All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 163
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News
The Queen producer in running for top BBC Films job
UK media reports have tipped Christine Langan, the producer of The Queen, to be the new head of BBC Films, in a newly created position of 'editor'. However, BBC sources refuse to confirm the appointment. 'There will be new positions but I can't confirm what they are,' a BBC spokesperson ...
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News
Ben X selected as Belgian Oscar candidate
Nic Balthazar's debut feature Ben X has been chosen as this year's Belgian Oscar candidate. The decision was made on Friday and was agreed on unanimously by both Flemish and French-speaking communities. Since its world premiere last month in Montreal, where it won the audience prize and shared the ...
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News
Dardenne brothers ready to shoot new feature
Shooting is to begin on Oct 1 on Le Silence De Lorna, the latest feature from Palme D'Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.The new film stars Arta Dobroshi as a young woman from Albania who wants to emigrate to France even if that would mean that she has to marry ...
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News
Thompson departure leaves questions about future of BBC Films
After a decade as head of BBC Films, the 'great survivor' David Thompson is to move on. Thompson will be standing down as BBC Films boss in four weeks' time to start up his own independent production company. The move comes following the summer announcement that BBC Films is to ...
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News
Rome Film Fest reschedules future to avoid London clash
In a move welcomed by exhausted sales agents, distributors and journalists, the London and Rome film festival dates are to set apart.This year, the events have an almost identical footprint - with Rome's festival running Oct 18 - 27 Oct and London's festival from Oct 17 - Nov 1.When Rome's ...
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News
Affleck feature pulled from London Film Festival
The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival has pulled Ben Affleck's directoral debut Gone Baby Gone from its programme because of fears of similarities to the case of missing girl Madeleine McCann.'The film is about the abduction of a young girl,' said festival artistic director Sandra Hebron. 'Because of the ...
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The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival boosts its industry profile
At the launch of The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival's full programme, itwas clearthat the festival is looking to a higher industry profile, with the introduction this year of the Production Finance Market (PFM).The event, managed by Angus Finney (formerly joint-managing director ofRenaissance Films), takes place at the Tower ...
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Reviews
Cargo 200 (Gruz 200)
Dir: Alexey Balabanov, Russia 2007, 86minsAlexey Balabanov's eleventh feature is one of his bleakest. Set in provincial Russia in 1984 as the USSR enters its death throes, it portrays a society that is sickly, violent and cynical. The title refers to the name given to corpses of Russian soldiers being ...
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News
Soderbergh plans Girlfriend Experience with HDNet
Steven Soderbergh, who directed Bubble for HDNet, has committed to making another digital film for the company. He will start shooting The Girlfriend Experience, set in the world of high-class escorts, in February 2008.Details remain skimpy on the new project. Soderbergh is currently in Latin-America filming his two Che Guevara ...
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News
Jia Zhangke plans factory worker film before 2008
Golden Lion winning director Jia Zhangke, whose new documentary Useless about the fashion industry screened in Venice's Horizons last week and in Toronto this week, has revealed further details of his next dramatic feature, which he is planning to have ready in time for the Olympic Games in Beijing in ...
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News
Loach's Free World lands more buyers in Venice
In advance of its Toronto screening, Ken Loach's It's A Free World has closed several more deals for Pathe Pictures International in Venice.The immigration-themed film has gone to Japan (Cinequanon), Portugal (Lusomundo), and Greece (Audiovisuel).Pathe's Mike Runagall is also reporting strong US interest in the film. 'Venice was very positive ...
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News
Gurinder Chadha ready to start Snogging
Production will begin on Sept 17 on Gurinder Chadha's latest feature, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, based on UK author Louise Rennison's best-selling Confessions Of Georgia Nicolson series. Georgia Groome (star of London To Brighton) is to play the lead. Also appearing are Eleanor Tomlinson and Aaron Johnson (who both ...
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News
Swedish tribute plans to screen Bergman rarities
Within a month of the director's death, a Bergman tribute plans to gather many of the auteur's key collaborators and screen rare and unseen Bergman works.The one-off Bergman tribute was announced this week in Venice by Jannike Ahlund, the organizer of the annual Bergman Week on Bergman's home island, Faro.Long ...
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News
Wolfson named as part-time director of Rotterdam
In a surprise move, the Board of the International Film Festival Rotterdam has appointed Rutger Wolfson as director of the forthcoming January 2008 edition.However, the 37-year-old Wolfson will be doing the job on a part-time basis and his appointment is for one year only. While overseeing IFFR, Wolfson will also ...
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News
Jia Zhangke on track with Chinese doc 24 Cities
Golden Lion winning director Jia Zhangke, whose new documentary Useless about clothing designer Ma Ke screened in Venice's Orizzonti, has revealed further details of his next dramatic feature, which he is planning to have ready in time for the Olympic Games.The project (provisionally titled 24 Cities) follows four women working ...
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News
Venice exodus begins as international players head to Toronto
As Venice's first weekend wraps and Toronto's opening looms on Thursday, the traditional mid-Venice festival migration has already begun. Industry delegates are leaving the Lido en masse, despite Venice - one of the world's most prestigious (and oldest) film festivals - continuing through Saturday. 'That's a big problem. Venice or ...
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News
Ridley Scott to tackle religion and politics with Body Of Lies
Ridley Scott, in Venice at the weekend for the special screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut, has revealed further details of his new Warner Bros film, Body Of Lies, which starts shooting on Wednesday. 'We are working fast. We are working to get ahead of the strike,' Scott said ...
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News
Italian distributor cancels Woody Allen screenings in Venice
There were angry scenes in Venice over the weekend when it emerged that Italian distributor Filmauro had cancelled three of the five screenings planned for Woody Allen's new feature, Cassandra's Dream, starring Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor. The reasons for the last-minute cancellations were shrouded in mystery. Some well-placed sources ...
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Ang Lee plans safer edit of Lust, Caution for Chinese audiences
Since its Venice world premiere, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution has created whatFocus boss James Schamus is calling 'a tidal wave of interest' across Asia.The Asian response has been largely positive. Lee's steamy espionagethriller will be given a major Asian release later in the autumn. However,controversy is already dogging the film ...
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News
De Palma's Redacted won't get Bubble-style release
HDNet Films, which pioneered day and date multi-platform releasing with Steven Soderbergh's Bubble, has decided to give Brian De Palma's controversial new digital feature Redacted a more traditional release.The film, produced for HDNet Films, received its world premiere in Venice this week. It tells of the rape and murder of ...