

And finally, Chinese media regulators have banned the streaming of TV dramas without government permits. (Variety)

Are you a member with an opinion on one of these stories? Is there an issue affecting directors that you think isn’t getting enough attention in the media? Why not write for us and make yourself heard — email [email protected] with your article idea.