All Asia articles – Page 521

  • News

    FDC grants funding to McDull WuDang, Claustrophobia

    2008-02-20T15:53:00Z

    Animation McDull WuDang and live-action feature Claustrophobia have become the first two film projects to be approved for funding by Hong Kong's recently-established Film Development Fund (FDF). Administered by the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC), the fund is designed to support small to medium-sized productions. McDull WuDang is budgeted ...

  • News

    Ozparliament tables legislation forunified film agency

    2008-02-20T13:23:00Z

    Australia's Federal Parliament today tabled legislation to establish a new single film agency, Screen Australia. It is expected to be debated in early March and then passed. Screen Australia will come into being July 1 andencompass the responsibilities of the investment agency Film Finance Corporation Australia, the Australian Film Commission ...

  • News

    Kabei, Demon to open Hong Kong InternationalFilm Festival

    2008-02-20T11:27:00Z

    The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) has announced that Japanese director Yoji Yamada's Kabei - Our Mother and Soul Of A Demon, directed by Taiwan's Chang Tso-chi, will open the 32nd edition of the festival (March 17-April 6). Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones documentary Shine A Light and Coffee Or ...

  • News

    Love of Siam bags top honours at Thailand's Oscars

    2008-02-19T15:52:00Z

    Love of Siam clinched three major prizes at the Thai Subhanahongsa Awards - billed as the nation's equivalent of the Ocars - including best picture, best director and best supporting actress. The gay drama about the friendship of two teenage boys is directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Chukiat Sakweerakul who was ...

  • News

    Fine Cut seals slew of deals for The Chaser, Hansel And Gretel

    2008-02-19T12:52:00Z

    Seoul-based sales agent Suh Young-joo's newly launched Fine Cut has announced a raft of deals from the European Film Market (EFM). Na Hong-jin's action thriller The Chaser did sales to Haut et Court for France, Cineart for Benelux, Seven Group for Greece, and Golden Scene for Hong Kong.At its opening, ...

  • News

    Disney more than doubles its stake in India's UTV

    2008-02-18T14:38:00Z

    The Walt Disney Company has invested around $203m (Rs8.05bn) to more than double its stake in India 's UTV Software Communications from 13.7% to 32.1%. At the same time, Disney has also acquired a 15% stake in UTV Global Broadcasting Limited (UGBL) worth $30m (Rs1.19bn). UTV will also invest $60m ...

  • News

    Golden Harvest sells off stakes in Malaysia's TGV

    2008-02-18T14:17:00Z

    Continuing its strategic focus on expanding in the Greater China region, Hong Kong-listed Golden Harvest Entertainment will divest all its interests in Malaysia 's second largest exhibitor TGV. Tanjong Entertainment, which currently owns 50% of the joint venture with Golden Harvest, will pay $12.42 m (RM40.2 m) for the entire ...

  • News

    Buyers gobble up Showeast's Le Grand Chef

    2008-02-18T14:02:00Z

    South Korean sales company Showeast has announced a raft of deals on Le Grand Chef post-EFM. The cuisine competition drama sold to ABC for the Benelux, Films sans Frontiers for France, Ayapro Production for Japan and Chungeorahm China for China.Based on a popular Korean manga series by Huh Young-man, the ...

  • News

    Fortissimo sings with Majidi's Song Of Sparrows

    2008-02-18T12:33:00Z

    Fortissimo Films has picked up worldwide rights outside of Iran to Majid Majidi's The Song Of Sparrows, winner of the Silver Bear for best actor at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Prior to its win at the Berlinale, the film also picked up the best director, editing, original score and ...

  • News

    Tokyo Tower scoops top prizes at Japan Academy Awards

    2008-02-18T12:23:00Z

    Joji (George) Matsuoka's Tokyo Tower: Mom & Me, And Sometimes Dad has been named Best Picture of 2007 at the 31st Japan Academy Awards, held Friday evening (Feb 15) in Tokyo. The film picked up a total of five major prizes from 14 nominations, including best director for Matsuoka, best ...

  • News

    Niki Caro starts New Zealand portion of Vintner's Luck shoot

    2008-02-18T11:06:00Z

    Director Niki Caro starts shooting tomorrow on her new project, The Vintner's Luck.Keisha Castle-Hughes, who also starred in Caro's Whale Rider, will star alongside Jeremie Renier, Gaspard Ulliel and Vera Farmiga.The film is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name by New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox. The story ...

  • News

    Fox's Jumper leaps to top of international chart with $28.2m in 30 markets

    2008-02-18T08:14:00Z

    The sci-fi adventure Jumper leapt to the top of the overseas charts over the weekend thanks to an estimated $28.2m haul from 2,800 screens in 30 markets through Fox International.The result was all the more impressive given that Jumper launched at number one almost everywhere and only seven of the ...

  • News

    Berlin 2008 film reviews

    2008-02-18T06:38:00Z

    Click on a film title to see reviewCompetition Black Ice (Musta Jää) (Petri Kotwica, Finland)Cherry Blossoms (Doris Dorrie, Germany) Elegy (Isabel Coixet. US)Elite Squad (Jose Padilha. Brazil)Gardens Of The Night (Damian Harris. US/UK)Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, UK)In Love We Trust (Wang Xiaoshuai. China)Lake Tahoe (Fernando Eimbcke. Mexico)Night and Day (Hong Sangsoo, ...

  • News

    Padilha's The Elite Squad takes Golden Bear in Berlin

    2008-02-16T21:49:00Z

    Click on film title to see reviewBrazilian film The Elite Squad by Jose Padilha was the surprise winner of this year's Golden Bear at the Berlinale, beating off critics favourites such as There Will be Blood and Happy-Go-Lucky. It is the first Brazilian film to receive the top honour in ...

  • News

    Cine Qua Non, Creek & River partner for Korean push

    2008-02-15T17:20:00Z

    The Korean subsidiaries of Japanese film producer-distributor-exhibitor Cine Qua Non (CQN) and contents rights management company Creek & River have partnered to promote Japanese films in the Korean market. Through a tie-up with Cine Qua Non Korea, Creek & River Korea will handle licensing of theatrical distribution, broadcast and remake ...

  • News

    Delphis strikes Japanese deal for Berlin selection Dunya & Desie

    2008-02-15T16:52:00Z

    Berlinale Generation 14plus selection Dunya & Desie has been sold to Japan's Wako. The Dutch teen movie, starring EFP Shooting Star Maryam Hassouni, had its world premiere in Berlin.Montreal-based Delphis Films is handling sales. Producers are Netherlands-based Lemming Film with co-producers A Private View (Belgium) and Motion Investment Group (Belgium).The ...

  • News

    Melissa George to set sail with Icon's thriller Triangle

    2008-02-15T10:50:00Z

    Melissa George is in final negotiations to star in Triangle, a new supernatural thriller from Creep and Severance director Christsopher Smith.Icon will distribute in Australia and the UK and will handle international sales in other territories. Jason Newmark is producing for Dan Films, with Australia's Chris Brown at Pictures in ...

  • Reviews

    Beautiful

    2008-02-14T15:47:00Z

    Dir: Juhn Jaihong Korea, 2007. 88minsBeautiful, whose original title in Korean is the mellifluous 'Arumbdabda', is often confused and sometimes, especially near the end, even downright silly, but it's never wholly without interest. Its first-time 30-year-old director, Juhn Jaihong, is a protege of Kim Ki-duk, the prodigiously productive and internationally-known ...

  • News

    May start for Chinese-Australian co-prod The Last Dragon

    2008-02-14T13:52:00Z

    The Chinese-Australian co-production The Last Dragon is to be the first feature for AMPCO Films, the company set up last year by Adelaide producer/director Mario Andreacchio with the aim of making quality family films for the international marketplace.Working with independent production company Beijing Rosat Film & TV Production, the 4K ...

  • Reviews

    Our Mother (Kabei)

    2008-02-14T13:32:00Z

    Dir: Yoji Yamada. Japan 2007. 132 minsIn Kabei - Our Mother, Yamada's 80th film to date, the veteran Japanese director offers a sweet, gentle, weepy recollection of Japan on the eve of the Second World War (1940-41), based on the autobiographical story by Teruyo Nogami.An out-and-out melodrama, the picture tells ...