All articles by de.seguin@gmail.com – Page 30
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News
Prominent Canadian film-makers ready string of projects
Prominent Canadianfilm-makers were the key recipients of the production funds doled out byTelefilm Canada through its Canadian Feature Film Fund earlier in July.The agency received 90applications at its April deadline, 47 English and 43 French-language; ofthose, eight English-language and four French-language projects were selected.Of the twelve lucky titles, only a ...
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IMAX reaches deal for two more screens in India
Large-format cinema leaderIMAX and Chennai, India-based exhibitor Sathyam Cinemas have signed anagreement that increases to four the number of IMAX cinema systems destined forthe circuit. The first will open in thecity in March 2006, with another to follow in 2008. Currently, Sathyam'sChennai flagship location is the highest attended cinema complex ...
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Leading Canadian directors get Telefilm funding
Montreal-base SevillePictures has the greenlight on a biographical drama about Canadian generalRomeo Dallaire, the commander at the helm of the bedeviled UN peace-keepingmission during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. The Canada-South Africa-UKcoproduction, to be directed by LA- and Montreal-based Yves Simoneau, is one oftwelve features to receive backing from Telefilm Canada ...
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Canada's cinema admissions drop after ten years on the increase
Canadian cinema attendancedropped 4.6% in 2003-2004, the first reduction in ten-year upward trend, accordingto an industry survey released by Statistics Canada. More crucially, profits wereoff by 15.8% despite a rise in average admission price, which rose 2.5% toC$7.45. Part of the downturn may be a reflection of the SARS scare ...
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Mehta's long-in-the-making Water to open Toronto
Deepa Mehta's long-sufferingdrama Water has been selected asthe opening night gala at the 30th Toronto International FilmFestival. It was one of eleven world premieres announced at TIFF's openingpress conference Tuesday. Also making their worldpremieres are three Special Presentations: Anand Tucker's Shopgirl, based on the novella by Steven Martin, starringMartin opposite ...
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Toronto festival unveils Cannes, Berlinale bounty
Films from the Dardennes brothers, Lars von Trier, MichaelHaneke, Alexander Sokurov and Hou Hsiao Hsien were among sixteen North Americanpremieres unveiled today by the Toronto International Film Festival, as thecontinent's leading festival launched the first salvo in its annual PRoffensive. In all, twenty titles were announced, one week before theopening ...
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Nouveau Montreal festival nabs four Cannes films
The Dardenne brothers' Palmed'Or winner L'Enfant, Lars vonTrier's Manderlay, AlainCavalier's Le Filmeur and UneNuit (Yek Shab), the directorial debut of Iranian actress NikiKarimi, have all been confirmed as official screenings at Montreal's Festivaldu Nouveau Cinema (FNC), Oct 13 to 23.The four Cannes titles theformer two in Official Competition, the ...
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Canadian theatrical documentaries get funding boost
The National Film Board ofCanada and local broadcaster The Documentary Channel have partnered to boostproduction of theatrical documentaries, the former increasing by $323,000(C$400,000) its annual production allocation and the latter increasing byC$400,000 its feature documentary licensing fees.The new money comes in thewake of an announced $1.62m (C$2m) pilot program from ...
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Yaffe awarded CEO stripes at Canada's Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications is changing its managementstructure, with chairman and CEO Michael MacMillan assuming the title ofexecutive chairman while Phyllis Yaffe, currently chief operating officer, willassume the CEO title. In a statement,the company said the changes in the management structure were "designed tofurther align it with the company's focus on ...
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News
Alliance Atlantis names Lazzarato as new CFO
Alliance Atlantis Communicationshas appointed David Lazzarato as executive vice president and chief financialofficer, replacing W. Judson Martin, who, as previously announced, is leavingAlliance Atlantis for health reasons. Lazzarato will be in office fromMay 30.'David'sextensive experience will be invaluable to us as we continue to grow ourbusiness,' said AAC chair and ...
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Von Trier's Manderlay stirs up Cannes controversy
If Lars Von Trier's Manderlay doesn't elicit claims of anti-Americanism, hiscomments at today's Cannes press conference for the film certainly will."Let's get this businessabout me being anti-American out of the way," said the director beforelaunching into a blistering attack on the President of the United States."Mr. Bush is an asshole,"said ...
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Max Films plots English-language Seducing Dr Lewis
Montreal-based Max Films issetting up an English-language remake of its 2003 Quinzaine hit Seducing Dr.Lewis, with director Jean-FrancoisPouliot and screenwriter Ken Scott onboard to reprise their roles. The new version is one offour-pictures being prepared by producers Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal toshoot over the next 18 months. Pouliot and ...
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Reviews
Hooligans
Dir. Lexi Alexander.US-UK. 2005. 108mins.An exciting, if superficial, exploration of footballviolence in the UK, this tight little drama is a showcase for an exceptionalpair of young British actors and German-born debut feature director LexiAlexander. Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood, clearly eager to breakout of hobbit mode, acquits himself ...
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Toronto's January Films signs Dragojevic to direct After
Start-up Toronto production company January Films has signedSerbian director Srdjan Dragojevic (Pretty Village, Pretty Flame) to direct After, a post- World War II dark comedy abouta trio of concentration camp survivors suddenly set loose in war-ravaged Germany.Based on a novel by Melvin Jules Bukiet, with a screenplay byAngus Fraser (Kissed),the ...
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Reviews
The Great New Wonderful
Dir. Danny Leiner. US. 2005.89minsThe Great New Wonderful is thetitle but "new" is the only adjective of the three that describes this filmfrom the director of Dude, Where's My Carand Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle.A story that aims to encapsulate the ennui of post-9/11 New York City, itsucceeds ...
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Losique ups ante with NFB sponsorship
The Montreal World Film Festivalhas upped the ante in the local festival wars by adding another noted filmprofessional to its jury and seemingly securing the continued support of the NationalFilm Board of Canada.Cinematographer Jorgen Persson,who has shot films for Ingmar Bergman, Bo Widerberg and Bille August, will join2005 jury president ...
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Alliance Atlantis CFO steps down
W. Judson Martin, the long-serving CFO of Alliance AtlantisCommunications, will be leaving the company for health reasons. He has agreed to stay onboard until a successor is in place,an appointment that is expected to take place in September. "Jud is a valued friend as well as a colleague and hewill ...
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Reviews
The Ax (Le Couperet)
Dir. Costa-Gavras.Fr-Bel-Sp. 2005. 122mins.A wickedly black comedytailored in a slick thriller style, The Ax marks a welcome return tocomedy for Greek auteur Costa-Gavras after his 1986 feature Family Business.Powered by an outstanding lead performance from Jose Garcia, the film hasalready proven itself at home in France.Prospects in other Europeanterritories are ...
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IMAX signs deal for five systems with US exhibitor AMC
US-based exhibitor AMC andIMAX Corp. have signed an agreement to install five large-format theatresystems in major markets before the end of 2005. The joint venture, the firstbetween the two companies, will see the first two cinemas open in June 15, intime to accommodate the cross-platform day-and-date release of two Warner ...
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Reviews
House Of Wax
Dir. Jaume-Collet Serra.Aus-US. 2005. 120mins.Nicely balanced between comedy and terror, House Of Waxhas monster written all over it - box office, that is. It puts paid to thenotion that the irony-laden Scream and I Know What You Did LastSummer franchises had clipped the wings of mainstream teen-gore fests.North American numbers ...