Screen
21 January 2010
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1019 Entertainment eyes April wrap on eco-doc Cool It
X-Men and Fantastic Four producer Ralph Winter and former studio executive Terry Botwick’s fledgling 1019 Entertainment is on schedule to complete filming its first production, the documentary Cool It, in April. -
Aamir Khan, producer, and Anusha Rizvi, writer/director, Peepli Live
Indian superstar and producer Aamir Khan and first-time writer-director Anusha Rizvi talk to Jeremy Kay about the film Peepli Live, which screens in Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. -
Agency Film Tree appoints former Universal marketing chief Gavin Miller
Film Tree, the specialist partnership agency, has appointed former Universal Pictures marketing director Gavin Miller as a partner. -
Anno Saul's The Door wins top prize at Tromso
Anno Saul’s paranormal thriller The Door, starring Mads Mikkelsen, won the top Aurora award at the 20th Tromso International Film Festival in Norway, which ran January 18 -24. -
Ascot Elite takes German-speaking rights to Cortes' Buried
Switzerland’s Ascot Elite Entertainment Group has acquired all German-speaking European rights to Rodrigo Cortes’ Sundance thriller Buried. -
Australian box office rises 15% in best year on record
Australia’s gross box office hit $988m (A$1.09bn) in 2009, up 15% on the previous year, and its best year on record. It is also the first time annual ticket sales have exceeded $907m (A$1bn). -
Austria to fast-track launch of €20m film incentive
The Austrian government is planning to pay out €5m ($7.1m) to film projects this year after ‘fast-tracking’ the introduction of its production incentive. -
Comunications Committee calls for UK camcording law, higher tax relief for low-budget films
The House of Lords report into the future of the UK film industry has recommended raising the level of tax relief available to low-budget films and called for camcording to be made illegal. -
CTCF, UKFC and Working Title support comedy writing competition
A new UK comedy writing competition, supported by the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF), the UK Film Council and Working Title Films, has been launched to help aspiring writers break into the film and television world. -
Czech admissions fall but sales rise on ticket price increase
Cinema admissions in the Czech Republic fell by 3% last year although a rise in ticket prices meant sales revenue rose 2% to $68m (CZK 1.3bn). -
Daniel Bruhl and Paz Vega join the cast of Castro’s Daughter
Daniel Bruhl, Paz Vega and Mia Maestro have joined the cast of Bobby Moresco’s new drama Castro’s Daughter, which will shoot this spring in Puerto Rico. -
Diane Bell, writer/director, Obselidia
Scottish writer/director Diane Bell talks to Jeremy Kay about her first feature Obselidia, which screens in the US dramatic competition at Sundance. -
Digital movie label FilmBuff launches on Babelgum
Cinetic Rights Management’s digital move label FilmBuff has launched a channel on the Babelgum mobile platform. -
Dragon Tattoo takes best film at Sweden's Guldbagge awards
Niels Arden Oplev’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Män Som Hatar Kvinnor) picked up best feature and best actress prizes at Sweden’s Guldbagge Awards last night (January 25). -
E1 acquires US rights to Fellini's classic La Dolce Vita
E1 Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Frederico Fellini’s 1960’s classic La Dolce Vita from International Media Films. -
Germany's Beta Cinema, Media Luna New Films take on Berlin titles
Germany’s Beta Cinema and Media Luna New Films will be handling sales for two new films having their world premieres in the Berlinale’s Forum and Panorama sections next month. -
Giuseppe Tornatore to head international jury at 2010 Rome festival
Giuseppe Tornatore will preside over the international jury at the 2010 Rome Film Festival, which is due to run October 28 – November 5. -
Korean film exports dropped 32.9% in 2009
Korean film exports fell by 32.9% last year, according to new data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). -
Lightning Entertainment adds Soto's Needle to EFM slate
Lightning Entertainment has added supernatural revenge thriller Needle to its European Film Market (EFM) slate. -
Linas Phillips, director, and Thomas Woodrow, producer, Bass Ackwards
Director Linas Phillips and producer Thomas Woodrow talk to Jeremy Kay about Bass Ackwards, which plays in Sundance’s inaugural Next programme. -
Making movies the main event
The lines between producers, distributors and exhibitors are blurring as independents attempt to stand out in a crowded theatrical field with innovative event and selfreleasing strategies. But do the figures add up? Geoffrey Macnab reports -
Man On Wire, In The Loop picked for first UKFC India showcase
James Marsh’s Man On Wire (pictured) and Armando Iannucci’s In The Loop are among the films that have been selected for the UK Film Council’s From Blighty With Love, a showcase aimed at promoting British independent film in India. -
Medienboard director Kirsten Niehuus extends contract until 2014
Kirsten Niehuus, executive director of the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), has extended her contract until 2014. -
Nordic Film Market expects 300 guests as Gothenburg festival opens
The Nordic Film Market has attracted more than 300 industry figures including buyers and sellers, producers and distributors for its next edition, which runs February 4 -7. -
Pathe supports Africa United
Pathe has boarded Africa United, an adventure story based around the 2010 Football World Cup, which will start shooting on February 8 in South Africa, Rwanda and Burundi. -
Phase 4 acquires all US rights to Hugh Hefner doc
Phase 4 Films has acquired all US rights and DVD, VOD, PPV and digital rights in Canada, to the theatrical version of Brigitte Berman’s documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist And Rebel. -
Phuket Film Festival to go ahead in 2010
The second edition of the Phuket Film Festival will go ahead from June 4-13 , following the cancellation of last year’s festival due to the political situation in Thailand. -
Producer Veronica Cura boards comedy Living And Leaving LA
Veronica Cura will produce Marcelo Mitnik’s Living And Leaving L.A, a bilingual comedy set in Los Angeles and Buenos Aires. -
Renee Zellweger, Cornelia Froboess to sit on Berlinale's international jury
Actress Renee Zellweger (pictured), Italian writer-director Francesca Comencini and verteran German actress Cornelia Froboess have been confirmed as members of the international jury at the 60th Berlinale, which will be led by director Werner Herzog. -
Retailer Tesco moves into film production
Retail giant Tesco is making its first move into the world of film production through a partnership with media company Amber Entertainment. -
Spain’s La Zona to produce Madrid bombings feature
Spanish film-maker Enrique Urbizu will tackle the Madrid terrorist bombings in his new drama No habrá Paz Para Los Malvados; while another award-winning local director Achero Mañas is set to make a new family drama with Bellatrix Films. -
Telefilm launches web marketing pilot for French titles
Telefilm Canada is launching a pilot program to encourage film distributors to incorporate social media and online tools in their marketing campaigns. -
The Hurt Locker takes best film prize at PGA awards
The Hurt Locker has regained some lost momentum in the awards season after taking the best feature prize at the annual Producers Guild Of America awards on Sunday night (January 24) in Los Angeles. -
The new internationalist
With ambitious plans to build on Bavaria Film’s successful local film-production activities, the company’s head tells Martin Blaney why he believes international co-productions are the key to its future -
Tim Burton named Cannes jury president
Tim Burton has been named as president of the jury for the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. -
Warner Bros plans UK base at Leavesden
Hollywood studio Warner Bros has applied for planning permission to buy and refurbish Leavesden Studios, with a view to making the studio its permanent UK base.
