Billboard Girls in Music 2025
CINEMATIC CELEBRATION
Legendary Japanese director Takeshi Kitano‘s samurai epic “Kubi” will open the sixth version of London’s Queer East Competition on April 23 at BFI Southbank. The pageant, operating by means of Could 18, will showcase over 100 titles exploring LGBTQ+ experiences throughout East and Southeast Asia.
Highlights embody “Rookie,” about a teen becoming a member of an all-girls volleyball staff within the Philippines; “Beneath the Moonlight,” documenting an Islamic boarding faculty for transgender girls in Indonesia; and the 1968 Japanese underground movie “Loopy Love,” shot in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. Additionally featured is “Bel Ami,” following a middle-aged Chinese language man’s choice to come back out, and “Some Nights I Really feel Like Strolling,” which explores need and belonging by means of a teen’s nighttime journey in Manila.
The pageant will shut with “Edhi Alice,” a South Korean documentary from filmmaker Ilrhan Kim inspecting the experiences of trans people in Seoul.
This 12 months’s program celebrates activism, neighborhood, and queer historical past. The pageant has expanded past conventional screenings to incorporate dwell performances, workshops, and a brand new “Past” strand exploring queer id in Central Asia, South Asia, and Scotland.
The pageant will happen throughout quite a few London venues together with Barbican Centre, ICA, and Wealthy Combine, amongst others.
STREAMING SYNERGY
Apple TV+ is now out there through Prime Video in India as an add-on subscription. Prime members can entry the service for INR99 ($1.15) per 30 days, unlocking Apple’s unique content material library that includes weekly releases.
Subscribers can stream standard titles together with comedies like “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” dramas corresponding to “Severance,” “The Morning Present,” “Gradual Horses,” and “Disclaimer,” together with sci-fi collection “Silo” and hit movies “Wolfs” and “The Gorge.”
This enlargement follows Apple TV+’s integration with Prime Video within the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and areas throughout Europe and Latin America.
“We’re delighted to proceed to roll-out Apple TV+ on Prime Video with the launch in India right this moment,” mentioned Kelly Day, VP of worldwide, Prime Video.
Apple TV+ joins Prime Video India’s in depth lineup of add-on subscription choices together with Lionsgate Play, Discovery+, BBC Participant, and quite a few different content material suppliers.
TALENT TRAINING
Netflix is partnering with the U.Ok.’s Nationwide Movie and Tv Faculty on an expanded Entry NFTS program, geared toward creating pathways for state-educated creatives into the movie, TV and video games industries.
The initiative, operating for over 5 years, will roll out greater than 60 occasions all through 2025, designed to interact younger folks from various backgrounds in display trade careers.
Programming consists of campus excursions at NFTS Beaconsfield, hands-on workshops exploring numerous manufacturing roles, and on-line periods highlighting behind-the-camera alternatives.
The partnership launches April 2 with a Sheffield occasion that includes screenings, talks and workshops led by NFTS college students and alumni. Extra occasions will observe in Beaconsfield, Cardiff, Dundee, Nice Yarmouth and Sunderland.
This collaboration builds on Netflix’s current youth improvement work, together with the IGNITE program with Nationwide Youth Theatre, which has supported rising expertise within the West Midlands, North East and London over the previous two years.
DOWRY DRAMA
India’s “Dream Lady” filmmaker Raaj Shaandilyaa‘s Kathavachak Movies has acquired the life rights of Deeptanshu Shukla for “The Verdict 498A,” a movie about an Indian Institute of Know-how, Kanpur, who was falsely accused underneath Part 498A after which studied legislation to combat towards alleged misuse of India’s dowry harassment statute.
Directed by Bengali-language filmmaker Anindya Bikas Datta (“Bonku Babu”) in his Hindi-language debut, the movie goals to make clear what producers name false accusations underneath Part 498A, highlighting instances of males who died by suicide whereas going through such allegations.
“This isn’t simply Deeptanshu’s story — it’s the story of 1000’s of households struggling in silence,” says Shaandilyaa, who appeals for authorized reforms and a “Males’s Safety Act.” Producer Vimal Lahoti describes the undertaking as “greater than only a movie – it’s a mirror to a harsh actuality.”
At the moment in pre-production, the movie can be shot in Hindi with plans for a pan-India launch in 5 languages.
DOCU DEVELOPMENT
The KIMFF Basis has introduced the inaugural Kathmandu Doc Lab, set to run Could 24-28 in Nepal’s capital. The five-day intensive program will choose 9 promising documentary tasks from South Asian filmmakers for improvement by means of mentoring periods, specialised workshops, and pitching alternatives.
The lab incorporates a high-profile mentor lineup together with Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rintu Thomas (“Writing With Fireplace,” India), award-winning producer Anam Abbas (“In Flames,” Pakistan), and acclaimed documentarian Arun Bhattarai (“Agent of Happiness,” Bhutan).
Members will achieve entry to main trade gamers together with IDFA Bertha Fund, Sundance, Visions du Réel, and broadcasters like Deutsche Welle. This system affords $5,000 in money prizes.
KIMFF has been Asia’s pioneering mountain movie pageant since 2000. Purposes are open till April 5.
