The Writers Guild Italia and the Black List have formed a new alliance, paving the way for WGI members to list their scripts in the Black List database. The Black List has similar partnerships with the WGA West and East, the Writers Guild of Great Britain and the Writers Guild of Canada. However, this is the first time it has partnered with a non-English-speaking guild – a sign that good 
unproduced ideas come in many forms. An Italian film, The Great Beauty, of course won the Foreign Language Film Oscar last year — returning the statue to the country for the first time in 15 years — and local comedies are consistently hot at the box office. The Black List notes that although most WGI members write primarily in Italian, many have great facility with the English language. Given the fluid language barriers, plus translation, and the unique point of view, culture, and style offered by the Italian guild’s members, the Black List says adding the WGI “only furthers our commitment to the idea that great storytelling knows no borders.” The Writers Guild Italia is the only such organization in Italy. It was founded in 2013, birthed of a partnership between the Film and Television Writers Association of Italy and the WGA West. It now represents the majority of the Italian screen and television writers. Initiated by writer-producer David Bellini, who is the WGI spokesperson in Los Angeles, the new partnership will be similar to existing relationships with the other guilds. In addition, all scripts uploaded to the Black List website by WGI members during the first 30 days of the alliance announcement will be hosted for one month free of charge.
Irish producer Ed Guiney will be the recipient of this year’s European Co-Production Award (Prix Eurimages). The prize is handed out during the European Film Awards, which this year take place on December 13. It acknowledges the decisive role of co-productions in the 
European film industry. Guiney co-founded Element Pictures with Andrew Lowe in 2001. The company since has been involved in the production and distribution of more than 30 features. Current and upcoming Element productions include Room, an adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s best-selling novel, directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) and starring Brie Larson, Joan Allen and William H. Macy; Yorgos Lanthimos’ first English-language film, The Lobster, starting Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux and Ben Whishaw; Gerard Barrett’s Glassland, starring Jack Reynor, Toni Colette and Will Poulter; and Jerzy Skolimowski’s 11 Minutes. Element recently produced Abrahamson’s Frank and Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall. Other recent films include Abrahamson’s What Richard Did, James Marsh’s Shadow Dancer, Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be The Place and John Michael McDonagh’s The Guard.
The Scottish BAFTAs were handed out in Glasgow on Sunday night with David Mackenzie’s 
Starred Up taking the Feature Film Award. The prison drama also won the directing and writing prizes for Mackenzie and Jonathan Asser, respectively. James McAvoy was named best actor for his work in Jon S Baird’s crime drama Filth, and Sophie Kennedy Clark won the Actress Film trophy for her performance in Philomena. Other winners included David Tennant, who took the Actor Television category for his role in The Escape Artist. The full list of winners can be found here.
CBS Studios International and Fox International Channels Sweden have signed a multi-year 
partnership agreement guaranteeing broadcast rights of a number of CBS shows to air on the Fox channel in Sweden, which launched in September. The deal includes broadcast rights of first-run series, as well as other select content produced by the studio. As part of the premium premieres acquired, Fox will exclusively air Téa Leoni drama Madam Secretary and drama Scorpion. Also included in the pact are the new The Odd Couple with Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, which will debut shortly after its U.S. premiere next year. Reruns of The Good Wife and Numb3rs are also part of the package, including nonlinear and VOD.
Nancy Tartaglione