Screen Features
Cannes Marche & Screen's Future Leaders party
Cannes Marche and Screen International toast Screen’s Future Leaders of sales and acquisitions.
Hopscotch Features: John Collee, Frank Cox, Troy Lum and Andrew Mason
Fledgling production company Hopscotch Features is quickly fulfilling its mission to make films in Australia with international reach. Sandy George talks to the four partners.
Candida Brady
UK journalist turned film-maker Candida Brady’s first feature documentary Trashed follows Jeremy Irons on a world tour as he discovers issues surrounding waste. The film screened out of competition in Cannes.
Lives through a lens
The lowdown on the feature documentaries screening in all the festival sections. Profiles by Louise Tutt.
The magic of realism
On the day of the Cannes documentary brunch, which Screen is sponsoring, Colin Brown reports how film-makers are reinventing the idea of a non-fiction feature film and how distributors are helping them with these hybrids.
Thomas Vinterberg
Some 14 years after Festen, Thomas Vinterberg is back in Competition at Cannes with his latest drama, The Hunt. It’s been a long road back, he tells Mike Goodridge.
Chris Parks talks future hopes for 3D
The founder of Vision 3 talks about the company’s work on films including Jack The Giant Killer and Gravity.
Wayne Blair
Australian director Wayne Blair is in Cannes for the world premiere of his feelgood feature debut The Sapphires, which screens out of competition
Brandon Cronenberg
Brandon Cronenberg, son of David, makes his feature directorial debut with Antiviral in Un Certain Regard, about a man who sells celebrity diseases to the obsessed public. TF1 handles sales.
Sanford Panitch
Fox International Productions president Sanford Panitch tells Jeremy Kay about lessons learned from the company’s 40 films in three years, and its plans for English-language European co-productions.
Hard times for soft money
Are Europe’s film tax credits under threat from the European Commission? Geoffrey Macnab reports on the truth about controversial new rules under discussion.
Rufus Norris
Acclaimed UK theatre director Rufus Norris talks about his directorial debut Broken which is the opening film of Critics’ Week.
Cannes dailies 2012
FINAL UPDATE: Read all of Screen’s Cannes 2012 print dailies in online versions here for free.
Clifford Werber
Clifford Werber of Fluent Entertainment talks about the company’s studio-aligned equity finance model for local-language films, and its new deal with Sony. Jeremy Kay reports.
A celebration of Zentropa
After 20 years, the iconic Danish production outfit Zentropa is going stronger than ever, with historical drama A Royal Affair packing out Danish cinemas and Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt in Competition here in Cannes.
Sally Potter untitled project
Screen talks to director Sally Potter and producer Christopher Sheppard about their as yet untitled period drama, which shot in and around London earlier this year.
The Invisible Woman
Ralph Fiennes’ second directing project following Coriolanus tells the story of Charles Dickens’ secret love affair with a young actress. Who better to play the iconic author than Fiennes himself. Sarah Cooper reports.
Amanda Nevill
BFI head Amanda Nevill talks through the thinking behind the BFI’s new five-year plan.
The Games begin
Does The Hunger Games’ international box-office performance signal the beginning of the next Twilight-sized franchise? Ian Sandwell analyses the figures.
IM Global's fifth anniversary party
Stuart Ford’s IM Global celebrated its fifth anniversary with a celebration in Los Angeles on May 5.
Cannes 2012: Un Certain Regard
Films include the omnibus 7 Days in Havana [pictured] which includes directors Benicio Del Toro, Gaspar Noe and Laurent Cantet.
Cannes 2012: In Competition; Out Of Competition
From the anticipated films by seasoned auteurs to the buzz titles from first-timers, Screen profiles the films headed to all the sections of the Cannes Film Festival in 2012
Sergei Yershov
The CEO talks about the unusual but successful business model of US and Russia-based distributor VolgaFilm. Andreas Wiseman reports.
Cannes 2012: Directors' Fortnight
Directors include Rosales, Larrain, Stoll Ward, Wheatley, Bakhshi.
Cannes 2012: Critics' Week
Films include UK theatre veteran Rufus Norris’ debut feature film Broken [pictured.]
Cannes 2012: Midnight Screenings; Special Screenings
Films include Aboriginal girl-group story The Sapphires [pictured], with a cast including Chris O’Dowd.
Talent spotting
Screen rounds up the hottest writing, directing and producing talent coming out of Northern Ireland.
Case Study: Game Of Thrones
HBO backed Northern Ireland to host its popular fantasy series Game Of Thrones, which shoots its third series in the country this summer.
Belfast Film Festival
Two high-profile local films will bookend the Belfast Film Festival (May 31-June 10)
Celebrating 65 years of the CNC
The Cannes Film Festival is not the only French cultural institution feting its 65th anniversary this year. Melanie Goodfellow talks to CNC president Eric Garandeau.
Alix Tidmarsh, Andy Byatt, Amberjack Films
Alix Tidmarsh and Andy Byatt’s new UK production company will make ambitious, entertaining films with a message, with the first project to come out of the company set to be the $20m Dolphin: A 3D Adventure, being sold by Salt at Cannes.
Geoffrey Fletcher
Precious screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher talks about his latest collaboration with Bombay Sapphire on a new short film competition.
Martin Carr and Neil Thompson, Formosa Films
The producers talk about their EIS experiences and their busy slate.
Estonia celebrates 100 years of film history
With a centenary of cinema to celebrate, Estonia used April 30 to recognise the achievements of some its most venerated stars and directors.
Roundtable: The Age of the Entrepeneur
Screen International, in assocation with Creative Skillset, last week hosted an industry roundtable to consider the key issues for the future of the UK film business in the digital landscape.
Clifford Werber, Fluent Entertainment
The Fox and Warner Bros veteran talks about a studio-aligned equity finance model for local-language films.
Film Industry Five-A-Side Football Event, Millwall Football Stadium
Ralf Little’s Provenance Films swept to victory for the third consective year at the annual film industry five-a-side event at Millwall.
Canadian Academy merges Genie, Gemini awards show
The Academy Of Canadian Cinema & Television (ACCT) said on Tuesday (May 1) it was merging its film, television and digital media awards into a single gala event on Mar 3, 2013. Separetly the ACCT named Helga Stephenson CEO.
Sundance London
The inaugural Sundance London Film and Music Festival (April 26-29) presented 27 films and 17 musical performances at London’s O2.
British Film Commission party, Tribeca Film Festival
The BFC hosted its annual Tribeca party on Tuesday 24 April, attended by industry and festival winners.
Fred Schepisi
The New York- and Melbourne-based director talks about The Eye of The Storm, his first Australian film in 22 years.
Chinese delegation visits Pinewood
Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, came with other senior officials from the Chinese government and Embassy to tour the UK’s Pinewood Studios on April 17.
French presidential candidates woo cinema world
France goes to the polls this Sunday for the first round of presidential elections. In a campaign dominated by the economy,immigration and unemployment, candidates have also found time to court the cinema world too.
Donald Rice
The writer-director talks about his Tribeca-bound feature directorial debut, Cheerful Weather For The Wedding.
Paul Webster
The veteran UK producer talks about Salmon Fishing In The Yemen’s audience appeal; Jason Statham’s new side in Hummingbird; and Joe Wright’s inventive take on Anna Karenina.
Tribeca goes for deeper exploration
The revamped programming team of Geoffrey Gilmore, Genna Terranova and new addition Frederic Boyer builds an exciting line-up for the Tribeca Film Festival’s 11th year.
Turnaround story
After the premium VoD controversy at last year’s CinemaCon, exhibitors are ready to talk about other hot topics including 2012’s improved box office, digital virtual print fees and the ongoing fight against piracy.
First among sequels
How did the top international territories fare at the box office in 2011? Ian Sandwell looks at Harry Potter’s dominance, local hits and trends in 3D
Lee Hirsch
Fresh from the successful limited release of Bully in the US, director Lee Hirsch talks to Screen about his childhood battle with bullying, the filming of his documentary and the ratings fight with the MPAA.
Roland Joffe
Screen talks to the veteran director about the challenges of shooting Singularity and looking ahead to forthcoming films including The Archbishop And The Antichrist.
Sightseers
Ben Wheatley follows the acclaimed Kill List with a ‘lighter’ story about serial killers on a caravan holiday. Ian Sandwell visited the set.
Curacao International Film Festival Rotterdam
Photos from the inaugural four-day film festival on the Caribbean island.
Francophone film festival, Athens
The Minister (L’Exercice de l’etat) by Pierre Schoeller was awarded best film at the 13th Athens French speaking film festival (March 21-28).
Romania's GOPO Awards
The sixth edition of Romania’s annual national film awards were presented in a gala ceremony in Bucharest on March 26 with Cristi Puiu winning the GOPOs for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Aurora.
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog discusses Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life, working with US stars and future projects.
All eyes on the Netherlands
Ahead of its public opening, Geoffrey Macnab visits the EYE in Amsterdam and looks at how the museum and the EYE Film Institute can boost the Dutch film industry
Mixed blessings
Dutch films have been booming in recent years, but public spending cuts are threatening future success. Screen examines the current state of Dutch production, including 10 hot films.
Svengali
Rock and roll comedy Svengali is the first feature to come out of Martin Root and Jonny Owen’s new London based production company Root Films.
Fabien Riggall, Future Cinema
A film made in 1949 inspires more than $1.1m in ticket sales in a six-week London run — no wonder the industry is paying more attention to Secret Cinema. Wendy Mitchell talks to Future Cinema founder Fabien Riggall.
Anna Higgs, Film4.0
Film4’s new digital arm will tell stories in ‘parallel places’ with film-makers including Ken Loach.
Case Study: Titanic
The UK-Canada-Hungary co-production for TV written by Julian Fellowes will be seen in more than 85 countries.
Fine tuning
Movie acquisitions for US TV channels are steady but the picture will soon get more complex as studio output deals come up for renewal and SVoD players step up.
Case Study: Parade's End
Tom Stoppard reteams with Shakespeare In Love producer David Parfitt for the BBC-HBO mini-series Parade’s End, which shot in the UK and Belgium.
European pictures
How are Europe’s broadcasters adapting their film acquisition policies in the face of changing consumer patterns and economic crisis?
Regent Street Cinema launch event
Industry attendees at the launch event for the Regent Street Cinema, London (Thursday 22 March).
China in the spotlight at Filmart 2012
The potential of mainland China’s booming film market may have lured many visitors to Hong Kong Filmart (March 19-22), but the present reality in this region are the trends of localisation and the growth of Asian TV.
Quota deal satisfies both East and West
The recent agreement between China and the US to widen the revenue-sharing quota has been met with enthusiasm by all parties and has been driven by consumer demand.
A trip back in time to celebrate A Royal Affair
Danish director Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair, which won two Silver Bears at the recent Berlinale, was launched by an 18th-century-style gala at the Bio City Theatre in Aarhus.
Asian Film Awards 2012
The Asian Film Awards were held March 19 in Hong Kong, with winners including A Separation and A Simple Life.
London tribute to Bingham Ray
UK friends of the late Bingham Ray met at the Captain’s Cabin pub in central London on March 14 for a darts night in his honour.
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – Images of the 21st Century (March 9-18).
Guadalajara International Film Festival (2-10 March)
Industry attendees at the 27th Guadalajara International Film Festival.
British filmmakers raising $120m through Enterprise Investment Schemes
EXCLUSIVE: With Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) rules about to change, there are currently 15 offers out raising funds in the UK, including Oscar-winning producers who between them have made hits including The King’s Speech, My Week With Marilyn and Harry Potter. Tim Adler surveys the EIS landscape and looks at the leading EIS offers on the market now.
Kevin Macdonald
Oscar winning director Kevin Macdonald talks about the challenges of making his latest documentary about reggae legend Marley.
FEST: Belgrade International Film Festival
Winners and attendees at the 40th Belgrade International Film Festival (Feb 24 - Mar 4).
SXSW 2012 preview: Buzz titles to watch for
Festival director Janet Pierson talks about this year’s discoveries, including hot opener The Cabin In The Woods.
Gareth Evans
The Wales-born director talks to Screen about the challenges of working in Indonesia, the American remake and The Raid sequel Berandal.
Anysay Keola
The director of the first commercial thriller ever made in Laos talks about kickstarting a film industry in his country.
Great British Oscar Cocktail Reception
Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt was among the guests at the Great British Film Reception hosted by Consul-General Dame Barbara Hay at her Los Angeles residence on Feb 24.
Glasgow Film Festival
The 2012 edition of the Glasgow Film Festival attracted record numbers and a host of film talent.
Germany floats towards €1bn
The German box office increased year-on-year in 2011 but didn’t crack the elusive billion-euro mark. Martin Blaney reports on the year’s highlights
Temperature test
From an Oscar winner’s new work to edgy horror films that could become Spain’s next genre breakouts, Juan Sarda profiles the hottest Spanish films coming up in 2012
Local heroes vs. pirates
Hit hard by piracy, Spain’s box office was down in 2011. But can a new piracy law, a growing VoD market and the popularity of local films give Spanish distributors cause for optimism? Juan Sarda reports
Trade secrets
Traditional film sales are in flux, with the rise of digital platforms creating new opportunities for sellers against the backdrop of tough economic times. On the eve of Berlin’s European Film Market, John Hazelton explores a fast-evolving sector
The hard sell
Selling arthouse cinema from anyone other than a major-name director can be tough, reports Geoffrey Macnab, but can multi-platform releasing help breathe new life into this market?
Brits abroad
A string of global successes has underlined the breakout potential of British films. But how easy is it to sell UK projects around the world? Geoffrey Macnab reports
Counting costs
Spain is an international talent hotspot and a frequent co-producer. But how will funding cuts affect the health of its film sector?
The Pervert's Guide to Ideology
Producer James Wilson talks about high-concept documentary The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, directed by Sophie Fiennes and starring the inimitable philosopher and film critic Slavoj Zizek.
Buoyant, but not booming, Berlin market points to busier Cannes
Hottest sellers include 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington [pictured] for Foresight and Steven Soderbergh’s Bitter Pill for FilmNation.
Screen party at Berlinale 2012
Screen International celebrated the Berlinale with a reception at Soho House Berlin.
Charles Finch BAFTA party
Leading luminaries of the British and International film and fashion world joined BAFTA nominees to celebrate a year of film and fashion at the annual pre-BAFTA party co-hosted by Charles Finch and Chanel.
Jan Troell
The Swedish film-maker talks to Screen about his first digital film, Truth & Consequence, and how he has no plans to retire at age 80
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie talks candidly about the conception and making of her directorial debut, In The Land Of Blood And Honey, which has its international premiere in Berlin.
Alexander Rodnyansky
He is already one of the biggest figures in the Russian entertainment arena, and now Alexander Rodnyansky has turned his sights and his resources to the US. With his first English-language film in competition at Berlin, he spoke to Screen about his career and his ambitions in film
Hackett hosts BAFTA lunch for John Hurt
Clothing line Hackett hosted a lunch to honour John Hurt’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the upcoming BAFTAs.
Fast Girls
Ealing Metro will be tempting buyers in Berlin with British athletics drama Fast Girls, produced by Damian Jones, directed by Regan Hall, and described by star Noel Clarke as “Rocky with girls in lycra”.
Gore Verbinski
The American director reflects on the making of Rango, which recently won top honours at the Annie Awards and is up for an Academy Award.
Berlin buzz: market titles
As Berlin’s European Film Market kicks off, Screen looks at the hottest market debuts — at all stages of production — being offered by US, UK and European sellers
Monsoon Shootout
Amit Kumar, director of award-winning short The Bypass, talks about his debut feature Monsoon Shootout, produced by the UK’s Trevor Ingman.
Edwin
The director of the first Indonesian film to be selected for Berlin Competition talks about censorship and other animals in Indonesia.
Winter Warmer
Jeremy Kay analyses the deals from Sundance — including the $6m deal for The Surrogate [pictured] and looks ahead to Berlin’s European Film Market.
SXSW reveals Midnighters
The SXSW festival has announced the features in its Midnighters section and revealed its complete line-up of shorts.
James Hickey, Irish Film Board
While Ireland’s economy continues to suffer, its film sector remains a bright light. The Irish Film Board CEO about the growing ambitions of the Irish audiovisual industry
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger stars as doomed French Queen Marie Antoinette in Berlinale opening night film, Farewell My Queen (sold by Elle Driver.)
Berlin festival buzz: Competition
Screen writers profile the world premieres in Berlinale 2012 competition, including Christian Petzold’s Barbara [pictured].
Berlin festival buzz: Other sections
Screen profiles selected world premieres across other festival sections, including Berlinale Special selection I, Anna [pictured].
Berlin festival buzz: Panorama
Screen profiles the hottest world premieres in the Berlinale 2012 Panorama section, including Iron Sky [pictured].
Rotterdam 2012 slideshow
The International Film Festival Rotterdam, which opened Jan 25 and runs through Feb 5, celebrated its 41st anniversary this year with guests including Takashi Miike, Michel Gondry and Steve McQueen.
Hope on home front
Overall home-entertainment spend was down in the US last year - but digital distribution and Blu-ray were among the bright spots as the market goes through a period of re-invention. And a look at the UK’s home entertainment sector.
A special place
At the Les Arcs European Film Festival in December, This Must Be The Place associate producer Carlotta Calori took part in an on-stage case study about the piecing together of the $28m European production. Andreas Wiseman reports from the presentation
Austenland
Twilight author Stephenie Meyer leaves the vampires behind to produce the UK-set Austenland, directed by Jerusha Hess [pictured] and adapted from Shannon Hale’s bestselling novel.
Exploring their world
Highlights of the HFPA foreign-language film symposium featuring Pedro Almodovar, the Dardenne brothers, Asghar Farhadi and Angelina Jolie.
Maja Milos
28-year-old Serbian writer-director Maja Milos’ debut feature Clip (Klip) has been the talk of Rotterdam. It was a polarising film drawing some praise and some outrage. “At least nobody is indifferent to the film,” Milos says.
Target audience
The viewing habits of UK film-goers go under the microscope in extensive new research carried out by Film3Sixty - with surprising findings about piracy, social media and theatrical windows.
The stage is set
EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros Studios Leavesden is set to become both a major production centre and a huge tourist attraction when it opens for business this year. Screen editor Mike Goodridge took an exclusive tour of the site and spoke to studio managing director Dan Dark and Warner Bros UK chief Josh Berger about the transformation of Leavesden into a world-class production facility for hire.
Peter von Bagh
The Finnish director talks about his Rotterdam retrospective, the privilege of bringing great directors to the Midnight Sun Film Festival, and how very local films can be universal.
Coming up shorts
The shortlists for the live-action and animated shorts categories at the Oscars include a diverse mix of styles and subject matters from around the world. Laurence Boyce previews the titles in the running for the final nominations
The UK's high five
Buoyed by local hits, the UK box office rose 5% last year. Andreas Wiseman analyses the numbers.
Short attention
Screen profiles the final nominees for the live-action short and animated short Oscars.
Welcome To The Punch
How did the UK film-makers behind Welcome To The Punch attract an A-list cast, top financiers and Ridley Scott?
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson tells Jeremy Kay how he prepared to play the policeman at the centre of Rampart.
BFI/British Film Commission celebrate UK films at Sundance
On Monday in Park City, the BFI joined the British Film Commission and the British Consulate-General Los Angeles to host a reception for UK film talent and international industry figures at Sundance.
Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy tells Jeremy Kay about using wrestling to explore middle-class life in Win Win.
Bart Layton and Dimitri Doganis, The Imposter
Ahead of their Sundance world premiere, the UK director and producer talk about the elusive truth in their film about a Frenchman who impersonated a missing Texas teenager.
Laura Bickford and Nicholas Jarecki, Arbitrage
Producer Laura Bickford and writer-director Nicholas Jarecki talk to Jeremy Kay about making $15m suspense drama Arbitrage, starring Richard Gere, which is generating buzz at Sundance.
Secret Cinema presents The Third Man
Secret Cinema has concluded its longest run to date — nearly six weeks (Dec 7-Jan 22) — so it’s now safe that the secret is out. The event cinema specialist’s latest offering was Carol Reed’s classic The Third Man, which attrracted nearly 19,000 attendees to the transformed area in the streets of London’s Clerkenwell.
Grégory Bernard, producer of Wrong
Grégory Bernard, the Paris-based producer of Quentin Dupieux’s Sundance contender Wrong, tells Screen about their new brand of English-language, French-style cinema.
Rotterdam 2012 special
Screen presents our guide to Rotterdam 2012, including an interview with festival director Rutger Wolfson; profiles of the Tiger competitors and other hot world premieres across all IFFR sections; a CineMart preview with profiles of the hottest projects; and the latest from the Hubert Bals Fund.
Peter Baxter, Slamdance
The Slamdance festival director and co-founder talks about hot titles at the 2012 festival and the event’s growing digital presence year-round.
Mr Morgan's Last Love
The German and French producers of Sandra Nettelbeck’s English-language Mr Morgan’s Last Love tell Melanie Goodfellow how they put together the complex pan-European project.
Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams talks to Ian Sandwell about composing the score for Arthur Christmas.
Zhang Yimou
The Flowers Of War director tells John Hazelton about balancing the Eastern and Western elements of one of China’s biggest-ever productions.
Pre-Golden Globes Party, Los Angeles
On Jan 13, Silverspoon Lifestyle Group hosted a Pre-Golden Globes event — presented with Screen International — at its venue on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles
A kind of magic
After a decade, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ended the wizarding saga in impressive style with an epic battle for Hogwarts. The film-makers tell Leon Forde about going out with a bang
All the colours of money
Documentary film-makers are discovering new ways of replacing diminishing funds from TV, as they adapt to fresh formats and partners, including corporations and charities.
Hits out of the Park
How have the Sundance hits of the past few years fared at the global box office?
Winter's throne
As the pre-eminent showcase of independent film-making, the Sundance Film Festival (Jan 19-29) always sets the scene for the year ahead. Jeremy Kay talks to festival chiefs John Cooper and Trevor Groth about this year’s selection and its highlights.
Sundance 2012: key premieres
Screen profiles the hottest films across US Dramatic Competition, Documentary Competition, Premieres, World Cinema Competition and World Documentary Competition.
2012 preview: world cinema
Big name directors and some ambitious local productions are in full evidence at theatres and on the film festival circuit this year.
2012 preview: the prestige pictures
There is a wealth of high-prestige pictures set for release this year and a potentially classic end-of-year awards season featuring new movies by Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee, the Coen brothers, Terrence Malick, Quentin Tarantino, Baz Luhrmann, Paul Thomas Anderson, David O Russell, Tom Hooper and Kathryn Bigelow. Mike Goodridge and Leon Forde profile the movies being readied for the awards podium in 2013, both with US distribution in place and without.
2012 preview: tentpoles
Screen previews 30 studio tentpole pictures that hope to dominate screen space across the world in 2012.
Gary Oldman honoured in Los Angeles
The British Counsul General for LA, Dame Barbara Hay, the British Film Commission and Focus Features hosted a Tea Party to celebrate the career of Gary Oldman.
Michelle Williams
The actress tells Jeremy Kay how she avoided Marilyn Monroe’s “wiggles and winks” to focus on the character at the heart of the blonde bombshell in My Week With Marilyn.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
The Crazy, Stupid Love. co-directors talk about working with Steve Carell and keeping a story emotional.
Will Reiser
50/50 writer Will Reiser tells Jeremy Kay about seeing the funny side of cancer — and balancing laughter and tears.
Olivia Colman
The break-out star of Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur tells Louise Tutt why she enjoyed playing such a harrowing role.
2012 preview: Best of British
2011 saw a slew of UK movies connect with audiences at home and abroad, including The King’s Speech, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Senna and The Inbetweeners Movie. Which of this crop will do the same in 2012?
The pick-up Artists
Sales agent Wild Bunch adopted a unique strategy when pitching The Artist to international buyers. Melanie Goodfellow tracks the film’s history from sales mystery to global smash
Private view in Paris
New films from Tony Gatlif, Lucas Belvaux and actor-turned-director Mélanie Laurent will be unveiled for the first time at the Rendez-vous with French film in Paris.
Steven Zaillian
A-list screenwriter and a film-maker in his own right, Zaillian tells Screen how he adapted Stieg Larsson’s epic novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo into the pacy Sony Pictures movie.
Gary Oldman
To play the disenchanted spy hunter at the centre of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Gary Oldman went back to the classic novel and used its author, John le Carré, as a template.
The Pope’s European tour
One film, 15 different campaigns across Europe. At the Les Arcs Co-production Village in December, several distributors revealed their release strategies for Habemus Papam. Wendy Mitchell reports
The Liability
Producer Richard Johns and director Craig Viveiros talk about shooting North East based road trip thriller The Liability starring Tim Roth and Peter Mullan.
Brad Pitt and Bennett Miller
Brad Pitt and Bennett Miller tell Jeremy Kay how Moneyball withstood several curveballs in development before leaving the dugout as an awards contender.
International hits of 2011
What are the highest-grossing films of 2011 in the worldwide market? And which titles have fared better internationally than in North America? Louise Tutt crunches the numbers
2011's hits and rising stars
Screen highlights some of the new actors and directors from around the world who shone in 2011, while a selection of industry figures describe their stand-out films for the year.
The inbetweener
To be European or not to be European? That is the question facing the UK industry as it debates whether to re-enter the Eurimages co-production fund. Geoffrey Macnab considers the issues at stake.
Arthur Christmas dominates UK box office on Christmas weekend
Sony’s animation continues to impress on £2m, seeing off holdovers Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks
Kenneth Branagh
The actor-director tells Leon Forde about recreating Laurence Olivier’s on-set relationship with Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn.
Steve McQueen
The Shame director tells Screen why he made a film about one of society’s biggest taboos.
Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer tells Screen about playing the septuagenarian widower who comes out of the closet in Beginners and why casting is the key for a good director.
Thomas Langmann
Thomas Langmann, the French producer of The Artist, War Of The Buttons and Patrice Leconte’s upcoming 3D animation The Suicide Shop, tells Melanie Goodfellow about arriving as a complete unknown to shoot his tribute to classic cinema in Los Angeles
Russia primed to embrace world
Can Russia become a significant co-production partner now it has entered Eurimages and established a production fund with international projects higher up the agenda?
Ralph Fiennes
It is more than a year since he locked his directorial debut Coriolanus, and Ralph Fiennes is keen for it to be in front of audiences, he tells Mike Goodridge
Charlize Theron
The actress tells Screen about staying true to the complex, self-absorbed woman at the heart of Young Adult.
Serving The Help
When Kathryn Stockett’s novel started rocketing up the book charts, the film-makers working on an adaptation decided to take their project down the studio route.
The future in site
Advances in technology may transform the way the industry does business, as a new generation of websites tries to lure producers, distributors, sales companies, financiers and film-makers online. But can an industry built on personal contacts and face-to-face time change that much?
Online funding draws a crowd
How much impact can crowdfunding sites have on the $22bn global investment business? Colin Brown taps into the key sites
Restoring faith in Xmas
Marketing Christmas releases in international territories can prove a challenge for the US studios.
Where did it all go right?
How have film-makers from a country as tiny as Israel come to command such a huge presence on the international arthouse scene? Dan Fainaru gives a personal account of the support structure Israeli film-makers enjoy at home as well as the challenges they face to sustain it.
Bafta blooms in Covent Garden
How do the organisers of the Bafta film awards ensure each year is better than the last? Sarah Cooper reports on the plans for this year’s event.
Bafta opens up doc race
Bafta’s new documentary award has been welcomed by film-makers — and 2011 is a banner year for the form. Allan Hunter reports
Rich pickings
This year’s crop of UK films are so strong a number of home-grown titles could dominate all the major Bafta categories. Allan Hunter profiles the leading local contenders
The world on film
Pulling extracts from Screen reviews and giving a taste of the breadth of subjects and style on offer, Mike Goodridge looks at a selection of the foreign-language films submitted to the Academy this year. There’s a 3D documentary, an animated film and a 276-minute Taiwanese epic among them
India rises
Shooting in India is becoming much easier thanks to a group of savvy service companies helping foreign productions navigate the country’s notorious red tape. Meenakshi Shedde reports
China's newest stars
Village Roadshow’s Ellen Eliasoph and Greg Basser reveal the details of their United Artists-style production and distribution venture in China, which will see them working with talent including Zhang Ziyi, Stephen Chow, Chen Daming — and Keanu Reeves.
BIFA comes of age
Recognition from the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) is now taken very seriously by UK distributors. Sarah Cooper looks at how the awards, seen as an edgy, young event on the UK calendar, are maturing while striving to maintain a distinct identity
Europe's humour hits home in 2011
On the eve of the European Film Awards in Berlin on December 4, Screen looks at the European films that have triumphed at both the European and global box office in 2011
A touch of class
Quad, the French producer trio behind Heartbreaker and Intouchables, tell Melanie Goodfellow why they believe their projects enjoy popular and global appeal
The globe goes with Sandler
Adam Sandler is a comedy brand. As his latest film Jack And Jill gears up for its international release, Ian Sandwell analyses how well he translates outside North America
Next steps for Arab cinema
At the Dubai International Film Festival this week, Arab filmmakers agreed they now have unprecedented access to funding, but distribution and censorship remain major challenges.
Netflix shakes up UK market
Netflix, the leading US online film and TV service, is moving into Europe with its launch in the UK. The territory’s distributors talk about where the newcomer will fit into a sector dominated by Sky and Lovefilm.
Kathleen Kennedy
Tintin producer Kathleen Kennedy talks about a collaboration between two Oscar-winning directors that involved half a million hours of animation work.
Jean Dujardin
The Artist star talks about how he soaked up the ‘mythical’ atmosphere in Hollywood, where the film was shot
Steppe in a global direction
An exciting new Kazakh director is earning comparisons with Guy Ritchie and Timur Bekmambetov and has attracted an illustrious international team to shoot a coming-of-age film aimed at global audiences. Liz Shackleton reports
How much does crime pay?
The Nordic crime thriller boom has moved from page to screen and is opening up the mainstream global box office to other genres from the region. Andreas Wiseman reports
Up in the air
The airline rights business is soaring as on-demand in-flight systems introduce a wider range of independent and international films to discerning passengers. But rising fuel costs, fewer flights and the arrival of on-board internet access could signal turbulence ahead. John Hazelton reports
Singapore's French connection
Unifrance president and Mact producer Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre tells Melanie Goodfellow why the organisation is focusing on Singapore as it seeks to invest in new markets
Life in the fast frame
Peter Jackson is shooting The Hobbit at 48fps, and James Cameron is set to follow suit with Avatar 2. But what is the point if films cannot yet be projected at such a high spec? Adrian Pennington reports
