All Asia articles – Page 519

  • News

    Easternlight takes on Japanese project Sasori

    2007-10-31T05:00:00Z

    Easternlight has acquired worldwide rights excluding Japan and several other Asian territories to the Japanese martial arts film Sasori.The saga about a vengeful sword-wielding woman is based on the 1970s comic books and cult film series and was the inspiration for Kill Bill.Easternlight managing director Ying Ye acquired the film, ...

  • News

    Cathay sets up multiplex jv with Dubai's Emaar Malls

    2007-10-30T19:31:00Z

    In its first expansion beyond South-East Asia, Singapore exhibitor Cathay Organisation has set up a joint venture with Dubai 's Emaar Malls. Tapping the expertise of Cathay, a pioneer in the movie entertainment industry since 1935, Reel Entertainment will manage the development of all the multiplexes in 150 malls that ...

  • News

    Millerplanning to tap Australia tax offset for Justice League

    2007-10-30T19:24:00Z

    George Miller (Happy Feet) has confirmed that he hopes to get Australian film status for his next project, a comic book adaptation for Warner Bros starring Batman, Superman and a host of other comic book superheroes. If he is successful, he will be able to claim back 40% of a ...

  • News

    Toho to remake Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress

    2007-10-30T04:54:00Z

    Japanese studio Toho is set to produce a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1958 samurai film The Hidden Fortress, to be directed by Shinji Higuchi. Special effects expert Higuchi moved into the director's chair two years ago with submarine thriller Lorelei and had a top ten hit last year with Sinking ...

  • News

    Crows: Episode 0 flies to top of Japanese box office

    2007-10-29T22:41:00Z

    Takashi Miike's Crows: Episode 0 grabbed the top spot at the weekend box office in Japan, knocking Fuji TV's Hero down to second place after seven weeks in the number one position. Produced by Fuji rival TBS and released on October 27, Crows grossed $3.49m (Y400m) in its first two ...

  • News

    Favelle launches Sydney-based sales agency

    2007-10-29T22:34:00Z

    Former Arclight Films executive Michael Favelle has been quietly establishing his own sales agency, Odin's Eye Entertainment (OEE), based at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney. Favelle said his intention is to handle six to eight projects per year with a focus on independent, genre-driven features in the $1m to $15m ...

  • News

    Band's Visit scoops top honours at Turkey'sEurasia fest

    2007-10-29T05:09:00Z

    Eran Kolirin's The Band's Visit, about an Egyptian police band which visits Israel for a performance, made a cross-cultural foray in the other direction when the Israeli production won best film at Turkey 's 3rd International Eurasia Film Festival on Sunday night. The film had also picked up the Tokyo ...

  • News

    Lust, Caution leads nominations for Golden Horse awards

    2007-10-28T23:29:00Z

    Ang Lee's Lust, Caution dominated the nominations for Taiwan's 44th Golden Horse Film Awards with nods in eleven categories including Best Feature Film. Also competing for the top prize and in multiple categories are Zhang Yang's Getting Home, Tony Ayres' The Home Song Stories, Wang Quanan's Tuya's Marriage and Doze ...

  • News

    Mackiewicz to jointly spearhead Arclight sales

    2007-10-28T23:25:00Z

    Liz Mackiewicz has been appointed executive vice president of worldwide distribution at Arclight Films in Los Angeles and will take charge of sales at AFM alongside company chief Gary Hamilton.Mackiewicz, who until recently served as a consultant to the company, will be responsible for evaluating projects as well as sales, ...

  • News

    Ratatouille tops again with $21.9m international haul

    2007-10-28T22:59:00Z

    An estimated $21.9m haul for Ratatouille and a fourth consecutive weekend as the number one overseas film further validated Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International's staggered release strategy at a time when the day-and-date model is becoming increasing fashionable.Several months after the Pixar film made its first foray into international ...

  • News

    Israel's The Band's Visit takes top prize in Tokyo

    2007-10-28T17:32:00Z

    In a unanimous jury decision, Eran Kolirin's The Band's Visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret) was awarded the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix at the 20th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). The crystal trophy was accompanied by a cash prize of $50,000. The film was the highest-rated competition entry in a local critics poll ...

  • News

    The Knot dominates China's Golden Rooster Awards

    2007-10-28T17:14:00Z

    As expected, The Knotwon themajor awards at the 26th Golden Rooster Awards in Suzhou City in China, taking Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Recording awards fromeight nominations. It wasdirector Yin Li's secondconsecutive best directorwin, following last year's honour for Zhang Side, a biopic about a Chinese revolution hero. ...

  • News

    Academy stands by decision to disqualify Lust, Caution for Taiwan

    2007-10-26T18:04:00Z

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has defended its decision to reject Ang Lee's Lust, Caution as the Taiwanese submission for the Foreign Language Oscar race. When the Academy's Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee met on Oct 11 to discuss any problematic entries, Lust, Caution was disqualifed ...

  • News

    NZ Film pre-sells The Vintner's Luck to Icon andDendy

    2007-10-26T14:01:00Z

    Niki Caro's The Vintner's Luck has been pre-sold to Icon for the UK and Dendy for Australia and New Zealand. The film is Caro's next project after 2002's Whale Rider and 2005's North Country. The story follows a wine-maker in 19th century France who has an unusual relationship with an ...

  • News

    Lightning takes on Vietnamese hit The Rebel

    2007-10-26T13:51:00Z

    Santa Monica-based Lightning Entertainment has picked up all non-English language rights to the Vietnamese hit The Rebel (Dong Mau Anh Hung). Charlie Nguyen's film is the largest production to come out of Vietnam and follows the exploits of a 1920s spy for the French who tires of betraying his country. ...

  • News

    Saw IV could show international strength in Spain, Latin America

    2007-10-26T13:42:00Z

    Saw IV is expected to cast a ghoulish shadow over the international box office arena this weekend as it opens day-and-date with North America in Spain and Latin America. The fourth episode in the celebrated horror franchise opens in the key territories of Spain, Mexico and Brazil on Oct 26. ...

  • News

    Despite tricky timing, Antalya's Eurasia market spurs a few deals

    2007-10-26T13:38:00Z

    The second edition of the Eurasia Film Market drew to a close yesterday, but participants said the market's timing proved difficult for some buyers. Despite a good mix of local and international sales companies and a bigger presence from Asia with Hong Kong's Media Asia, China's Huayi Brothers and Three ...

  • News

    Home Song Stories wins top prize at Hawaii fest

    2007-10-26T08:21:00Z

    The 27th Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) presented its awards today with the Golden Orchid for best narrative feature going to Tony Ayres' The Home Song Stories. The film is about a Shanghai nightclub singer who emigrates to Australia with her son and daughter, and the hardships they go through ...

  • News

    Japan's Fuji TV unveils big-budget AFM slate

    2007-10-26T08:08:00Z

    Japanese broadcaster and film financier Fuji TV has announced a slate of big-budget titles which are being handled by sales agents Gaga Communications and Pony Canyon at the AFM. Gaga is handling international sales on Shaolin Girl which is being executive produced by Fuji TV's Chihiro Kameyama and Hong Kong ...

  • News

    Disney India taps Samat, Star ups Shankar, Kumar

    2007-10-26T04:00:00Z

    Walt Disney International president Andy Bird has announced that Mahesh Samat has been appointed as managing director of Mumbai-based Walt Disney Company India. Samat will join the company in January and manage all of Disney's businesses in India excluding the ESPN/Star Sports joint venture with News Corp's Star network. He ...