All Middle East articles – Page 174
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News
Italy heats up as Beowulf leads international box-office chart
Italian box office may typically be dormant during summer months but it's making up for it now as three titles generated nearly $7m this weekend, accounting for 5.5% of the international top 40's revenue.For the full international chart, compiled by Len Klady, click here.New entry Winx Club: Il Segreto Del ...
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Sichler to leave StudioCanal as VP and managing director
StudioCanal has announced the departure of board vice president and managing director in charge of international development Frederic Sichler. Sichler, who formerly ran StudioCanal's operations in Paris, has been shuttling between London and Paris since the company took over the UK's Optimum Releasing in May of 2006. According ...
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Reviews
Vasermil
Dir: Mushon Salmona. Israel. 2007. 95minsClosely related to the socially-engaged films of Ken Loach and Shane Meadows, Mushon Salmona's debut compensates for his lack of experience with a healthy dose of anger and frustration. Set in the provincial town Beer Sheba where he grew up, Salmona situates his three interwoven ...
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Unknown starRappoport takes lead in new Serebrennikov feature
Russian-born actress Ksenia Rappoport, who was nominated for European Actress 2007 at last weekend's European Film Awards for her performance in Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown, has taken the lead in Kirill Serebrennikov's new feature Yuriev Den which has now begun shooting on location in the Russian town of Yuriev near ...
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Reviews
El Greco
Dir. Yannis Smaragdis. Greece / Spain / Hungary, 2007. 107minsHaving picked up the Greek cinema State Award on top of the Audience Award at Thessaloniki, this is undisputedly this year's favourite Greek film, racking over 600,000 admissions and still going strong. An historical pageant adapted from a fictional biography by ...
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Gaumont starts shoot for Splice starring Adrien Brody
Vincenzo Natali has started principal photography on Splice, which Gaumont is co-producing with Canada's Copperheart Entertainment. The film is set to shoot until February 29 in Toronto, with a 2009 release planned.Splicestars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley and Delphine Chaneac.Natali, who found cult success with Cube and also directed a vignette ...
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Norwegian Fund backs projects including epic Max Manus
The Norwegian Film Fund's $3.1m backing hasgiven thegreen light for leading Norwegian producer John M Jacobsen's Max Manus, a WWII epic which will shoot from February. The fund also chipped in for two less expensive first features.From a screenplay by Thomas Nordseth based on Manus' own books, and produced by ...
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Vaclav Havel's play Leaving eyes big screen
Playwright and former Czech president Vaclav Havel says his new play is likely to become a feature film. (Leaving) Ochazeniwas published in book form in November and will see its stage premiere in May or June 2008.It is the first play in 18 years from Havel, a former dissident who ...
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Transmedia takes UK rights to Tornatore's The Unknown
UK distributor Transmedia International Releasing has taken all UK and Ireland rights to Guiseppe Tornatore's The Unknown (La Sconosciuta). A theatrical release is planned early next year. Transmedia's Simon Caplan negotiated the deal with Rome-based Adriana Chiesa. The Unknown won best film at Italy's Donatello Awards and is also the ...
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Rutger Hauer plans second masterclass in Rotterdam
Film-maker Rutger Hauer will again host a masterclass during The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR, Jan 23- Feb 3, 2008). The second Rutger Hauer Filmfactory, Jan 21-31, will invite 30 international film-makers to work with Hauer and other experts to make 12 short films. In addition to direction, writing, camera, ...
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New rules approved on European Audiovisual Media Services
The European Parliament has formally approved the Council's position on the new Audiovisual Media Services Without Frontiers Directive. The Directive promises to modernise the rules governing the sector and provide a comprehensive legal framework covering all services, including on-demand distribution of content.The Directive has been developed to a provide more ...
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Participant, Magnolia back Gibney's new lobbying documentary
Participant Productions (the outfit behind Oscar winner An Inconvenient Truth) is partnering with US distributor Magnolia on Burning Down The House, a new Alex Gibney feature-documentary about the murky world of political lobbying.This is a subject that has caused huge controversy in the US since political lobbyist Jack Abramoff was ...
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News
Garage takes top honours at Moretti's first Turin festival
Irish director Lenny Abrahamson's second feature Garage took the $36,600 (Euros 25,000) Best Film Prize at the 25th edition of the Turin Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday in the Northern Italian town. Scripted by Mark O'Halloran who also wrote Abrahamson's debut feature Adam & Paul, Garage is the story of ...
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Romanian triumph at European Film Awards
Romanian cinema was the big winner at this year's 20th edition of the European Film Award when director Cristian Mungiu picked up the honours for European Film 2007 and European Director 2007 for his Palme D'Or-winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. Accepting his award, Mungiu called for continuing ...
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Gonzalon Arijon's Stranded takes top prize at IDFA
Gonzalon Arijon's Stranded (France) has won the VPRO Joris Ivens award, the top prize at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).The award comes with a cash prize of Euros 12,500. The film, about the survival story of the Uruguyan rugby team after a plane crash high in the Andes, was ...
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Wide sells Sabine to a dozen territories including US, UK
Underlining that there is still an appetite among theatrical buyers for feature documentaries, Paris-based Wide Management has been racking up sales on two of its titles that screened this week at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).Sandrine Bonnaire's Her Name Is Sabine has been an especially strong draw for distributors. Bonnaire's ...
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Fox Baja veteran Arneson moves to Hungary's Korda Studios
After its first shoot for Universal's Hellboy 2 wrapped last week, new Hungarian studio Korda Studios has announced some new key members of its team.Charlie Arneson has been appointed studio manager at Korda. He comes to Hungary after 10 years as head of Fox Baja Studios in Mexico, best known ...
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CNC/FFA joint commission backs new Gaspar Noe film
Three projects were supported by the CNC/FFA's German-French Funding Commission this week from its 'mini-traite' co-production fund.Funding of $737,925 (Euros 500,000) went to Gaspar Noe's Japan-set Enter The Void which is being produced as a majority French co-production by Fidelite Films with Berlin-based Essential Filmproduktion and Italy's BIM Distribuzione. Currently ...
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Pretty Pictures acquires French rights to Hallam Foe
Pretty Pictures has acquired French rights to David Mackenzie's Hallam Foe from UK-based sales company Independent.Mackenzie's drama, which won the Silver Bear in Berlin, stars Jamie Bell and Sophia Myles.Pretty Pictures head James Velaise negotiated the deal with Independent's head of sales Abigail Walsh. 'We are absolutely thrilled that ...
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UTV scores Goal in 16 territories, while Beowulf keeps hold of top slot
Indian distributor UTV Communications had an international hit this weekend with Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, which enjoyed a $3.5m take and was the highest non-US entry into the top 40 chart.For the full chart, compiled by Len Klady, click here.The film, which is the second feature from director Vivek Agnihotri, ...