All articles by Adam Minns – Page 15
-
News
First of many Marlowe films to start shooting
Fast rising British actor Tom Hardy is to star as Elizabethan playwright - and spy, occultist and sexually-ambiguous free thinker - Christopher Marlowe.Hardy, a graduate of the young ensemble casts of Band Of Brothers and Black Hawk Down, is donning the doublet for UK producer Andy Paterson, who is currently ...
-
News
October turns to seasoned players for debut slate
Billy Elliot producer Jon Finn is to executive produce Johnny Mullagh, the true nineteenth century story of a group of young Aborigines transported overseas to play England's cricket elite.The project, written by Mark Brickman, is part of the debut feature slate of October Films, the documentary production outfit known for ...
-
News
UK boost for children's development
Family audiences, seen as being under-served by UK films, are being targeted in a new funding initiative launched by National Lottery administrator UK Film Council, the BBC and the Children's Film & Television Foundation.Aimed at children and families, the £900,000 fund offers £300,000 per year over the next 3 years ...
-
News
Film Council plots public-private cash boost
Leading British support body the UK Film Council is to team with a private sector partner to raise new private investment through a dedicated Enterprise Investment Scheme, a tax-driven financing mechanism that will bankroll selected features alongside the council's National Lottery cash.The scheme, which could pave the way for a ...
-
News
UK's ICA plans Sheffield premiere for Five Obstructions
ICA Projects is to release The Five Obstructions, the latest work from Danish directors Jorgen Leth and Lars von Trier, following a UK premiere at next month's Sheffield International Documentary Festival.ICA will open the film in November, aiming for a publicity boost from Leth attending Sheffield and giving a masterclass. ...
-
News
Spacey's Sea heads up Element X debut slate
Beyond The Sea, Kevin Spacey's story of legendary crooner Bobby Darin, is amongst the titles on the debut slate of Element X, the London-based international sales company set up by former FilmFour executives Janine Gold and Natalie Brenner.Principal photography on the Anglo-German co-production starts in October in Europe. The film ...
-
News
Piggies hopes to fly with Little Bird
UK production company Little Bird has optioned teen horror novel Piggies as the first title under its recently-launched teen film arm.The book by Nick Gifford follows a youngster who is transported to a parallel world inhabited by vampires. Nahrein Mirza, who heads Little Bird's teen arm, is teaming up on ...
-
News
UK's Skills Investment Fund may become obligatory
The Skills Investment Fund, the UK fund for training made up of voluntary contributions from local productions, may become obligatory under plans being discussed with the Government.Stewart Till, who is deputy chairman of support body the UK Film Council and training agency Skillset, which administers the fund, told Screendaily that ...
-
News
Phantom Of The Opera sets Pinewood date
The Phantom Of The Opera, thought to be the largest independently-financed UK production ever, starts shooting on Monday at Pinewood Studios.The adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is to shoot for 16 weeks under director Joel Schumacher. Gerard Butler, the 33 year-old Scottish actor from Tomb Raider 2 and Richard ...
-
News
UK Film Council unveils£50m film training overhaul
A £50m overhaul of UK training, including the creation of a string of film schools across the country for creative and business skills, was launched on Sept 10 by support body the UK Film Council and training agency Skillset.The annual package of £10 million for at least the next five ...
-
News
You Don't Have To Say You Love starts shooting
UK production outfit Samuelson Productions, tax-driven First Choice Films, distributor Momentum Pictures and tax-based financier Isle of Man Film are starting shooting on comedy drama You Don't Have To Say You Love Me this week.The story of a group of twenty-something friends desperately resisting the inevitable - adulthood and responsibility ...
-
News
Fox turns searchlight on UK
Creating the most potent UK-based, studio-backed outfit in London after Working Title Films, Fox Searchlight Pictures and UK National Lottery franchise DNA Films have finally unveiled their $50m joint venture to make British films over the next five years.The deal marks an ambitious bid to turn DNA into a longterm ...
-
News
UK skills fund tops£2m
The Skills Investment Fund, the UK fund for training made up of contributions from local productions, has topped £2 million.Dan Films' The Republic Of Love became the 149th feature to contribute to the fund, which was launched at the end of 1999 to address skills gaps and shortages within the ...
-
News
Celador puts faith in porn and poker
Celador Films, the film arm of the UK TV outfit behind Who Wants To Be A Millionaire', has added two non-fiction books to its bustling development slate - porn trade story Once More With Feeling and professional poker player book Big Deal.Once More With Feeling is Victoria Coren and Charlie ...
-
News
UK production on course for bumper year
This year's overall volume of UK production could smash the previous record of over $1.1 billion.This year's tally looks certain to hit 2000's record level if all the productions in the offing end up shooting. Even if it comes up short, 2003 is set for a remarkable recovery for a ...
-
News
Metrodome takes UK rights to Valentin
UK distributor Metrodome has acquired all UK rights to Argentinian director Alejandro Agresti's comedy, Valentin.The deal was negotiated with Kathy Morgan International acting for First Floor Features. Metrodome has scheduled the film, which was picked up by Miramax Films, for a February release. Newcomer Rodrigo Noya stars as the titular ...
-
News
UK Film Council unveils anti-piracy task force
Nigel Green, joint head of leading British distributor Entertainment Film Distributors, is chairing a new task force to tackle piracy in the UK.The action group includes representatives of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, US studios, actors' union Equity and all sections of the UK industry. The initiative was ...
-
News
Hammer partners on horror with Paradise
British horror company Hammer Films is to develop a slate of low-budget horror movies with Australian production outfit, Pictures in Paradise.The partners aim to deliver a slate of up to six horror films over five years. The films will be targeted at young cinemagoers and designed to have strong potential ...
-
News
Notting Hill director to mentor for Directing Change
Notting Hill director Roger Michell is to mentor newcomer Shreepali Patel on the first production to go though training scheme Directing Change.Patel, a Cardiff based director-producer with credits on documentaries such as Falkland Stories and Heavenly Bodies, will work alongside Michell on Pathe UK's upcoming production, Enduring Love.The scheme, set ...
-
News
Love Song set for UK 'e' premiere
UK thriller This Is Not A Love Song is to receive what is being billed as the first-ever 'e' premiere in the world.Written by The Full Monty's Simon Beaufoy, the cat and mouse thriller set on desolate moors is being made available for streaming and downloading on the web and ...