All articles by Adam Minns – Page 49
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News
Granada acquires 45% stake in Ireland's TV3
UK broadcaster Granada Media has launched its drive to expand overseas, acquiring 45% of Irish commercial operator TV3 from Canada's CanWest Global Communications for $28m in cash.Granada has also agreed to sell its major programme brands to TV3, with the broadcaster's flagship soap Coronation Street moving from Irish state broadcaster ...
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Elisabeth Murdoch joins UK publisher Future
Elisabeth Murdoch has joined the board of UK magazine publisher Future Network.Murdoch takes up the position of non-executive director, her first post since quitting her father's satellite TV company BSkyB three months ago. The former managing director of Sky Networks joins with immediate effect.Future Network announced the appointment as it ...
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Gannon to head development at Pathe
Matthew Gannon, most recently director of production/development at Fox Searchlight in Los Angeles, is joining UK National Lottery studio franchise Pathe Pictures as head of development.The move comes after Susanna Wyatt, former head of production for HAL Miramax, joined the franchise as head of physical production earlier this month. While ...
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Low budgets high on Edinburgh agenda
While the UK wrestles with how to channel National Lottery cash into bigger budget commercial pictures, a trio of low-budget titles stole the limelight at a high-profile "state of the nation" panel discussion at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.With panel chair and FilmFour chief Paul Webster inviting comments from the ...
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New UK talent shines at Edinburgh
A crop of new UK-based film-makers are emerging at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival as a string of low-budget pictures earned high praise.The find of the festival so far is Paul Pawlikowski's Last Resort, a $600,000 (£400,000) made-for-BBC TV film that world premieres at Edinburgh ahead of a Venice ...
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Macleod quits Channel 4 International
Bernard Macleod is stepping down as managing director of UK programming distributor Channel 4 International (C4I).Macleod is leaving to pursue interests in further education and will act as a media consultant. He joined C4I in 1998 from his own TV production outfit Cahoots."We will be sad to see Bernard depart, ...
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Specialist to get outing at London Jewish fest
The Specialist, a US documentary that follows the 1961 Jerusalem trial of Nazi henchman Adolf Eichmann, will get a UK theatrical screening at next month's London Jewish Film Festival.The film uses a montage of original footing from the trial to contrast the apparently ordinary Eichmann with his horrific crimes. It ...
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Film Council appoints Jones as Premiere fund chief
Producer Robert Jones will head the main National Lottery fund for commercial films at UK film body the Film Council.Jones, whose credits include Simon Magus, Dad Savage and The Usual Suspects, will oversee the Premiere Production Fund, which has $16m a year in National Lottery cash to finance popular, mainstream ...
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Grade pitches Pinewood, Shepperton merger
Michael Grade and Ridley and Tony Scott are to join forces in running a UK super studio facility combining Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios, if current proposals from Grade get the go-ahead.Grade, who became chairman of Pinewood in February after buying the operation from Rank for $93m (£62m), confirmed he ...
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Salsa to open London's Latin American fest
Salsa, featuring Cuban band Sierra Maestra, opens September's Latin American Film Festival, the London-based event has announced.Directed by Joyce Sherman Bunuel, the film follows a young composer's obsession with salsa. This year's festival runs September 1-14 in London and then around the UK.Other highlights include a focus on Brazilian films, ...
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Marks quits Video Networks programming role
Video Networks head of programming Dan Marks has left the video-on-demand (VOD) company, Video Networks confirmed on Friday (August 11).Video Networks said Marks would be replaced. The move follows the appointment of Etienne de Villiers, former president and managing director of Walt Disney International for Europe, Africa and the Middle ...
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Hanway taps Lynch-Staunton for marketing role
HanWay Films, the international sales arm of Jeremy Thomas' UK production outfit Recorded Picture Co, has appointed Jonathan Lynch-Staunton as manager, publicity and marketing.Lynch-Staunton was previously vice president of publicity and marketing at UK-based sales operation J&M Entertainment. Reporting to Thomas and HanWay managing director Thierry Wase-Bailey, he is to ...
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Film Council appoints Holden to finance post
UK film support body The Film Council has appointed Vincent Holden as production finance controller.Holden, who takes up the position from September 4, was previously head of finance at George Faber's UK production outfit Company Television. Part of Holden's brief is to analyse investments made through the Council's National Lottery ...
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Redbus, Warner strike video pact
UK distributor Redbus Film Distribution has struck a video and DVD deal with Warner Home Video, which gives the company sole rights to distribute and market up to 25 titles a year until 2003. The deal kicks off with Academy Award-winning documentary One Day In September.Other films to go through ...
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United to offload remaining television assets
United News & Media is focusing on its core market information business as it disposes of its TV interests, chief executive Lord Hollick has announced.Hollick aims to eliminate the group's debt after an agreement last month to sell its ITV assets to rival Granada Media for £1.75bn. The move will ...
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Telefonica to buy GMG stake in UK outfit
Spanish telecommunications group Telefonica is close to taking over London-based TV production operation GMG Endemol by buying a 50% stake from the UK's Guardian Media Group, according to reports.The sale would come after Telefonica last month completed the £3bn acquisition of Dutch-based Endemol, securing Endemol's 50% stake in the UK ...
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Napier exits Soho Images for Digital Film Lab
Gary Napier has quit as managing director of post-production house Soho Images to take up the post of chief executive officer at the start-up London arm of Danish post company Digital Film Lab.Napier announced his departure after 18 months at Soho Images. He was previously senior vice president of news ...
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Alec Guinness dies aged 86
Academy award winning UK actor Sir Alec Guinness has died after a 60-year career ranging from Shakespeare to Star Wars.The 86 year old actor died late on Saturday after reportedly being rushed to hospital by ambulance on Thursday. He had been suffering from ill health for several years.Guinness, who picked ...
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Sharman to take Murdoch role at BSkyB
Mark Sharman is to effectively replace Elisabeth Murdoch at UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB as director of broadcasting and production.BSkyB confirmed that the head of broadcasting operations would take the post, giving him ultimate responsibility for all production including features. James Baker will oversee features arm Sky Pictures, which Will Turner ...
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Edinburgh lines up leading players for Film UK
Film Council chief executive John Woodward, FilmFour head Paul Webster and producers Andrew Macdonald and Duncan Kenworthy are amongst the UK industry heavyweights taking part in panel discussions on the local film sector at the upcoming Edinburgh International Film Festival.The seminars, part of the festival's bid to raise its profile ...