All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 178

  • News

    Hauer plans directorial debut Changing Fortunes

    2006-06-14T14:23:00Z

    Dutch star Rutger Hauer is to make hisdirectorial debut feature with ChangingFortunes, a drama set in occupied Holland during World War II.The $11.3 million projectis being put together as a UK/Dutch/Belgian co-production by Glasgow-based AlbaFilm Productions.Hauer is also in line to play a part in the film, based onthe true ...

  • News

    Raindance Festival to go ahead with new investors

    2006-06-09T04:00:00Z

    UK indieshowcase The Raindance Film Festival has been saved, it has emerged thisweek. The festival was previously organised through writer and producer ElliotGrove's Raindance Film Festival outfit. When the Raindance organisation went into receivership earlier thissummer, it looked as if the festival might have been dragged down too.However,financiers Dean Goldberg ...

  • News

    UK's Aquarius adds international partners

    2006-05-31T11:45:00Z

    Aquarius Film is goingglobal. The London-based financing and production outfit is setting up AquariusWorld Wide, a new venture with partners from Australia, South Africa, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Germany and India. Aquarius chief executiveTerence Potter won't disclose who the new partners are, but says that dealshave already been concluded in seven ...

  • News

    Congorama gone to UGC for France

    2006-05-26T04:00:00Z

    Philippe Falardeau's Congorama,the closing film at the Directors Fortnight, has been sold to UGC for France.The deal was negotiated by French co-producer EricTavitian and producer Luc Dery.Congorama, onLondon-based The Works' Cannes slate, is a Canada/Belgium/France co-production.Starring Olivier Gourmet (best known for his work withthe Dardennes), Congorama is the story of ...

  • News

    Julian Richards prepares for Summer Scars

    2006-05-25T04:00:00Z

    Prolific British filmmaker Julian Richards, whopreviously directed The Last Horror Movie, has completed the financing of hislatest project.Summer Scars, Richards'sfourth feature, is billed as "a dark psychological thriller about a gang ofschool truants held hostage in the woods by a psychopath."Kevin Howarth (who also played in The Last HorrorMovie) will ...

  • News

    Scottish producers criticise Scottish Screen

    2006-05-25T04:00:00Z

    Scottish producers in Canneshave issued a stinging rebuke to national film agency Scottish Screen over itsdelay in revealing its long-term plans for feature film production. "Again and again(in Cannes), we have been asked what is happening with Scottish Screen. We don't quite know," said Mark Cousins of 4 Ways Productions. ...

  • News

    Czech producers protest funding cut in Cannes

    2006-05-25T04:00:00Z

    Czech producers in Canneshave reacted with dismay and fury to yesterday's decision by the Czech Parliamentto kill off the long-awaited law to boost Czech production support.To register their anger, theCzech film delegation attending the Cannes Film Festival shut down the Czechstand at 5 pm yesterday for the remainder of the ...

  • News

    Danish Film Institute's THINKTANK could become policy body

    2006-05-25T04:00:00Z

    The Copenhagen THINKTANK,the new initiative organised by the Danish Film Institute (DFI) to ponderstrategy for European film, is looking over time to become a policy body.'We have all the keyplayers with us, all the national institutes and a lot of people from theindustry,' said the DFI's Henning Camre in Cannes ...

  • News

    Danish Film Institute's THINKTANK could become policy body

    2006-05-25T04:00:00Z

    The Copenhagen THINKTANK,the new initiative organised by the Danish Film Institute (DFI) to ponderstrategy for European film, is looking over time to become a policy body.'We have all the keyplayers with us, all the national institutes and a lot of people from theindustry,' said the DFI's Henning Camre in Cannes ...

  • News

    Israel Film Fund backs new film from Koshashvili

    2006-05-25T04:00:00Z

    The Israel Film Fund hasannounced that it is boarding a raft of new projects. The Fund will pump morethan $300,000 into $5m drama Kishta,by director Dover Koshashvili and producers Marek Rozenbaum and EdgardTenenbaum.Meanwhile, the Fund hasalready committed $400,000 to Lebanon, produced by Einat Bikel and executive produced by France-based AlainGirard ...

  • News

    Celsius racks up deals on Paris Je T'aime

    2006-05-24T00:00:00Z

    Buyers have fallen head overheels for Paris Je T'Aime.Mid-way through the market, the portmanteau picture (which opened Un CertainRegard) has been snapped up by more than 20 buyers. The French release throughLa Fabrique is scheduled for June 1. Celsius Entertainment, which co-financedthe film and is handling world sales, is in ...

  • News

    Trust books several deals for Red Road

    2006-05-24T00:00:00Z

    Andrea Arnold's Red Road, one of the buzz titles in the Cannes competition,has closed multiple deals following its premiere earlier this week, with Spain,France and a host of other smaller territories already gone. The film is alsoattracting strong interest from the US.The version of Red Road on Copenhagen-based that screened ...

  • News

    NonStop Sales gets Irreverent Media slate

    2006-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Stockholm-basedinternational sales agent NonStop Sales has struck a multi-picture deal withVancouver-based Irreverent Media Ltd.The slate deal includes TheBestRestaurant in the World. Ever, starring Bruno Ganz with THINKFilm to distribute in Canada; TheLight-house starring Kevin Zegers,Ryan Reynolds, Henry Czerny and Ewen Bremner; and mockumentary Gay Like Me', also with THINKFilm. The ...

  • News

    Hawke. Finney and Tomei sign to Lumet film

    2006-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Oscar-winning director Sidney Lumet is moving aheadwith new thriller, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead. London-based Capitol Films revealed at Cannes that isfinancing and selling the project.Lumet (whose credits include such acknowledgedclassics as Network, Dog Day Afternoon and Twelve Angry Men) is currently putting together a heavyweight cast. Already attached ...

  • News

    Films Distribution takes rights to new Leopold film

    2006-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Fran'ois Yon's FilmsDistribution has taken worldwide rights to Wolfsbergen, the latest feature fromhighly acclaimed Dutch director Nanouk Leopold (whose Guernsey screened in the Quinzaine last year.) The new film --a kaleidoscopic drama about four generations of a family -- re-unites severalof the stars from Oscar-winning Character.The cast is headlined by ...

  • News

    TV producer Red to make film debut with Mark of Cain

    2006-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Nicola Shindler's UKtelevision drama production outfit Red Production Company is to venture intofeature film production. Red, whose TV credits include Queer as Folk and Clocking Off, will make its big-screen debut with The Mark OfCain, a hard-hitting film aboutBritish soldiers' experiences in the Iraq War. Shooting starts this month inTunisia ...

  • News

    Verhoeven's Black Book continues shoot in Israel

    2006-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Paul Verhoeven's wartimeepic Black Book, recently sold toEureka for Korea, is now in the final part of its marathon shoot.Verhoeven, producer San FuMaltha, writer Gerard Soeteman and other colleagues invested an extra $382,770(Euros 300,000) of their own money to enable Verhoeven to take the project toIsrael.He is currently on locationin ...

  • News

    London Film Festival plans 50th anniversary events

    2006-05-23T04:00:00Z

    As the Times bfi London FilmFestival prepares for its 50th anniversary (October 18-November 2), plans areunderway for a series of celebratory events.These will include a specialscreening under Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square as well as the largest surprisefilm screening, showing simultaneously in 50 venues across the city. There arealso expected ...

  • News

    Serbia, Norway plan new film tax incentives

    2006-05-22T04:00:00Z

    As competition to attractinternational production heats up, territories from Scandinavia to the Balkansare trying to woo big-budget, runaway films by offering new tax breaks.Serbia is the latest countrylooking to join the tax credit bandwagon. The new Serb incentive is likely tobe worth 21.5% in total to both local and international ...

  • News

    Cillian Murphy and Natalie Press to star in Telepathy

    2006-05-22T04:00:00Z

    Rising young stars CillianMurphy and Natalie Press are to star in Telepathy, a new sci-fi feature just announced on Beyond'sCannes slate.Miranda Richardson and SamNeill are also in the cast. The project, due to shoot in October 2006, is scriptedby Stephen Volk and is to be directed by Lesley Manning (whose ...