Small MPU – Page 1250

  • News

    A Knight's Tale gallops into UK Box Office

    2001-09-04T18:28:00Z

    FilmFour's Lucky Break failed to come back from a disappointing start last weekend, falling 35% in its second weekend as Columbia TriStar's A Knight's Tale charged into the UK box-office.Knight's Tale, starring latest Aussie export Heath Ledger alongside local talent including Rufus Sewell, The Full Monty's Mark Addy and Gangster ...

  • News

    Majidi's Baran takes Montreal Grand Prix

    2001-09-05T01:53:00Z

    Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Baran shared the top prize at the 2001 Montreal World Film Festival, his third Grand Prix of the Americas in as many appearances in competition at Montreal. Majidi previously won in 1999 for The Colour Of Paradise and in 1997 for The Children Of Heaven. The ...

  • News

    New Oz tax rebates and local funding announced

    2001-09-05T02:09:00Z

    The Australian government has revealed a new refundable tax incentive that gives certainty and flexibility to those wanting to shoot sizeable features, mini-series and tele-movies in the territory. It has also increased local funding to the tune of $48m for the next four years.For international productions, the government has announced ...

  • News

    South Korean distributor sparks censorship change

    2001-09-05T02:14:00Z

    A court case brought by South Korean distributor Indiestory against the national Media Ratings Board, has resulted in a groundbreaking decision that is likely to curtail the board's power to censor films. The ruling, by the country's highest legal authority, the Constitutional Court, renders as unconstitutional the practice of denying ...

  • News

    Local films outclass US fare in Scandinavia

    2001-09-05T02:20:00Z

    Local Scandinavian films are giving the US majors' summer releases a hard run for their money at the box office across a number of Nordic territories. Last week end, America's Sweethearts not only saw itself losing out to Norwegian opener The Greatest Thing, but also had to accept second place ...

  • News

    Eastern Europe embraces multiplex trend

    2001-09-05T02:23:00Z

    With multi-screen cinema infrastructures already established in some Central and Eastern European territories such as Poland and the Czech Republic, the region's more underdeveloped territories are now seeing the initial signs of multiplex growth.Of the 12 multiplexes opened last year in the region, three were in the embryonic cinema markets ...

  • News

    Dutch Film By The Sea announces line-up

    2001-09-05T02:26:00Z

    The Dutch film season kicks off next week (10-16 October) with the third edition of the Film By The Sea international film festival in Flushing, Holland. Announcing the literary-themed line-up which opens with Captain Correlli's Mandolin, festival director Leo Hannewijk, said "Adapting novels for the big screen is extremely tough, ...

  • News

    Venice to launch new TV festival in 2002

    2001-09-05T02:29:00Z

    Venice, famous for its film festival is now set to become one of the highlights of the television calendar.Kicking off next March (March 21-26, 2002) Venice will be host to a new festival organised by the Associazone Prodottore Televisisi (Italy's association of independent television producers) and Venezia Fiere. The ...

  • News

    UK's DNA appoints Warlow

    2001-09-05T02:32:00Z

    UK National Lottery franchise DNA Films has confirmed the appointment of Richard Warlow as head of development.Warlow joins from fellow lottery franchise Pathe Pictures, where he held the post of development executive, working on The Hole and the forthcoming releases Thunderpants and The Abduction Club. He previously worked at the ...

  • News

    UK Film Council members re-appointed

    2001-09-05T02:34:00Z

    Tim Bevan, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith and John Hill have been re-appointed to the board of UK support body the Film Council, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced on Tuesday September 4.The directors of the Board were appointed in September 1999, drawing lots to decide the length of their ...

  • News

    Liberty Media buys European cable crown

    2001-09-05T02:38:00Z

    Deutsche Telekom AG has signed a contract to sell its six remaining regional cable TV companies to U.S.-based cable group Liberty Media for Euros 5.5bn according to Reuters. The sale forms part of Deutsche Telekom's efforts to reduce its debt mountain of Euros 65.5bn and will make Liberty Europe's largest ...

  • News

    Venice plays host to the critics

    2001-09-05T10:47:00Z

    After the recent public dissent by members of the jury at Locarno, first time director Irene Bignardi must have been feeling a little let down. But the feeling is well known even for more experienced selectors, such as Venice's Alberto Barbera.Even before the festival opened, Venice had got a mauling ...

  • News

    Rock Star

    2001-09-05T17:12:00Z

    Dir Stephen Herek. US 2001. 107 minutes Fortunately for Mark Wahlberg, Rock Star is being released close enough to the ill-fated Planet Of The Apes to erase the memory of that disastrous film from viewers' minds. Shedding his bulky astronaut suit for form-fitting leather pants, he plays a wannabe rock ...

  • News

    Fox, Disney team for rival internet movie service

    2001-09-06T01:41:00Z

    Just two weeks after five major Hollywood studios announced a joint venture on-demand movie service for internet users, the remaining two - Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox have launched their own service. Entitled Movies.com, it will provide movies and other entertainment content on demand to consumers in the ...

  • News

    MDP reports 45% increase in net income

    2001-09-06T01:42:00Z

    LA independent sales and financing outfit MDP Worldwide Entertainment has reported its financial results for the third quarter ended June 30, 2001, and the first three quarters of the fiscal year. The company trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange.Those results show a 45% increase in net income of C$837,000 ($553,000) ...

  • News

    Chicago has cream of world cinema at Oct fest

    2001-09-06T01:43:00Z

    The Chicago International Film Festival has unveiled 18 films which will screen in its next event (Oct 4-18) including some of the most acclaimed international titles from this year's festival circuit.Already lined up for Chicago are Nanni Moretti's Cannes Palme d'Or winner The Son's Room, Danis Tanovic's award-winning Bosnian drama ...

  • News

    Erik Lomis named president of MGM Distribution Co

    2001-09-06T01:44:00Z

    Erik Lomis has been named president of MGM Distribution Co, the distribution arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios. He will report to Bob Levin, president of worldwide theatrical marketing and distribution.Lomis, who was previously executive vice president, will continue to be responsible for the sales and distribution of the company's theatrical ...

  • News

    Karlin & Green buy, remold Bjorck consultancy

    2001-09-06T01:48:00Z

    International sales veterans Penny Karlin and Kelly Green have acquired Bjorck Film Corporation, the distribution consultancy founded by Lennart Bjorck in 1977 and renamed it Karlin-Green Media. Bjorck will remain with the company as a consultant.Karlin, who joined Bjorck in 1996 as president, and Green, who has been with the ...

  • News

    Gitai's Kedma may receive first Israeli funding

    2001-09-06T01:48:00Z

    Israeli film-maker Amos Gitai is turning to French and Italian finance once again for his next film, Kedma. But he also hopes that the new picture will become the first of his oeuvre to gain official funding from his native Israel.After TF1 and Les Films Balenciaga produced his Venice competition ...

  • News

    Chartier, Shapiro form sales & financing co

    2001-09-06T01:51:00Z

    International sales executives Nicolas Chartier and Dean Shapiro have teamed up to found Vortex Pictures, a new financing and foreign sales outfit based in Santa Monica which already has three films on its books from Los Angeles production outfit Gold Circle Films.Chartier, who was formerly vice president of sales and ...