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Ahead of England’s first knockout game of the World Cup, Love Letter to England celebrates what English people have in commonWhat does it mean to be English? Ahead of England’s first knockout game of the World Cup, Ian McKellen and the award-winning playwright James Graham have released a short film that attempts to answer that deceptively simple question.The film, Love Letter to England, explores and celebrates what people across the country have in common. It draws on early contributions to the National Conversation, a UK-wide initiative that began last month. Continue reading...

• The European Audiovisual Observatory held a panel at the Marché du Film to analyze how public funding and fiscal incentives are evolving amid declining cinema admissions and SVoD growth. • Key regional updates include Italy introducing stricter transparency rules for tax credits, Spain seeing a 33.6% drop in foreign film investment in 2024, and the UK launching a £380 million Creative Industries Sector Plan. • These shifts highlight the critical role of state aid in maintaining the competitiveness of the European audiovisual sector against global market pressures.

• BP is exploring the sale of a portion of its UK North Sea assets as part of a broader strategic portfolio restructuring. • The company aims to accelerate this process to reduce its overall debt and sharpen its focus on core oil and gas activities. • This move signals a shift in BP's operational priorities as it balances traditional energy production with financial stability.

• A European Audiovisual Observatory panel at the Marché du Film in Cannes on May 21, 2026, analyzed the current state of fiscal incentives and cash rebates in European cinema. • The discussion highlighted diverse national strategies, including Italy's use of project caps and tax credits, and Portugal's enhanced incentive rates for sustainable "green" productions. • Experts noted significant regulatory differences, such as the UK's BFI cultural certification requirements and France's distinct provisions for domestic versus international independent producers.

• Government considers steps to attract dollar inflows amid rupee depreciation pressures. • Policy moves aim to stabilise currency and support economic indicators. • Initiative critical for managing trade deficits and foreign reserves.

Statue – one of city’s most popular tourist attractions – on steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art key plank of new showA statue of Sylvester Stallone’s fictional boxer Rocky Balboa is the focal point of an examination of the power of monuments opening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this weekend that marks two millennia of boxing and celebrity.The statue, placed on the “Rocky Steps” of the museum in 1982, six years after the the 1976 film Rocky made Stallone a star, is one of Philadelphia’s most popular tourist attractions, visited by an estimated 4 million people annually. Continue reading...