All Screen articles in 23 March 2005 – Page 2

  • Reviews

    The Ring Two

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Hideo Nakata. US.2005. 111mins.Hideo Nakata, famedJapanese horror director of Dark Water and Chaos, makes his USfilm debut with The Ring Two, the sequel to Gore Verbinski's 2002 remakeof Nakata's own Ringu (1998), although it is not modelled on Nakata'sown Japanese sequel Ringu 2 (1999). Ironically lacking in the creepinessthat ...

  • News

    North by Northwest script scheme unveils line-up

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Internationalscript development training programme North By Northwest has selected 70 youngwriters from across Europe to participate at this year's event. Themain programmes - Classics and Wizard of Oz (formerly titled Kids Stories) -consist of three script development and training workshops held over a 5month-period. Two thirds of the participants are ...

  • News

    Cannes launches world cinema showcase

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    The Cannes Festival has launched anew initiative designed to showcase world cinema called Tous Les Cinemas DuMonde. Open to Cannes Festival goersand the accredited public, the non-competitive programme will spotlight thecinematic talent of a different country for each day of the festival. In 2005, its inaugural year,six countries will be ...

  • News

    Candy cranks up in Sydney

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Principal photography has begun in Sydney on Candy,the big screen debut of theatre director Neil Armfield which stars HeathLedger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush.Based on Luke Davies' best seller of the same name, Candyis described by director and co-writerArmfield as "a convention-defying romantic tragedy that is at once inspiringand heartbreaking."Candy ...

  • News

    Triplets wins Canada's Genie for top film

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    As anticipated Quebecois picturesdominated the 25th Annual Genie Awards in Toronto [20],particularly Memoires Affectives (LookingFor Alexander) which won prizes forDirection for Francis Leclerc, Best Actor for Roy Dupuis and Best Original Screenplayfor Leclerc and Marcel Beaulieu. The picture won four prizes at Quebec's JutraAwards last month.Pascale Bussieres won the Best ...

  • News

    Blue Eyelids wins Guadalajara project market

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Mexican project Blue Eyelids (Parpados Azules) byErnesto Contreras, a former Berlinale Talent Campus participant, was named thewinner of the first Ibero-American Co-production Meeting at last week'sGuadalajara International Film Festival.Blue Eyelids beat nineteen other projects to takethe prize. All of the projects were presented by their respective directors toa jury during ...

  • Reviews

    The Liberace Of Baghdad

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Dir. Sean McAllister. UK-Den. 2004.75mins.A documentary that goes behind the dailyheadlines out of Iraq, The Liberace OfBaghdad focuses on a pianist whose professional career came to an abruptend with the toppling of Saddam. Shot over eight months in Baghdad in 2004 attremendous peril to its director Sean McAllister, not to ...

  • News

    Animated Triplets wins top prize at Canada's Genie Awards

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    French animated feature TheTriplets Of Belleville won the BestMotion Picture Genie at the 25th annual Genie Awards in Toronto lastnight. As anticipated Quebecoispictures dominated the evening, particularly Memoires Affectives (Looking For Alexander) which won prizes for Direction for Francis Leclerc,Best Actor for Roy Dupuis and Best Original Screenplay for Leclerc ...

  • News

    Triad thriller Ah Sou unveiled at Hong Kong's Filmart

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Hong Kongproduction outfit Filmko Films announced its first 2005 project at this week'sFilmart: Ah Sou, a US$3m Hong Kong-China co-production by risingdirector Wong Ching Po.Ah Sou, which literally means the big gangster'swife, centres around a 16-year-old girl who gets involved in gang wars andpower struggles. Taiwanese newcomer Annie Liu is ...

  • Reviews

    Live-In Maid (Cama Adentro)

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Dir/scr:Jorge Gaggero. Arg-Sp. 2004. 87mins.Jorge Gaggero'sprize-winning Live-In Maid (Cama Adentro) is a wonderfully touching,understated two-hander from Argentina which has been an audience-pleaser at theSan Sebastian, Brussels and Sundance film festivals. Indeed, it won a specialjury prize in the inaugural world drama competition section of Sundance. Its release in Argentina has ...

  • News

    AUSTRALIA 22 March

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    The Australian teen picture Hating Alison Ashleygrossed A$531,144 from 180 screens in its first four days in cinemas, enablingit to claim the fourth spot in the chart. The Hoyts film, which is adapted fromthe well-known book of the same name, attracted additional publicity because ofthe first-time film presence of pop ...

  • News

    FRANCE 22 March

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    The star of 2004's highestgrossing film Les Choristes, Gerard Jugnot, opened strongly with hislatest director/star turn Boudu. Boudu ranked number one and generated just over half amillion admissions in its first week. Ray fell to number two with a cumulative$7,281,905 in its third week. Jennifer Garner vehicle Elektrawas number three ...

  • News

    NORWAY 22 March

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Amongstthe smaller European territories to receive The Ring Two day-and-datewith the US, Norway saw the horror sequel gain the lead position ahead of Robotsat the box office.Admissions favoured Robots but the lower ticketprices for children saw The Ring Two the champion in grosses. This wasalso reflected in screen averages as ...

  • News

    NEW ZEALAND 22 March

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    The Ring Two scaredits UIP stablemate, Meet The Fockers, off the top of the chart on theweekend. In its opening weekend The Ring Two grossed NZ$298,535 from 43screens. This equated to a screen average of NZ$6,943, the biggest in thechart. The other strongopener on the weekend was Be Cool, the ...

  • News

    DENMARK 22 March

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    While it took leadposition in several major territories over the weekend CGI-animated film Robotswas unable to take the lead in Denmark despite a superior screen count to everyother film on release in the country.However, the filmthat kept Robots off the top spot was not last weekend's leader Hitchenjoying strong holdovers ...

  • News

    UK/IRELAND 22 March

    2005-03-22T00:00:00Z

    The first warmweekend of weather this year in the UK resulted in a soft weekend at the boxoffice. Many titles saw massive drop offs and, despite the launch of four widereleases, box office for the weekend only managed a 4% week-on-weekimprovement.Both 20th Century Fox and Sony can lay claim to ...

  • News

    Celestial beefs up international sales activities

    2005-03-21T21:59:00Z

    Hong Kong's CelestialPictures is expanding its international distribution activities beyond the ShawBrothers library to include third-party pick-ups and films it has co-financed,such as Peter Chan's upcoming musical Perhaps Love.At this week's FilMart,Celestial will be selling two films produced by Hong Kong's Abba Movies -Wilson Yip's kung-fu action title SPL and ...

  • News

    Schrader defiant as Exorcist prequel unveiled

    2005-03-21T04:00:00Z

    Paul Schrader was indefiant mood as his Exorcist The Prequel was finally unveiled this weekend at the Brussels InternationalFestival of Fantastic Film. Flanked at Friday's pressconference by nine of his cast and crew, who had flown in to Belgium at theirown expense to support him, Schrader expressed his happiness that ...

  • News

    Cinema ticket price war erupts in South Africa

    2005-03-21T04:00:00Z

    A full blown cinema ticket price warhas broken out in South Africa.Nu Metro, one of the country'sleading exhibitors, has slashed its tickets to just $2 (R12) from $5.75 (R35).Themove follows last week's decision by South Africa's biggestexhibitor, Ster Kinekor, to cut its prices to $2.3(R14) at the majority of its ...

  • News

    Venture capital group acquires Spain's Abaco

    2005-03-21T04:00:00Z

    Venture capital groupMercapital has invested Euros 55m in Spanish exhibition company Grupo Abaco tobecome the majority shareholder.The operation leaves Abaco president Manuel Ramirez andgeneral manager Fernando Robredo with remaining shares and continued directionof the company. The Valencia-based firm owns 157 screens in 16 theatres acrossSpain.The investment will allow Abaco to ...