Small MPU – Page 43
-
News
Beirut Film Festival cancelled
This year's Beirut International Film Festival, due to run Oct 3-10, has been cancelled. 'The presidential elections are coming up and this is the most precarious and unstable time for us,' festival director Colette Naufal told Screendaily. 'The limbo now that means it's very difficult to plan - if the ...
-
-
Reviews
Cargo 200 (Gruz 200)
Dir: Alexey Balabanov, Russia 2007, 86minsAlexey Balabanov's eleventh feature is one of his bleakest. Set in provincial Russia in 1984 as the USSR enters its death throes, it portrays a society that is sickly, violent and cynical. The title refers to the name given to corpses of Russian soldiers being ...
-
News
Norwegian WWII hero Max Manus gets $8.4m treatment in war epic
Norwegian actor-director Aksel Hennie is to star in Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg's Max Manus, a $8.4m (Euros 6.1m) World War II epic produced by John M Jacobsen and Sveinung Golimo for Filmkameratene.After his 2004 directorial debut, Uno, Hennie returned to acting in Danish director Jesper W Nielsen's ...
-
News
The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival boosts its industry profile
At the launch of The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival's full programme, itwas clearthat the festival is looking to a higher industry profile, with the introduction this year of the Production Finance Market (PFM).The event, managed by Angus Finney (formerly joint-managing director ofRenaissance Films), takes place at the Tower ...
-
News
Affleck feature pulled from London Film Festival
The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival has pulled Ben Affleck's directoral debut Gone Baby Gone from its programme because of fears of similarities to the case of missing girl Madeleine McCann.'The film is about the abduction of a young girl,' said festival artistic director Sandra Hebron. 'Because of the ...
-
News
Rome Film Fest reschedules future to avoid London clash
In a move welcomed by exhausted sales agents, distributors and journalists, the London and Rome film festival dates are to set apart.This year, the events have an almost identical footprint - with Rome's festival running Oct 18 - 27 Oct and London's festival from Oct 17 - Nov 1.When Rome's ...
-
News
Warner Bros strikes TV deal with Tohokushinsha
Japan's Tohokushinsha, the country's largest distributor of foreign films to television, has signed a three-year free TV output deal with Warner Bros International Television. The deal includes Warner's theatrical releases for the period 1999-2001, as well as TV series, made-for-TV movies and selected classic film titles. A prime sales target ...
-
News
Equinoxe buys Canadian rights to Nic Balthazar's Ben X
Montreal-based distributor Equinoxe Films has picked up Canadian distribution rights on Nic Balthazar's directorial debut Ben X. The film, which shared the top prize at the Montreal World Film Festival as well as winning the audience and ecumenical prizes, is being sold internationally by French sales outfit Films Distribution.Inspired by ...
-
News
THINKFilm takes Battle In Seattle as Toronto deals continue
THINKFilm has bought US rights to Stuart Townsend's directorial debut Battle In Seattle in a deal believed to be just over $2m.Graham Taylor of Endeavor Independent closed the sale with THINKFilm'sacquisitions executives late on Thursday [Sept 13] after sustainedinterest from at least four buyers.The ensemble drama received its world premiere ...
-
News
The Bourne Ultimatum lands in France, South Korea for UPI
Universal's spy thriller The Bourne Ultimatum is expected to hold on to its overseas crown this weekend as its opens in 10 new territories.The film has taken $104.1m so far and Universal/UPI top brass will look to strong debuts in France on Sept 12 and South Korea on Sept 14, ...
-
News
Thompson departure leaves questions about future of BBC Films
After a decade as head of BBC Films, the 'great survivor' David Thompson is to move on. Thompson will be standing down as BBC Films boss in four weeks' time to start up his own independent production company. The move comes following the summer announcement that BBC Films is to ...
-
News
TWC close to buying Gee's documentary Joy Division
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is believed to have closed a deal late last night [Sept 13] for North American rights to Grant Gee's documentary Joy Division.If the acquisition, said to be in the mid-six figures, is confirmed it ends days of intense interest in the film, which received its world ...
-
News
Arthouse signs US distribution DVD and digital deal with Arts Alliance
Arts Alliance America has signed an exclusive output deal to distribute Arthouse Films titles in the US on DVD and via digital distribution.The multi-year deal encompasses more than 15 titles a year, starting off with a slate that includes James Crump's documentary Black White + Gray: A Portrait Of Sam ...
-
News
Keith joins Laika as vp, business operations, and CFO
Portland-based animation studio Laika has hired former Lucasfilm and Hanna-Barbera executive Alan Keith as vice president of business operations and chief financial officer and promoted Travis Knight to vice president of animation.Keith has more than 20 years of finance experience in the studio and non-Hollywood arenas and will lead the ...
-
News
The Collective buys genre website Bloody-Disgusting.com
Los Angeles-based The Collective has acquired the genre website Bloody-Disgusting.com with an eye to turning it into an online exhibitor.Deal terms were not disclosed, however it is understood that content will remain under the editorial control of founders Tom Owen and Brad Miska, with The Collective providing infrastructure, strategy and ...
-
News
Women In Film, General Motors name winners in Latina contest
Women In Film and the General Motors Corporation have announced the five winners of the second annual WIF/GM 2007 Opening Doors/Abriendo Puertas: The Acceleration Grant For Emerging Latina Filmmakers.The grant is a project of the WIF/GM Alliance aimed at supporting film-makers from Latina/Hispanic communities and other under-represented groups. The five ...
-
News
Haitian Film Festival postponed to 2008
Film Festival Jakmel has postponed its annual event for a year, according to festival founder David Belle. Based in the southern resort town of Jakmel in Haiti, the festival last year injected over $1m in economic activity in the region. However, planning for the fourth iteration was plagued by funding ...
-
News
Production report: Venezuela faces funding crisis
Venezuelan film production is at a virtual standstill, victim of a new government in transition. This year, state-backed film body CNAC has just enough subsidy money to support one film while its selection committee has yet to convene. In 1999, the subsidy fund of $112,000 (165 million Bolivares) was parcelled ...
-
Reviews
Nothing is Private
Dir: Alan Ball. US. 2007. 124 mins.Perhaps the most polarizing film of the Toronto International Film Festival this week, Nothing Is Private marks the feature directorial debut of American Beauty writer and Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball. As you might expect from Ball's oeuvre to date, it is a ...