Small MPU – Page 1348

  • News

    MPAA seeks to stop UK DVD software outfit 321 Studios

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is seeking aninjunction from the High Court in London preventing the sale and distributionof 321 Studios' DVD-pirating software.MPAA president Jack Valenti said in a statement, 'Companies thatstand to profit from the violation of copyright laws should be brought to book.'No-one should be under ...

  • News

    Samurai drama has the edge at Venice festival

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Six days in and there has been no buying frenzy this year at the Venice festival. But both buyers and critics appear satisfied with the quality and range of films on offer across the festival's different sections. After the disappointing reception for Woody Allen's opening night film Anything Else, the ...

  • News

    Competition films fuel buyer action

    2003-09-01T04:05:00Z

    Two films in the Venice competition have been logging strong buyer interest and notching up sales even before their world premieres later this week. Russian first film The Return, directed by Andrey Zvyagantsev, has added deals with France's Ocean Films and The Netherlands' Contact Films to previous licence agreements signed ...

  • News

    Kitano edges into lead at quality festival

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Six days in and there has been no buying frenzy this year at the Venice festival. But both buyers and critics appearsatisfied with the quality and range of films on offer across the festival's different sections. After the disappointing reception for Woody Allen's opening night film Anything Else, the best ...

  • News

    Artificial Eye adds to Venice tally

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    The UK's Artificial Eye has added to its stock of Venice titles by adding Last Life In The Universe, which appears in Venice's Controcorrente or Upstream section.The film, directed by Thai Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, played early in the festival and has remained a favourite with critics throughout. It is sold by ...

  • News

    Kitano edges into lead at quality Venice

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Six days in and there has been no buying frenzy this year at the Venice festival. But both buyers and critics appear satisfied with the quality and range of films on offer across the festival's different sections. After the disappointing reception for Woody Allen's opening night film Anything Else, the ...

  • News

    Artificial Eye adds to Venice tally

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    The UK's Artificial Eye has added to its stock of Venice titles by adding Last Life In The Universe, which appears in Venice's Controcorrente or Upstream section.The film, directed by Thai Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, played early in the festival and has remained a favourite with critics throughout. It is sold by ...

  • News

    ICA takes The Five Obstructions

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Trust Film Sales, the Danish sales operation behind The Five Obstructions (De Fem Benspaend), directed by Lars von Trier and Joergen Leth, has sold the docu-fiction title to ICA Projects for the UK.Obstructions charts five attempts by von Trier and his mentor Leth to remake satire The Perfect Human that ...

  • News

    Canada's Lux, Jet team up for production venture

    2000-02-22T12:40:00Z

    Montreal's Lux Films has joined forces with commercials house Jet Films to form a new feature film company Go Films.The new company, headed by Lux president Nicole Robert, director Gabriel Pelletier and Jet's Jacques Langlois and Richard Speer, will focus on producing features for the domestic and international marketplace."We decided ...

  • Reviews

    Afterlife

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Alison Peebles. UK. 2003. 104 minsMaterial that might seem hackneyed or maudlin in less skilful hands emerges as a moving, emotion-charged drama in Afterlife. The story of a journalist torn between professional ambition and family responsibilities is distinguished by intelligent writing, sensitive direction and stand-out performances from Kevin McKidd ...

  • News

    European Film Awards announces shortlist

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Lars Von Trier's for Dogville, Francois Ozon for Swimming Pool and Dagur Kari for Noi Albinoi are among the directors shortlisted for this year's European Film Awards announced today.The annual poll to find European cinemagoers favourite director and male and female star, also includes Patrice Leconte for L'Homme Du Train, ...

  • News

    Strong Irish opening for Intermission

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Colin Farrell, universally good reviews, and a campaign that included radio play for Farrell's soundtrack cover of The Clash's I Fought The Law combined to generate a strong opening weekend in Ireland for BVI's Intermission.The Company of Wolves' production, from debut director John Crowley, has taken over Euros 215,000 from ...

  • News

    Björk joins voices on Icelandic animation

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    The UK's ex-Monty Python Terry Jones and unusual Icelandic songbird Björk have joined the cast of the 3D animated film Anna And The Moods, which is currently being developed by Iceland's CAOZ Ltd. in Reykjavik. Directed and created by Gunnar Karlsson, Anna And The Moods will feature music composed by ...

  • News

    Amma Asante starts debut

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Shooting started in Wales this week on A Way Of Life, the directorial debut of writer Amma Asante, whose credits include the cult TV drama Brothers And Sisters. The film, which stars Brenda Blethyn, Oliver Haden, Stephanie James, Gary Sheppeard, Dean Wong and Sara Gregory, centres on a teenage mother ...

  • News

    UK/IRELAND

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Limited releases were the toast of the UK/Ireland box office this week with releases in London's West End and the Republic Of Ireland scoring the best averages of the weekend.Pathe's Cypher, a sci-fi thriller from Vincenco Natali (director of 1997 cult-film Cube), opened at just seven screens in London's West ...

  • News

    JAPAN

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    To the surprise of absolutely no one, The Grudge 2 opened strongly on August 23, with a screen average of $99,892 in its first week on release in Japan. A follow-up to the 2002 hit shocker The Grudge, the film features the same director, Takashi Shimizu, the same ghosts and ...

  • Reviews

    Matchstick Men

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    Dir. Ridley Scott. US, 2003. Paper Moon meets House Of Games in this lightweight crime caper coming from one of Hollywood's heavyweight directors, obviously on a break between his major projects. The tale of a con artist suffering from a severe case of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) who is surpassed by ...

  • News

    SWITZERLAND

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    With cold, wet weather arriving at the weekend in Switzerland box office was up 61.7% in the territory, thanks to a massive 99% week-on-week rise in the German-speaking region of the country.Playing especially well in its second weekend in the German-region was Gabriele Muccino's drama Ricordati Di Me. The Italian ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2003-09-02T00:00:00Z

    The latest episode in the Werner comic book franchise, Werner - Gekotzt Wird Spaeter!, slipped out of the top ten this week after just barely making the 1m admissions mark while another Constantin Film release Wrong Turn bowed at No. 6 with almost Euros 500,000. Speaking at last week's annual ...

  • News

    Zentropa wins producer award at Monte Carlo

    2000-02-23T09:42:00Z

    Danish production outfit Zentropa has picked up the award for best European producer at the 40th edition of the Monte Carlo Television Festival (Feb 17-23). The Monte Carlo jury cited Zentropa for the quality of programmes submitted - The Kingdom and TV movie Morten Korch ' and the volume of ...