All articles by Agnes Poirier – Page 9
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Will Imax big screen fade to black'
Imax Corp. is in serious trouble. Ten months after its stock lost 70% of its value and a week after announcing disastrous 2001 second-quarter results, the Toronto-based giant-screen purveyor has seen another precipitous price drop -- to an all-time low of $1.02 on the US Nasdaq on August 22. In ...
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Szabo, Chelsom, Cox and Saura premiere at Toronto
New films from Istvan Szabo, Peter Chelsom, Paul Cox and Carlos Saura will have their world premieres at the 26th Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 6-15. At the final press conference before the event, Festival Director Piers Handling announced the titles rounding out the programme including Closing Night selection Lantana, ...
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Sackman & Co form Lions Gate Redux with ThinkFilm
Jeff Sackman, former president of Lions Gate Films, is returning to the North American distribution market with a new outfit accompanied by some familiar names, including former Lions Gate Releasing co-president Mark Urman and Andy Myers, a veteran of Canada's distribution scene.The new company, ThinkFilm, will be headed by Sackman ...
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Germans dominate Montreal line-up...
Four German titles, including new films from Joseph Vilsmaier and Roland Suso Richter, will make their world premiere in Official Competition at the Montreal World Film Festival, from Aug. 23 to Sept. 3. Competing against the four is two-time Montreal Grand Prize winner Majid Majidi. The Iranian filmmaker returns with ...
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Cinegroupe launches live action division
Montreal-based animation producer and distributor CineGroupe has given a name and a face to its new live-action arm, first announced in January (Screendaily Jan. 29). The new unit, CineGroupe Images, will be headed by Robin Spry, former president and CEO of Telescene Film Group, the Montreal production company which foundered ...
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Shooting Gallery owner itemus files for bankruptcy
After weeks teetering on the brink of failure, Itemus inc. filed for bankruptcy yesterday. The Toronto-based internet incubator was brought down by the obligations of its Shooting Gallery subsidiary, which it purchased in April 2001. In a letter to shareholders posted on the company's website yesterday, itemus chairman Jim Tobin ...
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Toronto has Novocaine and six more world premieres
The Toronto International Film Festival has announced a further seven world premieres including new films from Mike Figgis, John Dahl, Gregor Jordan, Bruce McDonald and Yvan Attal. Topping the list is Novocaine (pictured), the Artisan Entertainment-produced feature debut of screenwriter David Atkins. The crime thriller stars Steve Martin as ...
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Turpin's Crabe to open Toronto's Canada programme
Andre Turpin's Un Crabe Dans La Tete has been selected as the Opening Night film for the Toronto International Film Festival's Perspective Canada programme. Written and directed by the Quebecois filmmaker, the comedy features David La Haye, Isabelle Blais, Emmanuel Bilodeau and Chantal Giroux and is produced by Luc Dery ...
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Alliance Atlantis to raise $106m
Alliance Atlantis Communications (AAC) is raising money to forward its TV ambitions, announcing plans for a public offering of 8million Class B non-voting shares. Based on the July 19 closing price of $13.30 on the US NASDAQ exchange, a fully-subscribed offering would realise $106m. In a statement AAC said the ...
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Last Wedding to open Toronto festival
Canadian filmmaker Bruce Sweeney's Last Wedding will open the 26th Toronto International Film Festival, making its world premiere on September 6. Described as a "human drama", it features Benjamin Ratner, Frida Betrani, Tom Scholte, Nancy Sivak, Vincent Gale and Molly Parker. Sweeney, whose feature Live Bait was voted best Canadian ...
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Montreal fest to fete Jackie Chan
Martial arts star Jackie Chan will be presented with a Special Grand Prix of the Americas at the 25th Montreal World Film Festival, Aug. 23 to Sept. 3. The festival is presenting similar tributes to Sophia Loren and producer Dino De Laurentiis. Chan will be present September 1 for a ...
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Shooting Gallery heads for bankruptcy
New York-based production and distribution house The Shooting Gallery will likely file for bankruptcy relief, according to a brief statement from its owner, Canadian internet incubator itemus inc. Toronto-based itemus announced that efforts to raise extra capital have been unsuccessful to date and that unless it can sell of some ...
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Quebec grants $9.1m to Lions Gate partner
CineGroupe, the animation partner of Lions Gate Entertainment, is set to receive a cash injection of $9.1m from Societe generale de financement du Quebec, the state investment agency of the Canadian province. Lions Gate spokesman Gordon Keep told Screendaily the investment will allow CineGroupe to grow its future business and ...
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AMC bids high for General Cinemas
US theatre circuit AMC has raised the stakes in the consolidation of North American exhibition, offering $62.5m for bankruptcy-bound rival General Cinemas. The offer surpasses by $20m the cash portion of the latest offer submitted by Onex Corp. and Oaktree Capital Management, the investment firms behind the $247m buyout offer ...
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Branson's entertainment locations to show content
Richard Branson's Virgin Group is investing $4.2m in a joint venture with Toronto-based leisure centre operator MagiCorp to create two location-based entertainment facilities - one in Manchester, one in Toronto - featuring digital content delivered over cinema-sized screens and personal table-top monitors. Dubbed Lucid, the joint venture's concept seeks to ...
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Two Canadian distributors up for sale
Canada's independent film distribution business is in a state of flux as two companies -- TVA International (TVAI) and Blackwatch Communications -- seek buyers for their distribution operations.Montreal-based TVAI has confirmed it is looking for a buyer for its film and television distribution arm. TVAI has output deals with Fox ...
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SightSound cuts staff by two-thirds
US internet movie distributor SightSound has laid off 18 of its 30 employees - the victim, it claims, of the go-slow attitude toward web-based commerce amongst its prospective content suppliers in the film and music business. SightSound offers downloads of film, television and music content via the web and has ...
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Shooting Gallery parent under siege
Following the closure of it New York production and distribution house The Shooting Gallery, parent company itemus is now facing several law suitsOn July 2, several former Shooting Gallery executives filed suit in New York against both parent and subsidiary alleging a string of financial irregularities including fraud and misuse ...
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Toronto gets Last Orders first
Fred Schepisi's Last Orders will makes its world premiere at the 26th Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 6-15. Based on UK novelist Graham Swift's Booker Prize-winner and starring Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Ray Winstone, David Hemmings and Tom Courtenay, the film is being sold internationally by Winchester Films. ...
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Telefilm Canada appoints acting executive director
Telefilm Canada has appointed long-time agency executive Johanne St-Arnauld as acting executive director. She takes over from Francois Macerola, whose term ends July 3.The federal film finance agency has seen two other high-profile departures -- chairman Laurier LaPierre and and Peter Katadotis, Director, Canadian Operations. Arnauld's appointment is seen as ...