Screen
15 Nov 2012
View all stories from this issue.
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Creative England appoints Coghlan and Ingham
Development agency names two new board members. -
First European VoD film festival reveals line-up
The programme has been unveiled for Europe’s first video on demand film festival, which will screen through seven VoD providers. -
German distributors secure AFM deals
Several German distributors returned from this year’s American Film Market with signed and sealed deals for new acquisitions. -
Iran’s Karimi wins Mannheim-Heidelberg awards
Iranian filmmaker Niki Karimi has received the main award and Newcomer of the Year at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival. -
Scarlet Johansson narrates award winning doc for BBC3
A BBC3 documentary narrated by Scarlet Johansson has picked up the Best TV Feature/Documentary at the Foreign Press Association’s Awards. -
2013 Indie Spirits set for Feb 23 in Santa Monica
Film Independent co-presidents Sean McManus and Josh Welsh announced on Thursday (15) that the 28th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be back on the beach in Santa Monica the day before the Oscars in what has become the event’s traditional venue. -
3net unveils maiden film and television slate
Partners Sony, Discovery and IMAX have unveiled the inaugural slate of original 3D and 4K TV series and specials to be produced by its fledgling production arm. -
A common language
Seventy-one films have been submitted for the foreign-language film Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. Screen profiles them all, including festival winners and Kenya’s first ever entry -
A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swan III
Dir/scr: Roman Coppola. US. 2012. 86mins -
A Normal Life
Dir: Mikala Krough. Denmark. 2012. 73mins -
Academy's tech council adds eight new members
Bring the council’s 2012–2013 membership roster to 25. -
AFM buyers seek quality and cast
UPDATED: Buyers may have been reporting high prices but this year’s American Film Market underlined the strength and resourcefulness of the independent space. Jeremy Kay analyses the market. -
Ali Has Blue Eyes
Dir: Claudio Giovannesi. Italy. 2012. 99mins -
Amitabh Bachchan to star in Kabuliwala
EXCLUSIVE: Superstar Amitabh Bachchan is attached to play the lead in French-Afghan filmmaker Atiq Rahimi’s screen adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Kabuliwala. -
Angelina Jolie celebrates The Impossible
Angelina Jolie came out in strong support of her old pal Ewan McGregor by hosting a London screening Sunday night of JA Bayona’s tsunami drama The Impossible. -
Anima Vitae to open Malaysian studio
Finnish animation studio Anima Vitae – the company behind Niko 2 – has signed a joint venture agreement with Malaysia’s Creative Media Point to start a new studio in Kuala Lumpur. -
Anonymous Content, Electric Shepherd sign Philip K Dick deal
The partners have signed a first-look deal to develop film and television versions of the works of iconic sci-fi author Philip K Dick [pictured]. -
Arpa to screen more than 60 films from 17 countries
Ajay Singh’s family film Upside Down are among the films making a West Coast premiere at the Arpa International Film Festival, set to run from Nov 29-Dec 2 in Los Angeles. -
Australian games industry promised $20m at SPAA closing
Australia’s Arts Minister Simon Crean has promised $20.7m (A$20m) over three years for an Australian interactive games fund, urging the industry to help set up the fund so that it will be of most assistance. -
Bahman Ghobadi calls on Iran to release brother
Behrouz Ghobadi, a production manager and short film director, is believed to have been detained by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, accused of acting against national security. -
Bellocchio planning opera and period drama
EXCLUSIVE: Marco Bellocchio developing 16th century drama and feature version of opera Pagliacci. -
Benton, Brunskill launch SUMS with interactive thriller Phone Book
EXCLUSIVE: Angus Wall will direct segments of the interactive feature from Raw Shark Texts author Steven Hall. -
Berlinale to highlight Weimar Cinema influence
The Berlin International Film Festival’s retrospective strand for its 2013 edition is set to focus on Weimar-era films produced after 1933, when the Nazis had taken control of the German film industry and forced film-makers to fall in line with the regime. -
Beyond Film Bazaar
With the NFDC’s production initiatives steaming ahead, the government body has turned its attention to distribution and industry development. Liz Shackleton reports -
Bliss, Film Base Berlin board Nair's Umrika
Jim Birmant of Paris-based Bliss and Mathias Schwerbrock of Film Base Berlin have boarded Indian-born director Prashant Nair’s new project Umrika as co-producers. -
Bloody Daughter
Dir: Stephanie Argerich. France-Switzerland. 2012. 94mins -
Bullet To The Head
Dir: Walter Hill. US. 2012. 92mins -
Caper crusader
It took producer Mike Lobell more than a decade to get Gambit into production, traversing a range of potential backers, film-makers and stars before aligning the Coen brothers, Michael Hoffman, Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz. He tells Jeremy Kay why it has been an ‘amazing education’ -
Carbone, Edmands, Collins win at US in Progress in Wroclaw
Companies in attendance included Urban Distribution, Wild Bunch, K5, and Artificial Eye. -
Cassadega to kick off Archstone Distribution 2013 slate
Horror [pictured] stars Kelen Coleman and Kevin Alejandro. -
Cate Shortland’s Lore wins four Stockholm stallions
Australian writer-director Cate Shortland picked up an armful of prizes at the 23rd Stockholm International Film Festival for her post-war drama Lore. -
CBS Films hires Scott Derrickson for Deus Ex; snaps up Last Exorcism sequel
In a big day for the distributor, top brass announced on Thursday (15) that Derrickson will direct the adaptation Deus Ex: Human Revolution based on the smash video game franchise. Earlier in the day CBS Films said it has acquired US rights from StudioCanal to The Last Exorcism Part II. -
China box office monthly round-up: Bait 3D makes surprise attack
Bait 3D, Huayi Brothers’ Tai Chi films and The Bourne Legacy all took a bite out of the China box office in October. -
China Lion to release Back To 1942 in North America
China Lion Film Distribution has announced that it will release Feng Xiaogang’s Back To 1942 in the US and Canada on Nov 30, day-and-date with its mainland China release. -
Chopra's Broken Horses starts shooting with D'Onofrio
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s first English-language film, Broken Horses, has started shooting in Los Angeles with Vincent D’Onofrio [pictured], Anton Yelchin and Chris Marquette heading the cast. -
Christie launches Solaria One projector for emerging markets, community cinemas
Projector delivers DCI-compliant images at 8,000 lumens within the DCI colour space and 10,000 lumens when presenting alternative content. -
Comisky, Hays and Neuman to deliver keynotes at 3D Stereo MEDIA
Fourth European Forum for stereoscopic 3D will take place in Liège, Belgium in December. -
De Niro: still a contender
Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro told audiences at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival that he has no plans of retiring from film-making.“I don’t see myself stopping really at this point,” he said.De Niro identified Raging Bull and The Deer Hunter as two of the most challenging films of his long career and said Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper and Leo DiCaprio were among the young talent that he would like to work with again.When asked what advice he would give to -
Dead Man's Burden
Dir/scr: Jared Moshé. US. 2012. 93mins -
Deauville Green Awards call for entries
Organisers are calling for eligible institutional films, advertising campaigns and television documentaries to enter the second annual Deauville Green Awards. -
Disney to launch movies on demand in Spain
The Walt Disney Company and streaming service Wuaki.tv have joined forces to offer movies on demand in Spain. -
Distribution: Paramount plots Montreal launch for Cirque Du Soleil
Paramount Pictures will release Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away in Montréal on Dec 7 in what will be the 3D event’s first North American launch. Separately, Screen Media has taken US rights to Secret Disco Revolution. -
Dogwoof acquires Ken Loach’s Spirit of ‘45
Deal secured with producers Sixteen Films and Fly Film. -
Dogwoof collars international partnerships
UK doc distributor Dogwoof has struck a series of new partnerships with distributors around the world. -
Doha Film Institute offers 27 grants including to filmmakers such as El Batout, Allouache
Global film finance and local finance also discussed at DTFF panel. -
Doha Tribeca Film Festival opens in style
The fourth annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival opened with style and glamour at the weekend with a gala screening of Mira Nair’s film The Reluctant Fundamentalist, co-funded by the Doha Film Institute, and a lavish party at the Souq Waquif, one of the city’s leading cultural spots. -
Dolph Lundgren to receive Swedish-American honour
The veteran action star will collect the 2012 Eliason Merit Award at a ceremony on Nov 30 in Los Angeles. -
Drug War
Dir: Johnnie To. Hong Kong-China. 2012. 105mins -
Elstree gets £2m investment for new film and TV facilities
Elstree gets £2m investment for £4.5m growth plan; will host a number of BBC’s “most popular shows” from 2013. -
Essential Media to finance Joffe’s Violet Town
Mark Joffe’s Violet Town is one of several films being financed at Essential Media and Entertainment, the production company last night awarded the Independent Producer of the Year Award by the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA). -
Europa International to hold first conference on Nov 24
Topics include new ways of distributing and promoting films; speakers to include Ted Hope [pictured], Ryan Werner, and Marieke Jonker. -
Final four teams for Triangle development scheme unveiled
Managed by Screen Yorkshire and Northern Film & Media, the national film development scheme will see each project receive £5,000 funding from Creative England. -
Fog Cutter Films lines up 2013 maiden shoot
The newly formed production company will start principal photography next year on psychological thriller The Revolution Of Jenny Speck. -
Foreign intrigue
The worries with the foreign-language Oscar race. -
Fox to produce Hindi remake of Knight And Day
Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh has confirmed the studio will produce a Hindi remake of Fox’s 2010 action comedy Knight And Day, with Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif heading the cast. -
Gained in translation
What does a foreign-language film prize mean at the box office? Ian Sandwell explores recent winners’ records -
Germany drafts new VoD regulations
Angela Merkel’s coalition cabinet has greenlit new regulations concerning video-on-demand (VoD) services in the draft German Film Law (FFG) that would come into effect from the beginning of 2014. -
Glasgow fest unveils three new strands
The ninth Glasgow Film Festival is to introduce a strand looking at the big-screen appeal of video games; a retrospective on James Cagney; and a focus on new cinema from Brazil. -
Global partners tuck into Lunchbox
EXCLUSIVE: Indian filmmaker Ritesh Batra has lined up a host of international collaborators for his debut feature The Lunchbox (Dabba), a co-production between France’s ASAP Films, Germany’s rohfilm, New York-based Cine Mosaic and India’s Anurag Kashyap Films. -
Good Universe, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert partner on Angelfall
Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane will serve as executive producers on the young adult property after they joined producers and longtime collaborators Raimi [pictured] and Tapert to acquire multi-picture rights to Susan Ee’s bestselling series. -
Grindstone takes US for Among Friends
Danielle Harris makes directing debut on horror comedy. -
Hard Drive commences shooting in Halifax
Production is underway in Halifax, Canada, on the coming-of-age drama Hard Drive. -
HBO Europe names COO
Will Harrison has been appointed to the new position of chief operating officer for HBO Europe. -
Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt talks to Jeremy Kay about playing a sex surrogate in The Sessions. -
Helen Hunt to receive Palm Springs honour
The 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Helen Hunt with the Spotlight Award at its awards gala on Jan 5. -
Icelandic Film Centre set for investment boost
The IFC will receive nearly $4m extra investment annually if proposals are passed by Parliament. -
ICG president Steven Poster on cinematographers in a digital universe
ScreenTech talks to Steven Poster about the cinematographer’s place in a new digital landscape. -
IDFA director: Dutch cuts are “a slap in the face”
The world’s biggest doc bazaar International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) marked the beginning of its 25th edition last night (Wednesday) with a fiery speech from festival founder and director Ally Derks. -
IFC Films acquires US rights to As Cool As I Am
EXCLUSIVE: Claire Danes, James Marsden, Sarah Bolger and Thomas Mann star in the tale of the teenage daughter of young parents who escapes her turbulent life by watching cookery shows. -
IMAX Corporation, Warner Bros sign three-year deal
The partners said on Thursday (15) that they will release up to 20 Warner Bros films on IMAX over the period, extending the core partnership that began in 2003. -
India’s international horizons
Now in its sixth year, Goa’s Film Bazaar co-production market (Nov 21-24) has become a key plank in the National Film Development Corporation’s strategy to revitalise Indian cinema. Liz Shackleton reports -
India's Everymedia makes indie marketing move
Nikhil Garth D’Rozario, former business head of India’s DAR Media, has teamed with Gautam Thakkar of EveryMedia Technologies to start a boutique entertainment marketing agency. -
Insidious 2 sets US release date
FilmDistrict, Alliance Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will bring the horror sequel to theatres from Aug 30, 2013. -
Iron Sky's Timo Vuorensola to direct sci-fi Jeremiah Harm
Film is based on a BOOM! Studios graphic novel of the same name written by industry veterans Keith Giffen and Alan Grant. -
James Corden signs for Working Title comedy School for Santas
Working Title and Kris Thykier to produce script from One Man, Two Guvnors writer Richard Bean. -
Jarecki adopts “grassroots” release for The House I Live In
US director Eugene Jarecki has spoken about the grassroots campaign for documentary The House I Live In - and the part that Brad Pitt has taken in promoting the film. -
Judge Archer
Dir: Xu Haofeng. China. 2012. 95mins -
Julien Temple’s Rio doc to feature Ronnie Biggs
Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs is to appear in a new documentary about the city of Rio, directed by Julien Temple. -
Larrain’s No wins at first Baja International Film Festival
Pablo Larrain’s Chilean foreign language Oscar submission, No, prevailed in the International Feature Competition at the weekend (17) as the four-day event came to a close in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos. -
Larry Clark’s Marfa Girl wins Rome’s top prize
E La Chiamano Estate, booed by critics earlier in festival, takes two awards; Jessica Krummacher wins €30,000 Eurimages development prize. -
Las Palmas receives online release
Swedish director Johannes Nyholm releases his short [pictured] online, together with making of documentary. -
Lischak, Nathanson appointed co-presidents of OddLot
OddLot Entertainment has promoted long-time company executive Bill Lischak and hired Michael Nathanson to lead the production company as co-presidents. -
Looper closes in on $100m at international box office
EXCLUSIVE: Endgame Entertainment’s sci-fi thriller has amassed $96.6m through FilmNation licensees and co-producer and co-financier DMG Entertainment in China. -
Magnolia takes North American rights to A Hijacking
TrustNordisk sells Tobias Lindholm’s drama. -
Marco Mueller says his first edition of Rome was 'successful' but could have used more investment
EXCLUSIVE: In the wake of a turbulent first edition, Rome festival director vows cheaper tickets and fewer films in 2013, expects to be back for two more years. -
Miami Fest to honour Lasse Hallstrom, Fernando Trueba
The Swedish and Spanish masters will each receive career achievement tributes at the 30th Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), scheduled to take place from Mar 1-10. -
Momentary Lapse Of Reason to start shooting in January
Aditya Bhattacharya will start shooting A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, an English-language remake of his 1988 cult classic Raakh, in Hyderabad in January. -
Moodysson awarded $1.6m from Swedish Film Institute
Lukas Moodysson and UK writer-director Duane Hopkins were among the beneficiaries from the Swedish Film Institute’s latest round of production funding. -
Mussels In Love
Dir/scr: W.J.A. Kluijfhout. Netherlands. 2012. 76mins -
Naomi Watts to receive PSIFF Desert Palm honour
The star of The Impossible has earned strong Oscar buzz for her performance as a tsunami survivor. Watts will collect the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival gala on Jan 5. -
Nordic Film Fest line-up revealed
The inaugural Nordic Film Festival has unveiled its programme, comprising 11 independent productions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. -
Norton Herrick joins Lone Survivor producers roster
Herrick [pictured] has come on board to produce Peter Berg’s action tale, which Mark Damon’s Foresight Unlimited introduced to international buyers in Cannes. -
Olympusat 360 broadens restoration services
Television network developer and distributor Olympusat has announced its production and restoration facility, Olympusat 360. -
Pawel Pawlikowski begins first Polish language feature
EXCLUSIVE: Fandango Portobello to handle sales on writer-director Pawlikowski’s [pictured] drama Sister of Mercy, Le Pacte takes French rights. -
Peapie, Anonymous Content, Embankment on board Swedish serial killer story
Agnieszka Lukasiak to direct. -
PGA to bestow Selznick honour on Working Title
Co-chairmen Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will receive the Producers Guild Of America’s (PGA) 2013 David O Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures. -
Plus Camerimage to honour Harris Savides
Gus Van Sant will accept the award on behalf of the late cinematographer. -
Production wraps on The Girl From Nagasaki
The husband-and-wife team of Michel Comte and Ayako Yoshida updates Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly. -
Promised Land
Dir: Gus Van Sant. US. 2012. 106mins -
Rama Burshtein
Rama Burshtein is the first Orthodox Jewish woman in Israel to make a feature film for a non-Orthodox audience. But she says Fill The Void is about feelings, not religion. Wendy Mitchell meets the director -
RealD chosen for Hobbit premieres
Attendees at premieres in New Zealand and London will receive specially branded RealD 3D glasses in dark green plastic. -
Remstar Films picks up Dallas Buyers Club
Montreal-based Remstar Films has acquired Canadian rights to Dallas Buyers Club. -
Roast Beef to tell the story of Pussy Riot
Roast Beef Productions, the UK indie behind Afghan Star, is working on a feature doc about Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot. -
Roman Coppola
Roman Coppola talks to Screen about his new film A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III and how he found working with his old friend Charlie Sheen. -
Russian film industry facing cuts
The Russian government may slash benefits to the national film industry if the box office share of domestic features falls below 18.2%. -
Screen International to be published by Media Business Insight
Conor Dignam (pictured) will lead new media company running Screen International, Broadcast and shots. -
Searching For Bill
Dir: Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Denmark. 2012. 75mins -
Seattle festival receives $150,000 Academy grant
The multi-year award will allow Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) top brass to develop its African Pictures programme and showcase emerging talent from the continent. -
Shoot date set for Killing Winston Jones
RadioactiveGiant is to commence shooting on Killing Winston Jones on Nov 26 in Savannah, Georgia. -
Shooting begins on innovative Dutch feature App
Film is the first in the world to be supported with a synchronised second screen application for inside the cinema. -
Sir Michael Gambon and Jude Law to be honoured at BIFAs
15th British Independent Film Awards take place at Old Billingsgate on Dec 9. -
Smash & Grab
Dir: Havana Marking. UK. 2012. 90mins -
Spitfire Pictures hires Michael Fassbender to narrate 1
The acclaimed actor [pictured] has narrated the upcoming Grand Prix documentary from Exclusive Media’s Spitfire Pictures label. -
Stockholm International Film Festival
This year’s festival showcased more than 170 films from over 50 countries. -
Sundance names Sarah Pearce and Laurie Hopkins co-MDs
The executives will report to Sundance Institute executive director Keri Putnam and will be situated in Park City, Utah. -
Technicolor, Contenido Alternativo team up for Latin American distribution
The venture will cover digital cinema drive replication as well as distribution fulfillment and support for the region. -
The Conspiracy sells well for XYZ, Celluloid Nightmares
EXCLUSIVE: Christopher MacBride’s Fantastic Fest hit [pictured] also played at Sitges and has closed in several major markets. -
The Gang Of The Jotas
Dir/scr: Marjane Satrapi. France. 2012. 74mins -
The Hunt claims Leeds fest award
Danish drama The Hunt took home the Leeds International Film Festival Audience Award at the close of the annual event. -
The Motel Life
Dir: Alan & Gabriel Polsky. US. 2012. 95mins -
The Sugar Bowl wins at Aesthetica
Second edition screened over 200 international short films, as well as hosting masterclasses with industry professionals that were attended by over 1,000 people. -
The Twitter life of 'Michael Haneke'
Auteur theory goes viral…with an emphasis on cats and fart jokes. -
The Wee Man
Dir/scr: Ray Burdis. UK. 2012. 102 mins -
TLA Releasing launches Italian distribution arm
LGBT film distributor TLA Releasing has launched a new distribution arm in Italy. -
Tremor FX cinema seat vibration tech fills first order
Caribbean Cinemas will be the first movie theatre in the world to adopt Tremor FX active theatre seats [pictured]. -
Twilight finale prepares to sink teeth into global box office
UPDATE: The final episode in the franchise had reached more than $162.2m worldwide by Saturday (17), Lionsgate sources said. The number includes approximately $91m from 61 territories and $71.2m from the opening day in North America, which includes $30.4m from Thursday midnight shows for the sixth biggest opening day in history. -
Twilight on course to cross $350m in second session
Lionsgate International top brass expect The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 to dominate the arena yet again as they look to build on the running total, now well over $200m. Separately, Pixar’s Brave has crossed $300m. -
Twilight rules int'l on $199.6m as Sony crosses $4bn global
Summit’s record breaker Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 arrived on 12,812 screens in 61 territories through Lionsgate International for an estimated $199.6m opening weekend. -
Twilight scores $141.3m US debut; Lionsgate reaches $1bn
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 arrived on $141.3m for the second biggest launch in the Twilight franchise just behind New Moon’s $142.8m set exactly three years ago. -
Twilight sinks its fangs into Skyfall at UK box office
Climactic instalment of eOne’s Twilight saga topples Skyfall with $25.1m (£15.8m) debut - the highest of the series. -
Up There, Angels’ Share win Scottish Baftas
Afterlife comedy Up There and Ken Loach’s The Angels’ Share both claimed a brace of awards at the Scottish Baftas. -
Walking in a Magical Funland
Paramount mark the release of Rise of the Guardians with a film-themed attraction in Leicester Square.
