All Screen articles in 6 August 2001
View all stories from this month.
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News
Hong Kong's Emperor to focus on film production
Shareholders in Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG) have approved the takeover of Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), one of Hong Kong's most ambitious production and distribution outfits.The deal, which is expected to be completed within a week, means that EMG shifts from being a private entity, wholly owned by Albert Yeung's Questrel ...
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News
Filmfest Hamburg reveals first programme titles
Fosco and Donatello Dubini's new feature Die Reise Nach Kafiristan, which will have its world premiere on Locarno's Piazza Grande open-air venue on August 9, is one of the titles confirmed so far for this year's Filmfest Hamburg (September 24-30).The Filmfest's 90-film programme will also include Japanese director Rintaro's animation ...
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News
Vatican invites world premiere of Polish Quo Vadis
The world premier of Polish blockbuster Quo Vadis has been set for a rare special gala screening before the Pope in the Vatican on 30 August. More than 4,000 guests, including a select group of distributors from Spain, France and other countries where the film is expected to have a ...
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News
Prix Italia to collaborate with NATPE and CBS
NATPE president Bruce Johansen and PBS chief Pat Mitchell will be guest speakers at the 53rd edition of the Prix Italia, the prestigious international television and radio awards held annually in Italy, following a long-term collaboration agreement sealed by the US television market and Prix Italia. As a result of ...
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News
Wild Beauty enchants Korean audiences
Korean romantic comedy A Wild Beauty, directed by Kwak Jae-yong, is enjoying runaway success in its home territory, having grossed a nationwide total of $8.9 million in its first ten days on release. The film has tied the record set by Korea's all-time box office champion Friend in ...
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News
Constantin rules German independent distribution
German independent distributor Constantin Film has re-asserted its status as the most successful distributor of German films this year, largely due to the phenomenal performance of local Western spoof, Der Schuh Des Manitu.After only 18 days on release, the film, which was co-produced by Constantin Film's in-house production arm, has ...
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News
Branson's Virgin Cinemas set to expand in Japan
Virgin Cinemas is to launch two new multiplexes in Japan as part of an aggressive expansion plan for the territory that will see Richard Branson's exhibition interests reach 18 sites by 2004.The first site, a nine-screen cinema in suburban Tokyo is set for a December launch, while a 10-screener at ...
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News
Canal Plus, UPC merge Polish pay-TV platforms
Vivendi Universal and Dutch cable operator UPC are this week expected to merge their pay-TV platforms in Poland.The long-anticipated move will give the country a single pay-operator and potentially allow the unified platform a chance to achieve profitability faster than if the two were in direct competition.A spokesman at Canal ...
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News
$30bn EchoStar bid for DirecTV challenges Murdoch
US satellite TV operatorDirecTV may end up costing far more than Rupert Murdoch had bargained for nowthat rival EchoStar Communications has weighed in with a surprise $30.4bncompeting bid.The news immediately tookits toll on shares of Murdoch's News Corp which fell by more than 3% inearly trading on the Australian stock ...
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News
Fallen Australian media baron Skase dies in exile
Christopher Skase, thebuccaneering Australian businessman who briefly acquired the MGM/UA studiobefore running into bankruptcy and becoming an international fugitive, died onSunday on the Spanish island of Majorca. He was 52."I can confirm he hasdied, it was a mixture of everything, emphysema, cancer, the works,"Majorca Daily Bulletin editor and family friend ...
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News
Scarfies producer Lisa Chatfield joins NZFC board
Wellington-based producer Lisa Chatfield is one of three new members appointed to the board of the New Zealand Film Commission. Chatfield produced the 1997 film Scarfies, the fourth biggest local hit in the last decade. Arts patron, former exhibitor and producer of the 1993 film Desperate Remedies, James Wallace, and ...
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News
Swiss distributors, Columbus and Vega, join forces
Swiss distributors Columbus Film and Vega Distribution are to co-operate for joint booking and billing of their releases. Columbus and Vega will retain their independence and continue to handle their own marketing and PR campaigns separately. Among the first releases are the Locarno competition film Happiness Is A Warm Gun ...
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Cinegroupe launches live action division
Montreal-based animation producer and distributor CineGroupe has given a name and a face to its new live-action arm, first announced in January (Screendaily Jan. 29). The new unit, CineGroupe Images, will be headed by Robin Spry, former president and CEO of Telescene Film Group, the Montreal production company which foundered ...
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News
New UK film studio in development
The UK's The Full Picture Company has announced plans for a £66m film studio in the southwest of England, although the venture is yet to secure planning approval or reveal any backers.The company, chaired by Academy Award-winning Bond and Titanic production designer Peter Lamont, proposes a range of ambitious facilites ...
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News
Becker Entertainment tempted by Bennett's thriller
Becker Entertainment has acquired Australasian rights to local writer/director Bill Bennett's US film Tempted from TF1 and will release it early next year. The sexual thriller about betrayal, passion and deceit was shot entirely on location in the stately homes and surrounding swamps of New Orleans. Peter Facinelli plays a ...
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News
Regent partners up for new German film fund
US producer Regent Entertainment (Gods And Monsters) and German production outfit A.C.H. GmbH Production have been lined up as two of the co-production partners for the new Munich-based "blind pool" film fund: Christopher Filmcapital. Structured as five separate tranches, raising up to Euros 30m each, Christopher Filmcapital has been launched ...
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News
German exhibition partners sever relationship
German exhibition companies Cinemaxx and Ufa are to sever their co-operative partnership after little more than a year. The break-up of what would have become Germany's largest cinema chain follows the posting of CinemaxX's 2001 half-year losses of $22.5m (DM52.3m).Last May CinemaxX founder Hans-Joachim Flebbe bought 10% of Ufa including ...
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Oz tax confusion hurts location shooting prospects
Australia's Government has been publicly lambasted for prolonging confusion about whether tax laws actually allow Australian investors to get relief when they support offshore productions such as Moulin Rouge that shoot in the country.The outburst, by New South Wales Treasurer Michael Egan, coincided with the revelation that the Australian ...
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Reviews
The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion
Dir: Woody Allen. US. 2001. 103 min.Far superior to hisprevious comic crime capers (Manhattan Murder Mystery and last year's Small Time Crooks), Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is an entertaining period piece, poking fun at the hypnosis craze that mesmerized people of the Jazz Era and continues ...
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Another mega-opening at US box office: Rush Hour 2
With a whopping estimated $66.8m three-day opening New Line Cinema's Rush Hour 2 leapt into the record books over the weekend, becoming the biggest comedy opening of all time, the biggest New Line opening of all time, the biggest August opening ever and the third best non-holiday opening on record. ...