Screen
26 July 2012

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Assassin’s Bullet

Dir: Isaac Florentine. US. 2012. 91mins
DKR reaches $252m for Warner Bros Pictures Int’l

UPDATE: The distributor confirmed on Monday morning (30) that The Dark Knight Rises added $126.2m over the weekend and drew approximately 18m admissions from 17,200 screens in 57 markets.
I Am Eleven

Dir: Genevieve Bailey. Australia. 2011. 94mins
IFTA announces schedule for five-day AFM Conference

Topics for the second annual conference include finance, pitches, marketing, VoD and micro-budget. The AFM is set to take place in Santa Monica from Oct 31-Nov 7.
Memento racks up sales on Craig Zobel’s Compliance

EXCLUSIVE: PictureWorks takes India and AT Entertainment, Japan ahead of controversial picture’s international premiereat the Locarno Film Festival.
New Horizons awards go to Thursday Till Sunday, Donoma, Punk Syndrome

Festival presents 469 films over 11 days; Fipresci prize goes to Neighbouring Sounds by Brazil’s Kleber Mendonca. Polish-Indian co-production talks becomes reality.
Noseland

Dir: Aleksey Igudesman. Austria. 2011. 82mins
Paris-Manhattan

Dir/scr: Sophie Lellouche. France. 2011. 79mins
Redemption Street

Dir: Miroslav Terzic. Serbia. 2012. 97mins
The King is Dead!

Dir/scr: Rolf de Heer. Australia. 2011. 102mins
16 film-making teams selected for iFeatures 2

Teams include Jonathan Entwistle, Dominic Buchanan, Samm Haillay, Simon Ellis, and Martin Radich.
22 titles selected for New Horizons' Polish Days

New films by Wajda, Folman, Zulawski are among the films to be presented at new industry initiative Polish Days in Wroclaw.
A Little Bit Zombie

Dir: Casey Walker. Canada. 2011. 88mins
Academy rings changes on campaign rules, screeners

The board of governors announced on Wednesday (25) material changes in the way companies will be allowed to promote films and talent to voting members this upcoming season..
Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Prodns names key hires

Stacey Offman arrives at the New York-based company as vp of development and production while Dave Snyder is appointed vp of development.
Alexis Alexanian voted as NYWFT president

The New York Women in Film & Television have elected Alexis Alexanian to serve as president and voted in five new board members.
All The Wrong Reasons starts production in Halifax

Myriad Pictures handles international sales outside Canada on the drama about the aftermath of traumatic stress on four intersecting lives.
Amanda Plummer joins Lionsgate’s Catching Fire

She will play Wiress in the follow-up, set for release on Nov 22, 2013.
Andy Horn named to new role of Academy CFO

Horn has served as the Academy’s controller since he joined in 2001 and since that time has managed the organisation’s daily financial activities.
Anne Archer boards Andrew Levitas debut feature Lullaby

Jessica Barden and Daniel Sunjata will also join previously announced Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard and Amy Adams.
Appetite for local fare in Norway down in 2012

Norwegian films have lost 59.3% of their audience in the first half of 2012 in their home territory.
Arbitrage to open San Sebastian Film Festival

Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere will attend the opening night gala screening.
Arclight, Wrenn launch distribution outfit Greenlight

Arclight Films owners Gary Hamilton and Victor Syrmis and Arclight’s local managing director Michael Wrenn are launching an Australian distribution outfit, Greenlight Releasing, which will begin ushering films into cinemas early next year.
Asura, Chitrangada to bookend revived Osian’s Cinefan

Japanese filmmaker Keiichi Sato’s Asura, about a young boy abandoned following a natural disaster, will open this year’s Osian’s Cinefan (July 27-August 5), while Rituparno Ghosh’s Chitrangada will close the ten-day event.
Avid announces Avid DS 11 platform

The latest version accelerates high-end content creation workflows with a colour correction feature, expanded hardware and file format support and a resolution independent canvas.
Ballad Of The Weeping Spring

Dir: Benny Toraty. Israel. 2012. 105mins
Batman finale sets $160.9m 2D domestic launch record

UPDATE: The Dark Knight Rises opened on $160.9m according to results reported by Warner Bros on Monday (23), one day later than usual due to the tragedy at a midnight screening of the film in Colorado last Friday.
Bavaria boosts film fund for international productions

The increasing competition between the German Länder to attract film productions to their respective regions has taken on a new dimension this week with Bavaria’s introduction of a € 6m dedicated programme for international productions over the next two years .
BBC Worldwide partners with See-Saw Films

BBC Worldwide has signed a first look deal with the fledgling television arm of The King’s Speech and Shame co-producer See-Saw Films.
BBCW eyes VoD push after Netflix buys Call the Midwife

BBC Worldwide has sold period drama hit Call The Midwife to US video-on-demand service Netflix and has identified major opportunities in the global digital market.
BBFC to adopt tougher line on unclassified video content, Black Swan most complained about film in cinemas last year

British film censor also commissions new research into sexual violence in film, partly due to controversial horror films The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) and The Bunny Game.
BECTU, PACT negotiating employment reform amid rising tide of crew unrest

EXCLUSIVE: 100 UK hair and makeup artists join union BECTU after turbulent Les Miserables shoot, described by one as “the final straw”; 52 location managers band together.
Bekmambetov options UK action script

EXCLUSIVE: UK writer-director Faisal A Qureshi wins $10,000 pitching prize at third Astana International Action Film Festival in Kazakhstan.
Berlinale World Cinema Fund awards €157,000 in grants

The Berlinale World Cinema Fund has awarded five projects a total of €157,000 in its latest round of funding.
BFC appoints Kattie Kotok as executive vice president US production

She fills the role previously held by Andy Weltman who left in March to head up Pinewood’s LA office.
BFI's Hitchcock season to close with The Manxman with LFF gala

The film will screen in the Archive Gala slot at the BFI London Film Festival.
Blanc Biehn, Valladares Films to remake Hidden In The Woods

The news follows hot on the heels of the recent premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival of Blanc Biehn’s thriller The Victim.
Bong Joon-ho wraps Snow Piercer in Prague

Director of The Host Bong Joon-ho has wrapped shooting what looks to be Korea’s most expensive film to date, Snow Piercer.
Breck Eisner to direct Stretch Armstrong for Relativity

The action story based on the Hasbro property is earmarked for release in the US on Apr 11, 2014 and will open internationally through Relativity’s global network of distribution partners.
Brendan Fraser, Annabelle Wallis to star in comedy-western In with the Outlaws

EXCLUSIVE: Fraser and The Tudors and Pan Am star Wallis headline cast including Peter Fonda and Danny Trejo; comedy-western set to shoot at Shepperton from September.
Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch join The Grand Seduction

Don McKellar will direct the $12.7m project from a screenplay by Michael Dowse and Ken Scott who wrote the original French film, Le Grande Seduction. Alliance Films holds Canadian rights and Voltage Pictures is the international sales agent.
British film-maker Nataasha van Kampen dies, aged 28

The step daughter of actor Mark Rylance had attended the London Film School.
Broken wins Odessa audience grand prix, Golden Duke

UK director Rufus Norris’ feature debut Broken starring Tim Roth (pictured), Cillian Murphy and Rory Kinnear has won Odessa International Film Festival’s (OIFF) Grand Prix, the Golden Duke statuette and $15,000 in prize money.
Busan partners with Al Jazeera on doc support

The Busan film festival’s Asian Network of Documentary (AND) is partnering with Al Jazeera English (AJE) on documentary scheme Viewfinder: Asia (working title).
BVA report: video still "the single biggest revenue source" for UK film and TV production

BVA report indicates that UK consumers spent £2.3bn on video last year, more than that spent on cinema and music combined; online spend growing but still only a fraction of total spend, which is declining.
CASHét Card launches in US; offers cash rebate

Film and TV producers are entitled to a 1% cash rebate on every dollar spent on the production without limit through the customised MasterCard. The card will soon expand beyond US borders.
Cast including Jennifer Morrison starts shoot for Event 15 in Los Angeles

Matthew Thompson is directing for Ipso Facto Films.
CBS Films snaps up feature rights to Deus Ex

Roy Lee and Adrian Askarieh are attached to produce the adaptation of the smash video game with John P Middleton on board as executive producer.
Chan starts work on American Dreams

Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Ho-sun Chan has started shooting his next directorial project following Wu Xia, a drama entitled American Dreams In China.
Charlotte Rampling to receive Locarno's Excellence Award

The festival will screen three of her works including the recent I, Anna, directed by her son Barnaby Southcombe.
China box office up 37% in first half of 2012

China’s box office reached $1.19bn (RMB7.55bn) in the first six months of 2012, a 37% increase over the same period in 2011.
China release date for Dark Knight still unconfirmed

While The Dark Knight Rises tears up the box office in other international territories, its release date in China remains uncertain, although the film has passed censorship and was originally scheduled for a late August release.
China's YOU On Demand inks deal with Paramount

Titles including Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol [pictured], Transformers and No Country For Old Men available to view for YOU On Demand customers as part of the deal.
Chris Fetner named Netflix director of content partner operations

The executive will be based at the company’s Beverly Hills offices and will manage all aspects of the digital supply chain.
Cinedeck will debut new recorder at IBC

Cinedeck will showcase the new Cinedeck MX multi-channel recorder at IBC in September in its first European appearance. The New York based company will also show the latest versions of its Cinedeck RX Broadcast and RX Cine/444 and the Cinedeck EX.
Cinedigm acquires US rights to Journey documentary

The company will release Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey in theatres, on VoD and premium digital platforms in spring 2013.
Cinedigm names Bob Fiorella evp, corporate chief strategy officer / entertainment

Fiorella will report to Cinedigm chairman and CEO Chris McGurk and COO Adam Mizel.
Cinedigm, ARC partner on Nitro Circus The Movie 3D

The performance film about the cutting-edge action sport collective is set to open nationwide in theatres on Aug 8.
Cinedigm, Brazil’s Cinesystem strike digital film deal

The LA-based company reported that its Theatre Command Center TMS solution has been installed at Cinesystem’s five-screen theatre in Hortolandia in the state of Sao Paulo.
Cinemex inks deal with AAM

Deal for digital upgrade covers Mexican exhibitor’s 2,000 screens.
Cineplexx acquires Planet TUS cinemas in Slovenia

Austrian exhibitor also announces new screens in Macedonia and Serbia.
Claire Oakley's Physics wins Film London's Best of Boroughs jury prize

Gurinder Chadha presented the awards ceremony.
Clash of the titans

World-renowned cigar smokers Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated Thursday’s Comic-Con panel for The Expendables 2 as they regaled Hall H attendees with war stories.
Clip wins Bauer Award, The Delay gets Motovun Propeller

Serbian festival hit receives best regional film award, while the Uruguayan drama wins main international competition at 14th Motovun Film Festival.
Cockneys Vs. Zombies, Dredd, Tower Block among first wave of Fantastic Fest programming

Eighth edition of Texas-based genre festival runs Sept 20-27.
Cohen Media Group takes domestic rights to The Attack

EXCLUSIVE: The distributor has acquired US and Canadian theatrical and festival rights to Ziad Doueiri’s drama, which as announced on Tuesday will screen as a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Comic-Con: Hobbit, Superman, Django wow crowds

Peter Jackson showed more than 12 minutes of footage from his two Hobbit films to close out an extravagant Warner Bros / Legendary Pictures presentation in Hall H on Saturday (14).
Comic-Con: Kick-Ass 2 on runway for September shoot

UPDATE: Christopher Mintz-Plasse told Hall H attendees on Friday morning (13) that he will reprise his role in Marv Films’ action sequel, adding that “hopefully” it will commence production in September.
Comic-Con: Marvel Studios reveals scheduling line-up

Thor: The Dark World will open on Nov 8 2013 while Captain America: Winter Soldier is set for Apr 4 2014.
Comic-Con: Resident Evil sparks sequel talk, Elysium mesmerises

Paul WS Anderson hinted at a sixth Resident Evil episode during a rousing Sony session that featured spectacular first-look footage from Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 follow-up Elysium as well as reels from Rian Johnson’s Looper and Len Wiseman’s Total Recall reboot.
Comic-Con: Schwarzenegger confirms Twins sequel

The former Governor of California (pictured at a previous Comic-Con) revealed on a Day One panel in San Diego that Universal Pictures and Ivan Reitman are on board and have begun the search for a writer.
Comic-Con: Universal greenlights The World's End

The third film in Edgar Wright’s comedy trilogy follows 2004’s Shaun Of The Dead and 2007’s Hot Fuzz. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will star.
Creative England launches £1m multiplatform TV fund

Creative England has put a £1m fund up for grabs for small and medium sized businesses based outside of London looking to develop multiplatform TV services.
Creative Europe, Eurimages on Ukraine's agenda

The European Union’s planned Creative Europe framework programme should be made accessible for the EU Neighbourhood countries, according to professionals from Ukraine and Moldova.
Creative Skillset lines up sixth Animation and VFX Showcase

The annual event will see up and coming talent in the world of animation and visual effects displaying their work to future employers.
Crossing Boundaries

Dir/scr: Florian Flicker. Austria. 2012. 90mins
Dada Films picks up US rights to Excuse Me For Living

MJ Peckos and Steven Raphael’s distributor will release the rom-com on Oct 12 in theatres and VoD. Osiris Entertainment has acquired TV and DVD rights.
Dailan Wanda eyes takeover of AMC by August end

The parties confirmed on Wednesday (25) they had received “all necessary regulatory approvals” in the US and China for the planned acquisition.
Daniel Radcliffe speaks The F Word for eOne

Entertainment One Films has acquired international rights to the rom-com and will distribute in the UK and Canada. UTA and Jamie Feldman represent US rights.
Daniel Radcliffe to grow Horns for Red Granite, Mandalay

The British actor faces his darkest role yet in the supernatural thriller. Red Granite is financing and will co-produce with Mandalay Pictures and Alexandre Aja will direct.
Danny Boyle's Olympics opening ceremony draws 27m viewers in UK

Danny Boyle’s near-universally acclaimed opening ceremony scored the biggest UK TV ratings in 14 years; James Bond, Chariots Of Fire, The Queen feature in opening ceremony.
Dante Spinotti, Bill Condon among new Academy governors

Cinematography branch representative Dante Spinotti, Lisa Cholodenko for the directors branch, executive Dick Cook, effects artist John Knoll, sound technician Scott Millan and Bill Condon of the writers branch are the six first-timer governors voted on to the board.
Dark Knight Rises dominates in Australia, South Korea

UPDATE: By early Friday morning (20) the film had grossed $10.4m from nine countries through Warner Bros Pictures International including a $3.8m opening day in Australia from 628 screens. The numbers however will be overshadowed by the shooting tragedy at a screening in Colorado on Thursday night (see separate story.)
Demarest, China’s E Stars board Reliance / IM Global’s Paranoia

Robert Luketic is set to start shooting the $40m thriller on Friday (20). Liam Hemsworth (pictured), Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford and Amber Heard star. Relativity Media holds US rights.
DeVon Franklin named Columbia svp production

Franklin will work with all of film divisions within the Sony Pictures fold and his next project will be the adaptation of bestseller Heaven Is For Real.
Diana El Jeiroudi and Orwa Nyrabia honoured with Katrin Cartlidge Award

They were presented with the award by Jeremy Irons.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Dir: David Bowers. US. 2012. 94mins
Diego Luna to attend inaugural LondonMexFest

The first LondonMexFest will take place August 17-19.
Disney sets Nov 9 US release date for Lincoln biopic

In what will come as no surprise, Steven Spielberg’s Abraham Lincoln drama has been thrust into the heart of awards season.
Distribution round-up: Drafthouse strikes digital pact with Distrify

The deal connects consumers with content creators in a communal VoD platform and kicks off on Jul 27 with the comedy Klown, about an ill-fated Danish canoe trip.
DKR holds strong on $64m in second US session

Warner Bros’ The Dark Knight Rises stayed top with ease thanks to an estimated $64.1m weekend haul that boosted the running total to $289.1m.
Dolby Laboratories acquires immersive audio competitor IMM Sound

IMM Sound’s immersive audio technology includes both theatre systems and audio post technology with their Immersive Audio Workstation mixing console.
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax fails to uproot The Dark Knight Rises at the UK box office

Warner Bros.’ epic retains top spot and crosses the £30m mark, while Universal’s animation opens in second; Searching For Sugar Man takes $108,000 on debut.
Drafthouse picks up Australian shocker Wake In Fright

Ted Kotcheff’s nightmarish tale of a stranded British teacher’s torment at the hands of an Outback gang played in selection in Cannes in 1971 before Martin Scorsese brought a restored version back to the Croisette in 2009.
DreamWorks Animation buys Classic Media

The $155m transaction brings properties such as Lassie and Casper under CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg’s control.
Durban FilmMart wraps with development, production grants and festival invites

Best Feature Film Project goes to Jambula Tree; some projects on their way to IDFA, Rotterdam.
Ecuador’s SuperCines inks deal with AAM, Cinevise

Deal covers 150 screens, marks AAM’s first deal in Ecuador.
Emma Pemberton joins UPIE as VP international new release marketing

She joins from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Emmett / Furla, Envision raise another $275m

The partners made the announcement on Monday (30) with the likes of EFM hit 2 Guns, Lone Survivor and Motor City in the pipeline.
Entertainment One revenues up 16%

Peppa Pig distributor Entertainment One has seen revenue grow by 16% from 1 April until this month.
EuropaCorp signs distribution pact with China's Fundamental Films

First picture due for release in Mainland China under the deal will be Luc Besson’s upcoming Malavita.
Fantasia wraps inaugural Industry Rendez-Vous

Two deals already announced from co-production market; over 250 attendees over the four-day period.
Film 4.0 to support online collaborative art project This Exquisite Forest

The scheme is aimed at bringing together artists and the wider creative community to allow people to create short animations.
Film Agency for Wales appoints Gubbins as chair

He replaces Peter Edwards, whose term ends this summer.
FilmClub secures £2.5m in BFI lottery funding

The injection of funding will go towards sustaining FilmClub’s activities in UK schools until March next year.
Filmmaker Chris Marker dies, aged 91

Marker worked with the likes of Alain Resnais and Yves Montand.
Florian Flicker

Screen talks to Austrian director Florian Flicker, whose fifth feature Crossing Boundaries world premieres at the Sarajevo Film festival this week.
Freestyle Digital Media, Hawaii Film Partners Distribution find Bride

The partners will release the action-packed comedy-romance You May Not Kiss The Bride starring Katharine McPhee, Dave Annable, Rob Schneider and Mena Suvari.
Gael Garcia Bernal to receive Locarno's Excellence Award

The Mexican actor will join Charlotte Rampling as a second recipient of the Locarno Film Festival’s Excellence Award this year.
Gaga to handle sales on Warner Bros’ Rurouni Kenshin

Japan’s Gaga Corporation will handle international sales, excluding Japan and North America, of Warner Brothers Pictures Japan production Rurouni Kenshin.
Galway winners include Good Vibrations, Citadel, Earthbound, The Parade

Good Vibrations picks up the Galway Film Fleadh Best Irish Feature Award, Ciaran Foy and Alan Brennan jointly win Best First Irish Feature.
German co-financier of Traffic and Gangs Of New York making first foray into local production

EXCLUSIVE: Splendid Medien, the Cologne-based co-financier of such US mainstream films as Traffic and Gangs Of New York, is set to make its first foray into local German production this autumn.
Getting into the groove

Sean Rowley’s hugely popular UK club night Guilty Pleasures is expanding into film.
GFM Films takes on Blowback

London-based company to handle sales on Kimble Rendall’s [pictured] thriller.
Godfrey Gao joins cast of Mortal Instruments

Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao has been cast as 800-year-old warlock Magnus Bane in the feature adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, produced by Constantin Film and Unique Pictures.
Gold Medal for Coach Carter

Team GB has chosen Coach Carter as its favourite sports movie of all time, whilst Chariots Of Fire came out top amongst facebook users.
Good Universe promotes key executives

Audrey Chon is named vp of production, Meryl Emmerton becomes vp of physical production and Jeremy Needelman rises to vp of strategy, finance and accounting. Partners Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane made the announcement on Tuesday (24).
Goodbye, Dad

Dir/scr: Lucia Carreras. Mexico. 2012. 88mins
Gow Gibson joins Park Circus

Former Odeon and Disney employee joins Park Circus as head of distribution.
Haneke actress Susanne Lothar dies at 51

German actress Susanne Lothar, who appeared in four films by Michael Haneke, has died at the age of 51.
Haneke co-producers reunite for Wolfgang Becker's latest feature

The adaptation of Daniel Kehlmann’s bestseller Ich & Kaminski will be Wolfgang Becker’s first feature since Good Bye, Lenin!, which he made ten years ago.
Hitting the target

David Wu receives the Legendary Action Excellence Award at the Canadian premiere of his latest film, Cold Steel, in Fantasia.
HMRC draft guidance raises doubts over EIS schemes

The HM Revenue and Customs has issued a draft guidance which could disqualify the majority of creative businesses from accessing the relief.
Hong Kong films to gain greater access to Guangdong

The Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC) has introduced a package of measures to support Hong Kong films, including greater access to the Cantonese-speaking market in neighbouring Guangdong Province.
Hong Kong Special Focus 2012

A look at foreign hits striking big at the HK box office, hot local films in production, and more.
Hope Springs

Dir: David Frankel. US. 2012. 100mins
Hot projects on Screenbase

New films this week include Elijah Wood starrer Grand Piano as well as French-Belgian drama Chez Nous, C’est Trois with Noémie Lvovsky in the lead role.
Hot projects on Screenbase

Christian Slater stars in horror sci-fi Stranded and Vinnie Jones takes on the lead role in comedy Flight Redirected.
Hyde Park takes international rights to Kirk Wong’s SIX

Hyde Park International has boarded Kirk Wong’s upcoming action thriller SIX as executive producer and will handle worldwide sales excluding Greater China.
I Do

Dir: Glenn Gaylord. US. 2012. 94mins
Ice Age 4 grossed $98m over weekend to reach $339m

Ice Age: Continental Drift’s third weekend came in a little higher than original estimates from Fox International at $97.6m for a $339.2m running total.
Ice Age 4 tops US on $46m, Spidey crosses $200m

An excellent weekend overall for Fox saw Blue Sky Studios’ latest animation, Ice Age: Continental Drift, open at number one on an estimated $46m for a worldwide running total of $385m.
Ice Age 4 usurps Spidey to dominate int’l arena on $95m

Fox International reported that in its third weekend the animation was active on 14,131 screens in 64 markets and has now reached a $339m running total.
IFC Films takes US rights to Welcome To The Punch

Eran Creevy wrote and directed Worldview Entertainment’s action thriller starring James McAvoy, Mark Strong and Andrea Riseborough.
IMAX Corp reports growth in Q2 2012 earnings call

Shooting sequences on IMAX cameras for blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man offers a “differentiation” factor that bodes well for the future, CEO Rich Gelfond said on Thursday (26).
Imax to convert up to 18 additional AMC theatres

The companies announced on Monday (16) they were expanding their revenue sharing partnership and have agreed on eight new installation deals.
In A Bedroom

Dir/scr: Tomasz Wasilewski. Poland. 2012. 76mins
In Lieu Of Flowers wraps in New York

Patina Pictures has completed filming on William Savage’s feature debut.
Inaugural IDFA Worldview Award goes to The Devil's Lair, Logs Of War

The award is presented to the two most promising documentary projects at the Doc Circle Pitch in Durban, South Africa.
India Special Focus 2012

A look at India’s dynamic independent film sector.
Inside, B.A. Pass among winners at Osian’s Cinefan

Delhi-based festival is shaping up to be a useful mid-year platform for India’s burgeoning indie film scene.
Inward investment surges in UK as number of domestic productions and spend fall

Film creates an annual £1.5bn trade surplus for UK, according to BFI, but as inward investment rises number of domestic productions, and spend of those productions, fall.
I've been expecting you...

Skyfall trailer proves worth the wait.
James Purnell unveils future plans as producer

In his new guise as a film producer, former Labour Cabinet Minister (and one time Culture Secretary) James Purnell has revealed that he has several film projects as well as documentaries in development.
Jason Spivak earns digital distribution stripes at SPHE

The executive is named evp of worldwide digital distribution at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and will continue to lead transactional digital business activities.
Jena Malone joins Catching Fire cast

The actress will play Johanna Mason in Lionsgate’s sequel to its global smash The Hunger Games.
Jerry Weintraub to be honoured at Zurich Film Festival

The producer will pick up a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival, which will screen several of his films including Ocean’s 11 and The Karate Kid.
Jim Berney named head of studio at Digital Domain in Florida

Berney will oversee daily operations of Digital Domain Media Group’s (DDMG) Florida studio and joins from Sony Pictures Imageworks.
JK Simmons among wave of new cast on jOBS

Kevin Dunn, Elden Henson, Lenny Jacobson, Giles Matthey, Ahna O’Reilly and Victor Rasuk have also joined the biopic. Shooting is underway in the Los Angeles area.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers to play Dracula

Downton Abbey indie Carnival Films is to produce a new version of classic vampire story Dracula for Sky Living and US network NBC.
K5 to handle international sales on Status Quo doc

Directed by Alan G Parker, Hello Quo charts the 50 year career of British rock band Status Quo.
Kath & Kimderella

Two of Australia’s most loved and idiosyncratic TV comic characters, Kath & Kim, have been taken out of their usual suburban setting and dropped into Italy for their big screen debut, which will be unleashed on Australian cinemas in September.
Ken Loach to be honoured with Lumière Award

British director Ken Loach will receive the award at the 2012 Lumiere Festival in Lyon, which runs October 15-21.
Kevin and Matthew McManus

The writing/directing sibling duo talk to Screen about the making of their debut feature Funeral Kings, which received its international premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Kino Lorber acquires The Revisionaries doc

Vice-president Elizabeth Sheldon negotiated the North American deal with producer Daniel Chalfen of Naked Edge Films and the company has set an early October release. PBS will broadcast in early 2013 to coincide with DVD and digital.
Korea packs a punch

Screen’s Korea focus, published during Cannes 2012, looks at the driving forces at the local box office, how Korean films are travelling abroad, and hot projects for 2012 and beyond.
Korean American Film Festival to run Aug 9-11

Jinoh Park’s Should’ve Kissed will open the Los Angeles event, which has announced the inauguration of its programme in collaboration with its New York branch.
Lacote, Lapid win pitching awards in Jerusalem

Phillipe Lacote and Nadav Lapid win $80,000 between them at Jerusalem Film Festival Lab; Ehud Bleiberg to produce Lacote’s Run.
Last Days On Mars

First time feature director Ruairi Robinson and producer Andrea Cornwell talk about Last Days On Mars, an ambitious sci fi drama set on Mars and starring Liev Schreiber and Romola Garai which has just wrapped shooting at Elstree Studios and in Jordan.
Legendary Entertainment finalises Nerdist buy

Nerdist Industries is a multi-platform genre and popular content content generator whose pipeline includes a website, YouTube channel, iTunes podcast and BBC America show.
Leiner, Karlsen, Gray, Brett, Bowles among Galway speakers

Sony Pictures Classics exec Dylan Leiner will give keynote speech at the The Galway Film Fleadh.
Leopardrama to develop Danny La Rue feature

UK production outfit Leopardrama has secured BFI funding to develop the screenplay about the British female impersonator, which will be written by Martyn Hesford.
Liberian government to take legal action against doc director Mads Brugger

Action centres around Brügger allegedly using a fake diplomat title in documentary The Ambassador.
Linen Mill Studios expands with new 5000 sq ft stage

The Northern Ireland based studio is currently playing host to part of the shoot for Game Of Thones, season three.
Lionsgate to split The Hunger Games finale into two

The studio confirmed on Tuesday (10) that it will turn The Hunger Games: Mockingjay into a two-parter, setting up a November 2015 series finale.
LipSync appoints Ben Shepherd head of 3D/VFX supervisor

UK VFX specialists LipSync have appointed Ben Shepherd as its new head of 3D/visual Effects Supervisor.
Long Distance Information wins at Rushes Soho Shorts

Douglas Hart’s film, starring Peter Mullan, won the Short Film Award at the 14th Rushes Soho Shorts Film Festival.
LoveBite, Twisted Minds win M&C Saatchi's 48 hour film challenge

The competition was in partnership with Goldsmiths and YouTube.
Lowe to head Screen Queensland; ScreenWest backs crowd funding

Bryan Lowe takes up his new role as chief executive of Screen Queensland on August 20.
Luke Snellin to direct teen musical feature The Wanderers

Bill Milner is atttached to star, with Blur’s Graham Coxon and Ash’s Tim Wheeler onboard to write music for the debut feature of former Screen Star of Tomorrow Luke Snellin.
Made In Ash

Dir: Iveta Grofova. Slovak Republic-Czech Republic. 2012. 84mins
Magnolia Home Entertainment, Phase 4 snap up Sushi Girl

The revenge thriller stars Mark Hamill and Tony Todd and received its international premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on Jul 21.
Magnolia Pictures acquires US on A Place At The Table

Participant Media’s documentary explores aspects of the US hunger crisis and will open in the first quarter 2013.
Malta's first full length animation gets greenlight

The Golden Calf has picked up fuding from the Malta Film Funds and will be produced by Maltese production house Pro Motion Limited.
Mars And April

Dir/scr: Martin Villeneuve. Canada. 2012. 90mins
Massacre at Dark Knight Rises screening in Colorado

UPDATED: Warner Bros will not report opening weekend estimates for Christopher Nolan’s Batman finale on Sunday out of respect for the victims and families of the Aurora shootings at the Century 16 Movie Theatre in the small hours of Friday morning (20). Box office results will be issued on Monday.
Maven Pictures to produce With A Friend Like Harry

Principals Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler announced on Thursday (26) that Kimberly Peirce will direct the remake of the French psychological thriller.
MEDIA backs new films from Greenaway, Folman, and Loznitsa; Libya now eligible for European funding

New films from Peter Greenaway (Goltzius & The Pelican Company), Ari Folman (The Congress) and Sergei Loznitsa (In The Fog, pictured) are among 38 titles awarded a total of over €1.36m by the European Commission’s MEDIA i2i Audiovisual Programme.
MEDIA programme sends €14m to UK audiovisual industry in 2011, report says

Last year’s €14m included €1.5 million for the Europe-wide distribution of The Iron Lady; report comes as some politicians question sustainability of MEDIA successor Creative Europe.
METI, TIFFCOM launch support for Japanese sellers

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), in collaboration with autumn contents market TIFFCOM (Oct 23-25), have announced details of funding to support Japanese sellers of film and TV contents to overseas markets.
Metrodome mad for Aja/Levasseur horror Maniac, The Shining doc Room 237

EXCLUSIVE: UK distributor Metrodome picks up rights to Elijah Wood horror Maniac from Wild Bunch and The Shining doc from Film Sales Company.
Mexico's National Council for Culture and the Arts announces film museum and digital video library

Museum and library will be hosted within the Cineteca Nacional’s National Film Archive.
Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti to produce Fifty Shades Of Grey

Rights holders Universal Pictures and Focus Features made the announcement n Monday (9).
Michelle Pfeiffer joins Malavita for EuropaCorp, Relativity

Also joining previously announced Robert De Niro on the cast are Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron and John D’Leo. Luc Besson is schedule to begin shooting this summer.
Military man

Simon Pegg was on hand to help film charity MediCinema with the building of a new state of the art cinema for injured service personnel.
Miramax inks first Russian SVOD deal

Miramax has inked a multi-year deal with Russian SVOD service Stream LLC for titles inlcuding Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and The English Patient.
Moshi Monsters game makers in talks for feature film

Hollywood studios are in talks to create a Moshi Monsters movie.
Movie streaming service blinkbox gets update for Xbox 360

Update allows Xbox LIVE users to buy or rent from a library of 10,000 titles, including the likes of John Carter [pictured] and This Means War.
Mumbai film fest moves to new venue, adds competition

The Mumbai Film Festival (Oct 18-25) has announced a raft of developments, including a move to the south of the city and a new competition section for Indian films.
Munro Film Services picks up When Santa Fell To Earth

The company will distribute Oliver Dieckmann’s Christmas family feature in the UK and Ireland.
Nancy Fishman Film Releasing acquires Six Million And One

Bay Area distributor Nancy K Fishman has picked up Israeli director David Fisher’s documentary Six Million And One, which recounts the filmmaker’s search for his father’s history during the Holocaust.
NATO lends support to Aurora support fund

The National Association Of Theatre Owners has got behind efforts to help the families of victims of last Friday’s (20) massacre in a Colorado multiplex.
NBCUniversal Films signs online distribution deal with China’s Youku

The multi year agreement is for video on demand rights to current and library titles.
New films by Bayona, Trueba, Castellitto in San Sebastian line-up

The Spanish titles to screen at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival were unveiled today, with the rest of the official selection yet to be announced.
New Regency names Valerie Van Galder marketing head

The widely respected executive and former marketing guru at Sony and Screen Gems will get to work on the company’s slate that includes Broken City, Noah and Twelve Years A Slave.
Norton Herrick joins 2 Guns as producer

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star and Baltasar Kormákur is currently shooting in New Orleans.
Obituary: Frank Pierson, 1925-2012

The Oscar-winning screenwriter died of natural causes following a short illness on Monday (23) in Los Angeles. He was 87.
Obituary: Richard Zanuck 1934-2012

The Oscar winning producer died on Friday (Jul 13) from a heart attack. He was 77.
Odeon wins tender to programme BFI IMAX, will ramp concession offering

Odeon has won a tender to programme the BFI IMAX Waterloo venue and will ramp the site’s concession offering.
Olympic tremors

With a fortnight to go to the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, the UK film industry is buckling down for what promises to be a daunting Olympic fortnight (27 July to 12 August.)
Overall admissions down, Spanish market share up in 2011

The Spanish department of culture unveiled the results on the same day the Spanish government announced a rise in VAT on cinema tickets.
Painted Skin 2 becomes highest-grossing Chinese film ever

Huayi Brothers’ Painted Skin: The Resurrection, directed by Wuershan, has become the highest-grossing Chinese-language film ever in mainland China with a box office haul of $107.86m (RMB686m).
Paramount, Facebook unite on Paranormal Activity 4 campaign

The partnership will allow fans of the upcoming horror franchise release to watch the film free in 25 cities around the world using Facebook’s Want It application. It also gives the studio a three-month start on building awareness through the viral platform of social media.
ParaNorman

Dirs: Sam Fell, Chris Butler. US. 2012. 100mins
Peter Greenaway – Eisenstein project ‘99pc in place’

Speaking at the third Odessa International Film Festival the veteran director said financing was nearly complete on his €5m feature Eisenstein In Guanajuato.
Peter Jackson confirms third Hobbit film in Facebook post

The New Zealand director hinted at it during Comic-Con and now the news is official – the two-part JRR Tolkien adaptation will become a trilogy.
Phase 4 acquires North American rights to Alter Egos

Jordan Galland’s superhero comedy will be released under the company’s new “Kevin Smith’s SModcast Pictures Presents” banner.
Philip Seymour Hoffman cast in Catching Fire

The Oscar winner will play Plutarch Heavensbee, the enigmatic Head Gamemaker in the remaining episodes of Lionsgate’s dystopian young adult franchise The Hunger Games.
PiFan opens with inaugural Producers’ Choice award

The 16th Puchon International Film Festival (PiFan) opened tonight with an inaugural Producers’ Choice Award going to Ha Jung-woo and Ha Ji-won.
Play Poland Film Festival set for second edition in the UK, Canada and Norway

Starting in September of this year, the second Play Poland Film Festival will be held over a four-month period in a bid to promote Polish cinema abroad.
Premature begins shooting in Atlanta for FilmNation, Icon

Icon has come aboard to co-finance the teen comedy with Filmnation. Alan Tudyk, Craig Roberts, Adam Riegler and Carlson Young have joined previously announced Katie Findlay and John Karna.
Premier PR adds to portfolio, rebrands as Premier

Premier PR buys design and animation house Liquid Television and rebrands as ‘Premier’.
Principal photography kicks off on Very Good Girls

Naomi Foner is directing from her own screenplay about whose plan to lose their virginity hits a bump when they fall for the same guy. Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen star. K5 International is handling international sales.
Producer Hawk Koch elected Academy president

UPDATE: Koch replaces the outgoing Tom Sherak who steps down after a three-year term. The board of governors cast their votes on Tuesday night (Jul 31) in Los Angeles. Koch will temporarily step down from his role as PGA president and Mark Gordon will continue as sole preisdent.
Production Finance Market strikes Indian partnership

Partnership with Primeexchange will see one producer attend Film Bazaar in Goa.
Production underway in New Orleans on The Butler

Laura Ziskin Productions and Lee Daniels Entertainment made the announcement today. IM Global sold out the project at Cannes.
Production underway on Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

Evolution Independent, Lagniappe and Paradox Entertainment’s thriller is filming in Shreveport, Louisiana, and stars Rooney Mara (pictured), Casey Affleck and Ben Foster.
Production wraps on Gilbert’s A Long Way From Home

Production has wrapped on Virginia Gilbert’s A Long Way From Home, a UK-France co-production starring James Fox and Brenda Fricker.
QED International signs up for John Turturro’s Fading Gigolo

Production is scheduled to begin in October in New York on the comedy starring Turturro, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis and Liev Schreiber.
Radu Jude's Everybody In Our Family wins Heart of Sarajevo

Emin Alper’s Beyond The Hill received the Special Jury Prize
Raw force

Screen meets with the cast and crew of Sushi Girl - including the likes of Mark Hamill and Tony Todd - which receives its international premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival.
Record-breaking 3D screening at the Pula Film Festival, Croatia

Screening of the first 3D Croatian film at the Pula Film Festival in Croatia (Jul 21-28) sets record for 3D attendance and projection distance.
Red Square Screenings to showcase latest Russian cinema

EXCLUSIVE: The Russian Cinema Fund (Fond Kino) is backing the first Red Square Screenings – to be held in the historic building of the GUM department store in Moscow city centre over five days from October 15-20, 2012 – to promote Russian cinema in the international market.
Revisiting Amityville

Screen chats to director Eric Walter and producer Andrea Adams about their documentary My Amityville Horror, which plays at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
Revolver goes exclusive with Empire Cinemas for UK release of Flowers of War

Revolver Entertainment will launch Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, exclusively at Empire Cinemas in five UK cities, starting Friday Aug 3.
Rising from Within

Indulging in the art of Canadian movies that never were at Fantasia International Film Festival.
Rob Springer appointed to key post at Cinedigm software division

The former svp of sales operations at Overture Films has been named svp and product manager of distributor solutions.
Robin Williams joins Lee Daniels’ The Butler

The comedian and actor will portray Dwight D Eisenhower and joins an ensemble that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Redgrave, Terrence Howard, John Cusack and Alan Rickman.
Rubicon Group Holding names Ilyssa Goodman distribution director

Goodman most recently served as marketing consultant and independent producer to Warner Bros and Fox among others and will be based in Los Angeles where she reports to executive director North America David Corbett.
Ryan Kwanten to star in Sex And Sunsets for Serendipity Point

Producer Robert Lantos made the announcement on Friday (13). eOne will distribute in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the Benelux.
Safebreaker wins top award at NAFF closing

Puchon’s Network of Asian Fantastic Film (NAFF) wrapped today with the top Bucheon Award going to Ted Chung’s project Safebreaker.
San Sebastián to screen Argo out of competition

Director Ben Affleck, along with Alan Arkin and John Goodman, will be in attendance at the festival, which runs Sept 21-29.
Sandrine Bonnaire appointed Deauville jury president

The actress won Cesars for Vagabond and To Our Loves and starred in Est-Ouest and La Ceremonie, among others. Deauville American Film Festival will run from Aug 31-Sept 9.
Sara Canning, Catherine O’Hara joint Sex And Sunsets

Producer Robert Lantos made the announcement on Thursday (26). Shooting is earmarked for an Aug 20 start on location in the Canadian town of Banff and Los Angeles.
Sarah Mackey appointed CEO of UK Screen Association

Acting CEO promoted to CEO, Mackey was previously director of strategy at BBC Studios and Post Production.
Schölermann attached to Tour de France action drama

Australian producer/lawyer Rob Gibson has secured German director Marc Schölermann for The Domestique, an action/drama about a veteran pro cyclist who fights his way back onto a struggling team in the Tour de France after he has been banned for doping.
Screen Australia to back The Rover starring Robert Pattinson

Screen Australia has agreed to invest in four features including The Rover, which will star Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce and be directed by David Michôd who made the much admired Animal Kingdom.
Screen Awards shortlist led by The Woman In Black campaign

20th Century Fox leads distributors with 14 shortlist mentions, Momentum and Lionsgate have 10, Warner Bros are on 8.
Shameless

Dir: Filip Marczewski. Poland. 2012. 80mins
Sharqiya wins top prize at Jerusalem Film Festival

Ami Livne’s Sharqiya has won the Jerusalem Film Festival’s Haggiag Award for Best Feature.
Shooting begins in Glasgow on Not Another Happy Ending

The indie rom com stars Karen Gillan as a quirky writer and French actor Stanley Weber as her publisher.
Shortlist unveiled for Conch Awards

The awards, which recognise the audio post production sector, will take place on September 19 in London.
Sky given all-clear in Competition Commission's final pay-TV report

Sky’s position “does not adversely affect competition in the pay-TV retail market,” reports Competition Commission, but “market competition overall remains ineffective.”
Sky moves into distribution with Parthenon Media acqusition

Sky has acquired Parthenon Media Group to distribute the international rights to its original commissions.
Sky profits hit £1.2bn

Sky has boosted pre-tax profits 17% to £1.19bn as its spend on entertainment costs increased by £70m.
Sky's internet TV film service Now TV to launch with 1000 titles, £15 monthly sub

Sky’s internet TV service Now TV is to launch on Tuesday with more than 1,000 films available to stream for either £15 per month or up to £3.49 per title.
Sofia, La Playa D.C. among hot titles at Colombia's BAM

The third edition of the Bogota Audiovisual Market (BAM) wrapped at weekend after presenting 56 Colombian projects in development and screening 13 films. Sofia And The Stubborn (Sofia Y El Terco, pictured), La Sirga and La Playa D.C. are among the titles that generated buzz.
Songs

Dir/scr: Eduardo Coutinho. Brazil. 2011. 90mins
Sony crosses $1bn domestic box office milestone

The studio passed the mark in its second fastest time on Jul 11 and has reached $1bn 11 times in a row.
Sony Pictures Classics acquires The Gatekeepers

Dror Moreh’s documentary premiered at the recent Jerusalem International Film Festival.
Sound-activated cinema advert to screen ahead of The Dark Knight Rises

Sound-activated advert touted as a world first; audience will “cheer” for favourite clip.
South Eastern European funding scheme unveiled in Sarajevo

An initiative for a new regional funding scheme was announced at the fourth Regional Forum on the state of the industry in South Eastern Europe, which takes place July 12-13 at the Sarajevo Film Festival,
Space Brothers scoops top prize at PiFan

The 16th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) closed over the weekend with the Best of Puchon award going to Space Brothers from Japanese filmmaker Yoshitaka Mori.
Spanish exhibitors respond to VAT increase on cinema tickets

13% increase in VAT on cinema tickets labelled a “disaster” for sector with one prediction being the closure of 70% of cinemas in Spain.
Spider-Man amazing internationally on $248m

The Amazing Spider-Man has raced to $247.5m in less than two weeks and Sony Pictures Releasing International top brass will look to hold on to their top berth in the face of a stiff challenge from Fox International’s Ice Age 4.
Spider-Man dominates July Fourth, Buena Vista crosses $1bn

The superhero reboot grossed an estimated $65m through Sony Pictures and claimed $140m over the first six days in North America. Buena Vista became the first distributor to cross the $1bn threshold in 2012 in an industry record 188 days.
Spidey spins $129.1m second international weekend

The Amazing Spider-Man ensnared global audiences on 18,400 screens in a total of 74 markets as a muscular second wave through Sony Pictures Releasing International boosted the early running total to $201.6m. The result combined with the six-day North American launch for a $341.6m global tally.
SPWA gets into Agatha Christie business with Crooked House

Neil LaBute will direct from a screenplay he co-authored with Julian Fellowes (pictured) and Tim Rose Price. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired all North America and select territories from Ealing Metro International.
SSFS to be lead investor in The Last Empress

Seven Stars Film Studios chairman Bruno Wu has lined up Jake Eberts to produce and Jeremy Thomas to act as consultant on the English-language China-US production.
Step Up Revolution

Dir: Scott Speer. US. 2012. 98mins
Stranded shoot underway in Saskatchewan, Canada

Christian Slater stars in the sci fi thriller.
Strawberry Fields

Dir: Frances Lea. UK. 2011. 94mins
Stuart Murdoch’s God Help The Girl starts shoot in Glasgow

Belle and Sebastian frontman’s directorial debut underway in Glasgow, Emily Browning joins cast with Hannah Murray and Olly Alexander, Metrodome handles UK.
StudioCanal acquires Hoyts, plans local productions

StudioCanal has bought successful Australia and New Zealand distributor Hoyts Distribution of the Hoyts Group; the outfit will release last Twilight instalment in November.
StudioCanal acquires RoboCop for select territories

The company has picked up the UK, Germany and France to MGM and Sony’s sci-fi reboot. José Padilha (pictured) directs.
StudioCanal acquires Rufus Norris' Broken for UK

EXCLUSIVE: Film premiered as opening of Cannes Critics Week.
Sundance Channel adds deals in Thailand, China, Belgium, France

AMC/Sundance Channel Global has signed new distribution deals for Sundance Channel in Asia and expanded on demand offerings in Europe.
Sundance entry Enemies Of The People to benefit from Artist Services

The Sundance Institute announced on Wednesday (18) the addition of 10 independent films to its online digital platforms through its Artist Services initiative.
Sundance Institute awards $490,000 in tenth anniversary year

Twenty-seven documentaries have received the grants through the Institute’s documentary film programme.
Sundance Institute unveils creative producing participants, Bingham Ray Fellow

Eleven projects are selected for the creative producing labs, which run from Jul 30-Aug 3. The Fellows represent five projects from the feature film programme and six from the documentary film programme and fund.
Sundance Selects takes territories on The Flat

Arnon Goldfinger’s film recounts how the death of his grandmother in Tel Aviv sparked an unplanned yet revealing investigation into his family’s life in the aftermath of WWII.
Surgical precision

Ahead of its Canadian premiere this Saturday at Fantasia, Screen chats to Excision director Richard Bates Jr.
Susan Sarandon talks kids, ‘Cloud Atlas’ and Karlovy Vary

Arriving in Karlovy Vary, Susan Sarandon was in a positive mood and keen to talk about here past present and future.
Swandown

Dir: Andrew Kötting. UK. 2012. 94mins
Sweeney-pie

As The Sweeneygets ready for its world premiere in Locarno tonight, Orange has released its latest cinema trailer for the UK with Plan B and Ray Winstone taking starring roles.
Swiss culture minister ignites controversy over policy remarks

On the eve of the Locarno Film Festival Switzerland’s daily newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) has reported that Alain Berset wants the government to champion more “innovative” fare, sparking concern over the future of local mainstream product.
TDKR smashes BFI IMAX ticket sales records

The Dark Knight Rises takes £1m in advance bookings, sells 62,300 seats. 43 shows sold out.
Ten finalists in running for Your Film Festival prize

YouTube and Emirates in partnership with Scott Free Productions and the Venice Film Festival have announced [Aug 1] the Your Film Festival finalists to attend the Venice Film Festival and vie for a $500,000 prize.
The Amazing Spider-Man takes $127m internationally

The Amazing Spider-Man grossed $126.8m in its second major session for a $200.2m running total, according to official numbers from Sony Pictures Releasing International issued on Monday (9).
The boom in US studio facilities

Thanks largely to the availability of tax-based production incentives in almost every state and country in the region, North America has recently been going through a regional studio building boom.
The Children wins investment from ScreenWest

The Children, from The Waiting City writer/director Claire McCarthy, has become the latest film to get $767,000 (A$750,000) in production investment funding from Western Australia’s West Coast Visions feature film initiative.
The Dark Knight Rises

Dir: Christopher Nolan. US. 2012. 164mins
The Dark Knight Rises freezes out Ice Age 4 at the UK box office

Climactic part of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy records a series best opening of $22.4m (£14.4m) to knock Fox’s 3D animation off number one.
The Dark Knight Rises opens in 17 markets on $88m

UPDATE: Christopher Nolan’s trilogy finale drew 13m admissions from approximately 7,173 screens. This was a dazzling result for the Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures property, although Warner Bros brass have been wise to steer clear of any note of triumphalism in light of Friday’s deadly cinema attack in Colorado.
The Dark Knight Rises up to $248m internationally

Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film grossed an estimated $122.1m on approximately 17,000 screens in 57 markets through Warner Bros Pictures International. Fox International’s Ice Age 4 crossed $500m and SPRI’s The Amazing Spider-Man has swept past $400m.
The Door

Dir: Istvan Szabo. Hungary-Germany. 2011. 94mins
The Exchange names Nat McCormick vp worldwide distribution

EXCLUSIVE: The young executive reunites with The Exchange founder Brian O’Shea after the pair worked together at Affinity International. He starts work on Aug 1 and most recently served at IM Global.
The Film Arcade takes US rights to Simon & The Oaks

The recently launched distributor has added the Swedish hit to its initial slate and plans an Oct 12 platform release in New York and Los Angeles.
The Last Elvis wins top award at East End Film Festival

The festival, now in its 11th year, wrapped last night.
The UK public funding boom

Are we in a golden era for public film funding? The UK is stumbling through a prolonged recession and yet the film industry has seemingly emerged largely unscathed from the ongoing cuts. Geoffrey Macnab analyses where the cash is headed.
The UK tax debate

Geoffrey Macnab asks why years-old UK film investment schemes are coming under attack and how investor confidence in UK film is being shaken by the allegations.
The Watch

Dir: Akiva Schaffer. US. 2012. 101mins
The Works Distribution feels Good Vibrations in UK

EXCLUSIVE: The Works UK Distribution will release Terry Hooley biopic Good Vibrations, which opened the Karlovy Vary and Belfast film festivals.
T-Mobile New Horizons Festival

12th edition ran July 21-29 in Wroclaw, Poland.
To the Batmobile!

Jeremy Kay checks out the Batmobile exhibition at Comic-Con.
Toronto adds world premieres including Dredd, Alex Gibney's Catholic doc, Finding Nemo 3D

Festival brass announced the second wave of programming on Tuesday (Jul 31), unveiling entries in the Vanguard, Midnight Madness, TIFF Docs, City To City, TIFF Cinematheque and TIFF Kids sections.
Tortoise In Love

Dir/scr: Guy Browning. UK. 2012. 84mins
Total Recall

Dir: Len Wiseman. US. 2012. 118mins
Tribeca Film acquires British found footage film Hollow

Michael Axelgaard’s film premiered at Fantasia Festival in 2011 and will open on Sept 19.
Tribeca Film acquires SXSW comedy Somebody Up There Likes Me

Bob Byington’s film stars Keith Poulson, Nick Offerman and Jess Weixler and was produced by Hans Graffunder, Nick Offerman and Faliro House.
Twickenham reveals mystery buyer as property magnate Sunny Vohra, plans to expand

Twickenham to add staff and expand operations, says new management.
UK creative industries have 'soup kitchen mentality,' says Lord Puttnam

Lord Puttnam had some home truths for the UK creative industries last week during a speech about entrepreneurship. Should the film industry be concerned?
UK creative leaders urged to take risks; Working Title bosses point to end of studio era

The willingness to take risks will keep Britain’s cultural industries relevant in a rapidly changing world, experts told today’s Creative Content Summit in London.
UK Trade & Investment partnership to boost British Film Commission with £400k over two years

Goal is to grow inward investment in film and also to boost high end TV work in the UK.
Universal to release Iron Fists on Nov 2, 2012

Quentin Tarantino presents RZA’s feature directorial debut inspired by classic kung fu cinema. Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu star.
UPI crosses $1bn to set new company record

The studio announced on Tuesday (17) it had crossed the international box office threshold one month faster than its previous best time, established on Aug 16, 2008.
UPI Russia inks distribution deal with Premium Film

UPI will handle physical distribution of eight Premium films including Jackie Chan’s Chinese Zodiac and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Last Stand.
UPIE appoints Emma Pemberton vp int’l new release marketing

The executive has started work and arrives from Sony, where she was based for five years as vp of international marketing and worked on campaigns for Spider-Man 3, The Da Vinci Code and Casino Royale, among others.
Upstanding citizen

Syrian director Sam Kadi talks to Elnaz Toussi about his debut feature The Citizen, his hopes for his homeland and the American Dream.
Variance Films takes US rights to Head Games

Steve James’ documentary explores the subject of concussion in sports and will open on Sept 21 in select cities and expand into major markets through October.
Venice announces Orizzonti and Opera Prima juries

Orizzonti jury includes Sandra den Hamer, Jason Kliot, Nadine Labaki, Milcho Manchevski. Pierfrancesco Favino to preside.
Venice Classics section to welcome Cimino with restored Heaven's Gate

The forthcoming Venice Film Festival will celebrate its 80th anniversary* with a new Venezia Classici (Venice Classics) section.American director Michael Cimino will attend the screening of the Criterion restored version of his 1980 film Heaven’s Gate [pictured]. The film was presented in Venice in 1982 in its original premiere length.*It is the festival’s 80th anniversary but 69th edition.Venice noted that presenting restored classics would become a regular feature at fu
Venice Days to open with d'Alo's Pinocchio

Venice Days has announced that the opening film for 2012 will be Pinocchio directed by Enzo d’Alo and scripted by Umberto Marino.For full production details visit
Venice line-up unveiled with 50 world premieres including new Malick, Bier, Gitai, Oliveira films

UPDATED: The Venice Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 69th edition, including 50 world premieres such as To The Wonder [pictured] by Terrence Malick, Spring Breakers by Harmony Korine, and Pieta by Kim Ki-duk.
Venice’s Alberto Barbera: “We are prepared to take risks on young filmmakers who deserve a chance to be better-known”

Venice artistic director says Horrizonti day-and-date online initiative could extend to other sections in future, clarifies that Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master is not in selection.
Vertigo unseats Citizen Kane at top of new Sight & Sound critics poll

Directors poll is led by Ozu’s Tokyo Story.
Viennale celebrates 50 years with innovative film projects (and special ice cream)

Before his death, Chris Marker created a special anniversary trailer.
Vincent Scordino joins Cinedigm acquisitions team

The new vp of theatrical acquisitions most recently served at Millennium Entertainment where he led negotiations in acquiring such films as Richard Linklater’s Bernie, Oren Moverman’s Rampart and Elgin James’s Little Birds.
Viola Davis joins The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby

EXCLUSIVE: The Oscar nominee and William Hurt are among a handful of new additions to the project, which has begun shooting in New York.
Walter Hill to remake What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Hill has signed a deal with the Aldrich Company to adapt the screenplay and direct.
Wayne Watkins to be first BAFTA LA sponsorship development head

The hire is part of the organisation’s expansion plans as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Weinsteins claim box office record for The Intouchables

Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano global smash has taken $7.1m in North America so far, which according to The Weinstein Company makes it the highest grossing foreign-language film at the domestic box office for the year-to-date.
Weinsteins to receive PGA 2013 Milestone Award

Bob and Harvey Weinstein will collect the Producers Guild Of America’s highest honour at the organisation’s awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Jan 26, 2013.
White Collar Hooligan 2 to kick off in Spain, Momentum boards UK

EXCLUSIVE: Momentum, Mediawidth Classics take rights for UK, Germany, respectively; original posts strong DVD sales.
Wolf Of Wall Street casting continues ahead of August shoot

Ethan Suplee and Katarina Cas have joined recent arrival Jon Favreau and previously announced Leonardo DiCaprio. Martin Scorsese will direct in New York for Red Granite.
Wolfe Video swoops on Love Free Or Die

Macky Alston’s Outfest entry earned a special jury prize at the festival’s closing ceremony in Los Angeles over the weekend.
Wolfe Video takes worldwide DVD and VoD onThe Wise Kids

The distributor plans a November VoD launch followed by DVD in January.

Screen26 July 2012

Screen
26 July 2012