International Insider: Ukraine In Crisis; London Screenings Gear Up; UK Lifts Covid Restrictions

War: This week all eyes were on Ukraine, with Russia conducting an aggressive military advance into the country . After Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two separatist regions on Monday, the conflict swiftly escalated, with a full assault taking place yesterday (February 24). This morning, the world woke up to the news that Russian troops had entered the capital Kyiv, after explosions were heard in the city. At the time of writing, the UN said at least 25 civilians had been killed, and 102 injured in airstrikes across the country, while the death tolls of military personnel on both sides were in the hundreds and climbing swiftly.

Response: The international response (China aside) has been to condemn Putin’s actions and impose numerous sanctions on Russia. “Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbors?” said President Joe Biden in an address on Tuesday. “This is a flagrant violation of international law, and it demands a firm response from the international community.”

View from the ground: Deadline’s Ted Johnson has been interviewing the news correspondents who are in Ukraine, risking their lives to deliver first-hand accounts of what is happening. “Where does this stop?” Asked CNN’s Matthew Chance. “It could get very ugly here,” warned Fox News’ Steve Harrigan. ABC News’ Martha Raddatz and Ian Pannell, meanwhile, said that they feared the “worst is coming” while “praying for the best”. Read the full reports here . Max Goldbart, meanwhile, spoke exclusively to the head of Ukraine’s largest TV channel group about how they are handling local reporting in a time of crisis.

Local industry rallies: Members of Ukraine’s film industry, many of whom are now at risk in their homes as fighting intensifies, formed a united front this morning and released a series of powerful statements calling for international intervention. “Now, more than ever, we need the help of the international community and anyone who understands that tomorrow, war may be at your door,” read a collective statement. Also weighing in were high-profile figures such as Oleg Sentsov, who described the situation as “a challenge to the whole democratic world," as well as fellow filmmakers Valentyn Vasyanovych and Maryna Er Gorbach. Deadline has published the statements in full here.

Film community weighs in: On Thursday, the European Film Academy pledged support to Ukrainian filmmakers . EFA chairman Mike Downey told Deadline that the org was “looking at ways that we can provide practical support to members," who count more than 60 in the country. Neighbouring Poland’s producer's association is meeting today to discuss how it might be able to provide aid, while the European Producers Club released a statement this morning expressing “deep concern” for its Ukrainian members. The Berlinale team also weighed in, stating that “the world is on a verge of a huge crisis”. Elsewhere, Sean Penn is on the ground in Ukraine filming a documentary about the conflict with Russia for Vice. And the filmmakers behind Oscar-shortlisted documentary The Distant Barking Of Dogs revealed they have been helping an NGO to evacuate the protagonists of their film from war-torn areas.

Buyers descend: It’s the London Screenings next week, the formalized gathering of more than a dozen TV distributors as buyers descend upon London in droves. Attendee expectations have risen steadily over the past few weeks, as Covid restrictions are relaxed in the UK, and sources are expecting hundreds of buyers to attend a wealth of screenings and cocktail events. “The timing is perfect,” ITV Studios Global Distribution MD Ruth Berry tells Max, who took an in depth look at  what we are to expect next week.

Living with Covid: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to end virtually all Covid restrictions was met with a mixture of joy, eyebrow-raising and derision in the nation but the TV and film sectors are using the opportunity to move to the next phase.  Max revealed Wednesday that the sector’s stringent Covid protocols, which have governed TV and film production for almost two years, are to be relaxed over the coming weeks in line with Johnson’s diktat. Consultations are taking place over the British Film Commission’s film and high-end drama protocols and the wider TV industry’s guidance, which governs all other TV genres. Both sets of guidelines will likely be updated to take into account broader societal changes in terms of living with Covid.

Teething problems: Clearing the post-Covid path isn’t going to be all plain sailing. The UK government told Deadline on Monday  that it is “monitoring what further action is needed” to help commercial insurers return to market as the £500M ($680M) Film & TV Production Restart Scheme, which acts as an insurance backstop, gets ready to close on April 30. If projects return to the dark early-2020 days of failing to be insured with no backstop, producers will be in the unenviable position of deciding whether to push on at their own risk or potentially call time on production. Deadline understands the government is prepared to intervene if insurers fail to return at commercially viable rates. “This is now down to the government and insurers,” producer trade body Pact CEO John McVay said.

Euro strategy update: It was Discovery results week this week and the noises from the U.S. were good, with above-expectation Discovery+ subs of 22M reported and much touted  by CEO David Zaslav.  Over in Europe , UK and Nordics General Manager James Gibbons told us the UK had “made a really meaningful contribution” to the growth, having been one of the first markets in which Discovery+ launched, and following a 50% increase in original commissioning over the past year. Gibbons also became the first Discovery exec to talk about the upcoming BT Sport JV, which was revealed earlier this month, stating that the outfit is taking a “come for the sport, stay for the rest” attitude to the joint venture. He hopes that it will provide a window to Discovery content for sports fans. Pending regulatory approval, the JV will launch later this year.

Middle Kingdom Mayhem: Ahead of the publication of Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel’s book, Red Carpet: Hollywood, China and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy, Nancy sat down with the author to discuss how his work explores the Communist Party’s leverage over U.S. studios and whether the “Middle Kingdom mayhem” is worth the price. Deadline also published an excerpt from the text, which details the high-profile disappearance and reappearance of Chinese star Fan Bingbing.

The interview: Carnival Films executive chairman Gareth Neame, the producer behind the global British hit franchise Downton Abbey, was in the International Disruptor hot seat this week, discussing why British drama continues to have enduring popularity. Read the full interview here.

🌶️  Hot one of the week: Jerry Bruckheimer is producing a live-action movie with Paramount based on the toy franchise Beyblade, which could lead to a global franchise.

🌶️  Another one: Sky and Peacock are teaming on a drama based on the 1988 Lockerbie disaster from Jim Sheridan and Kirsten Sheridan.

🌶️  Another one:  Yellowstone outfit 101 Studios is lining up a doc on Andrew Jennings’ investigation into corruption at soccer org FIFA.

🤝 Done deal: EuropaCorp has sold the Studios De Paris to producer Tarak Ben Ammar in a $37M deal.

🍿  International box office: Uncharted is up to $139M global cume, full report here.

🚚  (Not) On the move: Fremantle Australia has appointed Greg Woods as Permanent CEO.

👀  Festival watch: The Hong Kong Film Festival has been forced to delay its 2022 edition due to an Omicron outbreak in the city.

Max Goldbart contributed to this week's International Insider.