Small MPU – Page 651

  • News

    Garcia's Nine Lives takes top Locarno prize

    2005-08-14T00:00:00Z

    RodrigoGarcia's Nine Lives has becomethe first US film to win Locarno's top award, the Golden Leopard for Best Film,for 14 years.The last US film to win thetop honour was Tom DiCillo's feature debut Johnny Suede at the festival in 1991.Nine Lives, which was the only US title selected for thisyear's ...

  • News

    ...as Garcia enjoys acclaim with festival hit

    2005-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Rodrigo Garcia'sNine Lives proved thehit of the 58th Locarno International Film Festival, with the jury awarding itboth the Golden Leopard grand prize and the best actress award, which wasshared between the film's nine leading actresses.2005 jurypresident, Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, revealed the jury's finaldiscussions went on until 3am. He told ...

  • News

    Warner duo claim $13m apiece at overseas theatres

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    The Warner Bros Pictures International duo of The Island and Charlie And The Chocolate Factoryruled the roost over theweekend, grossing an estimated $13.9m and $13.6m for $63m and $90.9m respectiveinternational running totals.Launching at number one in Mexico, The Island grossed $1.9m in that territoryincluding previews. Released on 500 prints, it ...

  • News

    Four Brothers opens top in North America with $20.7m

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    Another successful result for the newly-installed Brad Grey regimeat Paramount saw its revenge drama Four Brothers open top in North America on anestimated $20.7m as overall domestic tickets sales plunged again.Opening in second place on $15.8m was Universal's Gothic thriller SkeletonKey directed by the UK'sIain Softley, while the comedy sequel ...

  • News

    Liberator set to line up Zentropa France slate

    2000-05-17T11:02:00Z

    Liberator Films, the Paris-based arm of the expanding Zentropa Entertainment empire, is seeking to develop a slate of films that go beyond the titles associated with Dogme95 and Lars Von Trier."There has never been a better time to make French films as so many other French film-makers are turning their ...

  • News

    Four Brothers opens top in North America with $20.7m

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    Another successful result for the newly-installed Brad Grey regimeat Paramount saw its revenge drama Four Brothers open top in North America on anestimated $20.7m as overall domestic tickets sales plunged again.Opening in second place on $15.8m was Universal's Gothic thriller SkeletonKey directed by the UK'sIain Softley, while the comedy sequel ...

  • News

    Thai martial arts pic smashes box office records

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    SahamongkolfilmInternational's martial arts flick TomYum Goong has smashed box office records in both Thailand and Hong Kong onits opening weekend.The US$8mpicture, a follow up to Ong Bak thatreunites director Prachya Pinkaew and action star Tony Jaa, has grossed amassive $2.4m (THB98m) after four days of release on a record 243 ...

  • News

    Euro films set for Industry Screenings in New York

    2005-08-16T04:00:00Z

    European Film Promotion (EFP) is tolaunch a series of Industry Screenings in New York in November 2005 with theaim of introducing new European films to North American buyers. Thisinitiative, supported by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, will featureone screening each of four new European films. The screenings will ...

  • News

    Austrian box office plunges in first half of 2005

    2005-08-16T04:00:00Z

    Mirroring the general internationaltrend, Austrian exhibitors have reported year-on-year falls in box-officerevenues and admissions for the first half of 2005, but are bullish aboutprospects for the next six months.According to figures collated by theAustrian exhibitors' association FLA, 7.35m tickets were sold in the first sixmonths - down 18.3% on 2004's ...

  • News

    Queensland unveils post-production incentive

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    TheQueensland Government has added a post-production incentive scheme to the raftof temptations it already offers local and overseas film and televisionproducers who decide to shoot in the North-East corner of Australia.Themove makes Queensland a one-stop production shop, said the Minister for ArtsRod Welford, who announced the scheme when he officially ...

  • News

    Circle Work scores at Oz pitching contest

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    Afeature called Circle Work by Edwina Exton, a Melbourne-basedactor-turned-screenwriter, has won the high-profile pitching competition heldas part of the annual Australian producers conference.Shedescribed the film as a highly commercial romantic comedy set amid the chaos ofa B&S (bachelor and spinster's) ball, an iconic event in rural Australia. Thetitle refers to ...

  • News

    Wine guru to advise Australian film industry

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    IanSutton, founding chief executive of The Winemakers Federation of Australia, hasbeen hired as a consultant to the working party advising on the creation of anAustralian Screen Council (ASC).Suttonis credited as the architect of the evolution of the modern Australian wineindustry.Usingthe first day of the annual conference of the Screen Producers ...

  • News

    New Locarno chief outlines festival strategy

    2005-08-16T04:00:00Z

    Locarno Film Festival's incoming artisticdirector Frederic Maire has set himself of the goal of making the event"the festival of the future."Speaking to ScreenDaily.com a day afterthe unanimous decision by the festival's board to appoint him as successor toIrene Bignardi, Maire said that "the spirit of Locarno must be preserved:Locarno is ...

  • News

    McGregor, Okonedo, examine their Sexual Nature

    2005-08-15T00:00:00Z

    Scenes Of A Sexual Nature, made for less than £500,000 andstarring 17 of Britain's top actors including Ewan McGregor, Sophie Okonedo,Gina McKee, Eileen Atkins and Hugh Bonneville, is set to wrap next week onLondon's Hampstead Heath.Director Edward Blum's feature debut, Scenes Of A Sexual Naturelinks seven stories and 14 principal ...

  • News

    Butler spearheads sword-and-sandal war epic for Warner

    2005-08-16T00:00:00Z

    Gerard Butler (pictured) will star in Warner Bros'adaptation of 300, a graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) that recounts one ofancient Greece's best-known military battles. Warner, returning to the sword-and-sandal action-adventure genre thatyielded blockbuster results at the global box office with Troy but more mixed fortunes with Alexander, plans ...

  • News

    Cannes-archy on the Croisette

    2000-05-17T17:11:00Z

    Cannes regulars are calling on festival organisers and city administrators to enforce far tighter security measures along the Croisette after an unprecendented wave of violence and gang-related petty crime have left many here injured, mugged or fearful of their own safety."I swear it has got out of hand this year," ...

  • News

    Roadshow takes on Oz distribution for Wolf Creek

    2005-08-16T00:00:00Z

    Roadshow has acquireddirector Greg McLean's horror film Wolf Creek for an October 27 localrelease. Australia's biggestindependent distributor acquired the film from Miramax sister companyDimension, which bought a raft of territories from Arclight early this year. Producer David Lightfoot said the UKrelease through Optimum on September 16 will be the biggest ...

  • Reviews

    The Constant Gardener

    2005-08-16T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Fernando Meirelles.2005. UK-Ger. 125mins.Proving that City OfGod was no one-hit-wonder, Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles delivers avivid tapestry of international intrigue set against the backdrop of Africa anda pharmaceutical industry in The Constant Gardener, based on spyspecialist John le Carre's novel of the same name.Part retrospective lovestory, part political mystery, ...

  • News

    Penguins march ahead at US box office

    2005-08-16T00:00:00Z

    Adding an extra $6.8 million thispast weekend, Luc Jacquet's documentary March Of The Penguins has becomethe second highest grossing French film in the history of the North Americanbox office. The film, whose run beganin June, has now taken in over $37m and is being handled in the US by boutiquedistributor ...

  • Reviews

    Red Eye (S Korea)

    2005-08-16T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Wes Craven. US.2005. 81mins.Screen elitists arealways decrying the feckless over-complications of modern action movies, butWes Craven's air-bound Red Eye strikes a blow for old-fashionedentertainment, even as it unfolds against a decidedly contemporary setting. Athriller cast as a breathless nouveau labyrinth dash, the movie delivers solidgenre jolts in a tight, ...