Fears grow For Belarusian Filmmaker Andrei Gnyot
The European Film Academy has joined calls for the immediate release of Belarusian filmmaker and activist Andrei Gnyot, who is currently imprisoned in Serbia and faces imminent extradition to Belarus. Gnyot has fallen foul of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime for his role in 2020 demonstrations opposing rigged elections which put Lukashenko back in power for a sixth term. Officially, Gnyot is wanted for tax evasion but his supporters refute the accusations, saying the charges are politically motivated. The EFA said Gnyot faced “imprisonment, torture and even the death penalty” if returned to Belarus. “Andrei Gnyot is recognised by international human rights organisations as a political prisoner,” read its statement. “The Belarusian regime continues to persecute active citizens years after the rigged presidential elections in 2020 to destroy any manifestation of dissent. Searches, arrests, and torture continue unabatedly in Belarus. We urge international organizations, and human rights groups to appeal to the Serbian authorities to prevent the extradition of Andrei Gnyot to Belarus and to secure his immediate release. Time is of the essence; act now to save Andrei Gnyot.”
True North Post To Open Newcastle Facility
Leeds-based post-production specialist True North Post is launching a new facility in the north-east England city of Newcastle. The new studio is based in the city centre Collingwood Buildings, close to regional and national transport links. The 20-year-old company – which works regularly with the BBC, MTV, Discovery, Channel 4 and Sky – has partnered with Invest Newcastle and North East Screen on the project. “The team are thrilled to be opening their doors in Newcastle, bringing top-tier post-production services to the region,” said True North Post business consultant Gemma Ackerley. “Our focus on training and development aims to nurture local talent and create new opportunities within the vibrant North East creative community.” True North Post’s arrival in Newcastle comes hot on the heels of the announcement this spring of the $582M Crown Works Studios film studio development in Sunderland.
Federation of Film Academies Europe Launches
The European Film Academy (EFA) and 20 film academies have come together to create the Federation of Film Academies Europe (FACE). The pan-European film body will be officially registered in Luxembourg. The new structure grew out a desire to formalize the relationships between the member academies, which have been collaborating since 2006 through the EFA-organized Film Academy Network Europe. “As a network of film academies, we have grown over the past 18 years. More and more, and especially since the COVID pandemic, we have witnessed how much we have in common and how beneficial it is for all of us to share experiences and join forces, said Matthijs Wouter Knol, EFA CEO and Director and board member. The founding members include Austrian Film Academy, Belarusian Independent Film, Belgium’s ndré Delvaux Academy, Catalan Film Academy, Czech Film and Television,European Film Academy, German Film Academy, Greece’s Hellenic Film Academy, the Icelandic Film and Television Academy, the Israel Academy of Film and Television, the Luxembourg Film Academy, the Dutch Academy for Film, the Norwegian Film Academy, the Polish Film Academy, the Portuguese Academy of Cinema, Slovak Film and Television Academy, Spanish Academy of Cinematic Arts and Sciences, Swiss Film Academy and Ukrainian Film Academy.
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