News

Kartemquin Films has joined director-producer Brent Huffman on the documentary Saving Mes Aynak, about the imperiled 2,000-year-old Buddha statue in Afghanistan (pictured).

Huffman has been independently shooting at the Mes Aynak site in Afghanistan since 2011 and brought the documentary to Kartemquin Films.

He aims to finish editing imminently in time for a 2014 premiere.

“As the premiere destination for complex social issue films that intend on making a global impact, Kartemquin is the dream home for Saving Mes Aynak,” said Huffman.

Saving Mes Aynak was one of 18 documentaries that received grant funding from the John T and Catherine D MacArthur Foundation this year. Other funding has come from smaller grants and a successful Kickstarter campaign.

“We are delighted to bring Brent and his film to Kartemquin,” said Justine Nagan, Kartemquin’s executive director. “Its memorable characters and unique narrative has enormous potential to raise awareness around this important issue.

Alcon Entertainment has acquired Hillsong – Let Hope Rise as...

A New Hampshire police officer was shot to death after he responded to a domestic disturbance at a home that later exploded and burned, authorities said Monday. The gunman was presumed dead in the ensuing blaze. Attorney General Joseph Foster said late Monday night 48-year-old Stephen Arkell of Brentwood was shot to death when he answered the call in a suburban neighborhood for people older than 55. After the shooting, the house burst into flames. A massive explosion blew the front off the house and within an hour, it was leveled. Foster said Michael Nolan, 47, the son of the homeowner, is the suspected gunman.

A New Hampshire police officer was shot to death after he responded to a domestic disturbance at a home that later exploded and burned, authorities said Monday. The gunman was presumed dead in the ensuing blaze. Attorney General Joseph Foster said late Monday night 48-year-old Stephen Arkell of Brentwood was shot to death when he answered the call in a suburban neighborhood for people older than 55. After the shooting, the house burst into flames. A massive explosion blew the front off the house and within an hour, it was leveled. Foster said Michael Nolan, 47, the son of the homeowner, is the suspected gunman.

Detectives have criticised BBC soap EastEnders for the way police were portrayed in the recent 'Who Killed Archie?' storyline. Over the past few weeks, the show's fans have seen Dci Jill Marsden (Sophie Stanton) and DC Wayne Hughes (Jamie Treacher) chatting to locals while investigating the murder case. Meanwhile, Hughes was also seen accepting a bribe from Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Real-life detectives have now claimed that the scenes were "damaging" to their profession and "irritatingly inaccurate", The Daily Telegraph reports. Alan Kalbfell, a Detective Inspector with the City of London Police who speaks on behalf of the National Detectives Forum, commented: "It is frustrating to see our trade portrayed in such a bad manner. "EastEnders is watched by a broad range of people, from young to old, and they (more)...