Small MPU – Page 528
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News
Czechs back Lunacy in Oscar race
The Czech Film andTelevision Academy (CFTA) has selected Jan Svankmajer'sLunacy as the Czech Republic's contender for the foreign-language category of theAcademy Awards. The film stars Pavel Liskaand Anna Geislerova as semi-willing residents of a madhouse run by a sadisticdoctor, played by Jan Triska. Svankmajer wrote the script in 1970 inspired ...
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Luxembourg has Oscar hopes for Justine
As Monday's submissiondeadline looms, yet another film has entered the foreign-language Oscar race. Luxembourg's National Selection Commission for the Oscars has putforward Your Name Is Justine (Ton Nom est Justine) for potential Oscar nomination. The Luxembourg-Polish film isdirected by Franco de Pena. The film has garnered prizes in Montreal, Poznanand ...
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Reviews
Rescue Dawn
Dir/scr: Werner Herzog. US. 2006. 120mins.With the escape drama Rescue Dawn, Werner Herzog has finally managed to make a pure commercialHollywood thriller, as if to prove that he always could - if he really wanted. Anopening title informs us that his new feature is "inspired by true events inthe life ...
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Reviews
Gardens In Autumn (Jardins En Automne)
Dir/scr: Otar Iosseliani. Fr-It-Russ. 2006. 117mins.The then-Soviet republic of Georgia lost one of itsmajor cultural assets when it allowed non-conformist film-maker Otar Iosseliani to 'emigrate' professionally to France in 1984. Since then,he has regularly regaled audiences with his wry, deadpan, post-modern comedies(though arguably none has equalled the poetic films he ...
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Saving Grace bags GWFF award at Munich fest
UK title Saving Grace, directed by Nigel Cole, snatched the High Hopes award, sponsored by the German collection society GWFF, at the Filmfest Muenchen last week (June 24-July 1). Retaining its independent focus, the Munich event gave out 12 independently sponsored awards to up-and-coming film-makers. The Hypo Vereinsbank award, intended ...
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Sweden submits Falkenberg Farewell for Oscar race
Sweden has submitted Jesper Ganslandt's Falkenberg Farewell (Farval Falkenberg)as its official candidate for the Oscar nomination as Best Foreign-LanguageFeature. The film opened domesticallylast week and is already showing appeal for international buyers after itsfestival screenings. The film was shown in Venice Days at the VeniceInternational Film Festival, and in Toronto's ...
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News
Spanish partners establish new consortium 6 Sales
A group of partners havejoined to establish new Spain-based international sales consortium 6 Sales, thepartners announced at the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival. Enrique Posner, formergeneral manager of Warner Bros Pictures International Espana who is now in theprocess of acquiring a non-entertainment company with assets to properties forfilm and TV, ...
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Serbians add Tomorrow Morning to Oscar pool
The Serbian Academy ofFilm Arts and Science has selected Oleg Novkovic's Tomorrow Morning for its submission for consideration for the BestForeign Language Film at the Academy Awards.The drama tells the story of a generation of30-somethings who grew up in the nightmare of the war in former Yugoslavia andconfront their past ...
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News
Hot Docs expands 2007 festival to 11 days, adding 25 screening slots
Hot Docs CanadianInternational Documentary Festival will expand its 2007 edition to eleven days,adding approximately 25 slots to its screening slate. The Toronto-based festivaldates will run April 19 to 29, 2007. Film submissions for the event are now open,with an early entry deadline of December 15, 2006 and a late entry ...
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Tokyo Filmex unveils nine competition titles
Tokyo Filmex hasannounced the line-up for its seventh edition. Festivaldirectors and programmers Kanako Hayashi and Shozo Ichiyama have selected ninefilms to compete for a Grand Prize of $8,500 (Y1m). The titles include Close To Home by debut directors DaliaHager and Vidi Bilu, Half Moon from Iraniandirector Bahman Ghobadi, Mani Haghighi's ...
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Cannes prizewinner opens documentary festival
An award-winning study of women's legal statusin a small community in Cameroon opens this year's 18th International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).Britishfilm-makers Kim Longinotto and FlorenceAsiyi's Sisters In Law follows the work of the female publicprosecutor and judge in a traditional community in the African country. The filmwon the Prix Art ...
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Israeli director completes Venice competition jury
Amos Gitai will complete the main competition jury at theupcoming 62nd Venice Film Festival, the Biennale has announced.The Israeli director will join jury president DanteFerretti, Chinese writer Acheng, directors Claire Denis and Edgar Reitz,Icelandic musician and actress Emiliana Torrini and producer Christine Vachon.Meanwhile, the Venice Film Festival has unveiled heightenedsecurity ...
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Reviews
Gypo
Dir/scr: Jan Dunn. UK.2005. 98minsThe prospect of anofficially approved British Dogme film may not set hearts racing but Gypodefies any low expectations. An accomplished first feature, it makes a virtueof its adherence to the vows of cinematic chastity required by the Dogmemanifesto.Shot in 13 days on a microbudget from a ...
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Reviews
The Cave
Dir:Bruce Hunt. US. 2005. 96mins.US-backedbut utilising international above- and below-the-line talent and locations, TheCave is an efficient yet routine horror thriller with what would normallyseem like a novel underground exploration setting. Unfortunately, the settingis shared with recent British caving chiller The Descent - so in theinternational marketplace at least, The ...
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Reviews
The Cave
Dir:Bruce Hunt. US. 2005. 96mins.US-backedbut utilising international above- and below-the-line talent and locations, TheCave is an efficient yet routine horror thriller with what would normallyseem like a novel underground exploration setting. Unfortunately, the settingis shared with recent British caving chiller The Descent - so in theinternational marketplace at least, The ...
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News
Australian hit ready for international breakout
TheAustralian drama Look Both Ways may become the country's long-awaited international breakout after taking $230,000(A$300,000) on home soil in its first week from only 17 screens.The film, which has its international premiere at Toronto, has beenthe number one film in every cinema in which it opened and was the seventh ...
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Northern relations boost southern box office in Korea
Therunaway box office success of Welcome To Dongmakgolhas driven home a point about the South Korean box office: films about NorthKorea sell. Dongmakgol,based on a stage play by Jang Jin, is centered around two South Koreansoldiers, three North Korean soldiers, and an American pilot who meet in aremote mountain village ...
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Leigh, Ladd Jr win special awards at Flanders in Oct
Mike Leigh andUS producer Alan Ladd Jr will each receive the Joseph Plateau Award for theiroutstanding achievements in filmmaking at the upcoming Flanders InternationalFilm Festival.Leigh willreceive his award from Imelda Staunton, the Oscar nominated star of his 2004drama Vera Drake.Leigh's other credits include Naked, High Hopes, Secrets And Lies, and ...
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News
FilmFour rings up Lucky sales
FilmFour International, the sales arm of the UK's FilmFour, has sold Peter Cattaneo's Our Lucky Break to Amuse for Japan.The UK comedy, Cattaneo's follow-up to The Full Monty, also went to Academy/Lady Film for Italy and Rosebud for Greece. Paramount and Miramax Films acquired territories including the US earlier in ...
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New US outfit Kindred teams up with HispanoFilms
Fledgling NewYork and Pennsylvania-based boutique distributor Kindred Media Group ispartnering up with HispanoFilms Distribution on the US distribution of EnriqueRenteria's Mexican comedy Dame Tu Cuerpo (Gimme Your Body).The partnerswill seek to broaden the reach of the picture, which has grossed more than $4min Mexico, as part of a strategy by ...