Small MPU – Page 1228
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News
Kei Kumai to direct Kurosawa script
A film based on one of the last scripts to have been written by Akira Kurosawa, Umi Wa Miteita (I Saw The Sea), is to be made by Kei Kumai and premiered at the 2002 Venice Film Festival on the anniversary of Kurosawa's death: September 6, 1998.The script is based ...
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Global Motion Pictures Fund launched
Frankfurt-based IN-motion Group has launched a new private media fund to follow the five World Media Funds it has already initiated since 1998, and which have raised a total to date of $128.8m (Euro 148m) for film and television financing.The latest fund - The First Global Motion Pictures Fonds (GMP) ...
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Brisbane fest launches feature competition
The Brisbane International Film Festival's tenth anniversay edition is mounting a retrospective on the work of Roman Polanski and a spotlight on the new UK directors such as Jonathan Glazer. Australian film La Spagnola, starring Spanish actor Lola Marceli, opens the event, which runs July 26-August 4. Glazer's Sexy Beast ...
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Shooting Gallery heads for bankruptcy
New York-based production and distribution house The Shooting Gallery will likely file for bankruptcy relief, according to a brief statement from its owner, Canadian internet incubator itemus inc. Toronto-based itemus announced that efforts to raise extra capital have been unsuccessful to date and that unless it can sell of some ...
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New Anica president appointed
Gianni Massaro, the Italian entertainment lawyer who heads the European production fund Eurimages, has been appointed president of Anica, Italy's national film body, replacing film producer Fulvio Lucisano."My top priority will be to bring into Anica the other associations of the audiovisual sector, who, while they operate within a friendly ...
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InFilm in trio of development deals
InFilm Productions, the UK outfit which most recently co-produced Rose Troche's The Safety Of Objects, has struck development deals for three of its gestating projects.Artists Independent Network, Luc Roeg and Charles Finch's London-based production and management company, has boarded The Duchess Of Malfi to develop and co-produce. Billed as a ...
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Montreal fest to fete Jackie Chan
Martial arts star Jackie Chan will be presented with a Special Grand Prix of the Americas at the 25th Montreal World Film Festival, Aug. 23 to Sept. 3. The festival is presenting similar tributes to Sophia Loren and producer Dino De Laurentiis. Chan will be present September 1 for a ...
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Universal Pictures picks up Women
Universal Pictures has picked up all UK rights to Women Talking Dirty, the first picture from Elton John and David Furnish's Rocket Pictures.The co-production with Jean Doumanian Productions is expected to get a platform release though UIP, Universal's international theatrical distribution outlet. Helena Bonham Carter and Gina McKee star in ...
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Jolie raids France and Germany with Original Sin
Just as her starring turn in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider sees Angelina Jolie swinging to the top of most international territories, another film featuring the Oscar winning actress starts its roll-out in Germany and France. Original Sin, co-starring Antonio Banderas, took sixth position in Germany, with a three-day take ...
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Jurassic III takes giant $19m on US opening day
Universal's sequel Jurassic Park III opened with a roar on Wednesday, grossing a phenomenal $19m in its first day - and indicating that the dinosaur thrill-ride could have the biggest opening of the year and one of the biggest of all time. To indicate its total domination of the market, ...
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Reviews
The Fast Runner
Dir: Zacharias Kunuk. Canada. 2000. 167 mins. Of all the esoterica on show in Cannes this year, The Fast Runner, a nearly three-hour epic in Inuit (it claims to be the first feature ever written in this language) based on a 1000 year old Eskimo legend, must take ...
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Last Wedding to open Toronto festival
Canadian filmmaker Bruce Sweeney's Last Wedding will open the 26th Toronto International Film Festival, making its world premiere on September 6. Described as a "human drama", it features Benjamin Ratner, Frida Betrani, Tom Scholte, Nancy Sivak, Vincent Gale and Molly Parker. Sweeney, whose feature Live Bait was voted best Canadian ...
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News
3i buys into Civilian Content
3i, the British venture capitalist group which recently helped underwrite the merger of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, has taken a 4.45% stake in Civilian Content, parent of National Lottery franchise the Film Consortium.The company bought 1.8 million shares from a private shareholder, meaning financial institutions hold more than 30% of ...
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German comedy smashes local box office record
Just as Jurassic Park III was creating a stir with its opening day ticket sales in the US, a local German film has smashed box office records with its first day's admissions.Der Schuh Des Manitu, a western parody by alternative German comedian Michael "Bully" Herbig. attracted 203,000 admissions on Thursday ...
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Kinowelt Int'l chief quits as redundancies loom
Alexander van Duelmen, managing director of Kinowelt International, a subsidiary of beleaguered German media concern, Kinowelt Medien, has quit his post suddenly, "by mutual agreement and with immediate effect". Further staff reorganisation is expected to follow shortly.Van Duelmen had been responsible for masterminding Kinowelt's overseas growth through international partnerships with ...
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The Price Of Milk scoops top Fantastic award
Prizes were widely spread on the closing night of the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan). The big winner on the night was Harry Sinclair's New Zealand film The Price Of Milk which scooped the Best of Puchon award.The international jury gave a special prize to Wisit Sasanitieng's Thai film ...
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Charlotte Arnold leaves Intermedia for Summit
Charlotte Arnold has left Intermedia to join Summit Entertainment as vice president of international sales. She will be based in Summit's London office and report to David Garrett, executive vice president and head of Summit London, and Patrick Wachsberger, LA-based president and CEO.While at Intermedia, Arnold oversaw the theatrical sales ...
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Reviews
Ghost World
Dir: Terry Zwigoff. US.2001. 111 min.Documentarian Terry Zwigoff,who directed the superlative Crumb,a highlight of American documentary cinema of the past decade, makes a roughtransition into feature filmmaking with Ghost World, yet another tale of how the mediocrity of Americansuburbanism can almost suffocate the individuality of its few, truly creativedenizens. Based ...
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C4 chief Jackson joins Diller after long courtship
Barry Diller spent a whole year trying to persuade Michael Jackson to quit Channel 4 before finally succeeding yesterday in luring the British TV boss across the Atlantic to run his cable channels, TV production arm and USA Films from both New York and Los Angeles. After entering serious talks ...
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Vivendi Universal reports robust first half
Vivendi Universal differentiated itself from rival media conglomerate AOL Time Warner when it today announced first half results that were better than expectations.Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were up 53% to $1.19bn (Euros1.37bn) on sales up 14% at of Euros6.59bn. Its shares bounced Euros2.5 to Euros66.15. Last ...