Small MPU – Page 829
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News
Rutger Hauer plans second masterclass in Rotterdam
Film-maker Rutger Hauer will again host a masterclass during The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR, Jan 23- Feb 3, 2008). The second Rutger Hauer Filmfactory, Jan 21-31, will invite 30 international film-makers to work with Hauer and other experts to make 12 short films. In addition to direction, writing, camera, ...
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Transmedia takes UK rights to Tornatore's The Unknown
UK distributor Transmedia International Releasing has taken all UK and Ireland rights to Guiseppe Tornatore's The Unknown (La Sconosciuta). A theatrical release is planned early next year. Transmedia's Simon Caplan negotiated the deal with Rome-based Adriana Chiesa. The Unknown won best film at Italy's Donatello Awards and is also the ...
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Industry veterans launch Chinese cinema company CMG
Exhibition industry veterans Charles Wesoky and Ira Stiegler are teaming with Beijing-based film producer and distributor Jimmy Wu to launch a cinema management company, CMG (China) Limited, which aims to build 50 cinemas in China by 2011. Wesoky, former CEO of AMC and United Cinemas International (UCI), has been named ...
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Vaughn's MARV strikes first-look deal with publisher Quercus
Matthew Vaughn and Kris Thykier's production company MARV Films has struck a three-year, first-look deal with Quercus Publishing.MARV will have an exclusive first-look window for all of Quercus' fiction material to consider optioning film rights. MARV recently produced Vaughn's Stardust and the company also has a new first-look deal with ...
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Vaclav Havel's play Leaving eyes big screen
Playwright and former Czech president Vaclav Havel says his new play is likely to become a feature film. (Leaving) Ochazeniwas published in book form in November and will see its stage premiere in May or June 2008.It is the first play in 18 years from Havel, a former dissident who ...
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Shugrue steps down from Envoy, Brian Hall named new CEO
Ted Shugrue has stepped down as CEO and left Envoy Media Partners, the majority partner in Vietnam's largest theatre chain MegaStar Media JVC.Shugrue is parting ways with Envoy after he decided he would be unable to relocate his family to Vietnam.He is replaced by Brian Hall, who will be based ...
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Overture to produce, distribute family drama Humboldt Park
Overture Films will produce and distribute State Street Pictures and 2DS Productions' lighthearted family drama Humboldt Park to star Freddy Rodriguez and John Leguizamo.The story centres on three siblings who return to their parents' home for the holidays in the Chicago district of Humboldt Park.State Street's Robert Teitel and George ...
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JPMorgan fortifies Entertainment unit with $200m warchest
JPMorgan is stepping up its involvement in Hollywood with a commitment to invest $200m of its own capital in film and entertainment projects.The New York-based bank, which late last year arranged $225m in production and distribution funding for start-up Overture Films, said it will use subordinated debt for investments such ...
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Italian watchdog fines Stream, Telepiu
Italy's communications watchdog has slapped a $130,000 fine onto rival pay-TV groups Stream and Telepiu for failing to agree to a single decoder that will allow viewers to freely zap from one channel to another.Communications chief Enzo Cheli ordered the two groups to undertake the necessary measures within the next ...
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Taiwan's Wall takes top honours at IFFI Goa fest
Taiwanese director Lin Chih Ju's The Wall was awarded the Golden Peacock and a cash prize of $25,500 (Rs1m) at the closing of the 38th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last night. The Silver Peacock for most promising director and a cash prize of $12,700 (Rs500,000) went ...
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Thomson to establish Asian digital cinema hub
Thomson is set to establish its first digital cinema hub in Asia, via its Technicolor Digital Cinema business, in view of the rapid growth for such services in the region's digital media and entertainment industry. With the support of Singapore 's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the new facility will be ...
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Norwegian Fund backs projects including epic Max Manus
The Norwegian Film Fund's $3.1m backing hasgiven thegreen light for leading Norwegian producer John M Jacobsen's Max Manus, a WWII epic which will shoot from February. The fund also chipped in for two less expensive first features.From a screenplay by Thomas Nordseth based on Manus' own books, and produced by ...
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Gaumont starts shoot for Splice starring Adrien Brody
Vincenzo Natali has started principal photography on Splice, which Gaumont is co-producing with Canada's Copperheart Entertainment. The film is set to shoot until February 29 in Toronto, with a 2009 release planned.Splicestars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley and Delphine Chaneac.Natali, who found cult success with Cube and also directed a vignette ...
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Reviews
El Greco
Dir. Yannis Smaragdis. Greece / Spain / Hungary, 2007. 107minsHaving picked up the Greek cinema State Award on top of the Audience Award at Thessaloniki, this is undisputedly this year's favourite Greek film, racking over 600,000 admissions and still going strong. An historical pageant adapted from a fictional biography by ...
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XXY continues winning streak at Argentina's Sur prizes
The Argentinian Academy of Film Arts and Science awarded Lucia Puenzo's XXY with six Sur prizes (out of 13 nominations), including best film, best first film, best director, best adapted script, best new actress (Ines Efron) and best supporting actor (Martin Piroyansky), at a gala held in Buenos Aires on ...
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Unknown starRappoport takes lead in new Serebrennikov feature
Russian-born actress Ksenia Rappoport, who was nominated for European Actress 2007 at last weekend's European Film Awards for her performance in Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown, has taken the lead in Kirill Serebrennikov's new feature Yuriev Den which has now begun shooting on location in the Russian town of Yuriev near ...
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Eros starts shoot for Sujoy Ghosh's Aladin
Eros International has started shooting Sujoy Ghosh's Aladin, a modern day retelling of the Arabian Nights story with a Bollywood twist. Eros makes its first move into visual effects through its new venture EyeQube Studios on the project. Eros is producing Aladin in association with Sujoy Ghosh's company Boundscript. Amitabh ...
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Fred Claus leads UK box office for Warner Bros
Christmas season is in full swing as Fred Claus opens to number one in the UK box office, generating nearly $4m (£2m) in its first weekend. For the full UK/Ireland chart click here.The festive comedy, distributed by Warner Bros, took $3.9m (£1.9m) from 445 sites and enjoyed the highest site ...
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Canadian cable player abandons Videotron bid
Canadian cable leader Rogers Communications has abandoned its bid for Quebec-based rival Groupe Videotron.The move ends a six-month battle with publishing giant Quebecor and its powerful backer, pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec. Last month, Quebecor and the Caisse, through a jointly-held company, topped Rogers' February $26-per-share ...