All Asia articles – Page 523

  • News

    T-Joy acquires Japanese rights to Bodrov's Mongol

    2008-02-11T00:21:15Z

    Japan's T-Joy has pounced on Oscar-nominated epic drama Mongol, acquiring all Japanese rights through its recently-established Laterna label. Beta Cinema is selling the Sergei Bodrov-directed film, which is one of the final nominees for this year's best foreign-language film Oscar and features Japanese star Asano Tadanobu in the lead role ...

  • News

    Content closes slew of Splinter deals, including Icon for US/Australia

    2008-02-11T00:20:46Z

    ContentFilm International has closed a slew of deals on Toby Wilkins' Splinter here at EFM.The film has gone to UK & Australia/New Zealand (Icon), Italy (DNC), The Middle East (Gulf Film), Mexico (Gussi), Czech and Slovak Republics (AQS), Poland (Best Film), The West Indies (Caribbean Film Services), Singapore (Cathay), Venezuela ...

  • News

    Johar's Dharma Productions unveils expansion plans

    2008-02-10T11:15:00Z

    Hot Indian filmmaker Karan Johar has announced expansion plans for his production outfit, Dharma Productions. After producing five films over the past decade, Johar plans to release three films a year from 2009, focusing on contemporary stories, debut directors, CG animation and new talent both in front of and behind ...

  • News

    Palador Pictures acquires Indian rights to Shine A Light

    2008-02-10T10:55:00Z

    Mumbai-based Palador Pictures has acquired Indian rights to Berlin opening film Shine A Light from Fortissimo Films. Although the Indian market has traditionally been dominated by local product, Indian buyers are becoming more active as local multiplexes and audiences open up to foreign films.In addition, three Indian companies - Palador, ...

  • News

    Minghella to head Shanghai film festival jury

    2008-02-10T10:47:00Z

    Anthony Minghella will serve as president of the international jury at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), which takes place June 14-22. This year's festival will also feature the second edition of contents market SIFF Mart and projects market China Film Pitch & Catch (CFPC). The latter two-day event ...

  • News

    Japan's Iseki Satoru to produce Korean epic Sharaku

    2008-02-10T06:00:00Z

    Japanese producer Iseki Satoru (Battle Of Wits) has boarded epic mystery fantasy Sharaku (working title), which Park Tae-choon is directing for Korea's Studio2.0. Studio 2.0 is co-financing and handling international sales on the $8m Korean-Japanese co-production, which will be shot in Japan with a mostly Japanese cast and crew. Behind-the-scenes ...

  • News

    TWC's Shanghai and other foreign shoots face China crisis

    2008-02-10T06:00:00Z

    The Chinese authorities have refused to grant shooting permission to Mikael Hafstrom's period drama Shanghai, set to star John Cusack and Gong Li, forcing the producers to scramble to find another Asian location.The Weinstein Company is backing the production, which has been in pre-production in China since last September and ...

  • News

    Devillers to bring western film-makers to China for genre slate

    2008-02-10T06:00:00Z

    Natacha Devillers' Les Petites Lumieres is launching a project to bring Western filmmakers to China to make genre movies. Devillers is developing a slate of low-budget genre films - entitled China Syndromes - in partnership with Taiwanese producer Wendy Kuan and UK filmmaker Simon Rumley. Among the directors who are ...

  • News

    Eros takes international rights to Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar Raaj

    2008-02-09T06:00:00Z

    Indian powerhouse Eros International has acquired international rights to Ram Gopal Varma's upcoming Sarkar Raaj. Starring the hot family trio of Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, the film is a sequel to Varma's award-winning Sarkar, which delves into the links between politicians and the underworld in modern-day Mumbai. ...

  • News

    iDream looks into The Voyeurs by Dasgupta

    2008-02-09T06:00:00Z

    London and Mumbai-based iDream Independent Pictures has picked up worldwide rights, excluding India, to The Voyeurs directed by veteran Bengali filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta.The film follows a young man who falls in love with the girl next door, and looks at whether our obsession with surveillance has really made the world ...

  • News

    The Weinstein Company, Showbox hot for Chocolate

    2008-02-09T06:00:00Z

    Thai actioner Chocolate - which opened at the top of the Thai box office this week - has been gobbled up by several international distributors including The Weinstein Company which has taken North American rights. Produced and sold by Sahamongkolfilm International, the picture has also been sold to Showbox Media ...

  • News

    CJ Entertainment to sell The Good, The Bad And The Weird

    2008-02-09T06:00:00Z

    Korea's CJ Entertainment has confirmed that it has picked up worldwide rights, excluding Japan, to Kim Jee-woon's The Good, The Bad And The Weird, while producer Barunson is handling Japanese rights. The film was previously sold internationally by Cineclick Asia whose founder Suh Youngjoo recently quit to found international sales ...

  • Reviews

    The Black Balloon (2007)

    2008-02-08T21:01:00Z

    Dir: Elissa Down Aust. 2007, 97 minsThe Black Balloon is notable for its graphic, not-for-the-squeamish depiction of adult autism. But, more importantly for its box office potential, the youth-oriented movie introduces a glowing young Australian actress with true star potential - the international model Gemma Ward. Plus there's a showy ...

  • Reviews

    In Love We Trust (Zuo You)

    2008-02-08T18:00:00Z

    Dir: Wang Xiaoshuai. China, 2008. 115 mins.With In Love We Trust, Sixth Generation director Wang Xiaoshuai presents what can only be described as natural tearjerker material - leukaemia, divorce, infidelity - in the milieu of the Chinese middle class and delivers an uneven picture which attempts the impossible and fails ...

  • News

    Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata sold to Japan, France

    2008-02-08T13:36:00Z

    Japan's Entertainment Farm - Fortissimo Films' producing partner on Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata - has secured Japanese distribution for the film via PiX Inc, a subsidiary of Avex Entertainment founded in December last year. In addition, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners has come on board as a Japanese partner and Fortissimo ...

  • News

    Soros acquires 3% stake in India's Reliance Entertainment

    2008-02-08T13:09:00Z

    Billionaire venture capitalist George Soros has bought a 3% stake in India's Reliance Entertainment for $100m. The move values the company, owned by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, at $3bn and highlights increasing investor interest in Indian entertainment firms. In 2006, Walt Disney took a minority stake in Mumbai-based UTV ...

  • News

    KOFIC launches fund to support Korean films overseas

    2008-02-08T06:00:00Z

    The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) is launching a $420,000 fund to support the overseas theatrical release of Korean films. Distributors in select foreign countries who have acquired the theatrical rights to a Korean film can apply to the fund to cover up to 50% of release expenses, in accordance with ...

  • News

    Chesuto! to have world premiere at Hong Kong Filmart

    2008-02-08T06:00:00Z

    The Tokyo International Film Festival and TIFFCOM market will hold the world premiere of Toshiro Saiga's Chesuto! at this year's Hong Kong Filmart on March 18. Set in the south-western prefecture of Kagoshima, Chesuto! is a coming-of-age story about a female swimming instructor coaching a team of elementary school children ...

  • News

    Japan's Toei lands in Berlin with Orochi: Blood

    2008-02-08T06:00:00Z

    Japanese studio Toei has made a last-minute decision to attend the European Film Market, and will be selling the new horror title from Norio Tsuruta, who previously directed the J-Horror Theatre title Premonition. Tsuruta's new film, Orochi: Blood, stars Yoshino Kimura (Sukiyaki Western Django) in a story about two sisters, ...

  • News

    Rialto takes Australian rights for Young@Heart

    2008-02-08T06:00:00Z

    Rialto has taken Australia/New Zealand rights to Stephen Walker's Young@Heart, the documentary about a New England senior citizens' chorus.Mirjam Wertheim of Orange Entertainment brokered the deal on behalf of Rialto CEO Kelly Rogers with Rena Ronson at William Morris Independent.Sally George produced for Walker George Films; the UK's Channel 4 ...