All Screen articles in 13 January 2004 – Page 4

  • News

    Lorenzo steps down as Canal Plus Spain manager

    2004-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Jose Manuel Lorenzo has stepped down from his position as general manager of Canal Plus and Contents at Spanish powerhouse Sogecable.Lorenzo has headed Canal Plus for the last five years, seeing it through the recent merger of Sogecable and Telefonica's pay TV interests. For the last three years he has ...

  • News

    Four British films make it on to BAFTA best film shortlist

    2004-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Fifteen pictures have been selected to go through to BAFTA's second round of voting for the best film category - including British pictures Calendar Girls, Love Actually, Girl With A Pearl Earring and Cold Mountain.It takes three rounds of voting for BAFTA members to make their final choice of winning ...

  • News

    Ray parts company with United Artists

    2004-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Bingham Ray has left his job as president of United Artists, MGM's speciality division.A key supporter of many European film-makers, Ray has headed UA since August 2001. His contract was due to expire in May, but both he and the studio recently agreed to go separate ways."We discussed this last ...

  • Reviews

    Along Came Polly

    2004-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Dir: John Hamburg. US. 2003. 90 mins.John Hamburg, the co-writer of Zoolander and Meet The Parents, delivers a forgettable romantic comedy in Along Came Polly, his second feature as a director after the 1998 caper Safe Men. Although there are belly laughs along the way and a highly appealing cast, ...

  • News

    Malaysian box office surges upwards in 2003

    2004-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Malaysia recorded an upward surge in 2003 in both the number of local film productions and their box office takings, according to statistics from Finas, the national film development body.A total of 16 Malay-language films were released in 2003, up from 10 in 2003, while total box office takings for ...

  • News

    A-film takes Dutch rights to 11 Rotterdam titles

    2004-01-09T00:00:00Z

    A-film Distribution has acquired local Dutch rights to eleven titles screening at this year's International Filmfestival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2004.Its line-up includes documentary Johan Cruyff: En El Momento Dado by Ramon Gieling which world premieres at the festival, and Festival Express by Bob Smeaton and Rick by Curtiss Clayton which are ...

  • News

    Smile takes The Return for Scandinavia

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    Copenhagen based Smile Entertainment has acquired the Scandinavian rights to Andrei Zvyagintsev's multiple-award winning debut feature, The Return.The film, which began its successful festival run in Venice by securing the Golden Lion, will screen at both Sweden's biggest festival in Gothenburg as well as at the Norwegian Tromsoe International Film ...

  • News

    Uncertainty prolonged over Venice directorship

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    It may be the start of 2004 but in aserious case of deja vu, a question mark is still hanging in the air over whowill direct the next Venice Film Festival in seven months' time.Yesterday (Jan 7), in what can only beinterpreted as a half-hearted compromise, the Venice Biennale's outgoing ...

  • News

    US Women In Film launch completion fund

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    The US Women InFilm Foundation has launched a completion fund for documentary, dramatic,educational, animated and experimental works by film and video makers.The organisationis offering unrestricted grants of up to $5,000 for qualifying projects as wellas in-kind awards in the form of on-line editing, sound editing and otherpost-production services in select ...

  • News

    Warner Theatres plans Chinese expansion

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    Following its groundbreaking deal last July to build a circuit of up to 10 cinemas in China in a joint venture with Shanghai Film Group, Warner Bros. International Theatres (WBIT) has agreed a new deal 'in principle' with Guangzhou Performance Co to invest an estimated $30m to build 8 - ...

  • News

    Canary Islands offers tax incentives to lure media outfits

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    Beginning this month, Spain's Canary Islands will offer fiscal incentives for international media companies which set up headquarters or subsidiaries on the islands.Companies which register within the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) will benefit from significant tax reductions, such as a 5% VAT versus 16% in the rest of Spain, ...

  • News

    Belgian tax shelter ready to go live

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    The new Belgian tax shelter for film investment is finally set to become operational, putting Belgium into the front-ranks of "hot" territories for film production.The scheme, which has been working its way through a maze of administrative and legal hurdles, yesterday passed the last major legislative hurdle on its way ...

  • News

    Verhoeven links with Constantin for One Step Behind

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    Dutch director Paul Verhoeven is planning to make a film adaptation of Swedish thriller One Step Behind by author Henning Mankel - his first film since Hollow Man in 2000.German production house Constantin Film approached Verhoeven to direct the film which deals with the murder of three teenagers investigated by ...

  • News

    Teichmann named Austrian Film Institute chief

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    Roland Teichmann, managing director of the Association of the Audiovisual and Film Industry, has been named the successor to Gerhard Schedl as the director of the Austrian Film Institute (OFI) from May 2004.Teichmann, who organised a two-part international conference with the German lobby group film20 on the challenges of the ...

  • News

    IFP/New York to administer, expand Radziwill documentary fund

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    For the first time in its25-year history, IFP/New York will begin funding documentaries through theAnthony Radziwill Documentary Fund.Beginning in June 2004, thefund will award six-to-10 development grants of $10,000 on an annual basis,splitting the allocation between two cycles in June and January.The new structure could wellserve as a timely leg-up ...

  • News

    Terzian takes over as French Academy president

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    Producer Alain Terzian has been appointed president of France's Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema - the local equivalent of AMPAS.Terzian, also president of the Union of Film Producers, replaces the late Daniel Toscan du Plantier as head of the Academy.His producing credits include films by Pierre Granier-Deferre, Andre ...

  • News

    Boll fund raises $47m towards two films of video games

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    German producer-director UweBoll said his 2003 investment fund Boll KG4 raised $47m (Euros38m) last yeartowards financing a two-film deal centering on video game adaptations.Majesco's BloodRayne and Gas Powered Games' Dungeon Siege were both acquired last year and were previouslylisted as Boll fund acquisitions for production, however other projects arealso being ...

  • News

    In America gets 2004 Stanley Kramer Award from PGA

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    In America producers Jim Sheridan and Arthur Lappin willreceive the 2004 Stanley Kramer Award at the 15th Producers Guild Of America(PGA) Awards on Jan 17 in Los Angeles.The PGA established theaward in 2002 to honour any film, television programme, studio, network,producer, executive or other individual or entity whose achievement highlightsprovocative ...

  • News

    DVD helps UK video market power ahead in 2003

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    The UK video retail market grew by 29.7% during 2003, with high street sales up to 199 million units, according to new figures from the British Video Association.The market growth - which excludes mail order - was helped by blockbusters such as the best-selling title of the year, Lord Of ...

  • News

    Warner Bros strikes package deal with ProSiebenSat.1

    2004-01-08T04:00:00Z

    The ProSiebenSat.1 Group has concluded its first direct programming deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITV) for a package of free-TV rights to over 30 theatrical films and six TV series.Film highlights in the package include Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions, the Jet Lee actioner Cradle 2 The Grave, ...