Latest – Page 627

  • News

    Finnish producers ready to strike over film subsidy

    2007-09-04T12:44:00Z

    Finnish film production will be brought to a halt if the government does not fulfil a alleged promise of an extra $1.6m (Euros 1.2m) subsidy. At a press conference in Helsinki, 30 feature film producers announcedthey will not start new projects until their demand has been met. 'If not they ...

  • News

    Sony Pictures returns to German-language production

    2007-09-04T06:07:00Z

    Sony Pictures is making a comeback to the production of German-language feature films after acquiring the film rights to Tommy Jaud's bestselling second novel Resturlaub.The comedy about a German brewery manager's dream of beginning a new life at the other end of the world in Argentina has already sold more ...

  • News

    Venice exodus begins as international players head to Toronto

    2007-09-03T14:25:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Bankside takes on sales for Shake Hands With The Devil

    2007-09-03T12:12:00Z

    Going into the Toronto International Film Festival, UK-based Bankside Films has acquired Roger Spottiswoode's Shake Hands With The Devil. The film screens as a Special Presentation in Toronto. Michael Donovan (Bowling for Columbine) produces with Laszlo Barna.Shake Hands With The Devil is based on the autobiography of Lieutenant General Romeo ...

  • News

    Fipresci names Mungiu's 4 Months best film of the year

    2007-09-03T11:44:00Z

    At the Fipresci Grand Prix vote, Cristian Mungiu's Romanian abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (4 Luni, 3 Saptamini si 2 Zile) has been named best film of the year. The vote reflects 248 members of the International Federation of Film Critics. Other top films in the ...

  • News

    Crisis at Internationalmedia deepens as Schuermann suspended

    2007-09-03T11:35:00Z

    The crisis at IM Internationalmedia has deepened with the announcement this morning that Martin Schuermann, CEO of the Group's US subsidiary Intermedia Film Equities USA, has been suspended with immediate effect from his 'executive employment status'. Schuermann had already stepped down from the IM board on July 25, but had ...

  • News

    France and Italy acquire Mongol ahead of Toronto world premiere

    2007-09-03T11:31:00Z

    Beta Cinema has closed deals with France's Metropolitan Filmexport and Italy's BIM Distribution for the distribution rights to Sergei Bodrov's Genghis Khan epic Mongol ahead of its world premiere as a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept 8. Beta had already presold the title to more ...

  • News

    Ridley Scott to tackle religion and politics with Body Of Lies

    2007-09-03T11:27:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Italian distributor cancels Woody Allen screenings in Venice

    2007-09-03T11:20:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Wild Bunch boosts strong Toronto slate with addition of $22m Terra

    2007-09-03T03:00:00Z

    Wild Bunch has acquired worldwide rights outside English-speaking territories to the $22 million animated project Terra, which will screen in a gala world premiere at Toronto. The film is directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas and has a voice cast including Luke Wilson, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Glover, Dennis Quaid, Rosanna Arquette, ...

  • News

    Babelgum recruits Spike Lee to judge new online shorts festival

    2007-09-02T13:15:00Z

    New Internet TV platform Babelgum has announced plans to launch a new online film festival for films up to 45 minutes long.At a press conference in Venice, Babelgum CEO Valerio Zingarelli also announced that Spike Lee will serve as an honorary judge of the Babelgum Online Film Festival. Zingarelli $20,000 ...

  • News

    Stopping Power forced to stop $40m shoot over financing issues

    2007-09-02T12:50:00Z

    Principal photography on Jan de Bont's $40m action thriller Stopping Power has had to be suspended after the default of a key equity investor in the film made it impossible for the Internationalmedia Group to close the required financing. The investor's breach has led to the IM Internationalmedia wholly-ownd subsidiary ...

  • News

    Venice's new Palazzo should be ready for 2011 festival

    2007-08-31T18:09:00Z

    Italy's culture minister Francesco Rutelli, Biennale President Davide Croff, Venetian mayor Massimo Cacciari and regional president Giancarlo Galan revealed further plans today for Venice's new Palazzo. The project has been in the works since 2004 but today Croft noted that the current project should be completed in time for the ...

  • News

    Norwegian animation Elias to launch in local versions

    2007-08-31T11:16:00Z

    Norwegian directors Espen Fyksen and Lise I Osvoll's fully-animated Elias and the Royal Yacht, which has taken 230,000 admissions locally, will be launched in Sweden on Sept 28 - in a local version, with a star cast, and backed by strong marketing and merchandising campaigns. Denmark and Finland will follow. ...

  • News

    EFA People's Choice nominees include The Queen and Black Book

    2007-08-31T10:25:00Z

    The European Film Academy has announced the nominees for this year's People's Choice Award.Film fans across Europe vote for the winner online from Sept 1 to Oct 31. Past winners include Volver, Amelie, The Full Monty and Good Bye, Lenin!. The winner will be announced at the European Film Awards ...

  • News

    Deauville festival opens tonight with Cahill's King Of California

    2007-08-31T10:00:00Z

    The 33rd Deauville Festival of American Cinema, running in the French town Aug 31-Sept 9, will open with King of California, which stars Michael Douglas stars a newly-released mental patient juggling his obsession for hidden gold with his relationship with his teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). The film is directed ...

  • News

    Rezo boosts Toronto slate with Sayles' Honeydripper

    2007-08-30T17:47:00Z

    Following its success with Julie Delpy's 2 Days In Paris , France 's Rezo Films will handle international sales on another English-language film, John Sayles Honeydripper. The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this month and is a 'rock-n'-roll fable' about a 1950s juke joint ...

  • News

    Western European box office set to grow 17% over next five years

    2007-08-30T14:18:00Z

    Box office gross in Western Europe is predicted to surge by 17% over the next five years largely due to advancements in digital cinema and expanding local film industries, new research predicts. According to a report from Dodona Research, box office in the Western European market - which includes 13 ...

  • News

    Sebastien Beffa now overseeing acquisitions at Films Distribution

    2007-08-30T14:14:00Z

    French sales outfit Films Distribution is restructuring its sales and acquisitions department and will launch an international TV sales arm.The company announced the news Wednesday saying that Sebastien Beffa would oversee all acquisitions and also take part in corporate development alongside existing Films Distribution principals Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, Francois Yon and ...

  • News

    Match Factory adds second Wayne Wang film to sales lineup

    2007-08-30T14:12:00Z

    Cologne-based sales company The Match Factory has added a second Wayne Wang film - The Princess Of Nebraska - to its sales lineup to join Wang's A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers which will have its international premiere in Toronto's Masters section and screen in competition at San Sebastian. The ...