Screen
27 Sept 2012

View all stories from this issue.

All Apologies

Dir: Emily Tang. China. 2012. 88mins
Asterix and Obelix: in Britain 3D -- Catherine Deneuve massacres the French language, à l’anglaise

The high-profile cast of Laurent Tirard’s highly anticipated Asterix and Obelix: in Britain 3D — led by Gérard Depardieu, Edouard Baer and Catherine Deneuve — were out in force on Sunday afternoon for a packed, first public preview of the film at Paris’ iconic, 2,800-seat Grand Rex cinema.
Bypass

Dirs: Patxo Telleria, Aitor Mazo. Spain. 2011. 97mins
Cold War

Dir/scr: Longman Leung & Sunny Luk. Hong Kong, China. 2012. 102mins
Everything Or Nothing

Dir/scr: Stevan Riley. UK. 2012. 98mins
Holes

Dir: Fermin Muguruza. Spain. 2012. 98mins
Operation E

Dir: Miguel Courtois Paternina. France-Spain. 2012. 108mins
Rio 70s

Dirs: Patricia Faloppa, Mauricio Branco. Brazil. 2012. 75mins
Shell

Dir: Scott Graham. UK. 2012. 90mins
Sinister

Dir: Scott Derrickson. US. 2012. 110mins
Six Acts

Dir: Jonathan Gurfinkel. Israel. 2012. 99mins
Storm Surfers 3D

Dirs/scr: Christopher Nellus, Justin McMillan. Australia. 2012. 95mins
The Artist And The Model

Dir: Fernando Trueba. Spain. 2012. 104mins
The Day That Lasted 21 Years

Dir/scr: Camilo Tavares. Brazil. 2012. 77mins
The Dead And The Living

Dir/scr: Barbara Albert. Austria. 2012. 110mins
The Valley

Dir: Inaki Elizalde. Spain. 2011. 98mins
25th IDFA to screen 317 titles including 97 world premieres

Programme for the 25th anniversary of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam includes 64 Dutch productions.
A Most Wanted Man begins shooting

Russian actor Grigory Dobrygin [pictured] among new cast to join Anton Corbijn’s adaptation of John le Carré’s bestseller.
A24 acquires Ginger & Rosa, Kino Lorber buys Resnais

Sally Potter’s Ginger & Rosa premiered in Telluride and will get a 2012 qualifying run before opening in theatres in early 2013. Alain Resnais’ You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet will open early next year.
Academy announces 2012 Nicholl Fellowship finallists

Nine individual screenwriters and one writing team have been selected for the competition. The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee will now read and judge the screenplays and may award up to five of the $35,000 fellowships.
ACE selects 16 producers for upcoming training session

Simone Bachini [pictured], Jean-Yves Roubin and Francesco Virga among producers added to ACE Network for upcoming ACE Training Session.
Alan Heim and Steve Okazaki to be honoured at Plus Camerimage

Heim to receive Lifetime Acheivement Award to the Editor, while Ozazaki [pictured] will be presented with the Outstanding Achivement Award as a Documentary Filmmaker.
Algeria submits Zabana! for Oscars

Saïd Ould-Khelifa’s Zabana! will represent Algeria in the Foreign Language Oscar race.
Amazon Studios options horror novel Seed

Amazon’s original content arm has added Ania Ahlborn’s gothic tale to its development slate.
Andrew Garfield, Marc Webb return to Amazing Spider-Man

Columbia Pictures top brass made the announcement on Friday (28) in the wake of the summer success of The Amazing Spider-Man’s $751m worldwide haul.
Argo, Amour to bookend Leeds International Film Festival

26th edition runs Nov 1-18, presenting 167 feature films.
Armenia selects If Only Everyone as foreign language Oscar entry

Natalya Belyauskene’s drama [pictured] will fly the flag for the Eurasian country and its North American premiere screening will close the Arpa International Film Festival in Los Angeles on Dec 1.
Arrow finds Cherchez Hortense

EXCLUSIVE: UK distributor Arrow Films picks up Pascal Bonitzer’s comedy starring Kristin Scott Thomas.
Artsploitation Films to open maiden release Gandu

Raymond Murray’s young distributor will release the drama by Bengali filmmaker Q (aka Kaushik Mukherjee) on VoD and DVD on Dec 11.
Assange drama and Japan in a Day added to LFF

A drama about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Japan’s version of Life in a Day have been added to the 56th BFI London Film Festival.
Athens Film Festival

18th edition ran Sept 19-30.
Babacar Diene joins Voltage in key acquisitions role

The new hire joins as vp of acquisitions and most recently worked at IM Global where since 2010 he served in a similar capacity for Apsara Distribution.
Back of Beyond, Two Hearts among EFA short film nominees

European Film Awards to take place on Dec 1 in Malta.
Bedlam adds Olwyn Silvester, Stella Nwimo

Bedlam Productions appoints Olwyn Silvester as director of production, Stella Nwimo to production and development role.
Bela Tarr to lead new three-year doctoral level film programme

Lecturers lined up for Film Factory include Tilda Swinton, Gus Van Sant, Aki Kaurismaki and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
BFI Future Plan to invest £500m over next five years

Three areas of concentration are education and audiences, filmmaking and film heritage; Film Fund will rise to £24m annually by 2017.
Bill Gates, Ari Emanuel, Bob Bakish among speakers at Abu Dhabi Media Summit

Bill Gates to give opening keynote at conference exploring digital frontiers, which runs Oct 9 - 11; Jim Wuthrich, president, international home entertainment & digital, Warner Bros, and Robert Kyncl, global head of content, YouTube, also among speakers.
Birds Eye View to return in 2013

Organisation which celebrates international women filmmakers to hold Gala day in March before a week-long Celebration of Arab Women Filmmakers in April.
Blancanieves entered into Oscar race for Spain

Pablo Berger’s black and white film [pictured] premiered in Toronto.
Blancanieves, Trueba, Ozon, Ghobadi light up San Sebastian

More industry activity and new projects announced in Spain including a Fernando Trueba-Penélope Cruz reunion.
Bleiberg Entertainment takes worldwide sales on Under The Bed

Steven C Miller’s new film hails from the producing team behind festival horror hit V/H/S. Bleiberg will commence sales in MIPCOM through its Compound B label.
Braaaains

Zombies will rise from the dead this Saturday in an attempt to set a new Guinness world record, with a little help from Alan Ford.
Breillat shooting adaptation of her novel Abus De Faiblesse

Catherine Breillat is now shooting her fourteenth feature, Abus De Faiblesse.
Brenton Thwaites signs on to Intrepid Pictures’ Oculus

The Australian actor [pictured] has been cast as the male lead alongside Karen Gillan, with Rory Cochrane also in the cast. Film District acquired US rights on the eve of Cannes and Focus Features International handles sales for the rest of the world.
Brian Goldsmith named co-COO of Lionsgate

Goldsmith [pictured] joins co-COO Steve Beeks and will report to CEO Jon Feltheimer on corporate management issues and continue to work closely with vice chairman Michael Burns and general counsel Wayne Levin on merger and acquisitions activities and capital structure.
BRITDOC Films launch Ping Pong Care Campaign

Campaign, in association with documentary Ping Pong, aims to encourage more active lifestyles in our senior years.
Bullhead's Roskam talks Buda Bridge, The Tiger, The Faithful

The Belgian director discusses forthcoming projects at Binger-Screen interview in Utrecht.
Busan 2012

Screen’s special supplement looks at the hottest films and projects in Busan.
Busan film festival opened by Lust, Caution star

The 17th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened today with a star-studded red carpet, fireworks and Hong Kong crime action thriller Cold War.
Cargo to commence sales at AFM on The Late Bloomer

Elijah Wood to star in comedy for Dignity Film Finance (DFF).
Christian Bale reunites with David O Russell on untitled project

The Oscar winning star of The Fighter will join Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams on the ensemble drama.
Cinedigm, Metropolitan Theatres Corporation sign VPF deal

The long-term deployment agreement means that the Cinedigm-financed conversion will deploy 82 screens certified by the company.
CinemaCon organisers unveil 2013 show dates

The official convention of the National Association Of Theatre Owners is set to take place from Apr 15-18 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Content sells Bounty Killer to Splendid in Germany, Benelux

Post-apocalyptic action thriller is currently in post and set for a 2013 release.
Daniel Day-Lewis to collect Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award

The star of Lincoln will collect the BAFTA LA honour at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Nov 7 on the eve of the film’s world premiere as the AFI FEST closing night screening.
Daniel Young, Paul Bowles: The Cage Door is Always Open

Swiss-US director talks to Screen about his biopic of acclaimed US writer Paul Bowles.
Daron Keet, Pete Villani among young cinematographer winners

The 16th annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards evening in Los Angeles on Sunday (Sept 30) awarded prizes to several young talents.
David Mackenzie, Jack O’Connell Starred Up with Sigma, Independent

EXCLUSIVE: Prison-based father-son drama from Sigma Films has development backing from Film4, Creative Scotland.
David Thewlis, Tilda Swinton join The Zero Theorem

Lucas Hedges and Melanie Thierry are also on board Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi project. Voltage Pictures handles worldwide sales.
DCMS opens tax relief consultation for high-end TV drama

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is nailing down the criteria used to decide which programmes are eligible for the proposed drama tax relief for high-end TV.
Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke join RPC’s Dom Hemingway

Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke, Jumayn Hunter and Madalina Ghenea join Jude Law and Richard E. Grant in Richard Shepard’s black comedy.
Digital distribution tool PUMit launches

French technology firm UbicMedia’s platform will make its way to the North American market on Oct 21. The technology helps filmmakers to screen and monetise their work online.
Dinard director calls for more British support

Dinard festival artistic director Hussam Hindi has made an impassioned plea for the British to resume their support of the event (which showcases British films to French audiences).
Distribution round-up: ARC goes on Family Weekend

ARC Entertainment has acquired domestic theatrical and home entertainment rights to Benjamin Epps’ comedy starring Kristin Chenoweth, Matthew Modine and Olesya Rulin.
Distribution round-up: Cinedigm takes Dead Man’s Burden

Jared Moshe’s western [pictured] premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and will open in North America in 2013 in theatres followed by VoD, digital and DVD. FilmBuff will release Ex-Girlfriend, Magic Stone and Brainstorm are on board The American Scream and Kino Lorber has signed a distribution deal with Eurocine.
Distribution Workshop drives round Bends

Distribution Workshop is co-financing and has picked up international rights to Flora Lau’s Bends, starring Carina Lau and Chen Kun.
Doha Film Institute appoints Abdulaziz Al Khater as CEO

Also, Doha festival adds new venue for opening and closing ceremonies and other events.
Dutch cinemas complete digital rollout

Transition as part of the Cinema Digitaal project was completed in 14 months; 506 out of 789 screens converted in conjunction with Arts Alliance Media.
EFA honours Dame Helen Mirren

Mirren to be an honorary guest at 25th European Film Awards Ceremony, to be held in Malta on Dec 1.
EFP to spotlight European films in Busan

19 European directors and their newest films will be presented by European Film Promotion at the upcoming festival, which runs Oct 4-13.
Elijah Wood launches production company The Woodshed

The actor-producer teams up with Daniel Noah and Josh C Waller for a stable of projects that will explore the horror genre and include Curse The Darkness.
Emma Sullivan, Steven Shiel among writers up for Wellcome Trust Screenwriting Prize

Winner to be announced at an awards event at Wellcome Collection on Oct 8.
Emmanuelle Antille, Avanti

Swiss installation artist talks about her debut theatrical feature which world premiered in competition at Zurich.
Entertainment And Media In Asia to host US-China Film Summit

The Asia Society Southern California’s Entertainment And Media In Asia (EMASIA) will present the event in Los Angeles on Oct 30.
eOne acquires Twice Born for North America

Sergio Castellitto’s film premiered in Toronto last month and went on to receive a strong reception in San Sebastian.
Ethan Goldman joins Warrior Poets as evp of development

Morgan Spurlock’s New York-based production company made the announcement on Tuesday (Oct 2).
EuropaCorp, Relativity sign Kevin Costner for McG thriller

The untitled project centres on a dying secret serviceman who undertakes a volatile drug trial that could extend his life and allow him to reconnect with his estranged family in exchange for one final mission.
EuropaCorp’s Taken 2 rules international on $55.2m

UPDATE: The Liam Neeson thriller sequel ran away with the weekend box office, earning an estimated $39.2m though Fox International and the remainder through producer-financier EuropaCorp.
European Parliament drafts 197 amendments to EC's Creative Europe programme

EXCLUSIVE: Italian MEP Silvia Costa’s [pictured] report will be presented at the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education in Brussels next week.
European premiere of Jakimowski's Imagine to open Warsaw Film Festival

28th edition runs Oct 12-21 and will screen 200 features and shorts from 55 countries.
Exclusive Media invests in Millennium Entertainment

Screendaily broke the story in Cannes that Nigel Sinclair and Guy East’s ambitious company was circling Millennium Entertainment and the principals joined Nu Image founders Avi Lerner and Trevor Short on Tuesday (25) to announce they had acquired a minority stake.
Fifteen countries in inaugural Cockatoo Island film competition

Ten of the 15 feature films in competition at Sydney’s Cockatoo Island Film Festival are debut films, which fits the competition aim of giving attention to emerging directors.
Film Agency for Wales launches mentoring programme

Programme will allow 12 producers or company managers to be mentored by distribution executives to develop content for UK and international markets.
Film Armada to stream NYFF’s Views From The Avant-Garde

The roster of films will screen on the Film Armada site from Oct 9-14.
Film Factory takes on sales of Combustion and new Sánchez Arévalo for AFM

Vicente Canales Film Factory sales company travels to the next American Film Market with two new films on its slate: Daniel Calparsoro’s Combustion and Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s My Family And Other Hooligans.
FilmMatters film and lecture symposium returns to Dallas

The event will take place in Texas on Nov 3 and features panel discussions involving people from entertainment, non-profits and activists.
Finland heats up international appeal with first Finnish Film Affair

Works in progress presented to international buyers and sellers include new films from Honkasalo and Louhimies, plus the animated family sequel Niko 2.
First recipients of Kazuko Trust's scholarship award announced

Laida Lertxundi and Michael Robinson will debut their new work at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
Five finalists revealed for Britdoc and PUMA's Creative Impact Award

Finalists for the €50,000 documentary prize are Armadillo, Bag It, Budrus, Gasland and Weapon of War.
FlixChip Corp launches storage device, partners with FilmChest

Entrepreneur John Strisower’s new venture aims to deliver entertainment content with a new family of devices it claims will be smaller, simpler and faster.
Focus Features unveils Africa First filmmakers

For the fifth consecutive year five directors have been selected for the initiative targeted at emerging filmmakers of African nationality and residence. Each will receive $10,000.
Fox Int'l unleashes Taken 2 in 25-plus territories

Liam Neeson and his very particular set of skills are back and audiences in the UK, Australia and China will be among those who can watch EuropaCorp’s thriller day-and-date with North American filmgoers.
Fox, Momentum win big at Screen Marketing & Distribution Awards

Third annual awards ceremony honouring marketing and distribution campaigns was held last night in London at a gala event.
Francois Ozon's In The House wins San Sebastian's Golden Shell

Blancanieves wins special jury prize, Trueba’s The Artist And The Model wins best director.
freeform.London acquires Firebelly

New combined agency to be based in Old Street and headed by Tony Roberts [pictured].
Freestyle Releasing takes all domestic rights to Genius On Hold

Gregory Marquette’s documentary about telecoms inventor Walter L Shaw reveals how the scientist’s poor treatment at the hands of the major companies drive him to work for the Mob and led his son into a life of crime.
French austerity budget hits CNC and broadcasters

National Cinema Centre hit with €150m levy, state broadcaster funding cut by €85m as French government unveils austerity budget.
French court fines five film pirates €1.1m

Landmark ruling comes as future of existing Hadopi anti-piracy measure is under debate.
FrightFest's Halloween all-nighter to host five UK premieres

For the first time, the all-nighter will hold regional events on Nov 3, as well as the Oct 27 all-nighter at the Vue in London’s Leicester Square.
Gary Barber becomes sole MGM chairman and CEO

Roger Birnbaum announced on Wednesday (Oct 3) that he is stepping down from the joint leadership role at the studio to focus on producing.
Ginger And Rosa

Dir/scr: Sally Potter. UK. 2012. 89mins
Global Screen picks up action-adventure Heroes

Munich-based Global Screen adds action-adventure TV film Heroes from director Hansjörg Thurn.
Greece submits Unfair World to Oscar race

Philippos Tsitos’ Unfair World (Adikos kosmos) is the Greek submission to the Foreign Language Academy Award race.
Greg Shapiro: 'My ultimate responsibility is to my director'

Oscar-winning producer held a masterclass in Zurich to talk about his career to date.
Guadalajara, Miami festivals unveil partnership

Industry guests at either festival will get access to the Miami Encuentros entries and Guadalajara Construye entries.
Harkness Screens appoints Matt Jahans as new European Technical Services Manager

Jahans [pictured] joins from projector light source company TLS UK.
Helsinki festival ends with record attendance numbers

Jacques Audiard [pictured] presents closing night film Rust & Bone.
Herbert Lom dies aged 95

Pink Panther and The Ladykillers actor Herbert Lom has died aged 95.
Here And There director Lungulov starts work on Monument

Originally titled Monument To Michael Jackson, the black comedy will shoot for six weeks on location in Serbia and Macedonia.
Hitchcock to open AFI FEST on Nov 1

Sacha Gervasi’s film is based on Stephen Rebello’s book Alfred Hitchcock And The Making Of Psycho and the film will receive its world premiere.
Holland Film Meeting, NPP launch with upbeat mood despite film funding questions

Sister event Netherlands Film Festival opened with Nono, The Zig Zag Kid [pictured]; River Phoenix’s last film finally unveiled.
Hot projects on Screenbase

Yasmin Paige has been lined up to star in British drama Chicken while Fernando Trueba is preparing his upcoming feature La Reina De Espana.
Hot projects on Screenbase

Kristin Scott Thomas and Michelle Williams will star in the adaptation of Suite Française; Bola Agbaje’s play Gone Too Far is turned into a film.
Hotel Transylvania rules US box office on $43m debut

A mighty weekend for Sony saw two of its releases dominate the charts as the session brought in around 20% more than a year ago to end the recent slump.
Hou’s The Assassin to start shooting in October

Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao Hsien downplayed speculation that the $14.5m martial arts drama, which stars Japan’s Satoshi Tsumabuki along with Chang Chen, would be effected by Japan-China political tension.
IFB appoints Rory Gilmartin to role of project manager

Rory Gilmartin, previously of Brilliant Films, joins IFB, which is looking for two further project managers.
IFTA announces new board members after 'most active' election

The Independent Film & Television Alliance voted on Friday (Sept 28).
Inaugural Samobor Film Music Festival set for next September

Festival aimed at the promotion and preservation of film music to take place in Croatia; Oscar-winning sound designer Richard King on artistic board.
Inception Media Group sets US release for Four Assassins

The Will Yun Lee thriller will receive its North American premiere on Oct 19.
Interns and industry sign up for My First Job in Film

EXCLUSIVE: 3000 potential interns and 100 film companies sign up for website My First Job in Film aimed at placing interns and reducing exploitation.
Iron Sky's new extended cut to offer 25 minutes of extra footage

Iron Sky director Timo Vuorensola is also working on I Killed Adolf Hitler and TV series Deus X.
Jackie Ryan announced as JDIFF interim general manager

Next edition of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival to run Feb 14-24.
Jake Gyllenhaal joins Alcon Entertainment’s Prisoners

Hot on the heels of the promising box office debut of End Of Watch, the actor is set to reunite with his An Enemy director Denis Villeneuve.
James Higgins

Screen talks to esteemed industry veteran James Higgins, recipient of the outstanding contribution to the industry accolade at this year’s Screen International Marketing & Distribution Awards.
Jon Mone named evp production at Universal

The executive has been in the studio fold since 2006 in his capacity as an executive at Scott Stuber’s Universal-based Bluegrass Films.
Joshua Zeman prevails in SFFS screenwriting contest

The San Francisco Film Society has announced that to Joshua Zeman will receive the 2013 Djerassi Residency Award / SFFS Screenwriting Fellowship for his film Collider.
Lassie heads to Canada in new feature-length film

EXCLUSIVE: Charles Sturridge writing Lassie Leaves Home.
Leading European players contribute to 'critical assessment' of EC's Creative Europe MEDIA strand

BFI, Match Factory and CNC among those consulted; Italian MEP Barbara Matera [pictured] has also sent a report on proposed Creative Europe programme to Committee on Culture and Education
Life Of Pi

Dir: Ang Lee. US. 2012. 125mins
Lionsgate-Summit merger expands IDC output deal

Summit and NuVision founder Pedro Rodriguez formed IDC to release films in Latin America and the deal will now cover content from Summit’s new owner Lionsgate.
Locarno's Carte Blanche 2013 to focus on Chile

Five or six films in post production will be presented.
Looper jumps to number one at the UK box office

eOne’s sci-fi records impressive $3.9m (£2.4m) debut to end ParaNorman’s reign at the top after just one week.
Looper poised to rule int'l, Ice Age 4 sets animation record

UPDATE: Resident Evil: Retribution is the temporary weekend champion after a $21.2m haul but will lose its crown when Looper’s number one result from China comes in on Tuesday. The Joseph Gordon-Levitt thriller amassed more than $12m from six other territories including a number one UK launch. Fox International’s Ice Age 4 has become the biggest animated release in history on $694.4m
Looper: how an international independent came together

Screen’s US editor Jeremy Kay talks to director Rian Johnson, his producer Ram Bergman and producer/financier Jim Stern about how they packaged the film and how China’s DMG came on board.
Lotte, Happinet to co-produce Kim Sung-soo's Nameless

Korea’s Lotte Entertainment has announced a Korea-Japan co-production titled Nameless, based on award-winning Japanese sci-fi mystery novel Genome Hazard, written by Tsukasaki Shiro and published by Shogakukan Inc.
Mai Ratima

Dir: Yoo Ji-tae. South Korea. 2012. 123mins
Malick, De Palma films find US distributors

Magnolia Pictures has acquired US rights to Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder while eOne Films North America will release Brian De Palma’s Passion. Both films will open in 2013 and thus are out of contention for the current awards season race.
Man Booker shortlist set for live cinema broadcast

Authors competing for the Man Booker Prize are to feature in a live broadcast to Picturehouse, Cineworld and independent cinemas around the UK.
Marjane Satrapi plans to shoot The Voices in Babelsberg starting in April

Paranormal Activity’s Michael Perry wrote the script.
Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine join cast of The World's End

Edgar Wright’s comedy is now shooting in UK.
Martin Radich, Alex Taylor, Jonathan Entwistle, Rachel Tunnard among directors selected for iFeatures2

Creative England, BFI Film Fund and BBC Films have selected eight projects for the full development stage of iFeatures2.
Matthew Modine to chair Rome's Best Debut and Second Film Award jury

American director, actor and producer [pictured] will be joined by Laura Amelia Guzmán, Stefania Rocca, Alice Rohrwacher and Tanya Seghatchian.
Mel Brooks to receive AFI lifetime honour

The veteran comedian and filmmaker [pictured] will collect the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award in Los Angeles on June 6.
Michael Roskam

The Bullhead director was the subject of the annual Binger-Screen International interview in Utrecht.
Million Dollar Crocodile to take a bite of North America

Sales company Odin’s Eye has sold North American rights to the Chinese film Million Dollar Crocodile to Screen Media Films, which will now begin planning for a release in the first quarter of next year.
Minds Eye, Red Sky, Moving Pictures board Avalon

Canada’s Minds Eye Entertainment, Red Sky Entertainment and Moving Pictures Media will produce the live-action fantasy book adaptation Avalon: Web Of Magic [pictured].
Mold

Dir/scr: Ali Aydin. Turkey. 2012. 94mins
Mona Fastvold to make feature directorial debut with Sleepwalker

Fastvold’s [pictured] film is one of five films to be supported by the Norwegian Film Institute.
Moviepilot names two senior hires

The film discovery platform has brought on Amy Elkins for the newly created role of evp of strategy and advertising and Amy Smith as its first US director of advertising.
Mumbai film festival unveils competition sections

The Mumbai Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its competition sections for this year’s edition (Oct 18-25), including its new competition for Indian features, India Gold 2012.
My Amityville Horror

Dir/scr: Eric Walter. US. 2012. 88mins
National Security

Dir: Chung Ji-young. South Korea. 2012. 110mins
New films by Nicolas Pereda and Javier Fuentes-Leon close deals in San Sebastian

Deals lined up for When Horses Learned To Cry and The Disappeared Elephant.
New York's Maven Pictures revs up Rollin’ Thunder

Following the sale in Toronto of their comedy Imogene to Roadside Attractions / Lionsgate, Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray said on Tuesday (25) they will produce the bowling comedy.
Obit: Ted Shugrue, international executive

J Edward ‘Ted’ Shugrue has died in New York following a short illness at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. He was 62.
Odeon West End gets two-week exclusive run of The Master in 70mm

Entertainment Film Distributors has confirmed that Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master will get a 70mm release in the UK.
Oz crowd-funding platform starts to see results

Pozible, Australia’s first and largest crowd-funding platform, has helped filmmakers raise $1.37m (A$1.3m) since its May 2010 launch, while total pledges have quadrupled in the past year.
Parties drop Wolf Of Wall Street lawsuits

Red Granite Pictures and Alexandra Milchan have settled their legal dispute over the upcoming memoir adaptation and dismissed their respective lawsuits against each other.
Pathé launch digitisation and restoration project

Over 100 films from Pathé’s catalogue to be restored over the next five years.
Pedro Almodóvar to deliver Bafta lecture

Award-winning writer-director Pedro Almodóvar has been secured by Bafta to deliver its annual David Lean Lecture.
Phase 4 gets generation Um... New Yorker takes Hors Satan

Phase 4 Films has picked up North American rights to Mark L Mann’s generation Um… starring Keanu Reeves, Bojana Novakovic and Adelaide Clemens.
Pitch Perfect

Dir: Jason Moore. US. 2012. 112mins
Pluto

Dir/scr: Shin Suwon. South Korea. 2012. 120mins
Producers set Nov 19 Canada shoot for Reasonable Doubt

Samuel Jackson and Dominic Cooper will star in the thriller, formerly known as The Good Samaritan. Voltage Pictures represents international rights.
Production underway in Lake Tahoe on Last Weekend

Patricia Clarkson stars in the feature directorial debut from Tom Dolby and Tom Williams.
Red Bull and YouTube partner for 23 mile skydive

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner is to attempt a record-breaking 120,000 foot freefall live on YouTube as part of a tie-up with Red Bull Media House.
Red Bull plans European monthly series of action sports movies

Red Bull Media House also plans action programme at San Sebastian festival in 2013.
Reykjavík opens with Queen Of Montreuil

Guests attending the ninth edition of RIFF include Dario Argento, Susanne Bier and Marjane Satrapi.
Rio kicks off tonight with world premieres including Orange Tree, Between Valleys

The 14th Rio International Film Festival kicks off today with a balanced mix of international titles with homegrown features and shorts. The heart of the festival, however, will always be the Première Brasil programme, the only competitive section.
Rise of the Guardians to be awarded in Rome

DreamWorks Animation’s latest 3D film to receive inaugural Vanity Fair International Award for Cinematic Excellence.
River Phoenix's last film Dark Blood could see mainstream release

Director George Sluizer has revealed that he expects the legal issues surrounding Dark Blood to be resolved within the next “four weeks.”
Robert L Johnson buys Image, Acorn Media

The chairman of the RLJ Companies and founder of Black Entertainment Television announced the acquisition on Wednesday (3) and said shareholders from Image and Acorn had approved the transaction. The new company is called RLJ Entertainment.
Safari set to shoot in South Africa on Oct 15

Thaba Media’s project will pitch tent in Johannesburg and is based on US writer Tyler Hisel’s found footage script about a band of American tourists stranded in the heart of the South African wilderness.
Saffery Champness acquires RSM Tenon’s film and TV unit

UK accountant’s film unit, run by John Graydon [pictured] and Nigel Burke, acquired by rival firm; all current film contracts to transfer to Saffery Champness.
Save Your Legs!

Dir: Boyd Hicklin. Australia. 2012. 91mins
Schwarzenegger makes a Stand

Arnie was back in London last night (Oct 14) to discuss his return to the big screen.
Screen Awards winners brochure

Read all about the reasons why the judges chose our 2012 winners at the Screen UK Marketing & Distribution Awards.
Screen to publish dailies at Dubai International Film Festival

Screen International will publish dailies at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which this year takes place December 9-16.
Sean Stewart to deliver PttP's Cross-Media Forum keynote presentation

Co-founder and head writer at Fourth Wall Studios to speak in the UK for the first time at Power to the Pixel’s annual Forum.
Secret Cinema warn of a coming storm

First clues released for Secret Cinema’s upcoming 19th production.
Seth MacFarlane to host 85th Academy Awards

The announcement continues the comedian’s annus mirabilis in the wake of the global success of Ted.
Sheffield Doc/Fest launch Indiegogo crowdfunding initiative

Initiative aims to raise $25,000 over a 43-day period for their 20th anniversary in 2013.
Shooting begins on Joanna Hogg's third feature

Hogg’s as-yet-untitled “London Project” will shoot for six weeks in and around west London.
Shooting begins on John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary

McDonagh’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Guard stars Brendan Gleeson [pictured], Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly and Aidan Gillen, among others.
Shoreline Entertainment acquires worldwide rights to Sir Billi

Scotland’s first CGI animated feature boasts the vocal talents of Sean Connery in his first voice-over role.
Shortlist revealed for Hospital's h.Club 100 Film Category

Time Out readers submit Andrea Arnold [pictured] as ‘Wild Card’ nominee.
Shorts from Milner, Guerrier brothers, Zamatov to screen at Aesthetica

Second edition of short film festival, which runs Nov 8-11, to feature shorts from over 25 countries.
Singapore's MDA appoints Koh Lin-net as CEO

Koh Lin-net has been appointed CEO of Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA), replacing Aubeck Kam who leaves the post on October 31.
Sir Terry Pratchett launches indie

Sir Terry Pratchett has joined forces with former Prime Focus Productions boss Rod Brown to launch a television and film production company.
Sitges film festival opens with world premiere of The Body

Sitges to feature new films from Paulo, Aibar, Calparsoro and Carax.
Sky picks up Harry Potter films

All eight Harry Potter films have been added to Sky’s portfolio for three months over the crucial Christmas period.
Slavic named UIP Sweden boss

Zoran Slavic has been appointed general manager of United International Pictures (UIP) in Sweden.
Soda Pictures acquires Jem Cohen’s Museum Hours for UK

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based sales company MPM reports a flurry of post-Toronto deals for picture which is due to screen in the BFI London Film Festival.
Spain’s Telecinco Cinema reveals 10 new projects

New films by Monzón, Urbizu, Colomo and Tadeo Jones sequel on Telecinco Cinema slate
Spain's APPA calls for new tax breaks for foreign producers

At the San Sebastián Film Festival, a new proposal has come forward for the Spanish cinema sector to overcome difficulties due to the financial crisis.
Spanish producers association controversially suggests new finance system

Pedro Pérez, president of producers association, asks government that “cinema finances cinema.”
SPC acquires North America on Fill The Void

Rama Burshtein’s directorial debut earned seven Israeli Ophir Awards including best picture and screened in Venice and Toronto. It will receive its US premiere at the New York Film Festival.
St George’s Day

Dir: Frank Harper. UK. 2012. 104mins
Step Into The Dark with the Barbican

Barbican Centre announce opening programme for its new cinemas.
Stillking Films board Haas Silver Levene Film Studios' $120m slate

London-based film group’s seven-film slate will shoot in Czech Republic over the next two years and are all set from the 1920s through to World War Two.
Sundance Institute announces six projects for New Frontier Story Lab

The session will take place from Oct 21-16 at the Sundance Resort in Utah and will support projects that “use technology to deepen story and engage audiences.”
Taiwan enters Touch of the Light for Oscar consideration

Wong Kar Wai presents Chang Yung Chi’s debut feature; Fortissimo handles sales.
Taken 2 hunts down Looper at the UK box office

Fox’s sequel dominates competition to record impressive $11.8m (£7.4m) debut, including previews, a result that means it has already taken more than the original film in its entire run.
Taken 2 restores faith in North American box office

EuropaCorp’s thriller starring Liam Neeson as the protective family man with a very particular set of skills stormed to the top on an estimated $50m through Fox in what EuropaCorp sources called the biggest launch of a French film at the US box office.
The Assassins

Dir: Zhao Linshan. China. 2012. 102mins
The Babymakers

Dir: Jay Chandrasekhar. US. 2012. 98mins
The BFI means business

The BFI demonstrates some real business savvy in its new Forward Plan.
The Cleaner

Dir/scr: Adrián Saba. Peru. 2011. 96mins
The Knot

Dir: Jesse Lawrence. UK. 2012. 92mins
The Light Cinemas adopts J2 EPoS

J2 630 [pictured] is a PC-based touchscreen and will be combined with Vista cinema software in the European chain’s cinemas.
Thessaloniki to host Costas Zapas retrospective

Retrospective to inaugurate new Night Views section of the festival, which runs Nov 2-11.
Tokyo fest screening of Yim Ho's Floating City cancelled

Hong Kong-China production appears to have been withdrawn due to escalating political tensions between China and Japan.
Tom Rothman to produce Robopocalypse for DreamWorks, Fox

The outgoing co-head of Twentieth Century Fox said: “If you are in politics, you dream of a call from the White House, in baseball, from the Yankees, in movies, from Steven Spielberg.”
UK, Brazil ink co-production treaty

UK signs film and TV co-production treaty with rising power Brazil.
Unified Pictures, Savage Bunny, Bron Studios get Trust Me

William H Macy, Felicity Huffman, Sam Rockwell and Amanda Peet to star in dark comedy alongside writer-director Clark Gregg. UTA Independent Film Group represents domestic rights and Mimi Steinbauer’s Radiant Films International is handling foreign sales.
Universal Pictures heralds record box office haul

The studio, celebrating its 100th anniversary, announced on Tuesday (25) that its films had amassed $1.128bn for the year-to-date, setting a new company record.
Ursula Meier's Sister wins top prize in Athens

Other winners include An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, Una Noche, Teddy Bear and Searching for Sugar Man.
US-China Summit scheduled for Nov 1 in Los Angeles

Sponsored by East West Bank and Loeb & Loeb, the half-day event is being hosted by the Asia Society Southern California’s Entertainment & Media/Asia Initiative (EMAsia).
Venus And Serena

Dirs: Maiken Baird, Michelle Major. US. 2012. 99mins
Von Trier's Challenge to the People to premiere in Copenhagen on Oct 12

User-generated project Gesamt - Disaster 501: What Happened To Man [pictured] to premiere at Charlottenborg.
Walter Hill to receive Rome's inaugural Maverick Director Award

Hill’s latest film Bullet to the Head, starring Sylvester Stallone, to world premiere at the festival following the awards ceremony.
War Witch wins audience award at Cambridge Film Festival

32nd edition of the UK’s third-longest running film festival ran Sept 13-23.
Warsaw's CentEast, Connecting Cottbus and Red Square Screenings unveil project lineups

This year will see the ten ‘works in progress’ projects presented as part of the Red Square Screenings in Moscow, ahead of the Warsaw presentation for the first time.
Wayne Borg

Bill Gates will be among speakers discussing the future of the ‘digital frontier’ at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Media Summit. Wendy Mitchell talks to Wayne Borg of organiser Twofour54
Weinsteins acquire US rights to The Butler

Lee Daniels’ all-star ensemble was an international sell-out in Cannes through IM Global and is already been spoken of as an awards contender for 2014.
William Hurt to star in Challenger disaster drama for BBC2

William Hurt is to star as pioneering American scientist Richard Feynman in an ambitious BBC2 co-pro drama about the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster.
Winkler Films options The Empty Glass

J I Baker will adapt the thriller screenplay from his novel about conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe.
Winner of BFI-Nintendo competition revealed

Senna director Asif Kapadia [pictured] to mentor winner of competition.
Won't Back Down

Dir: Daniel Barnz. US. 2012. 120mins
Yasmin Paige, Chris New board B Good drama Chicken

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Stephenson directorial debut set to star former Screen Star of Tomorrow and Submarine actress Paige and Weekend star New.
Zentropa, TV2 gear up for series of Adler-Oslen adaptations

Production to start next week on The Woman in the Cage, AKA Mercy, to be directed by Mikkel Nørgaard [pictured] and starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Carl Mørck.
Zurich prizes go to Breaking Horizons, Der Prozess, Broken and The Imposter

UPDATED: Appassionata wins audience award and El Ultimo Elvis wins critics’ prize. Festival attracts record audience of 58,000.

Screen27 Sept 2012

Screen
27 Sept 2012