All articles by Patrick Frater – Page 66
-
News
Star TV, HKT scrap pay-TV, Internet venture
Star TV, News Corp's Asian broadcast subsidiary, and Cable & Wireless HKT have called off their plans to set up a joint venture pay-TV and Internet service in Hong Kong.The two companies' only explanation for the "mutual and amicable" policy reversal was that they no longer shared the same ...
-
News
Chello delays stockmarket flotation
Chello, the Dutch broadband Internet group, has delayed its proposed flotation until at least next week while it enters into "strategic discussions" with UK cable operator Telewest, according to the UK's Financial Times.Chello is reportedly in talks with Telewest about a deal that would give the company a stronghold in ...
-
News
Ambergate to give UK's 2 Days US outing
US boutique distributor Ambergate has acquired British film 2 Days, 9 Lives for theatrical distribution. The film, which details 48 hours in the life of a group of people in rehab, is the first feature by commercials director Simon Monjack, who also takes co-writing and music composing credits. Ambergate plans ...
-
News
Helkon takes majority control of Newmarket
Adding to its flurry of US production deals Germany's Helkon Media has taken majority control of US film finance boutique Newmarket Capital Group.The deal was conducted through the wholly-owned Helkon International and involved the exercise of options on a further 32% of Newmarket's capital in addition to the 19% it ...
-
News
Bulgaria set to join EU's Media Programme
The European Commission today gave the green light for Bulgaria to become the first Eastern European country to join the European Union (EU)'s MEDIA Programme, which provides financial support for film distribution, development and training. Although Bulgaria is not a member of the 15-nation EU, participation in EU programmes is ...
-
News
Loews gets rolling with Technicolor
Exhibition giant Loews Cineplex has agreed to carry some $60m of rolling stock advertisements supplied by Technicolor in its 1,800 US screens starting from July. Loews president and CEO Lawrence Ruisi said: "This agreement represents the next step in our strategy to generate ancillary revenues in our business. On-screen advertising ...
-
News
Carlton extends Internet pact to Epsilon trio
The UK's Carlton Communications may seek to develop corporate links with continental Europe's top broadcasters, having this week enlarged its Internet deal with TF1 to include the Epsilon trio of companies.Often criticised for not having an active European strategy, Carlton this week hinted that it sees Germany's Kirch, Italy's Mediaset ...
-
News
CLT-Ufa acquires stake in Antena 3
CLT-Ufa is to buy an 11% stake in Spanish free broadcaster Antena 3 in a move that further tightens an emerging European TV production and distribution network.According to unconfirmed reports, the stake is being sold by Bank Of New York and Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica will maintain an unchanged 47% ...
-
News
Gregor to quit post as Forum head
Ulrich Gregor, head of the Forum section of the Berlin film festival, is to resign after next year's event. His departure will co-incide with the less amicable departure of the festival's chief selector Moritz De Hadeln.The 67-year-old Gregor, who has headed the Forum young directors' sidebar since 1971, said he ...
-
News
Yes takes private route after cancelling IPO
UK video-on-demand (VoD) pioneer Yes Television is to seek private finance having today called a halt to its London stockmarket flotation for the second time. Earlier this month Yes TV cut its planned sale price from 225p-275p a share to just 175p in an effort to get the float away ...
-
News
Stockmarket turbulence halts UPC takeover of SBS
The creation of a European cable, Internet and free TV giant was halted today when UPC said that it could no longer afford the share issue it planned for the acquisition of SBS Broadcasting.Mark Schneider, chairman and CEO of Dutch cable giant UPC, said: "Because of the continuing turmoil in ...
-
News
Highlight grabs pics from Miramax, Nu-Image
Switzerland's Highlight Communications has extended its relationship with Miramax International and grabbed a ten-picture deal with Nu Image. From Miramax, Highlight has bought three more titles including John Cusack-starrer Serendipity, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck-headed Bounce and the all star Wakin' Up In Reno. The ten pictures from Avi Lerner's ...
-
News
Von Trier dances away with Palme d'Or
Danish director Lars von Trier, always prepared to experiment with genre, technology and his own reputation, took the Palme d'Or with Dancer In The Dark at Cannes.While the critics have argued that this may not have been the best film von Trier's ever made, none were left unmoved by his ...
-
News
Miramax takes four from Media Asia
Hong-Kong powerhouse, Media Asia has struck a four-picture deal with Miramax Films for North American distribution. The deal, which lifts Media Asia's Cannes deal total to $6m, is headed by Purple Storm, the sci-fi actioner which recently cleared up at the Taiwan Golden Horse and Hong Kong academy awards. The ...
-
News
Liberator set to line up Zentropa France slate
Liberator Films, the Paris-based arm of the expanding Zentropa Entertainment empire, is seeking to develop a slate of films that go beyond the titles associated with Dogme95 and Lars Von Trier."There has never been a better time to make French films as so many other French film-makers are turning their ...
-
News
Arsenal set to exit Kinowelt
Germany's Kinowelt is set to offload one element of its rapidly-expanding empire - specialist distributor Arsenal Filmverleih - which is expected to seek an independent existence. The company, which handles modern arthouse staples such as The War Zone, Flores Del Otro Mundo, La Balia and Ghengis Blues, became part of ...
-
News
InterCom in $25m boost
Andy Vajna's distribution and exhibition concern InterCom has received a $25m cash injection that will help finance expansion beyond its roots in Hungary and Romania.The equity expansion sees the arrival of GE Capital, Raiffeisen Private Equity and ABN Amro as shareholders. Vajna will remain the majority shareholder. The cash will ...
-
News
Atlas racks up sales
Atlas International has scored a raft of sales on teen comedy Ants In The Pants (Harte Jungs), Regina Ziegler's three latest Erotic Tales and its US sci-fi action picture Star Force. Ants, which Constantin and Propaganda are remaking in English through their joint production and distribution joint venture, has been ...
-
News
Bertolucci, others sign up for Atomfilms shorts
Top theatrical directors Bernardo Bertolucci, Nicolas Roeg, Jim Jarmusch, Chris Marker and Aki Kaurismaki have signed up to make a collection of short films that will be screened on the Internet by webcaster and short films boutique Atomfilms. The quintet are the first of 15 leading directors committed to make ...
-
News
Malkovich goes Latin on Dancer
John Malkovich's directorial debut, The Dancer Upstairs, has been sold to Mexican distributor Nu Vision for all of Latin America. The deal was signed with sales agent and financier Lolafilms UK on the day that the film went into production. The film, which stars Javier Bardem, Laura Morante and Juan ...