All articles by Agnes Poirier – Page 3

  • News

    New Line, Alliance Atlantis renew vows till 2005

    2002-12-12T04:00:00Z

    Alliance Atlantis and NewLine Cinema have renewed their long-running subdistribution deal that sees theUS company's output released through the Canadian company'sreleasing arm. The deal, first signed in 1989, covers all New Line and FineLine motion pictures in all media in Canada and runs until Dec. 31, 2005.Powered by such New ...

  • Reviews

    Analyze That

    2002-12-12T00:00:00Z

    Dir. Harold Ramis. US. 2002. 95mins.Analyze That reunites the cast and creative talent of the hit 1999 comedy and, as with most sequels, the result is a half-measure. But while critics are apt to consider the glass half-empty, audiences are sure to find it half-full, although its $11m opening on ...

  • News

    Genie nominations honour Ararat but not Egoyan

    2002-12-11T00:00:00Z

    Atom Egoyan's epic-scale Ararat has garnered nine Canadian Genie Award nominations, including one for Best Motion Picture, but the man himself was bypassed for a Best Direction nomination as candidates for Canada's major film prize were announced. English-Canada's other prominent filmmaker, David Cronenberg, did however get nominated. His Cannes competitor ...

  • News

    Co-production markets offer new hope for independent film finance

    2002-12-09T04:05:00Z

    Market consolidation, the collapse of pay-TV prices and reductions in state subsidies are just three reasons why co-production markets are booming.They may have started as the poor man's film market - there being no movies to see - but the importance of co-production markets is growing as sources of production ...

  • News

    Alliance Atlantis rolls with Foolproof

    2002-12-06T04:05:00Z

    Ryan Reynolds and David Suchet are set to star in William Phillip's Foolproof. The film is produced by Alliance Atlantis and Atom Egoyan's Ego Film Arts. The film also stars Kristin Booth, Joris Jarsky, James Allodi and David Hewlett. It is the second feature of writer/director Phillips, whose debut Treed ...

  • News

    Deepa Mehta named CineAsia director of the year

    2002-12-03T04:00:00Z

    Indo-Canadian filmmakerDeepa Mehta will be named 'Director of the Year' at this year'sCineAsia exhibition convention. The presentation will made at the event'sopening night December 3 to be followed by a screening of her latest film, Bollywood/Hollywood, a comedic amalgam of Bollywood romance andHollywood musical.Set in Toronto, the filmfeatures Bollywood ...

  • News

    Alliance Atlantis film activities boost second quarter

    2002-11-26T04:05:00Z

    Toronto-basedAlliance Atlantis announced strong second quarter results for its distributionarm, the Motion Picture Group (MPG), which delivered nearly half of thequarter's $160m (C$252m) in revenue for the period ending Sept. 20. TheMPG's $76.2m revenue was up more than 50% from the same time last year.The numbers were driven by domestic ...

  • News

    Ararat takes highest screen average crown

    2002-11-21T04:05:00Z

    Atom Egoyan's Ararat scored the highest screen average of films on release in North America last weekend. Opening on six screens in Toronto, New York and LA, the film logged a cumulative $211,130, for an average of more than $35,000. The next highest per screen average was the weekend's box ...

  • News

    Lovely & Amazing results for Lions Gate

    2002-11-15T04:05:00Z

    Driven by a 53% margin in its motion picture business, Lions Gate Entertainment (LGE) has reported a 30% increase in second quarter revenue over the same period last year, from $59.7m to $77.8m. Six-month figures were better still, with revenues up 64% from $104.9m in 2001 to $172.1m this year. ...

  • News

    Telefilm Canada backs pair of French-language projects

    2002-11-08T04:05:00Z

    Telefilm Canada is to finance two Quebec features, both in French. The investments constitute the third round of the selective component of the Canada Feature Film Fund (CFFF). Littoral, by playwright/director Wajdi Mouawad, is a majority Canada-France (70%-30%) coproduction, produced by Montreal-based Les Productions E.G.M and Paris-based Films de Cinema. ...

  • News

    NBC buys Bravo for $1.25 billion

    2002-11-06T04:05:00Z

    US television network NBC has acquired US cable channel Bravo for $1.25bn in stock and cash, ending months of speculation. The arts and entertainment cable network, a pioneer in programming US independent and subtitled foreign films on American television, will deliver its new owner an affluent urban audience of some ...

  • News

    Grosvenor Park to open Paris, Dublin offshoots

    2002-11-04T04:05:00Z

    Toronto- and London-based film financier Grosvenor Park will open offices in Paris and Dublin, cementing its expansion into European film financing - and reflecting its increasing involvement in projects that have no financial ties with Canada.The company, which has been involved in such films as David Cronenberg's Spider and Robert ...

  • News

    Crabe Dans La Tete joins Oscar race for Canada

    2002-11-04T04:05:00Z

    Andre Turpin's Un Crabe Dans La Tete has been selected as Canada's entry for the Best Foreign Language film at next year's Academy Awards.Produced by Montreal-based Qu4tre par Quatre Films, the film premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival and also screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival ...

  • News

    Imax, Regal sign five screen deal, settle Edwards suit

    2002-10-31T04:05:00Z

    Toronto-based Imax Corp. has signed an agreement with US exhibitor Regal Entertainment Group to install giant screen systems at Regal's recently-acquired subsidiary circuits, four in its Edwards Theatres facilities and one in an United Artists facility. The deal gives Imax certain exclusivity rights as Regal's large-format provider - the company's ...

  • News

    Loews Cineplex postpones IPO

    2002-10-25T00:00:00Z

    Back from the brink of bankruptcy, exhibitor Loews Cineplex has postponed its planned $300m initial public offering, citing unfavourable market conditions. One of North America's largest circuits, the company is under the control of Toronto-based Onex Corp., headed by leveraged buyout specialist Gerald Schwartz, and LA based investment firm Oaktree ...

  • News

    Montreal World Film Festival gets competitive

    2002-10-21T04:05:00Z

    In an effort to boost its profile on the international festival circuit, the Montreal World Film Festival is transforming several of its programmes into competitive sections, complete with cash prizes. As a result the festival will be selecting far fewer feature films, from more than 200 at the 2002 event ...

  • News

    Canada gets its first subscription-based video-on-demand service

    2002-10-19T00:00:00Z

    Shaw Communicatons and Corus Entertainment are launching Canada's first subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) service. Set to launch in Calgary, Alberta on Nov. 1, the service, Movie Central Express, will offer viewers a selection of feature films and TV programmes. According to Shaw spokesman Michael D'Avella, the service is identical to ...

  • News

    Vancouver festival audience bowled over by Columbine

    2002-10-16T04:05:00Z

    Michael Moore's anti-gun documentary Bowling For Columbine has won the audience award at the 21st annual Vancouver International Film Festival. Another documentary, Nettie Wild's Fix: The Story Of An Addicted City, shared the festival's prize for most popular Canadian feature; the film, a searing expose of Vancouver's drug culture, was ...

  • News

    Imax makes giant screen leap into South America

    2002-10-16T00:00:00Z

    Giant screen entertainment company Imax Corp has made its first foray into South America, signing agreements to build four theatres, two each in Chile and Ecuador. The first Ecuadorian facility will be located in Guayaquil and operated by the Malecon 2000 Foundation; the second will be operated by the Universidad ...

  • News

    Rare Birds soars at first annual Directors Guild of Canada awards

    2002-10-08T04:05:00Z

    Sturla Gunnarrsson's Rare Birds took four prizes as the Directors Guild of Canada launched its first annual awards in Toronto. The film, a Newfoundland-set comedy starring William Hurt, received the prizes for Outstanding Achievement in a Feature Film and Outstanding Achievement in Direction as well as picture editing and production ...