Screen
10 July 2009

View all stories from this issue.

Attack on the Wolf

What impact did the high-profile online leak of X-Men Origins: Wolverine ahead of its theatrical release have on its worldwide box-office performance, asks John Hazelton
Daniel Brocklebank to star in Release

Daniel Brocklebank is to star in Release, which has been written and will be directed by Christian Martin and Darren Flaxstone.Martin and Flaxstone previously wrote the script for British gang culture thriller Shank and will be making their directing debut with Release. Shooting will start on the July 24 2009 in Bristol.The story follows Father Jack Gillie who is imprisoned for assisting in his younger brother’s suicide. Abandoned by his church and cha
Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends – The Movie

A reboot of the legendary Ultraman franchise under Mighty Morphin Power Rangers director Koichi Sakamoto. Ultraman not only battles over 100 monsters but also faces off against a villainous Ultraman in a first for the 43-year-old film and TV series.
ShortsTV signs deal with London festival Lovebox

ShortsTV, the UK short film channel, will screen a selection of Academy Award-nominated short films and festival shorts at London dance music festival, Lovebox Weekender.
UK co-productions fall by 78% over first half of 2009

UK co-productions are down by 78% over the first half of 2009 with just three shooting so far compared with 14 over the same period last year.
UKFC’s Film Nation wins $5 million from Olympics committee

A UK Film Council (UKFC) scheme that will give young British film-makers the chance to play an artistic role in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will receive $5m (£3m) from the Olympic organising committee.
(500) Days Of Summer

Dir. Marc Webb.US.2009
‘Anonymous’ file-sharing presents the next big challenge

Jorn Rossing Jensen looks at how copyright infringers are looking to get round piracy laws in Sweden
1-800- Love to start shooting in London next week

Indian director Abbas Tyrewala is due to start shooting 1-800-Love in London next week.
24 Frames picks up domestic rights to Mexican hit Sultans Of The South

24 frames has acquired all North American rights to the Mexican heist hit Sultans Of The South (Sultanes Del Sur) from Warner Brothers Pictures Mexico.
35 Shots Of Rum

Dir: Claire Denis.Fr/Ger. 2009
Advance Harry Potter ticket sales pass $1.6m for Odeon/UCI

Odeon and UCI Cinemas Group’s sales of advance tickets for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince have surpassed $1.6 million (£1 million) in box office takings.
Ajami wins top prize at Jerusalem Film Festival

Ajami, directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, won the Wolgin Award for best full-length Israeli feature at the 26th Jerusalem International Film Festival, which ended this weekend (Saturday).
All peer-to-peer activity may soon be outlawed

Chris Evans takes a look at piracy in Spain, one of the world’s worst offenders.
Amuse Soft steps up for Hur’s Season Of Good Rain

Korea’s Pancinema has pre-sold Hur Jin-ho’s upcoming romance Season Of Good Rain (working title) to Japan’s Amuse Soft Entertainment.
Angel At Sea (Un Ange a la mer)

Dir/scr. Frederic Dumont. Belgium/Canada, 2009. 86 min.
Angel At Sea takes Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary

Frédéric Dumont’s film Angel At Sea was named best feature film at the 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, giving the director the Crystal Globe and $30,000.
Antichrist, Bronson among Sarajevo's Panorama titles

The Sarajevo Film Festival, which takes place this year from Aug 12 to 20, has announced the lineup in its Panorama section programmed by regular Screen critic Howard Feinstein.
Asian producers embrace 3D filmmaking

While 3D filmmaking is still in the early stages in Asia, speakers at a forum held today by Korea’s Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF) agreed that the technology is set to broaden the cinema-going demographic and help the Asian industry bust through tough economic times.
Awareness campaigns are working

Sandy George brings you a report on Australian piracy campaigns.
Bangkok film festival to take place September 24-30

The organisers of the Bangkok International Film Festival (BKIFF) have confirmed that this year’s edition of the event will be held September 24-30.
Barbican explores ‘Radical Nature’ of Herzog’s films

German director Werner Herzog will be the subject of a retrospective at The Barbican in September.
Barry Johnson named Searchlight vp national publicity

Barry Dale Johnson has joined Fox Searchlight effective July 23 as vice-president of national publicity and will relocate to New York.
Battle to convince courts of the threat of piracy

Martin Blaney looks at how the German film industry is effected by piracy.
Brazil box office surges ahead of 2008 by 34.6% in first half of year

The spectacular success of Se Eu Fosse Voce 2 and other local titles helped drive ticket sales in the first six months of 2009 to $244.8m in Brazil, an increase of 34.6% from the same period last year while admissions rose 31.1% from 42.2m in 2008 to 55.4m this year.
Britain's got talent, but needs new digital skills

Digital Britain opens up exciting opportunities for film companies - but we must ensure the right environment exists for companies to exploit them, writes Jon Kingsbury.
British films bank $4.2 billion worldwide last year

The UK film industry banked $4.2bn in ticket sales worldwide last year, according to the UK Film Council’s Statistical Yearbook.
Brooke Shields joins Brendan Fraser on Furry Vengeance

Brooke Shields and Dick Van Dyke have joined Brendan Fraser in Summit Entertainment and Participant Media’s family comedy Furry Vengeance.
Bruno soars in Australia with $1.4m first-day haul

Bruno has scored the second biggest opening day of the year in Australia behind Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen with a $1.35m Wednesday launch.
Bruno struts to the top of the US box office

Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest comedic incarnation Bruno knocked Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen off its perch thanks to an estimated $30.4m number one launch.
Burma VJ: Reporting From A Closed Country (Reporter i et lukket land)

Dir. Anders Østergaard.Denmark.2008
Calgary shoot underway on Tucker And Dale Vs Evil

Production has begun in Calgary on the comedy Tucker And Dale Vs Evil starring Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk.
Chameleon

Dir: Krisztina Goda. Hungary. 2009. 103 mins.
Charles Darwin biopic Creation to open Toronto

The world premiere of Jon Amiel’s Charles Darwin biopic Creation starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly will open the 34th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10.Organisers also unveiled four Gala screenings and 18 special presentations. The Gala roster features the world premiere of Aaron Schneider’s drama Get Low starring Robert Duvall, Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek and the world premiere of comedy The Invention Of Lying from Ricky G
Charles Matthau to adapt Elmore Leonard novel Freaky Deaky

Charles Matthau’s production outfit is teaming up with Future Films and Blackwood Entertainment Group to produce Elmore Leonard’s Freaky Deaky.
China box office up 43% in first half of 2009

China’s box office grew by 42.7% to $330.16m (RMB2.26bn) in the first half of 2009, thanks to a combination of local and US hits, including Transformers 2 which is on its way to becoming the biggest film ever in the territory.
cineFinance founder Fred Milstein joins Aon/Albert G Ruben

Fred Milstein has been named managing director of worldwide marketing and business development at Aon/Albert G Ruben Insurance Services.
Cinevolve snaps up North American rights to British farce 12 In A Box

Los Angeles-based Cinevolve Studios has acquired North American rights to John McKenzie’s British farce 12 In A Box and plans an August 7 platform release in Los Angeles.
Clarkson to step down from Telefilm Canada at end of term

Telefilm Canada executive director Wayne Clarkson has announced he will step down at the conclusion of his five-year term in January 2010.
Cloud 9 (Wolke 9)

Dir. Andreas Dresen .Germany.2009
Cloud 9 floats to UK, Paintball fires off in Spain

ScreenDaily’s round up of the local and independent openings in key markets this week.
Coldplay short film to be theatrically released

Chris Martin, the lead singer of British band Coldplay, is set to do battle with a giant squirrel in a short film to be released theatrically next week.
Corruption is a huge problem

Theodore Schwinke takes a look at the problems of camcording and counterfeit DVDs in Russia.
Counterfeiting as national pastime

Sheri Jenning’s looks at piracy in Italy, where counterfeit goods flourish.
Crush acquires minority stake in Emmett/Furla Films

Crush Films’ Gordon Bijelonic and Michael Matthias reported they have acquired a minority stake in Randall Emmett and George Furla’s Emmett/Furla Films (EFF).
Day-and-date and world premieres raise the spectre of increased piracy

Jason Gray on Japan’s zero-tolerance policy on content piracy.
Digital pioneers can sink the pirates

Countries all over the world have developed different ways to battle piracy, but what these strategies mean to the industry, audiences and innovators must be carefully evaluated.
DreamWorks set to receive $825m initial financing

DreamWorks Studios looks set to receive $825m in initial financing from India’s Reliance ADA Group and its distribution deal with Disney, the Indian conglomerate has announced.
Du Mein Glück (_You My Joy)

A few days in the life of truck driver Georgi seems to be a never-ending nightmare, a spiral of violenceand abuses of power. A dark parable about the situation in Russia today.
Era New Horizons in Poland kicks off with White Ribbon

The Era New Horizons International Film Festival, which is held in the city of Wroclaw, Poland from 23 July to 2 August, has announced its competition lineup competing for the Grand Prix for best film and a guarantee of distribution in Poland.
Erotology

An erotic art film set in present day Northern England, Erotology looks at a highly charged relationship between a novice photographer and his taxidermist girlfriend over a long hot summer
Exhibitors give evidence to House of Lords committee

Representatives from the cinema industry will appear before the House of Lords Communications Committee tomorrow (July 15).
Expanding the indie audience

The independent sector may have as much to lose from piracy as the majors. But for some, ‘sharing’ their films - often for free - can build an audience. Wendy Mitchell reports.
Father And Guns outdraws Bruno in Quebec

Quebec comedy Father And Guns (De Père En Flic) was the top film at the province’s box office over the weekend, earning an astounding $1.6m (C$1.8m). The sum was more than the combined grosses of the four other top five titles: Brüno, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs,
Filmax marketing chief Rafael Cabrera leaves after ten years

Rafael Cabrera, managing director of marketing at Spanish studio Filmax, is leaving after nearly ten years at the company.
First Doha Tribeca Film Festival announces autumn dates

The inaugural Doha Tribeca Film Festival will run in Doha, Qatar, from October 29-November 1.
Flamenco goes 3D for Spanish cinemas

Rafael Alvero, the former director general of Universal Pictures Spain, is launching the country’s first company dedicated to producing alternative 3D content for cinemas.
Food, Inc.

Dir. Robert Kenner.US.2008
Fox International becomes first distributor to cross $1bn in 2009

Fox International has become the first distributor to cross $1bn this year following a string of mighty performances by Ice Age 3, Night At The Museum 2 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Fox International expects Ice Age 3 to be too cool for Bruno

Fox International’s animated powerhouse Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs should continue as overseas champion this weekend despite what it sure to be a concerted effort by a certain Austrian fashionista.
Fox picks up Spanish rights to Amenabar’s Agora

US studio Fox International has piecked up the Spanish rights to Alejandro Amenabar’s $70m historical epic Agora, starring Rachel Weisz, It will be released on October 9.
Frozen River

Dir. Courtney Hunt.US.2008
Funny People

Dir: Judd Apatow. US. 2009. 140 mins.
Future Films and Aramid Capital hit by Soho blaze

A major fire broke out in the London offices housing leading film financiers Future Films and Aramid Capital earlier today.
Future Shorts to broadcast on Russian freeview

Future Shorts, the UK-based short film distributor, has signed a deal with private Russian entertainment channel, 2x2, to broadcast short film content on Russian freeview TV.
George Lucas tops Hollywood earners list

George Lucas was Hollywood’s highest male earner over the past year, racking up £170m between June 2008 and June this year, according to Forbes.com.
German exhibitors report best six months since 2004

German exhibitors have posted their best six months for five years driven by a strong performance of local and international films, according to data for Nielsen EDI.
German Films Preview draws buyers to Cologne

The third German Films Previews in Cologne, which ran July 12 – 15, attracted more than 80 international buyers and saw a number of films sold.
G-Force

Dir. Hoyt Yeatman. US. 2009. 88 mins.
Global Piracy Report

ScreenDaily’s special issue on piracy brings you reports from all over the world.
Gokusen wins three-way battle at Japanese box office

Big-screen TV adaptation Gokusen: The Movie earned $5.27m (Y489.5m) from 402,440 admissions on its opening weekend in Japan, beating out Hollywood newcomers Knowing and Monsters Vs. Aliens.
Golden Slumber

A delivery man races against time to uncover a plot to frame him for the public assassination of the new prime minister. He discovers the conspiracy is somehow connected to the friends he made back in his university days. Based on a best-selling novel by Kotaro Isaka.
Gordon Prend to head marketing efforts at Anchor Bay

Anchor Bay Entertainment has promoted Gordon Prend to executive vice-president of worldwide marketing.
Half-Blood Prince runs rampant in China and Russia

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince scored record debuts in China and Russia according to fresh data released by Warner Bros on Monday.
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince

Dir: David Yates.US/UK.2009.
Harry Potter casts spell over North America with $159.7m five-day launch

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince scored the second biggest five-day domestic debut of 2009 as an estimated $159.7m dominated the charts and confirmed the film’s opening day promise.
Harry Potter sweeps the globe with $104m opening day gross

Warners Bros Pictures’ Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince took $58.18m in North America, including the record Tuesday midnight screening tally of $22.2m, and a further $45.85m in 33 international markets for a record breaking one-day global total of $104m.
Here Media takes international sales on Toe To Toe

Here Media has taken international sales rights to Emily Abt’s narrative feature directorial debut Toe To Toe.
Hirst to adapt Bernard Cornwell’s Agincourt for the big screen

Luc Roeg, producer and CEO of UK sales company Independent, has secured screenwriter Michael Hirst to write the screenplay of Bernard Cornwell’s novel Agincourt.
Hubert Bals Fund Plus gives $280,000 to Dutch co-productions

The Hubert Bals Fund Plus, an initiative led by the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Netherlands Film Fund, has award $279, 818 (€200,000) to Dutch co-productions.
Hur Jin-ho wraps feature-length Season Of Good Rain

Korean director Hur Jin-ho has extended his section of pan-Asian omnibus Chengdu, I Love You into a feature entitled Season Of Good Rain (working title), which is scheduled for an autumn release.
I Love You, Beth Cooper

Dir. Chris Columbus. US. 2009. 112 mins
I Love You, Beth Cooper

Dir. Chris Columbus.US.2009
Ice Age 3 freezes Bruno out of international box office

Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs dominated Bruno and the rest of the overseas competition with a monstrous second weekend that propelled it past $325m.
Ichi

Dir. Fumihiko Sori.Japan.2008
IFC takes US rights to Brief Interviews With Hideous Men

IFC has acquired US rights to John Krasinski’s feature directorial debut Brief Interviews With Hideous Men based on short stories by the late David Foster Wallace.
Inglourious Basterds to open San Sebastian's international showcase

Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds will open the Zabaltegi-Pearls section, which showcases films from the big international festivals, at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival.
Ioan Gruffudd to star in Banking On Mr Toad

Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd will star as The Wind In The Willow’s author Kenneth Graham in Bruce Beresford’s Banking On Mr Toad.
Irish Film Board under threat

A special group appointed by the Irish Government to report on possible savings in public service costs has recommended scrapping the Irish Film Board (IFB).
Jason Statham set to star in Blitz

Jason Statham is in final negotiations to star alongside Paddy Considine in the big screen adaptation of Ken Bruen’s crime thriller Blitz.
John Flock promoted to CEO at Peace Arch

John Flock has been promoted from president and COO to CEO of Toronto-based Peace Arch Entertainment Group, effective immediately.
Just Another Love Story (Kærlighed på film)

Dir. Ole Bornedal.Denmark.2009
Kambakkht Ishq

Dir. Sabir Khan.India.2009
Law enforcer on the front line

The UK-born, Singapore-based Mike Ellis is integral to the clampdown on piracy, in his role as head of the MPA’s Asia-Pacific region. He tells Wendy Mitchell why he has the perfect job for an ex-cop who loves movies
Leonie

Chronicles the tumultuous life of American journalist and editor Leonie Gilmour, who played a role in the history of Japanese-American relations as wife of writer Yone Noguchi and mother of famed sculptor and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi.
Lionsgate fights off Icahn with board appointment

Independent studio Lionsgate has moved it defend itself from investor activist Carl Ichan by nominating major shareholder, Mark Rachesky, to the board.
Locarno reveals strong arthouse line-up for 62nd edition

The 62nd Locarno Film Festival has revealed a strong programme of international arthouse films, including 24 world premieres across the Piazza Grande programme and International Competition selection.
Minnie Driver, Rosamund Pike join Dustin Hoffman on Barney's Version

Producer Robert Lantos has confirmed that Minnie Driver, Rosamund Pike and Twilight star Rachel Lefevre will join Dustin Hoffman and Paul Giamatti on Barney’s Version.
Mississippi Damned, Off And Running win top prizes at Outfest

Tina Mabry’s Mississippi Damned won the juried outstanding US dramatic feature and Nicole Opper’s Off And Running won the corresponding documentary feature prize as Outfest 2009 came to a close.
Moon landing in UK, France studies The Reader

ScreenDaily’s weekly round up of the local and independent openings in key markets this week.
Natalie Portman cast as love interest in Branagh's Thor for Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios has hired Natalie Portman to star as Jane Foster in the studio’s upcoming Thor adaptation that Kenneth Branagh will direct.
No Puedo continues winning streak at Japan's Skip City

Following its recent win at the Taipei film festival, Leon Dai’s No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti won the grand prize at Japan’s Skip City International D-Cinema Festival (July 10-20).
No Puedo takes top honours at Taipei film festival

Leon Dai’s No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti was the big winner at the close of the Taipei Film Festival on Saturday night, winning four prizes including best film, best actor and supporting actor and the media choice award.
Nottingham's ScreenLit Festival honours Paul Schrader

Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader was presented with the ScreenLit lifetime achievement award in screenwriting at the inaugural Screenlit Festival of Film, TV and Writing at Broadway Cinema in Nottingham.
Open Society renews support for Sundance docs with $5m grant

Philanthropist George Soros’ Open Society Institute has granted $5m to the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program to raise awareness on human rights.
Optimum acquires Tolstoy love story The Last Station

Optimum Releasing has acquired the UK rights to Michael Hoffman’s love story The Last Station, starring Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer.
Optimum backs edgy Brit flick Here Comes The Summer

Distributor Optimum Releasing is backing edgy new British movie Here Comes The Summer, which is due to begin shooting on location in London in September.
Orengo to head up Sony Pictures Television Asia

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has appointed Angel Orengo as senior vice president, distribution, Asia Pacific, replacing Ross Pollack who is leaving the company to head up Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures.
Orphan

Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra.US.2009
O-Scope picks up The Messenger for North America

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North America rights to Oren Moverman’s The Messenger starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.
Paramount first studio in 2009 to surge past $1bn domestic mark

Paramount Pictures has crossed the $1bn domestic box office line ahead of the Hollywood pack on the back of the storming run by Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen.
Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi board River Road's Fair Game

Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi have joined River Road as financiers on Sean Penn and Naomi Watts thriller Fair Game.
Polish admissions set new record in first half of 2009

Polish cinemas sold a record-breaking 19.8 million tickets in the first half of 2009, up 16% compared to the same period last year.
Pollack appointed as CEO of Celestial Pictures

Former Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) executive Ross Pollack has been appointed as CEO at Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures, owned by Malaysia’s Astro Group.
Principal photography begins on Jackboots On Whitehall

Principal photography began today (July 15) on animated feature Jackboots On Whitehall at London’s Three Mills Studios. The film will be shooting at the studios for eight weeks.
Prosecution of young offenders reaches record levels

Jean Noh brings you the South Korean piracy report.
Quotas open market for pirates

Liz Shackleton brings you the Asian piracy lowdown.
Raindance Film Festival moves to Apollo Cinemas

The Raindance Film Festival is moving to Apollo Cinemas for this year’s edition, which runs September 30 to October 11.
Restoring lustre to prestige titles

Increasing the number of films in the best picture category could be the shot in the arm Oscar needs as audiences turn their back on the cynical ‘awards movie’.
Rupert Graves eyes Balkans drama The Filthy War

Rupert Graves is attached to play the lead role of Eduardo in the Balkans-set drama The Filthy War to be directed by John Irvin.Graves will play a war correspondent in former Yugoslavia who creates a platoon of international volunteers to defend a Croatian village from Serb militants.Vinnie Jones has been cast as the Balkan warlord Arkan. Additional casting will be announced shortly.Producer Laszlo Hege of Mozgofilms adapted the screenplay partly based on E Rozsa
Salt closes key pre-sales on The Infidel

London-based sales and financing outfit The Salt Company has confirmed a number of key pre-sales closed during and after Cannes on its UK comedy The Infidel which is now in post-production.
Shooting begins on new Simon Pegg and Nick Frost project

Principal photography has begun on Universal and Working Title’s Paul, written by and starring British actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film is shooting in New Mexico.
Shooting gets underway on Takashi Miike's Thirteen Assassins

Principal photography has begun on Takashi Miike’s samurai epic, Thirteen Assassins, in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture.
Skin

Dir. Anthony Fabian.UK/South Africa.2008
SnagFilms launches online SummerFest to mark first anniversary

Celebrating its first anniversary, online film destination SnagFilms has launched the SnagFilms SummerFest to showcase previously unreleased documentaries.
Sony hires Raja Gosnell to direct The Smurfs

Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation have hired Raja Gosnell to direct the live-action and animated Smurfs feature.
Spain’s La Zona to make English-language romantic drama

Spanish scriptwriter Rafael Russo is set to direct English-language romantic drama, Woman In A Bar, starring Elena Anaya.
Spanish box office dominated by Hollywood blockbusters

Hollywood again dominated the Spanish box office, which rose 6.2% to $392.6m for the first six months of 2009, compared with $368.6m for the same period in 2008.
Sri Lanka enters Flowers Of The Sky in Academy Awards race

Wonderphil Productions Flowers Of The Sky has been named as Sri Lanka’s official selection for best foreign film in the 2010 Academy Awards race.
Stellar Megamedia boards Dennis Chan’s 37

Beijing-based Stellar Megamedia has boarded Hong Kong film-maker Dennis Chan’s 37, making it the first project from the Hong Kong Film: New Action campaign to secure a mainland co-producer.
Sundance broadens support for producers ahead of summer Labs

The Sundance Institute is expanding its support for producers in 2009-10 by accommodating documentary film-makers and stepping up industry access.
Sundance Institute names six 2009 composer Fellows

The Sundance Institute has unveiled the six musicians selected for the 2009 Sundance Institute Composers Lab running from July 15-29.
Sweden selects Ruben Ostlund's Involuntary as Oscar entry

Ruben Östlund’s Involuntary (De Ofrivilliga) has bagged Sweden’s entry for best foreign film for next year’s Academy Awards.
Taiwanese film industry looks to China for growth

Taiwan’s major film organisations look set to make an aggressive push into the mainland China market, in a bid to develop a mainstream film industry to complement the country’s current output of low-budget indie fare.
The Agent

Dir. Lesley Manning. 2009. 84 mins.
The Boys Are Back one of two films to open Mill Valley

Scott Hicks’ The Boys Are Back has been named as one of the two opening night films at the 32nd Mill Valley Film Festival in San Raphael, California, on October 8.
The Centre of Attention to remake Sixties classic Darling

The Centre of Attention, the London-based contemporary art organisation, is remaking John Schlesinger’s classic film, Darling.
The demand is there for legal online film downloads

Piracy costs the UK film industry $660m a year and universal broadband is expected to increase that further. Sarah Cooper reports.
The Ugly Truth

Dir: Robert Luketic. US. 2009. 96 mins
Three strikes and you're out...sort of

Nancy Tartaglione examines the implications of France’s controversial Internet and Creation Law.
Tomas Alfredson to direct Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy

Swedish director Tomas Alfredson has signed on to direct an adaptation of John Le Carré’s Cold War spy novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, for Working Title Films.
Transformers 2 becomes China’s biggest ever film

Paramount Pictures International’s Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen has grossed more than $58.6m (RMB400m) in mainland China, breaking the record of $52.7m (RMB360m) set by Titanic in 1998 to become the territory’s biggest ever film.
Transformers 2 becomes second fastest North American release to reach $300m

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen has became the second fastest film in history to reach $300m at the North American box office.
Tribeca Institute, Gucci announce seven doc fund recipients

The Tribeca Film Institute and Gucci have announced seven recipients of the 2009 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund to support projects that promote social change.
Twenty (Bist)

Dir. Abdolreza Kahani. Iran, 2009. 88 min.
UK delays tough action in file-sharing fight

UK delays tough action in file-sharing fight Controversial new legislation to combat copyright theft has made headlines around the world in recent weeks. Caroline Parry looks at where the UK’s Digital Britain roadmap fits into the global picture.
Universal releases teen edit of Bruno in the UK

Universal Pictures UK has taken the unprecedented step of releasing a specially-edited version of Bruno with a ‘15’ certificate. It will be released in cinemas across the UK from July 24.
US: Barack Obama throws his weight behind anti-piracy efforts

Wendy Mitchell brings you the US piracy lowdown.
Vertigo Films picks up The Cove

London-based Vertigo Films has acquired UK rights to The Cove following a deal with UK sales company, The Works International.
Victoria Film Festival

Victoria, Canada, February 01 - 10
Vorstadtkrokodile 2: Das Abenteuer Geht Weiter (The Crocodiles 2)

Sequel to last year’s successful remake of Suburban Crocodiles.
Warner Bros poised to cross $1bn in North America

Warner Bros is on the cusp of crossing the $1bn domestic milestone as it launches Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince around the globe.Sources said they expected Warner Bros would make the announcement on Wednesday [July 15], however the studio declined to comment as executives busied themselves with last minute preparations for the sixth entry in the family franchise.Ridi
Welsh film agency supports Ray Winstone, Olga Kurylenko project

The Film Agency for Wales has invested $486,000 (£300,000) in John McNally’s debut feature Four Working Days, starring Ray Winstone and Bond girl Olga Kurylenko.
Why is Canada so high on the IIPA's priority watch list?

Denis Seguin’s piracy report from Canada.
Wide Open Spaces

Dir. Tom Hall.Ireland/UK.2009
Wolfe pounces on The Baby Formula, Half-Life

Wolfe Releasing has acquired US rights to gay titles The Baby Formula and Half-Life and plans a simultaneous DVD release with VOD campaign through Warner Brothers Digital Distribution.
Working Title to make redundancies

Flagship UK production company Working Title is understood to be making up to six redundancies from its 45-strong workforce.
Writer, critic and festival director Juan Carlos Frugone dies in Spain aged 71

Writer, film critic and festival director Juan Carlos Frugone died at a hospital outside of Madrid on July 7 after losing a battle with cancer. He was 71.

Screen10 July 2009

Screen
10 July 2009