Author name: Mark It

Cannes 2025 was not a washout. The Croisette was crowded, the sun came out, and over 15,000 industry professionals turned up.  But something has shifted.  I believe that we will look back at 2025 as an inflection point. The most negative reading…

Two weeks ago, I suggested a treaty ending international film subsidies. Government funding for local cultural content can be defensible. But when countries use subsidies to compete to attract Hollywood productions, Hollywood is the main winner. It’s hard for any…

Warner Bros. Discovery has been downgraded to BB+, or junk bond status, for 2025 and 2026 by S&P Global over linear TV weakness as the Hollywood studio continues to pivot to the streaming space. The ratings firm continued its outlook…

Ads on streaming are smoking. Advertising-supported tiers made up 46% of streaming subscriptions at SVOD platforms that offer both options — with and without ads — at the end of March, up by 33%, or 7 percentage points, year-on-year. Over…

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is advancing efforts to streamline film and television production in Los Angeles amid cries for further policymaker intervention on the issue of runaway production. Bass calls for a reduction in city staffers on shoots and improved…

The success of Canterbury as a movie-making location has been celebrated alongside film and TV projects like Wicked and Bridgerton, at a prestigious ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival. Screen Canterbury NZ, which is the regional film office of the…