All articles by Liz Shackleton – Page 180
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News
Twins Effect stars double up again for Roses
After developing a taste for action in The Twins Effect, Hong Kong singer-actresses Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi have signed up to star in action comedy Black Roses (working title), to be co-directed by Donnie Yen and upcoming director Barbara Wong Chun-chun.Carl Chang, the former CEO of Emperor Multimedia Group ...
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Arclight takes international on Jackie Chan backed films
Australia's Arclight Films has picked up international rights to another two Asian productions Kenneth Bi's Hainan Chicken Rice and Stephen Fung's Enter The Phoenix (working title) both of which are backed by Jackie Chan's new company JCE Movies. Hainan Chicken Rice, a co-production between Hong Kong's Kenbiroli Films and ...
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Hong Kong star to Focus on distribution
Hong Kong star Andy Lau has established a new company, Focus Films, which will be involved in the co-financing, distribution and acquisition of both local and international films. The new outfit is part of a major restructuring of Lau's business interests which span production, distribution and artist management. Focus Films ...
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Oz post house Soundfirm opens China outpost
Australian post-production outfit Soundfirm, which has credits including Zhang Yimou's Hero and Moulin Rouge, has established an outpost in Beijing to provide services for both local and international projects. The Melbourne-based company has a strong track record with Asian film, stretching from Jackie Chan blockbuster Rumble In The Bronx through ...
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Thai exhibitor first Asian player to install 2K digital projector
Thailand's SF Cinema City has teamed up with Christie Digital Systems to become the first Asian exhibitor to install a 2K digital projector, the next generation in digital screening technology.The Thai cinema chain has installed the system at its signature theatre - the nine-screen SFX Central Ladprao in Bangkok. It ...
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Taiwan readies first teenage gay comedy
Reflecting the new commercial sensibility amongst Taiwan's young filmmakers, production starts October 7 on a film that it described as Taiwan's first ever teenage gay comedy. Formula 17, produced by start-up production company Three Dots Entertainment, is a light-hearted fable about a gay 17-year-old boy who moves to Taipei for ...
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Blind Shaft falls victim to Chinese pressure
The International Film Festival of India (Oct 9-19) has pulled Li Yang's Blind Shaft from its line-up after the Chinese government expressed its objection to the film. The Hong Kong-German co-production has already played widely at festivals around the world, starting with its premiere at this year's Berlin Film Festival ...
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Searchlight pacts with Wong Kar-Wai's Block 2
Fox Searchlight Pictures has signed a three-picture deal withaward-winning Hong Kong director-writer-producer Wong Kar Wai and his productionoutfit Block 2 Films.Under the terms of the deal, Block 2 and Searchlight willco-finance and co-distribute a minimum of three English-language films thatWong and Block 2 will produce. Wong will select the directors ...
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Miramax tempted by Infernal Affairs
Miramax Films is poised to acquire rights for North and South America, Italy and Spain to Hong Kong blockbuster Infernal Affairs, the first film in what is shaping up to be a hugely successful franchise. The Media Asia production has now been sold to most major territories including the UK, ...
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...as Affairs prequel storms Hong Kong box office
Infernal Affairs II, the prequel to Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's hit crime thriller Infernal Affairs, shattered box office records on its opening night in Hong Kong grossing US$427,000 (HK$3.9m) and easily outpacing the opening figures for the original film. The Media Asia production received its world premiere at the ...
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Golden Harvest looks to acquire Taiwan's Warner Village
Hong Kong entertainment giant Golden Harvest is understood to be in talks to acquire Taiwan's Warner Village - the joint exhibition venture between Warner Bros International Theatres (WBIT) and Australia's Village Roadshow. If the acquisition goes ahead, it would provide Golden Harvest with the missing piece in its exhibition network ...
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FilMart wraps up with date change plan
The Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FilMart) ended in high spirits on Friday night (Sept 26) with a screening of Media Asia's eagerly-awaited Infernal Affairs 2 and the welcome news that the market will take place in March from 2005. FilMart organiser, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council ...
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Cape Town studio project gets greenlight
Dreamworld Film City, a consortium headed by leading South African film producer Anant Singh, has won the bidding to establish a world-class studio facility in Cape Town. The consortium, which was shortlisted with five other bidding groups by the provincial government of the Western Cape and the City of Cape ...
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Besson's Europa takes on Thai boxing drama
Luc Besson's Europa Corp has acquired a slew of territories, including North and South America and most of Europe, to Thai action title Ong-Bak - Muay Thai Warrior, starring hot new action hero Tony Jaa (aka Panom Yeerum). Directed by Prachya Pinkaew for Thai studio Sahamongkol Film International, the film ...
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HONG KONG
Warner Bros' first foray into Chinese-language film production, Johnnie To's Turn Left, Turn Right, had a strong opening in Hong Kong, grossing US$988,574 and a screen average of US$26,718 in its first week. The results are particularly impressive for a romantic drama - amongst local productions, comedies usually dominate the ...
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Zhang cranks up Hero follow up
Zhang Yimou has started production on his second big-budget martial arts film following Hero - Shi Mian Maifu (literally Ambush From Ten Directions) - in the Ukraine. The film, which has been the subject of intense speculation in the mainland press for several months, is set to star China's Zhang ...
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Columbia's Warriors makes cut as Chinese Oscar choice
Chinahas selected He Ping's epic adventure tale, Warriors Of Heaven And Earth, as its official entry for the foreign-language categoryof the Academy Awards.Co-producedby Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, Huayi Brothers & Taihe FilmInvestment Co and Xian Film Studio, the film stars leading Chinese actors JiangWen and Zhao Wei (Vicky Zhao), ...
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HONG KONG
Hong Kong comedy Dragon Loaded 2003 has had one of the strongest openings of the year for a locally-produced film, grossing $1.09m in seven days from 38 screens. The film beat the openings of both Pirates Of The Caribbean, which came in second with $714,583 from 35 screens, and Korean ...
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Hong Kong's JCE Movies unveils first project
Jackie Chan is set to star in an untitled police action film which will be the first fruit of a joint venture production company established by the Hong Kong star and local tycoon Albert Yeung.The film, which is scheduled to start shooting at the end of this month, will be ...