Directors Digest — Wednesday 23 May

Presidential producers and Pawel Pawlikowski provide the alliteration in a packed Directors Digest, which also features more from Cannes, the World Cup, and the battle for Sky. Read all about it below. 

Television

A new report by The Writers’ Guild lays bare the dire statistics behind gender inequality in TV and Film in the UK. (WGGB)

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock is not ‘not minded’ to intervene in Comcast’s battle for Sky, The Guardian reports.

Amazon Studios have named Vernon Sanders as head of television. (Screen International)

The Drum provides a look behind the making of the BBC’s striking animated World Cup video. 

Sky is looking into building a dedicated ‘innovation centre’ on its Osterley campus. (Televisual)

Meanwhile, Barack and Michelle Obama have signed a production deal with Netflix. (New York Times)

Film

Pawel Pawlikowski took home the Best Director award at Cannes 2018. (Polish Film Institute)

Following a topical Cannes Flm Festival The Guardian contends that the problem with gender inequality is “not just access, but gatekeeping too”.

Meanwhile, Variety reports that the trade war is holding US-China film talks hostage. 

The Guardian provides a look at the rather unusual making of The Blair Witch Project. 

And finally, No Film School has curated a massive list of Summer 2018 grants all filmmakers should know about — as they say in the article, use your best judgement when applying.

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.