FOREST FATALITIES
The BBC has acquired “The Black Forest Murders,” a four-part German crime series from Studiocanal that dramatizes real-life criminal cases. Based on Walter Roth’s non-fiction book “Soko Erle,” the series reimagines a 2016 police investigation following the brutal murders of two young women in southern Germany.
Nina Kunzendorf stars as Senior Detective Barbara Kramer, who leads an expanding special investigation unit through months of painstaking evidence collection, while dealing with mounting public pressure and possible connections to a similar Austrian case.
“‘The Black Forest Murders’ is an authentic and compelling crime series focussing on the work of a meticulous investigative team,” said Sue Deeks, head of BBC program acquisition. “As well as being a gripping murder mystery, the series offers a detailed look at the challenges of solving complex crimes.”
The Lailaps Film production will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Four. The cast includes Tilman Strauß, Aliki Hirsch, and Božidar Kocevski, with Stefan Krohmer directing.
BOLLYWOOD BREAKOUT
Seasoned Indian film executive Khyati Madaan is making the leap from marketing strategist to producer with the launch of her banner Not Out Entertainment. Madaan, whose decade-long career spans Shah Rukh Khan‘s Red Chillies Entertainment, Disney India and Maddock Films, has announced a slate of three diverse projects.
Madaan has tapped Habib Faisal (“Do Dooni Chaar”) to helm a Delhi-set slice-of-life drama featuring Indian National Film Award-winning talent. Also in the pipeline: a sequel to a hit musical thriller franchise scheduled for summer release, and “Abhootpurva,” a genre-bending “Rom-Hor-Com” set in 1990s Agra.
“Bollywood is at an interesting crossroads,” Madaan said. “Despite having more access to audience feedback than ever before, many films still fail to connect at the box office. My ambition is to revive overlooked genres that audiences genuinely want to enjoy on the big screen.”
The Indian Institute of management and National Institute of Fashion Technology alumna first gained industry attention in 2011 with a statistical box-office prediction model that achieved 95% accuracy.
FEBRUARY FIXTURE
BAFTA has confirmed that the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards will be held on Feb. 22, 2026.
The ceremony brings together British and international talent to celebrate the very best of film over the past year, and the filmmakers, cast and crews who bring them to life on both sides of the camera.
First held in 1949, the BAFTA Film Awards have grown to become one of the biggest events in the global film calendar. The 2025 BAFTA Film Awards were watched by 3.4 million people on BBC One and on the night, there were also 16.7 million video views of ceremony highlights on BAFTA’s social media platforms.
Voting takes place over three rounds: longlisting, nominations and winners, by the academy’s global voting film membership – comprising over 8,100 industry creatives.
