All Asia articles – Page 557

  • News

    Pretty Pictures turns a page for North Korean Diary

    2007-05-19T04:00:00Z

    North Korean film A Schoolgirl's Diary had its debut screening in Cannes Market yesterday. Paris-based Pretty Pictures is selling the film at Cannes after acquiring international rights earlier this year. CEO James Velaise originally picked up French rights last October after seeing the film at the Pyongyang International Film Festival.'This ...

  • News

    Cathay Classics signs $1m deal with Malaysia's new Variety View

    2007-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Singapore-based Cathay-Keris Films has inked a distribution deal with Variety View, a new distribution start-up in Malaysia, for 230 titles from its Cathay Classics library.Under the terms of the deal, worth close to $1m, the Malaysian company holds worldwide rights for theatrical, pay and free TV, DVD and other distribution ...

  • News

    Germany's Splendid takes on Jaa's Ong Bak 2

    2007-05-18T13:10:00Z

    Germany's Splendid has become the first distributor to pounce on Ong Bak 2, starring and directed by Tony Jaa, since The Weinstein Company surrendered international rights to the project. TWC acquired all rights excluding Asia and the UK to the film last year, from Thailand's Sahamongkolfilm International, but recently renegotiated ...

  • News

    Last Vampire gets first bite in UK

    2007-05-18T04:20:00Z

    Hong Kong producer Bill Kong has sealed one of the first major deals on upcoming action title Blood: The Last Vampire in the first days of the market, by selling all UK rights to Pathe UK Distribution. Chris Nahon is directing the $35m English-language film starring Korean superstar Gianna Jun ...

  • News

    Pop star Rain drops into Speed Racer cast

    2007-05-18T04:00:00Z

    Pan-Asian pop star Rain has joined the cast of the Wachowski brothers' upcoming Speed Racer, Warner Bros announced here.Rain, aka Jung Ji-hoon, made his big screen debut in Park Chan-wook's Berlinale competition title I'm a Cyborg but That's Okay. He is to play an young contender in Speed Racer, which ...

  • News

    Japanese in Cannes talk co-production cash

    2007-05-18T04:00:00Z

    Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunka-Cho) is attending Cannes this year to talk up the subsidies that are available in Japan for international co-productions.Since introducing a film promotion policy in 2003, the agency has $6.6m (Y800m) available annually to support production of domestic films. It now wants to alert international ...

  • News

    First Sun takes shine to remake of Argento's Suspira

    2007-05-18T04:00:00Z

    New Italian production outfit First Sun has acquired remake rights to Dario Argento gothic horror classic Suspira.The company is led by Italian director Luca Guadagnino (Melissa P), Fendi group fashion designer Silvia Venturini Fendi with producers Carlo Antonelli, Marco Morabito and Massimilano Violante.The English-language remake will have an international cast ...

  • News

    Thailand's GMM Tai Hub sells Alone to UniKorea

    2007-05-18T04:00:00Z

    Thailand's GMM Tai Hub (GTH) has sold Korean rights to horror hit Alone to UniKorea. The company also sold to a string of other territories including France, Benelux and Brazil. Alone stars Thai pop singer-model-TV actress Marsha Wattanapanich as an expat wife living in Korea. The second film from the ...

  • News

    Heavyweight sales for KM's 200 Pounds Beauty

    2007-05-18T04:00:00Z

    Korean sales company KM Culture has sold cosmetic surgery romantic-comedy 200 Pounds Beauty to Amuse, Inc. for Japan, M Pictures for Thailand, Vietnam Media for Vietnam, and AOE for Malaysia. The Amuse deal in particular is good news after last year's huge slump in Korean sales to Japan. Lee Sang-mi, ...

  • News

    Mira Nair to executive produce Taraprevala's Little Zizou

    2007-05-17T10:22:00Z

    Sooni Taraprevala, the award-winning screenwriter of The Namesake, Salaam Bombay and Such A Long Journey, is at work in Mumbai on her directorial debut, Little Zizou.The film, which started shooting late last month, stars Boman Irani and Mahabanoo Kotwal. It is being executive produced by Taraprevala's long-term collaborator, Mira Nair.The ...

  • News

    Prime Entertainment adds two to Cannes slate

    2007-05-17T04:33:00Z

    Korean seller Prime Entertainment has announced two additional titles for its Cannes line-up - Face/Off-like thriller The Devil's Game, and kickboxing drama Punch Lady. The Devil's Game stars Shin Ha-kyun (No Mercy for the Rude) opposite veteran actor Byun Hee-bong (The Host). A struggling young artist and a rich old ...

  • News

    Mirovision sells Japan and US remake rights to Kim

    2007-05-17T04:15:00Z

    Seoul-based Mirovision has announced the sale of Japanese and US remake rights to Kim Tae-sik's Driving With My Wife's Lover to Kuzui Enterprises in Japan. Producer Kaz Kuzui picked up the rights after seeing the film at Sundance. 'Kim is a talent to watch and we hope to work with ...

  • News

    SCB on board for gap finance of Hippo's Wushu

    2007-05-17T04:00:00Z

    Hong Kong 's Hippopotamus Films has concluded a financing deal with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), which will help arrange gap finance on its upcoming martial arts drama Wushu. SCB has pledged to lend up to 25% of the required funds for the $1.5m film once pre-conditions are met. The bank ...

  • News

    UTV launches new film banner Spotboy

    2007-05-17T04:00:00Z

    India's UTV Motion Pictures is launching a second motion picture brand, Spotboy Motion Pictures, to be headed by Vikas Bahl, who was formerly business head of Indian broadcaster SAB TV. Bahl, who has been appointed executive vice president of the new label, has also worked with indya.com, Radio Mirchi and ...

  • News

    NZ starts sales on Ballantyne's debut

    2007-05-17T04:00:00Z

    NZ Film, the sales arm of the New Zealand Film Commission, is in Cannes announcing Armagan Ballantyne's debut feature The Strength Of Water, about a young boy who has to deal with an unexpected tragedy. Hopscotch has already acquired Australian and New Zealand rights. The Strength Of Water will start ...

  • News

    Emperor takes stake in Jay Chou project Kung Fu Dunk

    2007-05-16T04:00:00Z

    Hong Kong-based Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) has taken an equity position in the new Jay Chou martial arts action comedy Kung Fu Dunk, and will handle sales of the film to all territories in Europe and the Americas. EMP, which had previously acquired Hong Kong rights to the film, reached ...

  • News

    Yoon Jong-bin to shoot Beastie Boys for iHQ

    2007-05-16T04:00:00Z

    Korean sales agent iHQ has announced Beastie Boys as the upcoming sophomore title from Yoon Jong-bin - whose The Unforgiven was in Un Certain Regard last year. Yoon is re-teaming with lead Ha Jung-woo, who is also in the Cannes Competition title Breath by Kim Ki-dukBeastie Boys is the first ...

  • News

    Universe strikes Asian deals for Invisible Target

    2007-05-16T04:00:00Z

    Hong Kong's Universe Films Distribution has concluded several Asian deals on Benny Chan's upcoming action title Invisible Target between Hong Kong Filmart and Cannes. The $8m film, starring Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue and Jaycee Chan, has been sold to India's JDR Films, Singapore's Innoform, Thailand's M Pictures, Malaysia's Grand Brilliance ...

  • News

    Directors' Fortnight title Foster Child sold to France

    2007-05-14T15:02:00Z

    Ad Vitam has acquired French rights to Filipino director Brillante 'Dante' Mendoza's Foster Child, which will play in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar at Cannes. In addition to France, the deal also covers French-speaking territories including Monaco, Andorra and French-speaking Switzerland and Benelux. Gregory Gajos of Ad Vitam and Philippines-based Ferdinand ...