Small MPU – Page 500

  • News

    IFP/New York names five docs to win development funding

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    IFP/New York, the membership and advocacy organization for independentfilm-makers, has announced the names of the five films which will be share$50,000 in the latest round of development funding through the AnthonyRadziwill Documentary Fund.The grants are open to US-based producers and directors and were createdto provide "seed funding" to new documentary ...

  • News

    Constantine converts Asian cinema-goers

    2005-02-16T00:00:00Z

    A weekahead of its domestic launch, Keanu Reeves title Constantine opened invarious Asian territories including Hong Kong and South Korea for the Lunar NewYear holiday. The highest new entry on the international chart, theaction fantasy film, based on the comic-book Hellblazer, claimed fourthplace and $6.7m over the weekend for Warner ...

  • Reviews

    The Last Mitterand (Le Promeneur Du Champ De Mars)

    2005-02-16T00:00:00Z

    Dir. RobertGuediguian. Fr. 2005. 116mins.A finely etched portrait of Francois Mitterand,one of Europe's last political giants, Robert Guediguian's new film finds theProvencal director in top form, dealing with the kind of material he favours:politics and its application in individual terms.Proceeding at aleisurely pace and advancing with great care, The Last ...

  • News

    BT signs up with Hollywood.com, atomfilms

    2000-04-27T08:56:00Z

    British Telecommunications (BT) has entered into an agreement in principle with US entertainment-based internet site Hollywood.com to distribute Hollywood.com content across its multiple internet platforms including narrowband ISP, broadband DSL access and wireless WAP technologies in the UK.And BT has also struck a deal with AtomFilms, the online short film ...

  • News

    Korean dramas fetch record prices with Japanese buyers

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Japanese buyers at EFM are breaking records for the size of the dealsbeing made on Korean films.In an inter-Asian buying spree, Comstock paid $4m for Korea Pictures'period action drama The Duellist, pre-sold on the strength of a clipreel. Due to finish production in April, the Lee Myung-se-directed tale of afemale ...

  • News

    Fox sinks its teeth into Night Watch vampire franchise

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    20th Century Fox has unveiled its plans to build a global blockbusterfranchise out of Timur Bekmambetov's Night Watch (Nochnoj dozor), theRussian-language smash hit vampire thriller, playing at the Berlinale tomorrownight as a special screening.Last summer the studio bought worldwide rights (excluding Russia and theBaltic States) to the movie, which took ...

  • News

    SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO 16 February

    2005-02-16T00:00:00Z

    After Serbianpolice arrested some 100 dealers with pirated DiVX's and DVD's of We Are NotAngels 2 last week, the reason for the 39% fall-off of greatest local box-office champ of all times became obvious. Nevertheless, theblockbuster continues to break records, and after this weekend's 53,890admissions (total of 440,856) it has ...

  • News

    Sony Pictures Classics takes 2046 for US

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Fortissimo Films has finalised the global distribution patchwork on WongKar-wai's epic romance 2046 by closing a US sale on the film to SonyPictures Classics (SPC).The movie, which was screened in its first incarnation in competition atCannes last year, had been extensively pre-sold by the Hong Kong andAmsterdam-based Fortissimo to companies ...

  • News

    Germany moves forward with sale and leaseback plans

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Germany's adoption of a UK-style sale and leaseback (S&L) fundingmodel has come one big step closer after a meeting between German filmproducers and Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder yesterday morning. According to one of the producers attending, a working group will becreated to draft a concept for a sale and leaseback ...

  • News

    Robin Williams cast as lead in The Night Listener

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Robin Williams has signed onto play the lead in The Night Listener, Hart Sharp Entertainment's adaptation of Armistead Maupin'sbestselling drama.Toni Collette is in talks to join the cast on the story of a radio show hostwho strikes up a telephone friendship with a mysterious boy and in the processloses a ...

  • News

    Diver surfaces as WBITD UK marketing director

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Becky Diver has been appointed director of UK Marketingat Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD).Based in London, Diver will develop and implement WBITD's UK and Irelandmarketing strategies, working with executives in other divisions to maximisepublicity and marketing activities for all the company's television properties.She will report to WBITD vice president ...

  • News

    Spurlock readies school version of Super Size Me

    2005-02-17T04:00:00Z

    A re-edited version ofMorgan Spurlock's hit Oscar nominated documentary Super Size Me specially tailored for schools will be released onFeb 28, one day after the Academy Awards.Hart Sharp Video and Comchoice Corp developed the new disc set with Spurlock,who outlined the plan in an interview with Screen International earlier thisyear ...

  • News

    France's foreign press sings Chorus's praises

    2005-02-17T00:00:00Z

    Christophe Barratier's The Chorushas been voted Best Picture by France's foreign press. Organisers of theLumiere awards, the local equivalent to the Golden Globes, announced today.Jean-Pierre Jeunet took thedirecting prize for his epic A Very Long Engagement. Continuing their reign as awardsroyalty this year, Emmanuelle Devos and Mathieu Almaric won the ...

  • News

    FRANCE 17 February

    2005-02-17T00:00:00Z

    An overwhelmingly strongopening for comedy Iznogoud from TFM distribution with nearly 1.117million tickets sold in its first week out. The film stars local comicMichael Youn who had a big hit last year with Les 11 Commandements andstruck at the right time just as kids are off on school break. The ...

  • News

    Sutherland promoted to executive vice president at MGM

    2005-02-17T00:00:00Z

    Ian Sutherland has beenpromoted to executive vice president, international theatrical distribution andmarketing, at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) just months before the studio is set tomerge into Sony Pictures Entertainment.The announcement was madeyesterday by MGM Home Entertainment president David Bishop. Sutherland joinedMGM in 2000 as senior vice president, international marketing and distribution,overseeing the ...

  • News

    A Killing In The Woods wins Oscar Moore prize

    2005-02-18T04:00:00Z

    This year's Annual OscarMoore Screenwriting Prize of £10,000 has been won by Marcus Shepherd for histaut, largely three-character thriller A Killing In The Woods. The story concerns 10-yearold Chris, who is staying with his Aunt, Uncle and cousin Becky, at theirholiday home in the woods. All seems well until Chris ...

  • News

    Family a fresh embrace for Burman, Hendler

    2005-02-18T04:00:00Z

    Argentineandirector Daniel Burman, winner of Berlin's Silver Bear Award last year for LostEmbrace (El Abrazo Partido), started pre-production this week on his newBuenos Aires-set comedy Family Law (Derecho De Familia) which reunitesthe director with his Embrace cast.DanielHendler, who won best actor at Berlin last year for his role in Embrace,will ...

  • News

    Germany's Priamos kicks off with Zanzibar project

    2005-02-18T04:00:00Z

    WithBerlin awash with projects involving football, the island of Zanzibar hasjoined the team: Berlin-based production company Priamos Film is to launch withThe Dream Of Zanzibar set on the African island.Budgetedat $1.1m, the Dream Of Zanzibar will mark both the directing debut ofAlisan Saltik and the first project from Stephan Ottenbruch's ...

  • News

    Berlin Today is Alright

    2005-02-18T04:00:00Z

    Alright Love, by Finnish writer-director Samuli Valkama and creative producerRoman Sorger from Austria, has won this year's Berlin Today Award. Thedigital short, which was shot in Berlin last autumn with Valerie Lasserre andTim Sander playing a young couple who meet by chance in the U-Bahn, won outover Bucuresti - Berlin ...

  • News

    Hong Kong film industry calls for greater anti-piracy measures

    2005-02-18T04:00:00Z

    Hong Kong's nine major filmcompanies and representatives from five trade organisations gathered yesterday(Feb 17) to present their official response to the government's current reviewof the territory's copyright laws.The Hong Kong governmentissued a consultation paper last December that proposes changes to theCopyright Ordinance but doesn't directly mention the growing threat of ...