Small MPU – Page 1017
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News
Will Smith takes July 4th weekend - again - with Hancock
Will Smith, an Independence Day weekend winner four times over the past 12 years, maintained his champion's form as Hancock savaged the competition with an estimated $66m haul over three days rising to $107.3m over five following Tuesday night's launch.The tale of a reluctant, boozy superhero who has to change ...
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Hancock scores exceptional $78.3m international opening for SPRI
Seven letters dominated the box office over the weekend as Hancock, pushed out by Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) across half the world, demolished its rivals thanks to an estimated $78.3m gross from 5,444 screens in 50 markets.The exceptional result is borne out by the comparisons. Based on grosses in ...
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Taipei fest ups glamour but suffers from falling ticket sales
The tenth anniversary edition of the Taipei Film Festival (June 20 - July 6) ended Sunday with an attempt to reinvent itself as a competitive event for local films amid plummeting ticket sales. The festival, which has recruited several former staff of the Golden Horse Film Awards, upped the glamour ...
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China box office up 55% in first half of 2008
The first half of 2008 saw impressive growth at the China box office, with total receipts reaching $237.32m (RMB1.63bn), a 55% increase compared to the first half of 2007, according to government figures. Industry players estimate that the total box office for 2008 will reach $583.09m (RMB4bn). Despite several natural ...
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Germany fails to keep up Q1 momentum
Admissions to German cinemas fell by 50% in the second quarter compared to the first three months of 2008, according to figures prepared by EDI Nielsen.Exhibitors posted $ 188.4m (Euros 119.3m) box-office revenues from 19m admissions between April and the end of June.The half-year total is $ 565.8m (Euros 358.1m) ...
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Motovun festival focuses on Russia
The 10th Motovun Film Festival (Jul 28-Aug 1) has announced competition programme, juries and this year's partner country- Russia, honouring 100 years of Russian film.The anniversary will be include a week of Russian Film in the Croation capital Zagreb, from Jul 5-11, presenting 10contemporary works, including films fromAlexei Balabanov, Sergei ...
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Thai government plans tax incentives for foreign shoots
Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports is planning to introduce tax incentives for foreign film productions, in a bid to increase the country's appeal as an international shooting location. According to local media, the cabinet has approved a proposal for the ministry to work with the Investment and Finance Ministry ...
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Korean film market share slides to 38% in first half
Leading South Korean exhibitor CJ CGV has reported first half statistics that bring local film market share to 37.6% - the lowest since 28.4% in 2000 and down 9.7% from last year. Nationwide admissions dropped to 70.4 million, down 2.1% year-on-year and the lowest in the last three years.The top ...
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New US, Spanish buyers line up for Locarno
Four weeks ahead of the opening of this year's Locarno filmfestival on August 6, its Industry Office has reported that buyers from the US, Spain and South Korea are among 10 companies coming to the Swiss festival for the first time this year.LA-based distributor-producer-sales outfit Eleven Arts will be represented ...
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Brizzi to shoot third feature Ex later this month
Director Fausto Brizzi will begin shooting his third feature, Ex, on July 15, his producer Federica Lucisano of Italian International Film (IIF) confirmed.A successful screenwriter-turned director, Brizzi became a local phenomenon when his debut feature Night Before Finals (Notte prima degli esami) earned $16m and became the top-grossing Italian debut ...
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German box office slips 50% from first quarter to second quarter
Admissions to German cinemas fell by 50% in the second quarter compared to the first three months of 2008, according to figures prepared by EDI Nielsen.Exhibitors posted $188.4m (Euros 119.3m) box-office revenues from 19m admissions between April and the end of June. The half-year total is $565.8m (Euros 358.1m) - ...
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Sarajevo Panorama Documentaries include Waltz With Bashir
The 14th Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 15-23) has announced the documentary Panorama programme. 'Provocation, access, aesthetics, and the success of their synthesis are the chief selection criteria,' says programmer Howard Feinstein. The selection includes a double feature of 'Experimental American Leftie Films' and Cannes Palme D'Or nominee Waltz With Bashir.Panorama ...
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Sharman MacDonald to adapt Vincenzi's Windfall for PiVotal
Playwright and The Edge Of Love screenwriter Sharman MacDonald will adapt Penny Vincenzi's novel Windfall for a feature filmto be produced by PiVotal Pictures.Windfall is the first in PiVotal's planned series of films based on Vincenzi's works. The story is about a woman who trains as a doctor in the ...
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Oz producers Culley, Macgowan team on slate of local pics
Australian producer Marian Macgowan (Death Defying Acts) has taken on a new producing partner in Miranda Culley, who has been director Phillip Noyce's Sydney partner for the past seven years. The move enables Macgowan to both produce and develop features simultaneously, which is difficult as a lone producer.'The business model ...
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Chow teams with Cathay United Bank group on Taiwan fund
Hong Kong superstar Stephen Chow is advising Taiwan's Cathay Securities Investment Truston an investment fund which aims to pump $65m into listed film companies.The Cathay Global Entertainment Fund was announced at a seminar in Taipei on Friday (July 4) attended by Chow who is a senior advisor in the entertainment ...
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BAFTA to host four-day Arab cinema event
BAFTA is holding a four day event this weekend at its Piccadilly headquarters in recognition of Arab cinema's contribution to the film industry.Bafta Goes to the Arab World (July 11-14) combines screenings, talks and networking events, which aim to highlight emerging talent from the region and foster links between the ...
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Generator, Green Park, Octagon start shoot for Cherrybomb
Glen Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa start shooting their joint feature debut, Cherrybomb, today in Belfast.The coming-of-age drama stars Rupert Grint, Kimberley Nixon and Robert Sheehan. Producers are Generator Entertainment, Green Park Films and Octagon Films.The story is about two teenage boys whose friendship is tested when a troubled beauty ...
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Short made by children added to Azur & Asmar DVD
Soda Pictures will include a short made by UK children on its DVD release for Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest. As part of the First Light Movies scheme, a group of five-year-olds from Hartside Primary School in Crook, County Durham, made the short digital animation last year with £2,700 ...
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Ischia unveils heavy hitters for co-production roundtable
Italy's Ischia Global Film and Music Festival will host a Global Production Summit in the sixth edition of the event, which runs July 13-20 on the island of Ischia near the Southern city of Naples.The summit will take place on July 18 with Producer Mark Canton (Spiderwick Chronicles, 300) to ...
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