Celia Imrie and Jason Isaacs Honored with Raindance Icon Award
Actors Celia Imrie and Jason Isaacs were recently honored with the prestigious Raindance Icon Award. They both are set to attend the global debut of Christopher Anthony’s Heavyweight during the Raindance Film Festival’s opening night gala in London, where they will receive their awards. Isaacs features in the boxing-themed film with Nicholas Pinnock (known from Top Boy) and Jordan Bolger (from Peaky Blinders). Imrie, who served on the Raindance jury in 2017, along with Isaacs, are celebrated for their distinguished careers in both film and television, as well as their ongoing support for independent cinema. Elliot Grove, the founder of Raindance, expressed that it is a privilege to honor such iconic figures at the 33rd Raindance event. Imrie will soon appear in Netflix’s adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club and a celebrity edition of The Traitors on BBC. She is well-known for her roles in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Diplomat, and Calendar Girls. Isaacs’s recent projects include The Salt Path and Heavyweight, and he was also seen in Season 3 of The White Lotus, in addition to his roles in the Harry Potter series, The Death of Stalin, and Operation Mincemeat. Notable past recipients of the Raindance Icon Award include Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Winterbottom, and Michael Caine, among others. This year’s festival is scheduled from June 18-27.
MultiChoice Reports $45M Loss During Difficult Fiscal Year
The South Africa-based MultiChoice Group announced a significant underlying adjusted loss of 800 million rand (approximately $45 million) for the fiscal year ending March 31, marking a downturn from a 1.3 billion rand profit the previous year. This loss occurred as Canal+ of France continues to pursue its acquisition of the pay-TV and streaming service, expected to finalize this year. The company attributed the loss to reduced trading profits and hedging losses, which were somewhat mitigated by smaller losses in cash repatriation from Nigeria. Despite Showmax, its streaming service, growing its active paying subscriber base by 44% and adding 5,340 hours of local content to its library, the company faced a trading loss 2.3 billion rand larger than in FY24. Nevertheless, 3.7 billion rand in cost savings helped keep the trading profit at 4 billion rand. By the end of 2024, MultiChoice possessed 5.1 billion rand in cash and cash equivalents, with access to an additional 3 billion rand through borrowing facilities. The company has set a cost-saving target of 2 billion rand for FY26, noting the past two financial years have seen significant disruption due to challenging economic conditions across sub-Saharan Africa. On the content front, its flagship reality show Big Brother Mzansi received a record 3.8 million views for its finale, while Big Brother Naija maintained strong performance in its ninth season.
Netflix Announces Premiere of ‘My Melody & Kuromi’ with New Trailer
Netflix has unveiled the trailer for its new series My Melody & Kuromi, a stop-motion animation celebrating Sanrio characters. Directed by Tomoki Misato, known for Pui Pui Molcar, the series is set to premiere on July 24. It will follow My Melody, a straightforward and cheerful character who enjoys baking cookies with her mother and looking after her younger brother. The series will consist of twelve 13-minute episodes, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of My Melody and the 20th anniversary of Kuromi. Additionally, the series’ theme song “Kawaii,” produced by Gen Hoshino, will be performed by K-pop group Le Sserafim. The trailer offers a sneak peek of the song, which group leader Kim Chaewon described as embodying the theme “cuteness is strength,” aiming to showcase the combination of charm and strength that defines Le Sserafim. Fellow member Sakura expressed excitement about the group’s involvement and the opportunity to highlight individual empowerment through their music.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
