Small MPU – Page 343

  • News

    4 Months stirs education controversy in France

    2007-07-11T15:16:00Z

    Cannes Palme d'Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days has been at the heart of some controversy lately in France.The drama, which deals with clandestine abortion in Communist-era Romania, was also awarded the National Education Prize which is given to a Cannes official selection that has relevant artistic, ...

  • News

    Portugal's SIC inks five-year pact with Globo

    2000-08-21T17:45:00Z

    Portuguese broadcaster SIC has closed a five-year deal with Brazilian media giant Globo which gives the two groups mutually exclusive rights to the other's product. As part of the deal, the two companies also plan to start co-producing feature films, made-for-TV movies and fiction series.The first co-production in development is ...

  • News

    Sweden's Astoria Cinemas files for bankruptcy

    2007-07-11T15:19:00Z

    Last curtain fell for Swedish cinema circuit, Astoria Cinemas - once the country's second-largest theatre chain - as part-owner and managing director (since June 8) Jonny Jergander filed for bankruptcy less than two months after distributor-exhibitor Triangelfilm, the main force behind the set-up, also went bust. 'We are all losers. ...

  • News

    Vito Rocco wins $2m feature funding from MySpace's MyMovieMashUp

    2007-07-12T01:00:00Z

    Vito Rocco has won the MyMovieMashUp competition from MySpace, Film4 and Vertigo Films. Rocco, a 35-year-old Londoner wins $2m (£1m) to direct his debut feature Faintheart, written by David Lemon. The comedy is about hobbyists who re-enact Viking battles. A panel of experts selected the competition's 12 shortlisted directors and ...

  • News

    Pretty Pictures strikes deal for Kenyan comedy Malooned in Zanzibar

    2007-07-11T17:59:00Z

    At the 10th annual event which ended July 8, the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) can report its first deal. France's Pretty Pictures acquired world rights (outside Africa) to Kenyan comedy Malooned directed by Bob Nyanja. Pretty Pictures also acquired the remake rights to the story, which is about a ...

  • News

    Four North American fantasy festivals form alliance

    2007-07-11T21:09:00Z

    Fantasy film festivals in Montreal, Austin and San Francisco have joined forces to create the North American Fantastic Festival Alliance (NAFFA). Montreal's FanTasia, Alamo Drafthouse's Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and Dead Channels: the San Francisco Festival of Fantastic Film will henceforth be a network to support the exhibition and ...

  • News

    Lionsgate invests in online video site Break.com

    2007-07-11T21:50:00Z

    Lionsgate has secured a strategic investment in Break.com, an online video entertainment site targeted at 18-to-34-year-old males.The partnership offers Lionsgate the chance to distribute current and upcoming films, television programming, home entertainment and other new content through Break's online channel.It also gives the studio access to Break's young talent pool, ...

  • News

    Paramount hits domestic $1bn mark in record time

    2007-07-11T22:15:00Z

    Paramount Pictures has crossed the $1bn at the domestic box office in record time, propelled by Transformers' record-breaking $155.4m launch last week.The studio reached the milestone after 189 days on Jul 8 and executives project 2007 will be Paramount's highest grossing year since 1998, when it reached $1.046bn. That tally ...

  • News

    Harris, Willis join the cast of Papamichael's horror film From Within

    2007-07-11T22:24:00Z

    Principal photography has started in Havre De Grace, Maryland, on Phedon Papamichael's psychological horror film From Within.Jared Harris, Amanda and Michelle Babin and Rumer Willis join the previously announced cast of Thomas Dekker, Elizabeth Rice, and Adam Goldberg.The story centres on a small ultra-religious community where residents start to die ...

  • News

    Paramount Classics establishes conservation fund for Arctic Tale

    2007-07-11T23:42:00Z

    Paramount Classics has established the Arctic Fund for wildlife conservation and will donate proceeds from the upcoming Jul 25 release of documentary Arctic Tale to four charities.The National Geographic Polar Fund, World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, and Wildlife Conservation Society will each receive equal shares from a percentage of ...

  • News

    Walden to develop feature of children's novel Savvy

    2007-07-12T01:28:00Z

    Walden Media will develop Ingrid Law's debut children's novel Savvy following a joint acquisition with Penguin Young Readers Group to North American rights to the unpublished book and a pre-emptive multi-book deal with agent Daniel Lazar at Writers House.Savvy centres on 12-year-old Mississippi 'Mibs' Beaumont, who must use the magical ...

  • News

    Harry Potter 5 conjures up $25.7m in initial day one openings

    2007-07-12T04:09:00Z

    Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix has amassed an estimated $25.7m worldwide since going on release at midnight on Tuesday [July 10] in North America and launching in eight territories yesterday [July 11].The Warner Bros sequel grossed $12m in domestic theatres and set a new record for a ...

  • News

    Carlton sells film package to China's CCTV

    2000-08-21T17:50:00Z

    The UK's Carlton International has sold a package of 15 films to Chinese broadcaster CCTV6. Titles include both classic and contemporary fare and range from Boys From Brazil, Sophie's Choice and Great Expectations from Carlton's ITC library to Often Running and Night To Remember from its Rank collection and Fire ...

  • News

    UK Stars Of Tomorrow 2007

    2007-07-11T11:30:00Z

    From actors to directors, producers to writers, Screen International introduces the brightest new hopes of the British film industry.The ActorsBritish performers are renowned around the world. Patricia Dobson profiles the hottest new names emerging from the UK’s drama schools, theatres and TV productions. - Click here for StarsOf Tomorrow ...

  • News

    Eros International acquires 51% of Ayngaran

    2007-07-12T13:53:00Z

    Eros International has made a foray into Tamil films, the second largest segment in India, by acquiring a 51% interest in Ayngaran International, a dominant force in the Tamil content and distribution industry.Eros announced today it will initially provide $33m in funding to take over and grow Ayngaran's existing business, ...

  • News

    Shekhar Kapur's The Golden Age to open Rome's Premiere section

    2007-07-12T14:11:00Z

    Shekhar Kapur's The Golden Age, starring Cate Blanchett, will inaugurate the Premiere section of the second edition of the Rome Film Festival, organisers said today. The Golden Age will see its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, as previously announced, while the Rome bow will be its European premiere.The ...

  • News

    UK Stars Of Tomorrow 2007

    2007-07-12T17:15:00Z

    From actors to directors, producers to writers, Screen International profiles the brightest new hopes of the British film industry.

  • News

    Screen International unveils its UK Stars Of Tomorrow

    2007-07-12T18:00:00Z

    Screen International has unveiled its 2007 UK Stars Of Tomorrow, a comprehensive round-up of the brightest new talent in the British film industry.Published both in this week's Screen International and online (click here), the annual talent survey - now it fourth year - highlights the brightest actors, directors, writers and ...

  • Reviews

    Teddy Bear (Medvidek)

    2007-07-12T18:50:00Z

    Dir. Jan Hrebejk. Czech Rep. 2007. 98mins.Unquestionably the leading exponent of modern Czech comedy of manners, Jan Hrebejk returns with Teddy Bear, dabbling again with the morals of his contemporaries in a picture that has a good chance of being dubbed by many as The Czech Chill. Comparisons to Lawrence ...

  • Reviews

    Hairspray

    2007-07-12T19:14:00Z

    Dir. Adam Shankman. US. 107mins.As an adaptation of an adaptation, Hairspray beats the odds against turning a musical based on a film into a credible movie, with a punchy cast that delivers the musical numbers without sacrificing the comedy. The score also ups the ante with new numbers added to ...