Screen
26 June 2009

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Duncan Jones’ Moon takes top prize at Edinburgh

Duncan Jones’ debut feature Moon has scooped the Michael Powell Award for the Best New British Feature at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Evangelion rules the Japanese box office

Animated sci-fi feature Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance opened strongly at the Japanese box office at the weekend, earning $5.37m (Y512m) on 355,000 admissions.
HandMade Plc shares suspended as it fails to produce accounts

Shares in HandMade Plc, the UK-based film company, were suspended yesterday (June 30) as it emerged the company has yet to publish audited accounts for the year to December 31, 2008.
Mogwai appears as surprise act at EIFF

Mogwai, a Scottish rock band, was the surprise headline act at a concert that followed the UK premiere screening of All Tomorrow’s Parties at the Edinburgh International Film Festival last night.
Warner Bros. Productions' Roy Button awarded an OBE

Roy Button, Senior Vice-President and managing director of Warner Bros. Productions, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the film industry, as part of Her Majesty The Queen’s 2009 Birthday Honours List.
$40m independent studio underway in Russia

Moscow authorities have given the go-ahead for the construction of a new fully independent film studio, Movie Town.
Academy invites 134 artists/executives to become members

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has revealed this year’s list of artists and executives invited to join the Academy.
Adrian McDowall

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Aisling Loftus

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Alex Winckler

Director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Alles Für Lila

Romantic comedy when a girl falls in love with the charismatic lead singer of a boy band withturbulent consequences…
Aneurin Barnard

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Arthur Allan Seidelman to direct Chickadee

Arthur Allan Seidelman is to direct Chickadee, the true story of an Italian immigrant girl who takes her abusive grandfather to court and wins a landmark ruling.
Avatastic

Fionnuala Halligan takes the temperature of events in her weekly blog.
Babelgum hosts music festival web series

Online content platform Babelgum is working with production company Dig For Fire for an exclusive new music series, Road Trippin With Ice Cream Man.
BBC Films and Origin Pictures to make Ordinary Thunderstorms

David Thompson’s production company Origin Pictures and BBC Films have secured film rights to William Boyd’s new novel Ordinary Thunderstorms, ahead of its publication in September.
Bel Powley

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Ben Drew

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Ben Schiffer

Writer, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Berlin's World Cinema Fund backs seven projects with $315,000

The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund jury has selected five new film projects for production funding and two for distribution funding.
Blake and Dylan Ritson

Writer-directors, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Christine Brand promoted at MGM Networks Germany

Christine Brand has been promoted to managing director of MGM Networks (Deutschland) GmbH.
Clooney and Heslov's Smokehouse moves to Sony

George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s production company Smokehouse Pictures are in final negotiations to sign an exclusive two-year theatrical development and production deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Comic-Con Film Festival announces 64 selections

The Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival has announced the selections for its festival, which runs concurrent to larger San Diego Comic-Con (July 23-26).
Crying With Laughter

Dir/scr Justin Molotnikov. UK. 2009. 93mins.
Daniel Elliott

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Daniel Kaluuya

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Dark Sky plans midnight theatrical events for Deadgirl

Dark Sky Films has unveiled an unusual theatrical distribution pattern for its provocative festival hit Deadgirl.
Destiny Ekaragha

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Dogwoof picks up We Live In Public

London-based distributor Dogwoof has picked up documentary We Live In Public from UK sales company Celsius Entertainment.
Eight Irish world premieres to screen at Galway Film Fleadh

The 21st Galway Film Fleadh, which will run from July 7 to 12, is to screen eight Irish world premieres.
Ella Smith

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
EM Media adds Hip Hop feature doc to its slate

EM Media, the UK’s regional screen agency based in the East Midlands, announced a new addition to its slate today at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Emma Frost

Writer, Star Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Emma Sullivan

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Emun Elliot

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Entertainment finance venture launches global tax scheme

Winchester Capital Management Partners has launched a global government incentive and tax financing initiative which will provide innovative tax structures for those working in the entertainment industry.
EuropaCorp fined for Taxi 2 death

Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp has been fined $141,219 (€100,000) for the death of cameraman Alain Dutartre, who was crushed by a car during the filming of Taxi 2 in 1999.
Farrah Fawcett dies from cancer at age 62

Actress Farrah Fawcett has died today (Thursday) after a battle with anal cancer, her spokesman confirmed.
Felix Massie

Writer-animator
Geraldine Patten

Producer, Stars Of Tomorrow 2009.
Gigantic to handle online launch of First Run's Bliss

Gigantic Digital Cinema, the new online platform announced last week by New York-based Gigantic Group, has signed a deal with First Run Features for US streaming of its feature Bliss.
Glasgow lifts 29 year ban on Life Of Brian

Monty Python’s Life Of Brian can be shown in Glasgow for the first time after councillors lifted a ruling that effectively banned the film from the city’s cinemas for 29 years.
Habemus Papam

A newly elected and depressed Pope is helped along by a psychiatrist.
Habemus Papam

Docu-feature following Pope Benedict XVI on his foreign tours and everyday life in the Vatican as well as the aspirations of an 11-year-old boy of the Pueri Cantores choir
Hedgehog (Le Herisson)

Dir: Mona Achache. France. 2009. 99 mins.
Holliday Grainger

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Home For Christmas

Based on a selection of short stories from Norwegian author Levi Henriksen’s collection Only Soft PresentsUnder The Tree. Intersecting each other now and then, these stories all take place in Henriksen’s fictitious small town of Skogli, over a couple of hours on Christmas Eve.
How do we beat the Pirates?

Screen International wants to see your views on film piracy.
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs

Dir: Carlos Saldanha. US. 2009.
Il Divo snaps up top award at Silver Ribbons

Paolo Sorrentino’s political drama Il Divo took the top prize at Italy’s Silver Ribbons (Nastri D’Argento) awards, announced this weekend.
In The Loop sweeps the board at Scottish Baftas

Armando Iannucci’s political satire In The Loop was the big winner at the Scottish Baftas last night (November 8) picking up awards for best director, best writing and best actor.
James Griffiths

Director, Star Of Tomrrow, 2009.
Jane's Journey

Docu-feature on the story of the world’s foremost primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall
Jones to follow Moon with $25m UK-German co-production

British director Duncan Jones is gearing up for a $25 million UK-German co-production. Jones describes the sci-fi Mute as a “thriller-mystery”. It will be set in Berlin at a variety of locations, including at Studio Babelsberg.
Just For Laughs to honour Todd Phillips, Etan Cohen

Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival’s Comedy Conference (July 23-25) will welcome Todd Phillips, director of The Hangover, to receive Comedy Director of the Year Award while Etan Cohen will receive the Comedy Writer of the Year Award.
Kaos to produce feature screenplay winner Legend Of New York Pizza

Kaos Films has announced the winner of its first feature competition — John Paul Sheerin’s The Legend Of New York Pizza wins the 2008 British Feature Screenplay Competition.
Karl Malden dies at age 97

Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden died of natural causes on Wednesday (July 1) at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 97.
Kimmel plans July shoot for Thom Fitzgerald's Cloudburst

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment is financing and presenting the feature comedy Cloudburst, which is set to star Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker.
La Nostra Vita

When a man whose wife has just died meets a young immigrant who is looking for his own missing father, the two spark a friendship which helps to set him back on track.
London UK Film Focus retains its pull with international buyers

The London UK Film Focus, the annual showcase for new British Films, launched Monday (June 29) attracting more than 100 international buyers to the capital.
Lorber Films kicks off with releases of Tony Manero, Nollywood Babylon

Richard Lorber’s new distribution outfit Lorber Films will open its first releases on Friday (July 3).
Luke Evans

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Mad, Sad & Bad

Dir/scr. Avie Luthra. UK. 2009. 90mins.
Magnet scares up US deal for Tribeca horror hit House Of The Devil

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired US rights to Ti West’s horror film The House Of The Devil.
m-appeal closes more sales on Dot.Com, Yuri's Day

Berlin-based sales company m-appeal has closed several key deals post-Cannes.
m-appeal takes on comedy Small Crime ahead of Karlovy Vary

Berlin-based sales company m-appeal has added Christos Georgiou’s comedy Small Crime to its sales slate.
Maribel Verdu picks up Spain’s National Cinema Award

Actress Maribel Verdu has won Spain’s prestigious National Cinema Award, which is selected by the Ministry of Culture and comes with prize money of $42,000 (€30,000).
Maya, Blockbuster start Latino film theatrical tour

Los Angeles-based Maya Entertainment has struck a deal with Blockbuster to present a new curated series of Latin cinema in select American cities.
Mesrine: Killer Instinct

Dir: Jean-François Richet.France. 2009.
Metrodome beefs up home entertainment slate with 7 new titles

Metrodome beefs up home entertainment slate with 7 new titles
Michael Socha

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Michelle Eastwood

Producer, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Montreal World festival to pay tribute to actor Pierre Lebeau

The Montreal World Film Festival will pay tribute to Pierre Lebeau during the 33rd edition of the festival, which runs August 27-September 7.
Montreal's Fantasia genre festival expands for two more days

Montreal’s Fantastia Festival will open with Takashi Miike’s Yatterman. Producer Yoshinori Chiba will be in attendance for the Canadian premiere.
Netherlands Film Festival appoints new director

In a move that has been warmly received in Dutch film circles, Willemien van Aalst has been appointed as the new director of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF).
New music/film label Factory 25 launches with Frownland, 10001 Nights

Matt Grady, the former director of production at Plexifilm, has launched Factory 25, a Brooklyn, NY-based film and music label.
NuImage's Elizabeth Wolfe moves to Freud's LA office

Veteran publicist Elizabeth Wolfe will Freud Communications as Senior Vice President beginning July 1.
Ontario plans to expand tax credit to foreign producers

The Ontario government plans to enhance the production tax credit for foreign producers.
Oscars moves testimonial awards to earlier dinner; changes Song rules

If there were worries that the increased 10 Best Picture Nominees were going to make the Oscars telecast even longer, the Academy has taken at least one step to keep the telecast less bloated.
Otto Bathurst

Director, Star Of Tomorrow 2009.
Palm Springs ShortFest winners include The Dinner, Jonathan's Home

The Palm Springs International ShortFest wrapped its 15th edition Sunday night with the the Best of Festival Award going to The Dinner (Vacsora) by Hungary’s Karchi Perlmann.
Paramount continues cuts in literary arm, production execs

Following the ousting of Brad Weston and John Lesher, Paramount is now shutting its New York-based literary office and trimming a number of production staff.
Paramount in talks to merge home entertainment division

Paramount Pictures, owned by media company Viacom, is reported to be in talks with Sony Pictures and Fox over a merger of its home entertainment division.
Paramount International launches Shanghai-based office

Paramount Pictures International has launched its new China office, based in Shanghai, which officially opens today (July 1).
Pinball starts UK shoot on Erotology

Director Ashley Horner has started principal photography on his second feature, Erotology, being shot at locations around Northeast England.
Pinewood takes on management of Toronto’s Filmport

The British film studio behind the Bond films now controls the fate of Toronto’s struggling, state-of-the-art studio operation. Pinewood Shepperton has taken charge of sales and marketing of Filmport Studios.
Poll

Historic coming of age story set in Estonia on the eve of the First World War
Protagonist to handle international sales of Le Donk

UK sales company Protagonist Pictures will be handling international sales on Shane Meadows’ improvised comedy Le Donk And Scor-Zay-Zee.
Public Enemies

Dir: Michael Mann.US.2009.
Rebecca Johnson

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow 2009.
Rebranded Here Films takes on I Killed My Mother

Here Media has officially launched Here Films, the new acquisition and distribution division that incorporates the former Regent Releasing. The outfit has acquired three high-profile titles.
Richard Ayoade

Writer-Director, Stars Of Tomorrow 2009.
Rock It

Teenie musical with a girl having to decide whether to embark on a career as a concert pianist or to follow her heart and choose the world of rock music
Rotterdam brings festival hits to New York's Rooftop Films

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is joining forces with New York’s popular Rooftop Films to present two IFFR 2009 selections in Rooftop’s Summer Series.
Rumpe Und Tuli

Family entertainment about the puppet figures Rumpe and Tuli who have to leave the train in Cologneafter fare dodging and are later confronted by a secret from their past
Sally El Hosaini

Writer-director, Star Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Screen launches reviews newsletter

ScreenDaily has introduced a new weekly film reviews email newsletter.
Seven Courtyards

Tragicomedy set among the multi-ethnic inhabitants of seven courtyards in the ancient city of Antakya
Shock and awe

Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest incarnation will catapult US audiences out of their comfort zone. It may offend some, but Brüno is a welcome antidote to the political-correctness pandemic.
Stars Of Tomorrow: Actors & Film-makers

Screen brings you the Stars Of Tomorrow actors and film-makers gallery 2009.
Stars... took me from (almost) zero to 'hero'

Being named a Star of Tomorrow seems like a lifetime ago for documentary director Jamie Jay Johnson, who was lucky to even be alive for the photoshoot.
Steven O'Dell promoted to SVP of International Distribution at Sony

Steven O’Dell has been named Senior Vice President, International Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing International.
The industry's rising stars

Screen’s UK Stars of Tomorrow issue is always a major event in our year. It’s the moment when we receive a fresh injection of confidence in the future of the industry because of the depth and breadth of talent coming out of the UK film business.
The Orchard strikes digital distribution partnership with National Lampoon

New York-based entertainment service company The Orchard has struck new partnerships with National Lampoon, IndiePix Films and Indepedent Film Sales.
The Pirate Bay sold to Swedish software firm for $7.7m

Swedish software company Global Gaming Factory (GGF) is to acquire controversial file-sharing website The Pirate Bay for $7.7m (SEK 60m).
Themba

An eleven year-old boy from the poorest of backgrounds dreams of playing for Bafana Bafana, the South African national football team.
Theo James

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Tilda Swinton takes Scottish film festival on tour

Actress Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins, the former director of the Edinburgh Film Festival, are hitting the Highland trail with the first travelling film festival ever staged in the UK.
Tim Bevan gives evidence to Communications Committee

Tim Bevan, co-founder of Working Title Films and incoming chairman of the UK Film Council, will appear before the House of Lords Communications Committee today (July 1).
Tom Green

Writer-director, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Tom Hughes

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Transformers 2 becomes second-biggest five-day domestic opener

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen blasted its way into the North American marketplace this weekend, taking an estimated $112m over three days and $201.2m since it opened on Wednesday (June 24).
Transformers 2 boasts huge international weekend gross of $162m

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed a huge $162m in the international marketplace over the weekend, the fourth highest international weekend gross of all time.
Transformers sequel sets Wednesday opening record with $60m

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed $60.6m on its first day of North American release, according to a preliminary estimate from Paramount, making it the biggest Wednesday opener ever.
Two more Korean exhibitors increase ticket prices

Korean exhibitors Lotte Cinemas and Cinus have joined Megabox in raising ticket prices, in an almost industry-wide move that marks the first ticket price increases in eight years.
Universal's PictureBox VOD service to launch on Virgin Media

Universal Pictures and Virgin Media have announced that on-demand film service PictureBox will launch on Virgin’s TV platform in July.
Unter Dir Die Stadt

Secret love affair between a bank manager and an employee’s wife leads to unexpectedconsequences.
Vater Morgana

Father-son buddy comedy.
Vertigo School Project announces winners

London-based Vertigo Films and The National Film and Television School have named the three winning filmmakers for their Vertigo School Project (VSP).
Wah Do Dem, Those Who Remain get Target awards at LAFF

The Los Angeles Film Festival wrapped its 15th edition Sunday, with the Target Filmmaker Award going to Sam Fleischner & Ben Chace’s Wah Do Dem (What They Do).
Warners Bros and 3 Italia launch on-demand mobile movie service

Warner Bros Home Video and mobile phone operator 3 Italia have launched an on-demand film service for 3’s videophone customers.
Weinstein Company comes on board for The Hammer

Cinemavault has confirmed new sales on Charles Herman-Wurmfeld’s comedy The Hammer.
Woody Allen to make next project in Paris

Woody Allen will follow his London based project with a romantic drama set in Paris, confirmed the film’s Spanish co-producers Mediapro.Mediapro signed a three picture deal with the US director at the beginning of last year, following the success of their collaboration on Vicky Cristina Barcelona. All three films will be co-produced by Gravier, the production company run by Allen’s sister Letty Aronson.The first of the three films is an Untitled London Project set to sh
Wunmi Mosaku

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.
Zawe Ashton

Actor, Stars Of Tomorrow, 2009.

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26 June 2009