All Middle East articles – Page 194

  • News

    Odyssey takes on sales for $65m Nutcracker: The True Story

    2007-08-20T04:00:00Z

    UK-based sales company Odyssey Entertainment has struck a deal to handle international sales and distribution of Anderi Konchalovksy's Nutcracker: The True Story (working title).The $65m film is set in 1920s Vienna and adapts the classic story that inspired Tchaikovsky's ballet. Konchalovsky and Chris Solimine wrote the screenplay, and the film ...

  • News

    Reprise enjoys triple win at Norwegian film awards

    2007-08-19T21:47:00Z

    Norwegian director Joachim Trier's feature debut, Reprise, became a triple winner of the Amanda awards, the Norwegian national film prizes.The honours were handed out at a TV2-televised ceremony from Haugesund's Festiviteten Concert Hall, preceding the opening of the 35th Norwegian International Film Festival. Reprise cashed in on four nominations, ...

  • News

    French box office celebrates summer bonanza

    2007-08-19T21:32:00Z

    The French box office in July saw a staggering 57.8% increase in ticket sales over the same month last year. The total box office for 2007 thus far, however, is down 2.5% compared to the same period in 2006. While July was not the best month of this year, ...

  • News

    Venice adds selections including Gitai's Disengagement

    2007-08-17T18:22:00Z

    Marco Mueller has added several new titles to the line up of the 64th edition of the Venice Film Festival completing his official selection, theBiennale announced Friday.The new films include Israeli director Amos Gitai's Disengagement,which stars French actress Juliette Binoche.Tipped as a story of family sentiments set amidst Israel's pull ...

  • News

    Der Baader Meinhof Komplexawarded $3.6m from German fund

    2007-08-17T14:45:00Z

    Producer-distributor Constantin Film has been allocated $3.6m(Euros 2.7m) - the fourth largest amount so far this year - from the German (Federal Film Fund (DFFF) for its production of Uli Edel's Der Baader Meinhof Komplex which began shooting in Berlin last week. The support, which is only exceeded by the ...

  • News

    Gavron, Morgenthaler projects selected for San Sebastian's Zabaltegi

    2007-08-17T12:59:00Z

    The San Sebastian International Film Festival has selected 16 films for its Zabaltegi-New Directors section this year. As first or second films, these projects will compete for the Euros 90,000 Altadis-New Directors Award, and first and second films in the official selection can also compete.Highlights include Mania Akbari's 10+4 from ...

  • News

    Zentropa plans feature about Danish terrorist group

    2007-08-16T18:14:00Z

    Zentropa is planning a feature film to tell the story of the Blekinge Street Gang, the Danish terrorist group which will also be the subject of two TV projects.Since last year Zentropa has been preparing Blekinge Street, anoriginal story based on the real-life events 20 years ago scripted byLars Kjeldgaard ...

  • News

    Tykwer action thriller gets $5.3m from German fund

    2007-08-16T10:50:00Z

    Tom Tykwer's action thriller The International has been awarded Euros 4m by the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF).It isthe third largest amount allocated by the incentive programme after the Wachowski brothers' Speed Racer (£12m) and Bryan Singer's Valkyrie ($6.4m). The 'German spend' incentive scheme has now paid out almost two-thirds ...

  • News

    16 films feature at Nordic Co-Production Forum

    2007-08-16T06:30:00Z

    16 new Scandinavian and German feature film projects, with budgetsbetween $1.2 and $9m (Euros 0.9m-7m), will be presented at the second NordicCo-Production Forum, which takes place between Aug 22-23 as part of theNew Nordic Films market during the Norwegian International FilmFestival in Haugesund. Total production volume exceeds $68m (Euros 50m.)Last ...

  • Reviews

    Beneath The Rooftops of Paris (Sous Les Toits De Paris)

    2007-08-15T15:31:00Z

    Dir: Hiner Saleem. France, 2007. 100minsThis study of old age and solitude finds exiled Kurdish director Hiner Saleem divesting himself of the mischievous drive and wicked sense of humour which permeated such earlier efforts as Vodka Lemon and Kilometre Zero. Launched in a light, warm and humanistic vein which keeps ...

  • News

    The Match Factory picks up German tragicomedy

    2007-08-14T16:08:00Z

    The Match Factory has picked up international distribution for Neele Leana Vollmar's second feature Friedliche Zeiten (literal translation: Peaceful Times) which has begun shooting in Munich and surroundings. The tragicomedy, based on Birgit Vanderbeke's 1996 novel of the same name, is being produced by Vollmar and Caroline Daube's joint production ...

  • News

    Amralla named artistic director at Dubai festival

    2007-08-13T15:27:00Z

    Dubai International Film Festival has promoted Masoud Amralla Al Ali, previously head of Arab programming, to the position of artistic director. He will work alongside festival chairman Abdulhamid Juma and managing director Shivani Pandya, and be supported by Simon Field, who oversees international programming. Other members of the programming team ...

  • News

    Norwegian festival's New Nordic Films market to offer 30 features

    2007-08-13T15:04:00Z

    Unspoling between Aug 17-24 in Haugesund, the 35th Norwegian International Film Festival will be opened by Norwegian culture minister Trond Giske and the world premiere of Norwegian director Petter Naess' Gone by the Woman.It will show a programme focusing on Nordic and European cinema, with two-thirds of the selection having ...

  • News

    German Minister calls for DFFF to be extended beyond 2009

    2007-08-13T14:53:00Z

    German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck has called for the term of the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) to be extended beyond its initial three-year period of 2007-2009 after seeing its effectiveness in creating employment and income. The incentive scheme was launched on January 1 with an annual budget of $81.9m ...

  • News

    Central European admissions could rise 25% by 2011

    2007-08-13T14:45:00Z

    Box-office admissions in central Europe could rise by 25% over the next five years with Czech Republic seeing the strongest growth, according to Dodona Research. In the new report Cinemagoing Central Europe, the industry analyst firm reveals that increasing investments in new cinemas throughout the region coupled with strong local ...

  • News

    Locarno's Maire sees attendance at main venue up 10%

    2007-08-12T14:08:00Z

    Attendances at Locarno's main screening venue for the International Competition and Filmmakers of the Present Competition are up 9%-10% on last year, according to artistic director Frederic Maire in a review of his second edition heading up the festival.Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily.com, Maire observed that the 2007 lineup for the ...

  • News

    The Rebirth becomes Locarno's first Japanese winner since 1970

    2007-08-12T13:56:00Z

    Masahiro Kobayashi's The Rebirth (Ai No Yokan) became the first Japanese film to receive the Golden Leopard since Akio Jissoji's The Transient Life (Mujo) was an ex aequo winner at the festival in 1970.Described by artistic director Frederic Maire as 'a very strong and edgy film', The Rebirth also received ...

  • News

    Cinecitta copes with fire on back lot

    2007-08-10T17:14:00Z

    A fire broke out on Rome's Cinecitta studios back lot Thursday night at 22:00 local time.'Last night, a fire developed around Cinecitta Studios, exclusively affecting a peripheral part of the back lot where sets are constructed in open air,' the famed studio's Friday statement read.'The fire originated inside a tent ...

  • News

    Posne to leave post as CEO of Sonet Film

    2007-08-10T13:42:00Z

    After 23 years as CEO of Sonet Film, the leading Swedish producer-distributor owned by Modern Times Group, Peter Posne is leaving the company. As of Jan 1, 2008, he will be replaced by head of legal affairs and deputy manager Mathias Berggren.Originally Posne set up Sonet to import and distribute ...

  • News

    San Sebastian plans New Nordic Cinema programme

    2007-08-10T11:58:00Z

    The San Sebastian Film Festival is planning a New Nordic Cinema retrospective of 38 films.Cold Fever will look at post-Dogme cinema in the five Nordic countries since 1995. Danish critic Christian Monggaard will write an accompanying book.Selections include Lars Von Trier's Breaking The Waves, Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher, Susanne Bier's ...