Small MPU – Page 833
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Features
China - Stone's man on a roll
In mid September in China's south-east coastal city Xiamen, Ning Hao was shooting his fourth feature, Silver Medalist. More than 50 Chinese reporters visited the set for interviews - just a year ago the 30-year-old film-maker could not have imagined his new film would attract so much attention.The reason for ...
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Features
Belgium - Extra dimension
Earlier this autumn, Summit Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights to 3D animated feature Fly Me To The Moon. Following three stowaway flies inside the helmets of lunar astronauts, the film was directed and produced by Ben Stassen, also co-founder of Belgium-based nWave Pictures. "It makes it easier to control ...
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Free Roaming: UK producer Kevin Loader
Kevin Loader has an increasingly international outlook. The prolific UK producer (whose forthcoming credits include Good and Brideshead Revisited) is in post-production on The Oxford Murders, a co-production with Spain's Tornasol Films.Loader's Free Range Film is the UK partner on Alex de la Iglesia's $10m Spain-France-UK project. 'We had an ...
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Features
United Kingdom - Outfoxing the Competition
"Sometimes I feel like a conductor in an orchestra," says Elizabeth Kesses, UK marketing director at Twentieth Century Fox. While she is not holding a baton, Kesses does have the constant challenge of creating standout marketing initiatives for Fox titles in what she calls "the most cynical" market for film ...
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Fuji Bank launches film funding drive
Fuji Bank, one of Japan's largest city banks, is plunging into film financing in a drive to invest in the production of entertainment software, including films, animation and music. By the end of 2000, Fuji plans to expand its entertainment investments, reaching a year-on total of $9.5m. The bank is ...
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Awards countdown - Women of substance
Unlike 2006, when Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet and Penelope Cruz all gave showstopping performances, 2007 is not a bumper year for actresses.
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Features
Awards countdown - People - Awards people
NICOLE KIDMANThe star of both Margot At The Wedding and The Golden Compass tells Mike Goodridge how she tackled such dark roles.We may see her on red carpets looking every inch the style queen, but Nicole Kidman says her natural instincts are not to embrace the glamour. "I seek out ...
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In-flight movies - Eyes In The Skies
Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner: along one aisle of September's World Airline Entertainment Association (Waea) convention in Toronto, the majors were looking to sell their movies to the world's most captive audience.Extreme long-haul flights (Los Angeles to Singapore, for instance, takes 18-and-a-half hours) are increasingly the norm. Strapped in ...
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Glory days for Middle East
One of the unexpected consequences of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 has been the resurgence of Middle Eastern and North African cinema. Alongside the established players - Egypt, still living off its Bollywood-on-the-Nile reputation, and arthouse darling Iran - countries with little cinematic infrastructure have begun to emerge. ...
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Features
Production - Festival focus - Dubai fest bids for star status
Now in its fourth year, the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) has become a focal point for the Persian Gulf's growing interest in the film industry as an economic, cultural and PR platform.Festival chairman Abdulhamid Juma points out that until recently, the territory was known in the film world chiefly ...
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Features
Production - Coming attractions - Drawing on history
Dhulm - Years Of Torment (Lib)Director: Najdat AnzourStatus: pre-productionBased on a treatment by Libyan president Muammar al-Gaddafi, who is also financing the $50m project, this historical epic was launched provocatively at a Rome press conference in October. The multi-linear drama, due to start shooting at the beginning of next year, ...
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Features
International - Nessun dorma
Italy's box office may typically be dormant during summer months but it is making up for it now as three titles generated nearly $7m this weekend, accounting for 5.5% of the international top 40's revenue.New entry Winx Club: Il Segreto Del Regno Perduto catapulted to number eight in the chart, ...
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Lust, Caution sweeps Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards
Ang Lee's Lust, Caution dominated the 44th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei with seven wins including best feature, best director, best actor and best adapted screenplay. The film had received eleven nominations. Tony Ayres' The Home Song Stories took best actress for Joan Chen's performance and best original screenplay. The ...
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Ozer Kiziltan's Takva wins top prize at Estonian Black Nights festival
Ozer Kiziltan's Takva - A Man's Fear Of God was named best film at the 11th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.The Turkish film about a man's struggle to balance religious devotion withsuccess in asecular world won the$15,000 EurAsia competition.The most honours went to Estonian homegrown favourite, Veiko Ounpuu's Autumn Ball, ...
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Compass disappoints domestically with $26.1m gross
The Golden Compass secured the number one spot with ease at the weekend however New Line executives will be disappointed with the estimated $26.1m estimated three-day gross.By contrast New Line's The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring opened in December 2001 on $47.2m, The Two Towers launched ...
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Ex-Aurum chief Ramos lines-up slate for new outfit
A romantic comedy from the hip Spanish directing duo Alfonso Albacete and David Menkes is set to be the first project to go through a new production company launched by former Aurum Producciones chief Francisco Ramos.Albacete and Menkes, whose credits include Atomica and Mas Que Amor, Frenesi, are to shoot ...
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Golden Compass rules international box office with $55m opening
As expected The Golden Compass ruled the waves at the weekend following an estimated $55m overseas haul through New Line International from approximately 5,000 screens in 25 territories. Click here for review.Chris Weitz's adaptation of Philip Pullman's acclaimed fantasy adventure soared to the top of the charts in every country, ...
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A Walk To Beautiful wins IDA's top award for 2007 documentaries
Mary Olive Smith's A Walk To Beautiful took top honours in the feature competition at the 2007 International Documentary Association's (IDA) Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards Gala in Los Angeles at the weekend.The film chronicles the challenges of five women in Ethiopia as they try to rebuild their lives after suffering ...
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There Will Be Blood dominates Los Angeles Film Critics awards
There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson's epic saga set against the backdrop of America's burgeoning oil industry, was the big winner at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) end of year voting yesterday, taking four prizes including best picture, best director and best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis.The movie ...
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Colin McCabe demands end of 'tragic decade' for British Film Institute
Distinguished British academic and producer Colin MacCabe has today (Monday) publicly announced his candidature for the post of Chair of the British Film Institute (BFI).The current chairman Anthony Minghella is due to step down at the end of the year. Whether or not MacCabe’s application is successful, it is bound ...