All articles by Patrick Frater – Page 48
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News
Veland, Playford-Denman reunite to expand BV Int
In reunion worthy of the movies, sales agents Bjorg Veland and Heather Playford-Denman are to start working together again after a three year separation. The move appears to signal an expansion of the Oslo-based BV International sales and finance operation run by Veland."We are keen to develop a label and ...
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Wild Bunch is crazy for Marceau's Love
In a crowd-pleasing move made on the eve of the Rotterdam and Berlin festivals, French sales agent Wild Bunch has picked up Sophie Marceau's directorial debut Parlez-Moi D'Amour. The film stars Judith Godreche (who starred in Marceau's 1995 short L'Aube A L'Envers), Niels Arestrup, Anne Le Ny, Laurence Fevrier, Jean-Marie ...
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Orfeo's Helen Loveridge is Seattle-bound
Helen Loveridge, who currently heads Cologne-based sales agency Orfeo Films, is to become managing director of a new Film Centre being developed in Seattle.Loveridge's move follows the recent announcement of the forthcoming closure of Orfeo and World Sales Christa Saredi (see Screendaily, Jan 11). The two sales agencies are present ...
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Three Euro training bodies set to merge
In a bid to increase the efficiency of talent and project development, three of Europe's key film training organisations are to link together under the banner AMA. The three - story editor training body Arista, script development outfit Moonstone and producer finishing school ACE - are all backed by the ...
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Fresh talent on show at Rotterdam film festival
Abstracted from Screen InternationalThe International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands is unashamedly obscure and cutting edge. Uncovering and supporting new talent is the sole raison d'etre for the event, which opened on Jan 23.The main competition - where the competitors are dubbed "tiger films", the sidebars, the prizes and ...
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Rotterdam, Berlin launch production partnership
The Rotterdam and Berlin festivals are to share projects from Rotterdam's Cinemart co-production market as the first step in a new round of co-operation. The initiative, labelled the Rotterdam-Berlinale Express, will see six of the 43 part-funded Cinemart features transferring to Berlin, which opens on February 6 only days after ...
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Christa Saredi bows out of world sales sector
Veteran film sales agent Christa Saredi is to shut up shop this Spring after more than two decades in the business.The decision means the closure of the highly successful Zurich-based outfit that bears her name - World Sales Christa Saredi - as well as Orfeo Films International, a Cologne-based joint ...
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Miramax buys North American rights to Samsara
Miramax Films has bought US rights to Samsara (pictured), the German-Tibetan romantic drama that premiered at Toronto last year. Orfeo Films, which is handling world rights, sold other North American rights to Odeon Films for Canada.Orfeo also added to the Asian release of Mira Nair's Golden Lion winner Monsoon Wedding, ...
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British Telecom to be broadcaster within two years
UK phones giant British Telecom (BT) is aiming to become a major power in Britain's television sector and seems on course to be a broadcaster within two years. Newly installed chairman Sir Christopher Bland says that by distributing television content over its own landlines, satellites and microwave networks it could ...
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Cannes chooses six for residence programme
The Cannes festival has selected six young directors to participate in the fourth running of its Residence training programme.On the basis of the candidates short films or first feature, a jury headed by Constantin Costa-Gavras selected: Alicia Duffy from the UK, Jens Jonsson from Sweden, Manu Kurewa from Zimbabwe, Sergio ...
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Vivendi Universal, USA Networks in $10.3bn deal
Vivendi Universal has confirmed this morning that it is taking full control of the entertainment assets of Barry Diller's USA Networks (USA) in a deal valued at approximately $10.3bn and unanimously approved by both boards.Vivendi Universal will have a 93% control of an entity to be called Vivendi Universal Entertainment ...
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Echostar to sell 10% to Vivendi Universal
Vivendi Universal is to buy 10% of the US's number two satellite broadcaster Echostar.The deal is expected to help Echostar in its ongoing bid to acquire the biggest satellite player DirecTV. But it is not conditional on the takeover going through.The $1.5bn investment is seen by Vivendi Universal as the ...
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Celestial readies Hong Kong studio power-play
Hong Kong, whose once famous studios now lurk like decrepit ghosts, is about to take Asian film and TV on new thrill ride.Celestial Pictures, which will be a vertically integrated studio operation spanning production, distribution and broadcast, is poised to unveil its debut slate. A series of pan-Asian film channels ...
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Kirch woes increase as bank recalls $400m loans
News Corp yesterday denied reports that it is planning a hostile takeover approach for Germany's Kirch group. But Kirch's problems increased when the Dresdner Bank group called in $410m (DM900m) of loans.Kirch is understood to be wallowing in nearly $3.56bn (Euros4bn) of debt, but Dresdner has said that it is ...
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Kirch's mixed messages about News Corp bid
Germany's Kirch Group is sending out mixed messages about a possible takeover bid from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. But the fact that it is sending out any signals already suggests that the threat is real (Screendaily, Dec 5).According to some sources Kirch held crisis meetings over the weekend in order ...
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Canal Plus, UPC to merge Polish pay-TV platforms
In a move that comes quicker than expected, Canal Plus and UPC have agreed to merge their pay-TV platforms in Poland (Screendaily Aug 12).Only four months after the ceasing of hostilities between former rivals Cyrfa+ and Wizja TV, the two parent companies have decided to go ahead with a ...
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RTL issues fourth profit warning of 2001
RTL, the pan-European broadcast giant, has issued its fourth profit warning of the year.It said that in the current year advertising revenues will show a drop averaging 10% and that its own earnings will fall by 35%-40%, from the EBIT figure of Euros 55m it recorded last year."Advertising markets across ...
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Vivendi in advanced talks over Telepiu, Stream
Vivendi Universal said on Friday (Dec 7) that it was in advanced talks with News Corp concerning its Italian pay-TV platforms, Telepiu and Stream.In a statement Vivendi Universal said the discussions "would result in the acquisition of Stream by Telpiu" and would replace the current offer, which is being contested ...
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Murdoch considering Kirch Group takeover
Rupert Murdoch is reported to be eyeing up a full takeover of Germany's Kirch group.According to the Financial Times the two companies have discussed such a move, which would give Murdoch the position in central Europe he has long craved. Kirch denied that discussions are taking place.Murdoch joins another US ...
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Bronfman to quit Vivendi Universal in March
Edgar Bronfman Jr, one of the architects of the merger that created Vivendi Universal, is to stand down as executive vice chairman of the Franco-US group. Bronfman will remain vice chairman, but in a non executive role. He said there are no plans for him or the Bronfman family, which ...