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Today, the nominations for the UK Theatre Awards were announced. Honouring productions in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, they are the only nationwide award ceremony for excellence in the performing arts. In a notable and history-making advancement, all Best New Play nominees come from female playwrights: Tash Breed, Lizzie Nunnery, and Katherine Soper. “This [year’s] nominations demonstrate the extraordinary breadth of work being written, directed, and performed across the United Kingdom,” said UK Theatre Chief Executive, Julian Bird. “The performing arts are one of the country’s most dynamic and progressive industries, shaped by incredibly talented individuals and companies, on and off stage.” Nominations for Best Musical Production include “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” directed by Jonathan Batterell, “Caroline, or Change” directed by Michael Long, and “Sweet Charity” directed by Derek Bond. Best Director nominees include Emma Jordan for “Red,” Gemma Bodinetz for the repertory at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, and Robert Hastie for “Julius Caesar.

The Olivier Awards introduced some magic into the spring theater season with the March 6 announcement of their nominations recognizing the best of the London stage. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” the West End-dominating hit from J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, received a record-breaking 11 nods, a new record for a play. “In a year of global change, the nominees for this year’s awards demonstrate London theatre’s ability to challenge our perceptions, stir our emotions, and entertain us,” said Julian Bird, chief executive of the Society of London Theatre, the producing body behind the awards. Nominated in the new play category alongside the Potter stage sequel are Nick Payne’s “Elegy,” Annie Baker’s “The Flick,” and “One Night In Miami...” by Kemp Powers. Competing for the prize for best new musical will be “Dreamgirls,” “School of Rock the Musical,” “The Girls,” and the Broadway-bound “Groundhog Day.

Sales agent Independent is introducing the film to buyers at the Afm.

A first official image of Dominic Cooper and Gemma Arterton in The Escape has been released.

Dominic Savage’s drama follows a woman who abandons her husband and children. It is produced by Guy Heeley (Locke) for Shoebox Films.

His team work-shopped a script over the summer months, with principal photography kicking off in October.

Julian Bird’s film finance and distribution company Lorton is financing and has taken UK distribution rights.

London-based sales company Independent is currently introducing the production to buyers at the Afm.

Film follows Grammy-nominated British rock band Wolf Alice on tour.

Michael Winterbottom’s On The Road will receive its world premiere at the upcoming BFI London Film Festival.

The film will be presented within the festival’s Sonic strand on Oct 9 at the BFI Southbank and follows Grammy-nominated British rock band Wolf Alice, from North London, on tour.

Winterbottom joined the band on the road earlier this year, capturing 16 different gigs and daily life backstage. The film records the tour from the point of view of a new member of their crew and stars rising British actors Leah Harvey and James McArdle.

“The starting point for the film was a long time ago in a bar in New York when we met up with a band called Ash. They told us all about their life on the road - an endless string of festivals and gigs. It sounded romantic and terrible at the same time. I was curious...

Exclusive: First interview with financier-distributor backing Oasis and Maradona docs.

Emerging UK financier-distributor Lorton Entertainment has boarded finance on a Michael Winterbottom music film and a Steven Gerrard [pictured] documentary from the producers of Amy.

Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, The Trip) is in production on Love Song: Wolf Alice, about rising UK alt rock band Wolf Alice, which was nominated for British Breakthrough Act at this year’s Brit Awards.

Lorton will also distribute the Revolution Films production, which will feature the band members alongside emerging UK actors.

The London-based outfit, which is headed by investment banker Julian Bird and a consortium of private financiers, is also set to back and distribute a documentary about revered UK footballer Steven Gerrard, which will be produced by Amy producer James Gay Rees. A director has yet to be attached.

Bird set up Lorton five years ago but the company has ramped activities in the last two years, making its biggest...

Exclusive: Jodie Whittaker comedy gets international sales company and deal with new UK distributor.

Tribeca-bound UK comedy Adult Life Skills (formerly known as How To Live Yours) has secured an international sales deal with Independent and a UK distribution deal with fledgling London-based outfit Lorton Distribution, which will make the film its first release.

Broadchurch actress Jodie Whittaker (Black Sea) stars in writer-director Rachel Tunnard’s Tribeca world-premiere about a young woman experiencing an early ‘mid-life crisis’ who lives in a shed at the bottom of her mum’s garden and makes videos using her thumbs as characters.

Supporting cast include Lorraine Ashbourne (The Selfish Giant), Brett Goldstein (SuperBob), Alice Lowe (Sightseers), Eileen Davies (Sightseers) Rachael Deering (The Last Hours Of Laura K), Edward Hogg (Jupiter Ascending) and newcomer Ozzy Myers.

The film is the feature adaptation of Tunnard’s 2015 BAFTA-nominated short Emotional Fusebox, which starred much of the same cast.

Former Screen...

Amy distributor Altitude pre-buys new documentary ‘Maradona’ for the UK, Cinetic to handle Us sales.

Footballing icon Diego Maradona is the subject of new feature documentary Maradona from the team behind Oscar and BAFTA-nominated Amy.

Director Asif Kapadia, producer James Gay-Rees and editor Chris King will reunite on the story of the genius Argentinian beset by personal demons. Production is underway.

The team will be joined on the project by producer Paul Martin (Ronaldo) and will have access to hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage from Maradona’s personal archive.

Altitude Film Sales will introduce the project to buyers at the Efm with Us sales being handled by Cinetic Media.

UK rights have been acquired by Altitude Film Distribution, who released Amy to £3.76 million in the UK, making it the highest grossing British documentary at the UK box office.

The film is being fully financed by Julian Bird’s Lorton Entertainment, the new financier-distributor...

Independent finalises Afm deals in key markets for music documentary, executive produced by Amy director Asif Kapadia.

London-based sales outfit Independent Film Sales has finalised a number of deals on its untitled Oasis documentary.

Deals have closed in Germany and Switzerland (Ascot Elite), Italy (Lucky Red), Australia/Nz (Madman), Canada (D Films), Hong Kong (Edko), South Korea (Cine Lux), Thailand (Move Matters, Documentary Club) and Taiwan (MovieCloud).

A deal in Japan, a popular market for the iconic UK band, is understood to be in the works.

As revealed by Screen on Monday, Lorton Distribution will partner with eOne on the film’s release in the UK.

Lorton, founded by city financier Julian Bird, is set to release the film theatrically with eOne handling all other rights in the UK and Ireland.

Director Mat Whitecross (The Road to Guantanamo) has begun working on the film which is due to feature “unprecedented” access and unseen archive footage.

Mint Pictures...

Exclusive: Fledgling UK film outfit Lorton teams with eOne for release, executive produced by Amy director Asif Kapadia.

Fledgling UK distribution outfit Lorton Entertainment is to partner with Entertainment One (eOne) on the release of the as-yet-untitled Oasis documentary announced earlier this month.

Lorton, founded by city financier Julian Bird, is set to release the film theatrically with eOne handling all other rights in the UK and Ireland.

The deal was negotiated by Lorton Entertainment and eOne’s Joel Kennedy.

“We are thrilled to be working with Lorton Entertainment on what will undoubtedly be a ‘must see’ movie,” said Kennedy.

“It’s an iconic rock and roll story and we can’t wait to see it brought to the big screen by such an incredibly talented team”.

The buzzed-about film, which is due to feature “unprecedented” access to the band and unseen archive footage, will be directed by Mat Whitecross (The Road to Guantanamo).

Mint Pictures’ [link...

Independent to launch sales at Afm on film about iconic UK band.

Iconic UK band Oasis are to be the subject of a new documentary produced by Amy and Senna producer James Gay Rees of On The Corner and executive-produced by Amy and Senna director Asif Kapadia.

The Road To Guantanamo director Mat Whitecross will direct the feature, which Independent will launch at Afm.

Also producing are Fiona Neilson for Mint Pictures (Spike Island) and Simon Halfon for Nemperor (Sleuth).

Financing will come from Lorton Entertainment Limited, founded by Julian Bird, while newly launched Lorton Distribution will handledistribution in the UK.

According to the production, the filmmakers have been given “unprecendented” access to the band and unseen archive footage and the film will include candid insight from the famously stormy brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher.

The film is understood to chart the journey from the moment in 1991 when Noel joined his brother Liam’s Manchester-based band. Three...

Chancellor George Osborne hands lifeline to Britain's regional and West End theatres after lobbying by leading producers

West End and regional playhouses are to benefit from similar tax breaks to those that have revived Britain's film industry, with credits that could be worth £15m a year to theatres.

The Chancellor wants to encourage more touring productions such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert, West Side Story and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, all of which have visited or originated in regional theatres.

The video games industry, which had been hoping for similar treatment, has been left waiting again as the European Commission ponders whether to allow games studios to claim credits. A decision had originally been expected in April 2013.

However, film is braced for another bumper year after George Osborne decided to make the existing credits more generous.

The incentives have already succeeded in attracting television series Game of Thrones and 24 to Britain,...