All articles by Adam Minns – Page 22
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Kim Ballard joins UK's Random Harvest
Former FilmFour finance director Kim Ballard has joined UK tax-driven financier and producer Random Harvest as director of production finance. Ballard will oversee raising finance to complement Random Harvest's existing tax-based funds under the UK's Section 48 and EIS mechanisms. Random Harvest is adapting Phil Stoole's acclaimed short Schneider's 2nd ...
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UK's Feature Film Company strikes Sterling deal
Having recently earned kudos by boarding Bloody Sunday and The Last Great Wilderness at production stage, the UK's Winchester Entertainment-owned distributor: Feature Film Company is stepping up activities. FFC, which operates as the specialised arm of Winchester's UK distribution division, has appointed Laurence Gornall as managing director and struck ...
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UK's Moviehouse picks up Britpop documentary
UK-based sales outfit Moviehouse Entertainment has picked up Live Forever, the Britpop music documentary produced by John Battsek, who won an Academy Award for best documentary for One Day In September.The film charts the rise and fall of the mid-1990s music scene in the UK against a changing political backdrop ...
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UK co-production tax breaks face uncertain future
It has been a gold rush to rival the Klondike, only this time many of the prospectors have been rushing the other way across the Atlantic. Since the UK introduced generous tax breaks in 1997, international co-productions have rocketed by some 400%. Canadian-UK co-productions mark the biggest single rise at ...
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UK animation grows up
A clutch of major UK animation features are cranking up, most with US Studio backing. Aardman aims to start shooting a new spoof-horror Wallace And Gromit movie with backing from DreamWorks SKG by September. Pathe is already in production on The Magic Roundabout, while Walt Disney Co has North America ...
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Head of FilmFour Lab steps down
Robin Gutch is stepping down as head of FilmFour Lab, FilmFour's low-budget and experimental division.Gutch's position and the Lab were though to be safe despite FilmFour being folded back into parent broadcaster Channel 4 last year, but Gutch was one of the candidates to head Channel 4's entire film operation, ...
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Schumacher to direct Phantom
Joel Schumacher is to direct The Phantom Of The Opera, a feature version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit stage musical which UK-based sales outfit Odyssey Entertainment will launch at next week's AFM market.Warner Bros. Pictures, which owned the film rights until Lloyd Webber recently bought them back, retains the option ...
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Steve Coogan to play Phileas Fogg in Walden's 80 Days
UK TV comedian Steve Cooganhas landed the plum role of Phileas Fogg opposite Jackie Chan as Passepartoutin Walden Media's mega- budget movie adaptation of Jules Verne's AroundThe World In Eighty Days.The move, which wasconfirmed by Coogan's UK agent ICM yesterday, marks Coogan's first lead role ina Hollywood movie, although the ...
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Grosvenor Park launches new tax scheme
Aiming to create a rival to Inside Track, the groundbreaking fund bankrolling such titles as Girl With A Pearl Earring, Canadian-UK financier Grosvenor Park has launched First Choice, a similar tax write-off scheme offering 30% of budgets.Grosvenor Park chief Don Starr aims to raise $41m-$82m (£25m-£50m) from investors for the ...
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Pelzer named studio manager at Ealing
Ealing Studios has appointed Jeremy Pelzer as studio manager.Pelzer, who previously acted a consultant to the historic studio, will be responsible for increasing the profile and awareness of Ealing within the film, television and media industries. He will oversee the studio's current $82m (£50m) revamp on a day-to-day basis.Pelzer managed ...
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UK's Winchester gets Last Orders settlement
The UK's troubled Winchester Entertainment has reached a $2.5m (£1.53m) settlement with German fund MBP after a dispute over payments on Last Orders.The agreement sees $1.6m (£980,000) paid to Winchester in cash. The AIM-listed UK company will receive the balance of $906,500 (£550,000) in instalments over the next six months.The ...
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In This World to get UK release by ICA Projects
Michael Winterbottom's Berlin competition title In This World has secured a UK release though ICA Projects, the distribution-exhibition offshoot of UK cultural institute the ICA.ICA's acquisition of UK theatrical and video rights to the film continues its aggressive acquisition policy on specialist titles such as Aki Kaurismaki's The Man Without ...
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HanWay promotes Ayesta to manager, int'l sales
HanWay, Jeremy Thomas and Thierry Wase-Bailey's sales company, has promoted Ana Ayesta to the newly-created position of manager, international sales.Ayesta will handle sales to Scandinavia, Switzerland and South Africa and have overall responsibility for South East Asia excluding to Korea. Reporting to Wase-Bailey, she already handles Spain, Latin America, Portugal, ...
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Artificial Eye takes UK rights on Small Cuts
UK distributor Artificial Eye has picked up all UK rights to Berlin International Film Festival competition title Small Cuts (Petites Coupures).Artificial Eye will release the French-language film this autumn. Directed by Pascal Bonitzer, the Rezo Films production stars Daniel Auteuil and Kristin Scott Thomas.The veteran distributor is also releasing another ...
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Paxton cast as Thunderbirds patriarch
Continuing its strategy of non A-list casting on Thunderbirds, Working Title Films has cast Bill Paxton as Jeff Tracy, head of the International Rescue.Joining him on Tracy Island are his sons: Philip Winchester (The Patriot) as Scott and Lex Shrapnel (K-19: The Widowmaker) is John. Virgil will be played by ...
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Lock, Stock financier launches AV Pictures
Angad Paul, one of the businessmen that financed Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, has launched his own film business.The 31-year old executive has bought UK sales outfit Victor Film Co and formed AV Pictures with Victor chief, Vic Bateman. AV is a subsidiary of Caparo ...
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Optimum brings Japanese mega-hit Spirited Away to UK
UK distributor Optimum Releasing has picked up Japanese animation hit Spirited Away and Igby Goes Down, the US black comedy starring Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes and Jeff Goldblum.Optimum acquired UK rights to Spirited Away from Wild Bunch Exception. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the co-winner of last year's Golden Bear was ...
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Oscar favourites dominate UK's BAFTA nominations
Academy Award favourites Chicago, Gangs Of New York and The Hours dominated the nominations for the British Academy Film Awards.Chicago and Gangs secured 12 nods each, while The Hours came in with 11. The following pack was led by The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers with nine nominations, ...
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Jeremy Thomas returns to UK distribution
Leading UK producer Jeremy Thomas is returning to UK distribution some 15 years after launching Recorded Releasing with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.Thomas is close to taking a stake of around 20% in Optimum Releasing, the independent UK distributor which has been steadily building a reputation with canny specialist releases ...
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Vanity Fair faces production setback
Monsoon Wedding director Mira Nair's upcoming production of Vanity Fair faces uncertainty after it emerged that US star Reese Witherspoon may have to delay shooting.Producer Janette Day said that the adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel might only be delayed for a few weeks if a compromise can be reached, ...