Screen
02 Sept 2010
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Films Boutique picks up international distribution for Special Treatment
Berlin-based sales agent Films Boutique has taken on international distribution for writer-director Jeanne Labrune’s Special Treatment (Sans Queue Ni Tete) which will have its world premiere as a Special Presentation at this month’s Toronto International Film Festival. -
Tsui Hark
Screen caught up with director Tsui Hark ahead of the world premiere in Venice of his competition entryDetective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame, produced by Huayi Brother Media. -
A Hollywood beginning
Encouraged by the potential of the Indian market, US studios are becoming more involved in local-language production. Liz Shackleton explores the realities of producing in India and profiles the current players -
Arne Dahl's Swedish detectives readied for film-TV project
Sweden’s A-team – the local equivalent of CSI, a highly-trained special unit of detectives, created by Swedish writer Arne Dahl – is ready for the screen. -
Berwick festival to host UK premieres of Karaoke, The Wish Tree
The Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival kicks off its sixth year on Sept 15 with The Keystone Cut Ups, a specially commissioned live performance and video work by artists People Like Us and Ergo Phizmiz. -
Big's global ambition
Reliance Big Entertainment, headed by Amit Khanna, has been investing heavily in the film business at home and overseas. He talks to Liz Shackleton about the base for growth -
By the numbers
Without reliable data collation, the details of the Indian box office can be murky. Udita Jhunjhunwala reports -
Check the small print
Audits are becoming common practice for producers and rights holders looking to ensure they are getting what they’re owed. Geoffrey Macnab explores the process -
Contracts — clause and effect
The success of an audit can depend on the wording of a contract. Geoffrey Macnab looks at common contract flashpoints — and how they can be avoided -
Digital Cinema Media signs screen advertising contract with Vue
Screen advertising outfit Digital Cinema Media (DCM) has signed a four year contract with Vue for the exclusive rights to sell the exhibitor’s on screen advertising. -
Festival Scope
An online service is looking to help rights holders and festivals to take their films to a wider industry viewing base. -
Following the money trail
Rights holders are becoming more proactive about using collection agencies to process revenues from around the world. Geoffrey Macnab explores how revenues can be maximised in the global film business -
Fox Star to release second Indian production on Oct 1
Fox Star Studios India will release its second Indian production, Khichdi-The Movie, on Oct 1. -
Fox's Star performer
Fox Star Studios India is raising the bar for distribution of Hollywood product in the territory, while co-producing Bollywood films including blockbuster My Name Is Khan. CEO Vijay Singh talks to Udita Jhunjhunwala -
Friel, Hoskins, Ifans to star in Sky Movies HD's Neverland
Anna Friel, Bob Hoskins and Rhys Ifans are to star in Neverland, a two-part, feature-length prequel to the Peter Pan story, which has been commissioned by the UK’s Sky Movies HD. -
Gaming writer Rhianna Pratchett moves onto first feature film
Rhianna Pratchett is set to write the screenplay for her first feature film, a London-based drama about a group of female vigilantes, to be produced by Simple Productions. -
Going wide in India
Historically, Bollywood has ruled the Indian market. But with Inception, Avatar and 2012 scoring hits, is the territory finally opening up to Hollywood product? Udita Jhunjhunwala reports -
Kevin McKidd, Ashley Jensen sign up for Scottish romantic drama
Kevin McKidd anad Ashley Jensen are attached to star in Indian Summer, a romantic drama set in the Scottish Highlands in 1967, which will be the directorial debut of screenwriter Brian Ward. -
Kristian Segerstrale and Roland Steindorf join LoveFilm board
Kristian Segerstrale, CEO of social network games developer Playfish, and Roland Steindorf, Head of the Supervisory Board of German telecommunications provider Versatel AG, have joined LoveFilm as non-executive directors. -
LevelK boards Brazilian family film Me and My Umbrella
Denmark-based international film sales company LevelK has taken on Me and My Umbrella (Eu e Meu Guarda-Chuva). -
Lost in interpretation
Auditing is a growing business in the United States, especially in the studio system. John Hazelton reports -
MIPCOM 2010 preview: highlights include Australia, Asia, cross-platform ideas
The barriers between film and TV are continuing to erode, according to Laurine Garaude, director of the TV division at Reed Midem, which organises the forthcoming MIPCOM (Oct 4-7 in Cannes). -
New media: End of the paper trail?
Auditors argue that in the electronic age there will be a new transparency -
Old money
Library titles can hold a wealth of hidden revenue potential. Geoffrey Macnab reports -
Online platform MUBI picks up UK thriller Exhibit A
Online VOD service MUBI (formerly The Auteurs) has picked up Dom Rotheroe’s Raindance-winning indie thriller Exhibit A for pay-per-view streaming. -
Optimum exorcises box-office demons in UK
Optimum’s horror The Last Exorcism debuted top in the UK over the Sept 3-5 weekend, giving the distributor its biggest ever three-day opening. -
Ozon defends Potiche star Gerard Depardieu
Speaking in Venice this weekend, François Ozon has launched an impassioned defence of actor Gerard Depardieu, who co-stars in Ozon’s new film Potiche, a competition contender on the Lido. -
Park Kwang-su to step down from Busan Film Commission
Founding director of South Korea’s Busan Film Commission (BFC) Park Kwang-su is to step down from his position as head of the locations services organization. Filmmaker Oh Seok-geun will take his place as of tomorrow (Sept 7). -
Plexing muscle
The growth of a multiplex market and the expansion of digital cinema show India’s potential. But there are still hurdles along the way, reports Udita Jhunjhunwala -
Pusan plans special programme on Kurdish cinema
Also, festival reveals Tsai Ming Liang will be honoured as Asian Filmmaker of the Year. -
Pusan to open with Zhang Yimou's Under The Hawthorne Tree
The 15th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) has announced their line-up with the international premiere of Zhang Yimou’s Under The Hawthorne Tree to open the fest. -
Raindance bookended with Jackboots on Whitehall, Son of Babylon
Jurors will include Charles Saatchi, Alison Owen, Mark Herbert and Lemmy. -
Russian culture minister pushes ahead with film commission plans
Russia is moving ahead with plans for a new National Film Commission. -
Sales interest strong for Joaquin Phoenix documentary
Sales are brewing for Casey Affleck’s directorial debut I’m Still Here presented out of competition in Venice by Magnolia Pictures International. -
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
Lasse Hallstrom (pictured) directs the adaptation of Paul Torday’s bestseller, now shooting in the UK and Morocco. Producer Paul Webster talks about the production’s challenges. -
Sarah McCarthy
Sarah McCarthy talks about The Sound of Mumbai: A Musical, which one Toronto programmer predicts will be a sleeper hit of the festival. -
Sarah’s Key to close San Sebastian; Fipresci selects The Ghost Writer as film of year
San Sebastian has announced that French director Gilles Paquet Brenner’s film Sarah’s Key will close the festival. -
Screen South picks producers for new development scheme
Regional screen agency Screen South has announced the nine producers who will take part in its producer development programme - Develop, Connect, Produce – which launches on Sept 13. -
Simon Presswell appointed SVP at Universal Networks International
Simon Presswell has been appointed SVP Marketing and Digital Initiatives, Universal Networks International (UNI) in a newly-created role. -
Simple Simon to represent Sweden in Oscar race
Swedish director Andreas Öhman’s feature debut, Simple Simon (I rymden finns inga känslor), has entered the race for an Oscar nomination as Best Foreign-Language Feature. -
Soda takes on brilliantlove for New British Cinema Quarterly series
Soda Pictures has acquired the UK and Irish rights to Ashley Horner’s brilliantlove and will release the film as part of its New British Cinema Quarterly series. -
Strong language
Indian cinema is not limited to the Hindi language — Tamil, Telugu and others make up an increasing portion of the territory’s output. Udita Jhunjhunwala looks at the strength of regional production -
Sundvall, Lassgard re-team for Swedish sequel The Hunters 2
Swedish director Kjell Sundvall and actor Rolf Lassgard are reteaming for the sequel to their 1996 Swedish box office hit The Hunters. -
Takeshi Kitano announces plans for Outrage sequel
Director Takeshi Kitano has announced plans for a sequel to crime drama Outrage, which competed for the Palme d’Or in Cannes this May. The project would mark the first sequel in Kitano’s 22-year directing career. -
The groundbreaker
Despite striking major deals with Hollywood, UTV is now refocusing on its core Indian business. Ronnie Screwvala, founder and chief executive of UTV Group, tells Udita Jhunjhunwala why he will only look at co-producing foreign projects if UTV is on an equal creative footing -
The real India
A string of high-profile deals in recent years made India look like it was shaping up to become Hollywood’s financial saviour. But against a global climate of financial uncertainty, the territory’s major players are turning their focus back onto their local market. Liz Shackleton reports -
This week’s hot projects on Screenbase
French feature Switch, UK production Hunky Dory and Italian Metafisica Per Le Scimmie were newly added to Screenbase. -
Tokyo fest unveils first four titles of competition
The Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct 23-31) has unveiled the first four titles of its Sakura Grand Prix competition. -
TrustNordisk takes on Headhunters; strikes online VOD deal
Scandinavian sales company TrustNordisk has taken on thriller Headhunters. -
UK hosts new Film Directing 4 Women Film Festival
The inaugural Film Directing 4 Women Film Festival will kick off with a selection of award-winning shorts including Anya Camilleri’s award-winning Perfect, starring Stephen Moyer. -
Upcoming Bollywood releases
Liz Shackleton profiles a selection of the hottest upcoming Hindi-language titles -
Venice has strongest opening in years, buyers and critics say
Many professionals are staying past first weekend, as festival is abuzz with strong showings of Black Swan, Potiche, Somewhere and Meek’s Cutoff. -
Venice Italian deals continue with Archibald taking Post Mortem
Also, Noemi by Eitan Zur sells to Bolero. -
Vicky Jewson plans gritty action thriller as second feature
UK director Vicky Jewson is due to go into pre-production in October on her second feature, a gritty action thriller called Born Of War. -
Wang Bing's The Ditch is Venice's surprise film
Wang Bing’s film The Ditch (Le Fosse) is the surprise film addition to this year’s Venice Film Festival line up, bringing the total number of titles vying for the Golden Lion up to 24.
