Xumo & Euro Nets Land ‘Silverback’ Doc; Social Horror ‘High Score’ Lands Distribution; UFC & WWE Unite — Global Briefs

Zac Ntim and Jesse Whittock

5 January 2024 at 10:03 am·2-min read

Xumo & Euro Nets Cling To ‘Silverback’

Streaming service Xumo and a trio of European public broadcasters – ORF in Austria, UR in Sweden, and YLE in Finland – have bought the upcoming feature doc Silverback from Off the Fence. The doc, about Congo’s critically endangered eastern lowland gorillas and from My Octopus Teacher producer OFT Studios, has been gaining traction since winning a trio of prizes at the Jackson Wild Natural History Filmmaking Festival last year. The 90-minute film debuts on the BBC in the UK and France Tèlèvisions on January 7 and 8, respectively. Featuristic Films and The WNET Group are also attached to Silverback as associate producers.

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Social Horror ‘High Score’ Lands Global Distribution

Social horror High Score, starring Ethan Itzkow (Netflix’s You), has landed global distribution. The film will be available to global audiences via the online platform, Film Shortage from January 6. The pic will be featured as the platform’s ‘Daily Pick.’ The film was written and directed by Serena Ryen (CASHED, American Dynasty) and Ethan Itzkow and produced by Ryen, Itzkow, and Hayley Hogan (CASHED, #AskFirefox). High Score follows a burgeoning white supremacist who is drawn deeper into the abyss of online radicalization. As the protagonist succumbs to the allure of extremist ideologies and conspiracy theories during a political election, his personal life crumbles around him. The story addresses the real-life consequences of misinformation and hate speech proliferating unchecked on the internet. With the rise of social media platforms and the ease of access to unfiltered content, the film shines a spotlight on the devastating effects of hate speech and misinformation. High Score won Best Short Film and Best Actor after its world premiere at the Chelsea Film Festival. Itzkow is repped by Hanns Wolters International, Stefanie Talent & Entertainment and Lon Haber & Co | IPPR. Ryen is repped by Dream Maker Talent Management, Stefanie Talent & Entertainment, and Lon Haber & Co | IPPR.

TKO Unites UFC & WWE Global Partnerships Teams

Endeavor’s TKO Group has combined the UFC and WWE global partnerships teams as one unit, with Grant Norris-Jones at the helm. The division will have operations in New York, Stamford, Connecticut, London, Sao Paolo, Sydney, Shanghai, and Toronto, and focus on creating revenue opportunities and brand integrations for the UFC and WWE brands. Norris-Jones has been named Executive Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships for TKO. He’ll work closely with Lou Koskovolis, who is expanding his role to become Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships. The new unit will also receive support from Endeavor’s Partnerships team.

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