Small MPU – Page 747

  • News

    Spanish exhibitors threaten to escalate Scary Movie row

    2006-06-24T04:00:00Z

    A stand-off between leading Spanish exhibitors and BuenaVista over the local release of Scary Movie 4 could have ramificationsfor the majors in Spain.Four of Spain's biggest exhibition chains - Cinesa, YelmoCineplex and the newly merged Abaco-Cinebox - have refused to carry ScaryMovie 4 because of a disagreement over rental fees ...

  • News

    Poseidon, Code lead international box office

    2006-06-26T00:00:00Z

    The start of the World Cup elimination rounds, hot weather acrossmuch of Europe and a lack of new wide releases contributed to a lacklusterweekend at the international box office.Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI)'s Poseidon led the pack with an estimated $9.9mgross from approximately 4,000 prints in 49 countries, raising the ...

  • News

    Four Minutes takes top prize at Shanghai festival

    2006-06-26T00:00:00Z

    German drama Four Minutes, directed by Chris Kraus,won the Jin Jue best film award at the 9th Shanghai International Film Festival(SIFF) on Sunday night, while Chinese director Qi Jian's The Forest Ranger was awarded the Jury Grand Prix.The nine-day festival had astar-studded closing night with Ed Norton, Catherine Deneuve and ...

  • News

    Spain's Cinema Jove gives top prize to Ryna

    2006-06-26T10:54:00Z

    Tough coming-of-age Romaniandrama Rynawon top honours at the 21st edition of Spain's youth-oriented Cinema Jove International FilmFestival (June 17-24).The jury selected director Ruxandra Zenide's featurefor the Golden Valencian Moon and its $22,612 (Euros18,000) prize for its risk-taking and emotional toughness. The story turnson a young woman looking to escape her ...

  • News

    Q&A with Shanghai jury president Luc Besson

    2006-06-26T00:00:00Z

    In the same year that Canneshad its first Chinese jury president in Wong Kar-wai, China's leading filmfestival returned the honour by appointing a French jury president - filmmakerand EuropaCorp co-founder Luc Besson. In addition to his juryduties, Besson had a packed schedule of meetings with filmmakers, film studentsand government officials ...

  • News

    Private investors fund new $22.6m The Red Baron

    2006-06-26T11:03:00Z

    Germany's most expensive new production in 2006, Niki Muellerschoen's $22.6m (Euros 18m) English-language production The Red Baron (Der Rote Baron), begins principal photography on July 3 in Prague as a 100% privately financed project. The financing for the film about the legendary First World War fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen ...

  • News

    Jonescompany pacts with FilmFour

    2000-06-23T16:47:00Z

    UK producer Robert Jones, whose credits include The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, But Came Down A Mountain and The Usual Suspects, is striking a first-look deal with FilmFour, the company announced on Friday.The first three projects under the deal with Jones' London-based production outfit Jonescompany Productions include The ...

  • News

    Fortissimo gets four Hal Hartley features

    2006-06-26T11:43:00Z

    Sales company Fortissimo Films has struck a dealwith director Hal Hartley and his Possible Films to add four of his films tothe Fortissimo library.Marking the first time Hartley has worked withFortissimo, the company is taking rights to 1990's Trust, 1995's Flirt, 1997'sHenry Fool and 2005's The Girl From Monday. Hartley ...

  • News

    Sojitz, DBJ team for animation sales venture

    2006-06-26T20:30:00Z

    Japanese conglomerate SojitzCorp, its affiliate Klockworx and the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) haveinvested $12m (Y1.4bn) in a limited partnership to buy animation contents andlicense them to the global market. Sojitz is contributing 64%,DBJ 28% and Klockworx 8% of the investment in the partnership. Internationalsales of the contents will be ...

  • News

    Berlin's World Cinema Fund backs five new projects

    2006-06-26T15:29:00Z

    New feature projects by Mexico's Carlos Reygadas and Kyrgyzstan's Aktan Arym Kubat are among five filmprojects recommended for a total of $363,935(Euros 290,000) production funding in the fourth selection round ofthe Berlin-based World Cinema Fund (WCF). The WCF jury, comprising theFrench independent distributor Isabelle Dubar,UK-based curator Keith Shiri, Swiss Television'sprogramme ...

  • News

    Geertsen says European industry should pay its share for digital revolution

    2006-06-26T15:47:00Z

    As the 15th CinemaExpo International got underway in Amsterdam today Anders Geertsen,director of distribution at the Danish Film Institute and director of the commercialmodule at the European Digital Cinema Forum, delivered a call to arms to theEuropean industry.Delivering the convention's firstkeynote address on the subject of digital cinema - a ...

  • News

    Germany's Splendid Film revives theatrical business

    2006-06-27T04:00:00Z

    Cologne-basedlicense trader Splendid Film is to revive the theatrical arm Splendid Filmverleih to handle the releases of its own films inGerman cinemas.Responsibilityfor Splendid's theatrical releases will be assumed bydistribution veteran Veronika Morawetzwho will continue managing her own independent distribution outfit Stardust Filmverleih at the same time.Splendid's first new release will ...

  • News

    First ThinkTank draws 170 international delegates

    2006-06-26T16:24:00Z

    The inaugural Copenhagen ThinkTank, which took place last week, has been pronounceda success by organisers. "I think it wasextraordinary. We had 170 people there, representing 34 countries including Australia and Canada," the Danish Film Institute's chief executiveHenning Camre said. During the conference, delegatesbrainstormed strategies for "strengthening and reinvigorating European film." ...

  • Reviews

    Uro

    2006-06-27T05:00:00Z

    Dir: Stefan Faldbakken. Nor. 2006. 104mins.A rogue undercover cop pursues a muddle-head path towards redemption in URO, a solidly commercial first feature from Stefan Faldbakken. Familiarity hasn't blunted the appeal of a character type that has been a fixture of police thrillers from the glory days of Sidney Lumet through ...

  • News

    Spain's Telespan 2000 to merge with Telson

    2006-06-26T17:13:00Z

    Leading Spanish producer Telespan 2000 is merging with Telson,the audiovisual arm of telecommunications giant Avanzit.The idea is to create anintegratedmedia holding incorporating companies from all sectors, withthe Telespan team heading content creation. The deal marks a first moveinto content creation for Telson, a specialist inpost-production services and thematic channel packaging, ...

  • News

    Moviemax gets rights to Mr Magorium and King Of California

    2006-06-27T04:00:00Z

    Italian distributor Moviemax has acquired rights totwo upcoming US films: Mr Magorium'sWonder Emporium and King OfCalifornia.Sold by Freeway Entertainment, Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium stars Natalie Portman as the awkward clerk of a fantastical toy store. But whenthe 243 year-old eccentric store owner (Dustin Hoffman) leaves it to her, shemust decide ...

  • News

    Edinburgh picks Reed's Odd Man Out for closing night

    2006-06-27T04:00:00Z

    The Edinburgh International FilmFestival (EIFF) announced that Carol Reed's 1947 film noir Odd Man Out will be the closing-night film at this year's 60thanniversary festival. The film opened the same year that the festival waslaunched, and a digitally restored version will be shown in Edinburgh (as well being shown in ...

  • News

    Los Angeles Film Critics set awards dinner for Jan 14, 2007

    2006-06-26T00:00:00Z

    TheLos Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) will hold its 32ndannual film achievement awards ceremony the day before the Golden Globes on Jan14 2007 in Los Angeles.Theevent will take place at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Century City.Thedate of the group's December 2006 voting meeting will be announced this autumn.

  • News

    Offutt promoted to creative executive at Participant

    2006-06-26T00:00:00Z

    AmberOffutt has been promoted to creative executive at Participant Productions,freeing her up to work on development and production at the Los Angeles-basedcompany.Offuttpreviously served as executive assistant to Participant executivevice-president of creative affairs and production Chris Salvaterra.Priorto joining Participant she worked at production companies LioneyesEntertainment and Ovation Entertainment. Offutt began her ...

  • News

    Steckler, Greenfield join Searchlight in production roles

    2006-06-26T00:00:00Z

    JeremySteckler and Matthew Greenfield have been appointed senior vice presidents ofproduction at Fox Searchlight Pictures. They will report to production chiefClaudia Lewis.Stecklerarrives after three years at di Bonaventura Pictures, while Greenfield is aproducer who previously had two films, The Good Girl and Star Maps,distributed through Searchlight."Matthew'sstellar reputation in the independent ...