All articles by Staff writers – Page 7
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News
EasyGroup promises price competition at UK BO
Innovation in the form of price competition could be introduced to the UK theatrical market if Stellios Haji-Ioannou succeeds in expanding his Easy Group empire into cinema.Haji-Ioannou plans to open his first EasyCinema theatres in London by the end of this year and, according to the Sunday Times, will sell ...
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News
Losses pile up at fallen stars of Neuer Markt
German companies' stars have waned with stunning speed in the last 12-18 months, making the Neuer Markt an ominous label today, when previously it was a badge that suggested dynamism and wealth. The end of year results that emerged from Germany's quoted media firms at the end of last week ...
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News
Shaw to press on with Movie City studio project
The venerable Shaw Brothers group is to press on with plans to build Movie City, a $109m (HK$850m) studio complex in Hong Kong's Tseung Kwan O district.The scope of the development, which has been mooted for many years, was expanded last year, but looked close to collapse last month when ...
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News
Middle East's Showtime buys package for PPV
Middle Eastern pay-TV network Showtime has acquired a large package of Arabic films for broadcast on its new pay-per-view (PPV) channels.The films come from Egyptian group Al Arabia For Cinema Production & Distribution. Pictures Rehlat Hob starring Mohammed Fouad, Ga'ana Al Bayan Al Tali featuring Mohamed Heneidi and Amir Al ...
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News
Cannes, Positif to honour Alain Resnais
The Cannes festival (May 15-25) is to honour one of its all time favourites and right a slight that dates back 34 years.To mark the 50th anniversary of the critical magazine Positif the festival is to hold a special evening dedicated to nouvelle vague director Alain Resnais. The celebrations will ...
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News
Nanni Moretti to give lecture at Cannes
Last year's Palme d'Or winner, Nanni Moretti will return to the Croisette to give the Cinema Lesson (La Lecon Du Cinema) at this year's Cannes Festival.A Cannes regular, with films including The Son's Room (La Stanza Del Figlio), Dear Diary (Caro Diario), which won the directing prize, and Aprile ...
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Reviews
A Rumor Of Angels
Dir. Peter O'Fallon US. 2000 104 mins.A sentimental drama about coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, A Rumor Of Angels boasts a first-rate performance from Vanessa Redgrave as an eccentric old woman who claims to have a spiritual connection with the afterlife. Redgrave and a talented ...
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Danes grab limelight at Berlin's Kinderfilmfest
Denmark has a strong presence at next month's 25th anniversary edition of Kinderfilmfest at the Berlin International Film Festival.The children's film festival will showcase Danish fare such as Catch That Girl (Klatretosen), the debut of Hans Fabian Wullenweber in which a thirteen-year-old girl robs a bank to save her father's ...
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News
Fantasporto festival unveils genre selection
Jack the Ripper story From Hell, Angel de la Cruz's Spanish 3D computer animation El Bosque Animado and German hit Das Experiment are amongst the films in the official section at leading European fantasy and genre festival, Fantasporto.The Portuguese event, more formerly known as the Oporto International Film Festival, will ...
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News
David Lynch to head Cannes jury
David Lynch, whose Mulholland Drive is just starting a successful European release, is to head the jury of this year's Cannes film festival (15-26 May).Lynch a Cannes regular, said: "I am filled with excitement, fear and the full meaning of responsibility as I accept this honour to be named ...
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News
Parker, Kingsley knighted in UK honours list
Alan Parker, the veteran film director, and actor Ben Kingsley were named as Knights Bachelor in the UK's New Year's honours list.Other awards for the film and drama industries included Orders of the British Empire, officer class (OBEs) for actresses Miraim Margolyes and Lynn Redgrave and to actor Dennis QuilleyParker, ...
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News
UK BO climbs in Q3, despite terror, economy
Ronny Yu's The 51st State opened to a strong reception from UK audiences over the weekend. But it was unable to dethrone reigning box office king, Harry Potter.Leading this week's releases the action-comedy claimed second position in the chart with an impressive $1.3m (£913,239). Playing at 311 sites the film, ...
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News
Shrek sells $110m in three-day home video frenzy
Shrek, the year's highest grossing film, has opened another avenue of riches for DreamWorks and its home video distribution partner Universal Studios. The film sold 7 million VHS and DVD units and generated $110m in three days, the best opening weekend since Walt Disney's home video release of The Lion ...
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News
EFA Watch: stars flock to Berlin award ceremony
Stars newly confirmed to attend the European Film Awards in Berlin on December 1 include Germany's Maria Schrader whose latest film is Rosenstrasse; Maria Bonnevie (Sweden, I Am Dina, Dragonfly [aka Oyenstikker]); Joely Richardson (UK, The Affair Of The Necklace); Fabrizio Gifuni (Italy, L'Amore Probabilmente); Paul Rhys (UK, ...
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News
Pressman's ContentFilm hires Tulley, Roban
Ed Pressman and John Schmidt's digital production and distribution outfit ContentFilm has hired Douglas Tulley as the company's chief financial officer and Michael Roban as head of business affairs. Prior to joining ContentFilm, Tulley was senior vice president of finance and strategic planning at USA Films, and a vice president ...
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News
Brenda Johns hired as Warner int'l distrib exec
Brenda Johns has been named vice president, international distribution at Warner Bros Pictures.Johns will be responsible for supporting the department's distribution efforts for all Warner Bros Pictures-produced titles, as well as international acquisitions and co-productions."Brenda has an extensive background in theatrical distribution, as well as great instincts and foresight," said ...
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News
UIP chiefs Oneile, Cripps sign for five more years
United International Pictures (UIP) chairman Paul Oneile and president Andrew Cripps have both renewed their contracts with the company, taking them through to 2006. The move comes as UIP enjoys a strong year, having already grossed $1.7bn this year thanks to films such as Shrek, Bridget Jones Diary and American ...
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News
Rave Macbeth shines for US' Constellation
US indie distributor Constellation Entertainment has picked up Rave Macbeth, an all digital filming of Shakespeare's Macbeth transposed to the modern day rave dance scene.Constellation will give the picture, directed by Klaus Knoesel, a theatrical release in April 2002 and then handle video and DVD releases. The $3.5m English-language film ...
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News
BAFTA LA ceremony postponed five months
Political events have caused the postponement of the BAFTA LA Britannia Awards until April 12.The awards, where George Lucas is to receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, and HBO Original Programming the Britannia Award for Excellence in Television, were scheduled for Nov 10.BAFTA LA Chairman Gary ...
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News
Behind The Sun, Lagaan, Atanarjuat join Oscar race
Walter Salles' Behind The Sun, Cannes Camera d'Or winner Atanarjuat The Fast Runner and epic cricketing film Lagaan have joined an increasingly promising line-up as India, Canada and four Latin American countries unveiled their Oscar hopefuls.Japan picked the less well-known film Go, a drama by Yukisada Isao about a boy ...