Small MPU – Page 384

  • News

    The smart money is on Singapore

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    As the Singapore International Film festival opens, Screen International examines how the territory is aiming to pull in new backers. A key global economic hub, Singapore has set its sights on becoming a media-financing centre for the 21st century and is positioning itself as a meeting point of finance and ...

  • News

    Singapore: getting into bed with overseas partners

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    Given its tiny market - last year's box office amounted to just $86.5m (s$131m) - co-productions have become a practical necessity for Singapore to access the wider world.Daniel Yun's pioneering MediaCorp Raintree Pictures is leading the way when it comes to overseas partners. Yun has a long-term relationship with Hong ...

  • News

    Opening doors: Singapore International Film Festival

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    The Singapore International Film Festival (Siff) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, opening with a Sri Lankan film for the first time - Prasanna Jayakody's feature debut Sankara, a Buddhist fable.This is in line with Siff's main function of forging bridges with lesser known cinema regions. When it was the ...

  • News

    Set report: Kim Ki-duk's Breath

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    Kim Ki-duk's eyes gleam with concentration as he surveys his actors taking their places for the final scene of Breath, the director's 14th film. It is a freezing cold day in Seoul and Kim is shooting in a former Japanese colonial prison where Korean independence movement fighters were once tortured ...

  • News

    Israel's Yes signs up first subscribers

    2000-08-03T14:33:00Z

    Israeli digital satellite broadcaster Yes, which finally made its much-delayed debut on July 15, has reported that it has connected 10,000 subscribers. The figure is low but the broadcaster's operations have been restricted by an on-going confrontation with the country's cable operators which have been reluctant to share programming. As ...

  • Features

    Distribution - TV and film sales - Two's company

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    Not so long ago, film and TV markets were different worlds. Independent film sales agents who attended the American Film Market (AFM) and Cannes might attend events such as Miptv and Mipcom to exploit their library, but theatrical buyers were rarely seen. That position is now changing as film-makers and ...

  • News

    Box-office analysis: what dreams may come

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    The merger between London-based HanWay Films and France's Celluloid Dreams promises to produce 'bigger' films (see In Focus, p6-8). We'll have to see what 'bigger' encompasses in this case - but do not expect anything quite as grand as the sort of film Graham King produces or some of the ...

  • Features

    Mr Bean wins epic battle

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    UK comedy Mr Bean's Holiday kicked action epic 300 from the top spot after expanding in an additional 16 territories including Italy and Mexico; Bean took $30.7m at the weekend. But the Spartans fought on as 300 generated $29.9m from 54 territories, bringing its international total to $173.3m after just ...

  • Features

    Taiwan's Gay Pride

    2007-04-13T00:00:00Z

    Taiwan can stake its claim as the gay movie capital of Asia in 2007. Internationally, its position was crowned in February when lesbian drama Spider Lilies won the Teddy Award for best feature at the Berlin International Film Festival. At home, the three local releases of the year to date ...

  • News

    Japanese pay TV company Wowow establishes feature film label

    2007-04-13T10:52:00Z

    Major satellite pay tv provider Wowow has announced the establishment of a feature film label, Wowow Films. 'In looking at the image Wowow has for its subscribers, the overwhelming response was 'movies'. We're answering that demand by eagerly entering feature film production,' said Wowow CEO Nobuya Wazaki. Wowow Films announced ...

  • News

    New Zealand actor and film-maker Don Selwyn dies

    2007-04-13T11:10:00Z

    Maori actor and film-maker Don Selwyn has passed away in New Zealand. The New Zealand Herald reported that Selwyn died today in hospital after a long illness. 'Don is known to many New Zealanders as an actor but his role in the Film Industry as both a producer and educator ...

  • News

    Northwest England's proposed new agency lands two leaders

    2007-04-13T13:32:00Z

    As the northwest UK 's two audiovisual organisations are planning to merge, the chief executive and managing director of the combined organsation have been named. Alice Morrison has been appointed chief executive with Lynne McCadden taking the MD post of the as-yet-unnamed organisation. The merger talks are ongoing between North ...

  • News

    China Film Group unveils new plans to support young film-makers

    2007-04-13T14:19:00Z

    Chinese government-owned China Film Group announced to introduce 'young filmmaker developing project' and 'author film series' to develop young filmmakers and mid-budget filmmaking, as a new direction of the group's film production plan in 2007, according to China Film president Han Sanping. While the group is involved in big-budget co-productions ...

  • News

    SPTI promotes Noemi Weisse for French and Portuguese territories

    2007-04-13T16:08:00Z

    Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has promoted Noemie Weisse to senior vice president, sales, for French-language territories, Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Africa. Weisse, who heads distribution sales for the region from the company's Paris office, will continue to lead the company's distribution sales activities related to TV broadcasters. She also takes ...

  • News

    Hot titles at the London Book Fair 2007

    2007-04-13T17:19:00Z

    Oscar Wilde & A Death Of No Importance by Gyles BrandrethBrandreth has turned Wilde's life into a detective story, 'intertwining all the intrigue of the classic English murder mystery with a compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age.'Publisher: John Murray, June 2007Contact: Ed Victor, (44) ...

  • News

    Sony launches joint venture with Panavision

    2000-08-03T14:38:00Z

    Sony Corp has taken an 8% stake in film equipment manufacturer Panavision, worth $10m, and plans to establish a joint venture with the company to develop and market high-definition digital video cameras to the Hollywood studios and other film production companies. Headquartered in a Los Angeles suburb, Panavision recorded sales ...

  • News

    Australians In Film to honour Fisher, McLean, De Ravin

    2007-04-15T18:30:00Z

    Australians In Film, the LA expat group, will hold its third annual Breakthrough Awards on May 3 in Beverly Hills honouring Isla Fisher, Greg McLean and Emilie De Ravin.Fisher stars opposite Jason Biggs in the upcoming romantic comedy Wedding Daze that MGM plans to release on Aug 17, and she ...

  • News

    Strand picks up US rights to Techine's The Witnesses

    2007-04-15T19:05:00Z

    Strand Releasing has picked up all US rights to Andre Techine's AIDS drama The Witnesses (Les Temoins) from UGC International and has set a late autumn nationwide release.Strand co-president Jon Gerrans and UGC's Eva Diederix negotiated the deal on the film, which centres on a group of friends and lovers ...

  • News

    Sony Classics to finance, distribute Mamet's Redbelt

    2007-04-15T19:08:00Z

    Sony Pictures Classics will fully finance and handle worldwide distribution on longtime collaborator David Mamet's American Samurai tale Redbelt.Chiwetel Ejiofor will star in the story of a martial arts master who enters prize fights for the first time in his life to pay off debts and regain his honour after ...

  • News

    Disturbia is domestic number one for Paramount with $23m

    2007-04-15T19:43:00Z

    Paramount Pictures scored a double whammy at the top of the charts as DreamWorks' psychological thriller Disturbia opened top on an estimated $23m and the Will Ferrell comedy Blades Of Glory fell one place to number two on $14.1m for $90.2m after three weekends.Disturbia which echoes Rear Window with its ...