Small MPU – Page 1497

  • News

    Miramax buys UK, Manhattan close to US on Enigma

    2001-04-23T03:14:00Z

    Miramax Films has acquired UK rights to Enigma, the World War II thriller directed by Michael Apted which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Intermedia co-financed the film with Germany's Senator Film and handled the UK sales to Miramax.Meanwhile Manhattan Pictures International, the recently formed New York-based producer/distributor run ...

  • News

    Court dismisses RICO claims against Franchise

    2001-04-23T03:35:00Z

    Franchise Pictures has won a second dismissal in its acrimonious court battle with Germany's Intertainment Licensing GmbH. On Friday, Judge Carlos Moreno of the US District Court issued an order granting Franchise motion to dismiss Intertainment's claims against it under the Federal Racketeering Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act (known as ...

  • Reviews

    Captain Corelli's Mandolin

    2001-04-23T11:16:00Z

    Dir: John Madden. UK-US-FR. 2001. 125 minsWhile its aspirations and ingredients should ensure a strong release in all territories where the original Louis de Bernieres novel was triumphant, Captain Corelli's Mandolin curiously lacks harmony for a work with music as one of its core values. There is discord between its ...

  • News

    Menegazzi launches Firelight with Zenith deal

    2001-04-23T19:02:00Z

    Carmen Menegazzi, former head of Columbia TriStar's UK theatrical arm, has partnered on local drama Lifelines with UK media operation Zenith Entertainment for the first project from her production outfit Firelight Films.Menegazzi and Zenith have struck a co-development deal on the £3m project, which is being written by Bridget Lawless. ...

  • News

    Summit, Momentum, Samuelsons pact for remake

    2001-04-23T19:04:00Z

    The US' Summit Entertainment and the UK's Momentum Pictures and Samuelson Productions have partnered on a UK remake of Dutch box office hit All Stars.Provisionally titled 30 Things, the comedy about a group of 20 somethings is to go into production this year. Simon Shore, who debuted with gay-themed coming-of-age ...

  • News

    UK's Film Council appoints clutch of executives

    2001-04-23T19:21:00Z

    UK film body the Film Council has named Norman Brock and Emma Clarke as part of a raft of appointments.Brock has been appointed production and development executive for the Council's Premiere Fund, a $14m a year tranche of National Lottery cash for films with broad appeal. Brock worked as a ...

  • News

    Village makes new retreat from Euro exhibition

    2001-04-23T21:13:00Z

    Village Roadshow has sold its sold 13-screen cinema site in Switzerland to Pathe, and its 45 Hungarian screens at six sites to Intercom, its jointventure partner in the region. The company has also offloaded its remaining 50% property interest in Village Entertainment Park to the Pradera European Retail Fund, and ...

  • News

    Pentamedia bids to rescue Film Roman deal

    2001-04-23T21:15:00Z

    Senior officials, including V Chandrasekaran chairman of India's Pentamedia have rushed to the US to renegotiate their deal with Film Roman on a stock and cash basis (Screendaily, Oct 24, 2001). Film Roman has set April 28 as the deadline for repair of the alleged breach of contract by Pentamedia ...

  • News

    Vivendi grabs control of Canal Plus Poland

    2001-04-23T21:18:00Z

    Vivendi Universal has obtained majority control of Canal Plus Poland, its Polish pay-TV venture. The move is expected to smooth the path towards a full merger of the service with Wyzja, the UPC-owned group of channels.Belgian investment group Deficom sold its stake to Vivendi Universal for Euros90m, while Polish investors ...

  • News

    Bac Majestic misses profit targets

    2001-04-23T21:19:00Z

    Bac Majestic, the French distribution and exhibition group headed by Jean Labadie, reported profits below the target announced at the time of last year's flotation.Pre-tax profits were $1m (Euros1.1m), and net after tax profits were $180,000 (Euros0.2m). But the company blamed the difference on a policy of accelerated film depreciation. ...

  • News

    Cannes expands out-of-competition line-up

    2001-04-23T21:23:00Z

    Three more titles have been added to the Cannes festival sidebar Un Certain Regard while the organisers have also announced a special open-air screening of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie From Montmartre, which goes on French release tomorrow (Wed, April 25). Un Certain Regard now takes in Stanley Kwan's gay drama Beijing ...

  • News

    Leah Weil named general counsel at Sony Pictures

    2001-04-24T01:57:00Z

    Leah Weil has been promoted to corporate senior vice president and general counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment with responsibility for all company legal matters. She was previously executive vice president, legal affairs and deputy general counsel.Reporting to Beth Berke, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Weil is now the ...

  • News

    Zentropa signs worldwide deal with Universal Music

    2001-04-24T02:00:00Z

    Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has entered into an exclusive worldwide agreement with Denmark's Zentropa Enterprises to administer its music publishing interests.The deal was struck with Zen Music, the publishing arm of Zentropa. As a result of the deal, UMPG will adminstrate Lars Von Trier's share of the songs from ...

  • News

    Intermedia buys crime novel for Mark Johnson Prods

    2001-04-24T02:02:00Z

    Intermedia has acquired movie rights to The Booster, a crime novel by Eugene Izzi, for Mark Johnson Productions to produce. The book was bought to Johnson by producer Louis DiGiaimo who collaborated with Johnson on Donnie Brasco.The Booster is the story of a big time thief who comes out of ...

  • News

    Ricardo Avila to leave Columbia TriStar Italy

    2001-04-24T02:03:00Z

    Ricardo Avila is to leave his position as general manager of Columbia TriStar, Italy, after 16 years at the company. "It was a hard and difficult decision to make," he said in a statement. "After 16 years with this company in four different countries around the world it really felt ...

  • News

    Telepiu-Stream set to merge today

    2001-04-24T10:22:00Z

    Jean-Marie Messier and Rupert Murdoch are today expected to announce that Vivendi Universal will have two-thirds of a new joint venture in Italian pay-TV. Terms of the new venture which will be born from the merger of Vivendi Universal's Telepiu and the News Corp-controlled Stream may be detailed this afternoon ...

  • News

    Momentum takes UK on Jeunet's Amelie

    2001-04-24T11:15:00Z

    The UK's Momentum Pictures has picked up all UK rights to Amelie From Montmartre, a French-language comedy from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of Alien Resurrection and one half of the team behind Delicatessen and The City Of Lost Children.The UGC International title has just secured a special public screening at the ...

  • News

    Haeberle quits board of F.A.M.E.

    2001-04-24T12:36:00Z

    Thomas Haeberle is to step down from the management board of ambitious German mini-conglomerate F.A.M.E. Film & Music Entertainment where he was director of film production. The move is reminiscent of Bernd Eichinger's recent decision at Constantin to quit the board and concentrate on production. Haeberle's board responsibilities are being ...

  • News

    Tele+/Stream deal hands Italian pay-TV to Vivendi

    2001-04-24T20:15:00Z

    Vivendi Universal boss Jean-Marie Messier today forecast swift regulatory approval for the Italian pay-TV venture with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp that he announced today.Messier said that Vivendi Universal will have two-thirds of a joint venture which will be born from the merger of Vivendi's Telepiu and the News Corp-Telecom Italia-controlled ...

  • News

    Sony unveils plan for Korean animation channel

    2001-04-24T20:28:00Z

    Sony Pictures Television Japan (SPTVJ) has announced plans to launch an animation channel in South Korea, its first move to operate an overseas TV station.SPTVJ, which is a satellite broadcasting arm of US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, has begun talks with local Korean partners and expects to see the channel distributed ...