Small MPU – Page 511

  • News

    French TV sales up 2.7% to $192.5m in 2005

    2006-09-07T12:06:00Z

    French TV exports continuedto rise in 2005 according to a study by film board theCNC and TV France International, the country's TV exportorganisation.At TV France International'sannual Rendez Vous held inSt Tropez this week, organizers announced that for 2005 sales totalled $192.5m(Euros 150.8m) for a 2.7% increase over last year.The US ...

  • News

    Raindance line-up includes world premiere of Ramones film

    2006-09-07T14:54:00Z

    The 14th RaindanceFilm Festival will run in LondonSept 27-Oct 8 with 80 features and 150 shorts selected in what organisersdescribe as a "festival of discovery."As previously announced, thefestival opens Sept 27 with the London premiere of Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's Brothers OfThe Head, which recently won the Michael Powell ...

  • Reviews

    The Magic Flute (La Flute Enchantee)

    2006-09-07T22:00:00Z

    Dir: Kenneth Branagh. UK.2006. 137mins.Can filmed opera attract a multiplex audience'Probably not, but Kenneth Branagh's sumptuous newversion of The Magic Flute comes asclose to crossover as a meeting of these two great light-and-sound artforms ever will. Any exercise in this hybrid genre hasto deal with the question of how to ...

  • News

    Rotterdam Festival recruits Marnix van Wijk

    2006-09-08T07:00:00Z

    TheInternational Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has announced new industry andfilm sales services. The festival is starting a Sales Club, which will functionas a year-round mediator and also a meeting place during the next festival (Jan24-Feb 7). Also new will be improved industry accreditation procedures and morefrequent industry newsletters. Inother Rotterdam ...

  • News

    FilmFour promotes Carlton to senior commissioning editor

    2006-09-07T15:28:00Z

    FilmFour has promoted Peter Carlton, head of FilmFour Lab, to senior commissioning editor for FilmFour. Carlton now has increased commissioning responsibility andwill work closely with FilmFour head Tessa Ross to commissionprojects and executive produce films at a variety of budget levels. Despite movingaway from the "Lab" tag, Carlton will continue ...

  • Reviews

    Euphoria (Ejforija)

    2006-09-07T22:00:00Z

    Dir: Ivan Vyrypaev. Russia.2006. 73mins.A brief, spare but intense love story, Euphoria is a ferocious and downbeatwork from debut Russian film-maker Ivan Vyrypaev, whomay have over-reached himself with its poetical effusions, but who displaysenough promise to watch for the future.Gloriously shot, withjudicious and often surprisingly effective choice of camera angles, ...

  • News

    Zhang Yimou's new film gets Oscar-qualifying run

    2006-09-07T15:52:00Z

    Beijing-based NewPicture Film Co has announced that Zhang Yimou's Curse Of The GoldenFlower will be eligible to be the Chinese candidate for the bestforeign-language film category at next year's Oscars. The film will have anOscar-qualifying run in Shenyang city in Northern China for a week, starting Sept 23.The film'sofficial release ...

  • News

    Construction finally begins on Toronto Film Studio

    2006-09-07T00:00:00Z

    Construction has begun onToronto Film Studio's long-delayed mega-studio project. The first phase, to becompleted by 2008, includes a 45,000 square-foot,clear-span "mega-stage" TFS claims will be world's largest purpose-builtsoundstage, as well as six other sound stages. "Thisstage will attract blockbuster feature films costing $100m or more, like SpidermanIII or Die Hard ...

  • Reviews

    The Perfect Storm

    2000-06-30T15:43:00Z

    Dir: Wolfgang Petersen. US. 2000. 129 mins.Prod cos: Baltimore Spring Creek Pictures, Radiant Productions. Worldwide dist: Warner Bros. Exec prods: Barry Levinson, Duncan Henderson. Prods: Paula Weinstein, Wolfgang Petersen, Gail Katz. Scr: Bill Wittliff, based on the book by Sebastian Junger. DoP: John Seale. Prod des: William Sandell. Ed: Richard ...

  • News

    Pyramide strikes deals for Darratt and Seven Years

    2006-09-07T16:08:00Z

    French sales outfits appearto have been enjoying brisk business in Venice this year. Paris-based Pyramidehas announced a raft of new deals on its Venice slate.One title that has clearlycaught buyers' imaginations is African auteur MahamatSaleh Haroun's Darratt. Madeunder the umbrella of New Crowned Hope (the Vienna festival celebratingMozart), the film ...

  • Reviews

    Alatriste

    2006-09-07T22:00:00Z

    Dir. Agustin Diaz Yanes. Sp-US-Fr 2006. 145mins.At first glance, big budget Hispanic feature Alatriste wouldseem destined for something of a critical fall, directed as it is by alittle-tested film-maker (at least in the way of epics) from several novels andfeaturing an English-language star speaking Spanish. But Agustin Diaz Yanes's $30.8m ...

  • News

    Holland Film Meeting selects 21 projects for pitches

    2006-09-07T17:13:00Z

    The 19thHolland Film Meeting, held Sept 29-Oct 1 during the Netherlands Film Festival,will present 21 feature film projects this year as part of the NetherlandsProduction Platform.The eightDutch and 13 European feature will be pitched to apanel of international producers and financiers. The Dutch films are eligiblefor a prize of $6336 ...

  • News

    Lionsgate closes worldwide sales on Toronto premiere Fido

    2006-09-08T04:00:00Z

    Lionsgate has closed worldwide sales on Andrew Currie's comedyhorror Fido, whichstars Billy Connolly as a pet zombie and gets its world premiere here as theopening night of the Canada First! Programme. Carrie-Anne Moss and Tim BlakeNelson also star.Rights have gone to Japan (Toshiba), France (Metropolitan), Italy(Rai), Mexico and Central America ...

  • News

    Stranger Than Fiction to open 42nd Chicago festival

    2006-09-07T00:00:00Z

    Marc Forster's StrangerThan Fiction will openthe 42nd Annual Chicago InternationalFilm Festival, which is running from Oct 5-19.Columbia Pictures and Mandate Pictures' comedy receivesits world premiere as a Special Presentation here tomorrow at Toronto and starsWill Ferrell as a man who hears the voice of an author inside his head anddoesn't ...

  • News

    Strand shines on Lights

    2006-09-08T04:00:00Z

    US distributor Strand Releasing has acquired Aki Kaurismaki's latest feature Lights In The Dusk, which premiered at Cannes and screens in Toronto as part of the festival's Masters section.Dusk, which premiered in Competition at Cannes in May, is being sold internationally by Michael Weber's The Match Factory.The film, which also ...

  • News

    Japan wakes up to Sleep

    2006-09-08T04:00:00Z

    Fortissimo Films has logged its first major deal on the New Crowned Hope project I Don't Want To Sleep Alone. Playing in Toronto, the Tsai Ming-liang drama competed at Venice and has been picked up for Japan by Prenom H. The deal was concluded at Venice between Shinohara Hiroko and ...

  • News

    First Toronto weekend set for big US deals

    2006-09-08T04:00:00Z

    As North American buyers flooded into Toronto yesterday, the firstweekend of Toronto offered some enticing prospects, namely modern-day fairytale Penelope whichscreens on Friday night and teen horror picture All The Boys Love Mandy Lane and Tarsem Singh's The Fall tomorrow night. Indeed after a Venice Film Festival which has so ...

  • News

    CMG goes wide with Treatment

    2006-09-08T04:00:00Z

    EdwardNoeltner's Los Angeles-based Cinema Management Group has concludedmulti-territory sales on comedy The Treatment, starring Famke Janssen and IanHolm.Rightshave sold to Russia (JRC Group), Greece (Village Roadshow), Poland (MonolithFilms), the Czech and Slovak Republics (Bonton Films), the former Yugoslavia(Blitz Film), Hungary and Israel (Forum), Bulgaria (Alexandra Film), andRomania (Television Inc). AndreBoisser ...

  • News

    Brand producers line up quartet

    2006-09-08T04:00:00Z

    Seattle-basedThe Film Company (TFC), producers of Guy Maddin's Brand Upon The Brain!, has linedup four feature projects to further its artist-driven slate.Firstup is The Part I Love The Best from Seattle artist Megan Murphy, set to shootin October. Next, Bosnian filmmakerVesna Ljubic will head into productionon her first English-language project ...

  • News

    CINE EXPO: Sands to keep focus on festival circuit

    2000-06-30T16:00:00Z

    Rick Sands, Miramax's chairman of worldwide distribution, has reassured the company's international distributors that it will not forsake international film festivals to launch its films, despite the pressure to shorten global release windows."There is a growing trend to accelerate the international release but we must not forget the invaluable support ...