MasterChef Sri Lanka Launch & BFI Global Screen Fund Boosts International Co-Productions

MasterChef Sri Lanka is set to debut on the free-to-air network ITN in September, featuring a 25-episode season. This local adaptation of the globally successful Banijay Entertainment format will showcase the best amateur cooks in Sri Lanka, judged by professional chefs and critics, with the winner earning the prestigious MasterChef title. Produced by Reality TV Production in association with Nilenda Deshapriya Productions, the show marks a significant addition to Sri Lankan television history, promising high-quality culinary entertainment and creativity.

In related industry news, Banijay’s branded entertainment division (BBE) has formed a strategic partnership with And So Productions, a company specializing in brand production services.

Meanwhile, the British Film Institute (BFI) has awarded £1.65M ($2.3M) through its UK Global Screen Fund to support 11 international co-productions involving UK companies and overseas partners. This funding is part of the UK government’s initiative through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to bolster the film and television industry.

Highlighted projects include the animated series Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth, co-produced by companies from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Ireland. The feature film Rabbit Hayes is a UK minority co-production involving companies from Ireland and the Netherlands. Also notable is Scotch Verdict (working title), a film based on the true story of two women founders of a girls’ school in Edinburgh in 1810, co-produced by Scotland, Germany, and Switzerland.

Denitsa Yordanova, Head of the UK Global Screen Fund, emphasized the fund’s role in supporting the UK’s creative talent across a wide variety of film and television genres, including documentary, animation, and fiction, strengthening collaborations across 34 territories.