All Finance articles – Page 248

  • News

    San Fu Maltha sells his share holding in A-Film

    2006-02-23T13:20:00Z

    San Fu Maltha, co-founder along with PimHermeling of the Netherlands' biggest independent film distributor, A-Film is leaving the company.His majority share holding has been acquired by investment companies W2Media BV andVan Lanschot Bankers. A-Film commented that the majoritysale was "a strategic investment to continue and expand the exploitation of ourcatalogue ...

  • News

    Rat Pack plans English-language family film based on bestseller

    2006-02-23T04:00:00Z

    ConstantinFilm subsidiary Rat Pack Filmproduktion has secured the film rights to thefamily bestseller Jim Button And Luke TheEngine Driver for an English language adaptation aimed at the internationalmarket.ProducerChristian Becker has "regular" collaborator Sebastian Niemann(Hui Buh Das Schlossgespenst, Das Jesus Video) attached as director for thelive-action feature film version of TheNeverending ...

  • News

    Michael Winterbottom options controversial memoirs

    2006-02-22T15:51:00Z

    Fresh from the controversy ofhis Berlinale Silver Bear winner The Road To Guantanamo,prolific British director Michael Winterbottom is setto tackle an equally contentious project. Winterbottomrevealed this week that his company Revolution has optioned Murder In Samarkand, the memoirs of Craig Murray, the former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan. Comedian Steve Coogan ...

  • News

    BBC earmarks more than $500m for UK cinema

    2006-02-22T14:49:00Z

    The BBC has announced a substantial increase inits intended film production and acquisition budget. All of the proposed investments are subject tothe favourable settlement of the current licence fee negotiations but the broadcaster says its new plans could mean an investment of $522m (£300m) to British film over its ...

  • News

    IIF lines up production and distribution slate

    2006-02-22T11:35:00Z

    Rome'sItalian International Film (IIF) is lining up an ambitious new production anddistribution slate, which includes historical epic The Inquiry starring Dolph Lundgren andMax Von Sydow.Italiandirector Giulio Base recently wrapped production onthe $10m (Euros 8.5m) action-thriller, which is set three years after thecrucifixion of Jesus Christ and sees Roman Emperor Tiberius ...

  • News

    Menzel ready to shoot on long-awaited King of England

    2006-02-22T04:00:00Z

    Jiri Menzelwill begin filming his long-awaited film IServed the King of England on March 9th. German actress Julia Jentsch, who won numerous awards for her performance in thetitle role in Sophie Scholl, which isup for an Oscar, is starring along with Czech actor OldrichKaiser. The film is based on the ...

  • News

    Germans join forces for $47.7m English-language slate

    2006-02-21T04:00:00Z

    Production outfit Schmidtz KatzeFilmkollektiv and the Berlin-based developmentcompany mediacontentfactory (mcf)have joined forces to initiate a $47.7m (Euros 40m) slate of English-languagegenre films for the international market.According to thejoint venture's partners, the slate of six to seven thriller,fantasy or adventure feature films will either be based on successful novels,games and/or creative ...

  • News

    Canadians look south for new deals

    2006-02-21T00:00:00Z

    Late last year, when a Canadian federalelection was called for January 23, there was a ripple of fear in the Canadianfilm industry and the culture sector as a whole. After 12 years in power, thescandal-marked Liberal government was doomed.The prospect of a Conservative victory hadmany worrying that tax-cutters would hold ...

  • News

    Universal Pictures signs production agreement with Aronofsky and Watson

    2006-02-17T13:40:00Z

    UniversalPictures has entered into a first look production arrangement withdirector/writer Darren Aronofsky and his producer Eric Watson and theircompany Protozoa Pictures. The duo will also develop and produce feature filmsfor Universal's sister companies Focus Features and Rogue Pictures. Aronofsky credits include PI and Requiem For A Dream. He is currently ...

  • News

    Judelewicz preps My Life As A Dog sequel

    2006-02-15T00:00:00Z

    Pascal Judelewicz'sParis-based Les Films De Cinema, the production outfit behind Panorama entry BirdsOf Heaven, has announced a slate ofprojects all to shoot this year.The films are Hair Of TheDog, the sequel to My Life As ADog, starring Stellan Skarsgaard andto be directed by Ludi Boeken (Deadlines); Catherine Cabrol's House 5 ...

  • News

    Wong Kar-wai prepares Nights with Norah Jones

    2006-02-13T04:00:00Z

    Wong Kar-wai is gearing upto work this year with multi-platinum singer Norah Jones who will make heracting debut in his first English-language film which has the working title My Blueberry Nights.Based on a short film thatWong shot in Hong Kong several years ago, the film will be co-produced byStudioCanal and ...

  • News

    EU-funded film workshops to go on summer road show

    2006-02-10T13:42:00Z

    An Italian developmentcompany is to start holding a series of EU-funded workshops and seminars acrossEurope this year as part of adevelopment training programme aimed at European producers.The first of the week-longresidential MAIA workshops, which are funded by the Media Programme, will kickoff in Italy in June and will focus oncreative ...

  • News

    Memento Films announces sales on Tavernier's Aurore

    2006-02-10T13:19:00Z

    Parisian production, sales and distribution house MementoFilms has announced sales of Nils Tavernier's Aurore to Japan's Gaga and Agora in Switzerland.The film is a fairy tale, complete with a kingdom and alovelorn princess, based in the world of dance. Tavernier's previous effort was2000's Tous Pres Des Etoiles,about dancers at the ...

  • News

    Wanda Visions prepares new slate of films

    2006-02-10T11:52:00Z

    Spain's Wanda Vision, co-producer of Panorama opening title Family Law, is preparing a new slate offilms including two features set in Africa.Documentarian-turned-fiction-filmmaker GerardoOlivares is preparing his follow-up to BerlinaleSpecial screener The Great Match (El Gran Final) for Wanda. The road movie about Africanemigrants to Europe is called Tenere after the ...

  • News

    Wanda Vision prepares new slate of films

    2006-02-09T16:02:00Z

    Spain'sWanda Vision, co-producer of Panorama opening title Family Law, is preparing a new slate of films including twofeatures set in Africa.Documentarian-turned-fiction-filmmakerGerardo Olivares is preparing his follow-up to BerlinaleSpecial screener The Great Match (El Gran Final) for Wanda. The road movie about Africanemigrants to Europe is called Tenere after the Saharan ...

  • News

    Director Gabriele Muccino sets up production company

    2006-02-08T15:59:00Z

    Last Kiss director Gabriele Muccino has set up his own production company, which willfocus on adverts and feature films and will have offices in Milan, Rome and LosAngeles'IndianaProduction will group together both young and established writers and directorsand will also operate as a talent agency,' Muccinosaid. Indiana will also have ...

  • News

    Young Hannibal wraps Czech shoot

    2006-02-08T11:37:00Z

    Director PeterWebber has wrapped principal photography on YoungHannibal: Behind the Mask, after a 14-week shootin the Czech Republic. The Dino De Laurentiis production is made with partners Quinta Communications and Ingenious Film Partners. The UK'sZephyr Films is also on board.Internationalsales are being handled by producers' consultant Pamela Pickering in Los ...

  • News

    Tarr to resume work on The Man From London

    2006-02-08T04:00:00Z

    Hungarian director Bela Tarr spoke to journalists at the 37th Hungarian Film Weekin Budapest about the revival ofhis project, The Man FromLondon, which was stalled last winter after the death of French producer Humbert Balsan. The film, which is to begin shooting in March, is now aFrench-German-Hungarian co-production featuring an ...

  • News

    Ecosse teams with Walden, Beacon and Revolution for feature

    2006-02-08T04:00:00Z

    UK-based Ecosse Films is teaming with US heavyweights Walden Media,Beacon Pictures, and Revolution Studios for the fantasy film The Water Horse. Ecosse's Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae will produce with Barrie Osborne (The Lord of the Rings) andCharlie Lyons. Alex Schwartz, Jackie Levine and David Kaufmann areoverseeing The Water Horse ...

  • News

    London's Chocolate Chilli Films takes on The Angel of Mons

    2006-02-07T15:15:00Z

    London-based production company Chocolate Chilli Films hasoptioned the script The Angel of Mons as the second feature on its slate. The project is a supernatural historical drama about a youngwoman serving as an ambulance driver during WWI who is trying to find out ifthe Angel of Monsreally exists. Alice D ...