DirectorsDigest—Monday10April

From multi-part documentaries to gruesome special effects, major funding pledges to colossal corporate takeovers — there’s a lot of ground covered in today’s Directors Digest. Read all about it here. 

Television

Televisual reports on how Raw TV has beefed up its development team. 

The BBC has pledged £11m in funding to Northen Ireland, reports Broadcast (Paywall)

The EU has approved Fox’s takeover of Sky. (Hollywood Reporter) 

Meanwhile, NBC is looking to UK TV for formats. (Broadcast, Paywall)

Things got heated at the premier of Sky’s new series Guerilla, where director John Ridley fielded questions over representation in the programme. 

We were saddened to hear of the passing of factual producer-director Mike Beckham. Read a full obituary at the Guardian. 

Film

Congratulations to Jennifer Smith, the new head of diversity appointed by the BFI. 

Multi-part documentaries, such as Ezra Edelman’s O.J: Made in America, are no longer eligible for the Oscars. (ScreenDaily)

Hollywood’s payroll is going digital. But why wasn’t it already? The Hollywood Reporter takes a look.  

The grandson of William Randolph Hearst discusses what he thinks ‘Rosebud’ really means. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Indiewire give us 5 reasons why this is a golden age for genre cinema.

Here's a fascinating video interview from Little White Lies, with Dan Martin — Ben Wheatley’s regular prosthetic effects artist. Watch out, there's some impressively gruesome stuff in there.