All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 163
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News
6 Sales launches sales of 20% Fiction to star Val Kilmer
Madrid-based 6 Sales Entertainment Group has announced that Val Kilmer will star in 20% Fiction, the Barry Primus film to be executive produced by Robert De Niro along with Deco Entertainment. The film tells the story of an acting coach to the stars (Kilmer) who learns a few tricks about ...
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Features
Argentina - Out of the past
"I am 100% French...and I am 100% Argentinian," says the Buenos Aires-born writer-director Lucia Cedron. Her family story played an important part in her debut feature Lamb Of God, the opening film at this year's Rotterdam International Film Festival. Cedron is the daughter of film-maker and political activist Jorge 'The ...
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News
European dreams: review of Rotterdam 2008
The International Film Festival Rotterdam ended last weekend on a more upbeat note than many would have predicted when the festival began a fortnight ago. There had been mutterings among staff about cutbacks to its budget. Some outsiders had questioned the coherence of the programming and what appeared to be ...
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News
Nordic giant Nordisk buys 50% stake in Zentropa
At 9.45am today [Feb 7], in a deal likely to have far-reaching implications for Scandinavian cinema, Nordisk Film bought a 50% share in Danish outfit Zentropa. The alliance is expected to provide extra resources for Zentropa, which was founded in 1992 by Peter Aalbaek Jensen (pictured above) and Lars Von ...
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News
Trust closes first deal on Rotterdam hit Jamil for Greece
Fresh from picking up a Tiger award in Rotterdam last week, Trust FilmSales' Go With Peace Jamil has clinched its first international sale. The bloody thriller, set in Copenhagen's close-knit Arab community, has gone to Seven Films for Greece.The deal comes as Trust arrives in Berlin for its first market ...
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News
Celluloid Dreams takes on Sundance audience favourite The Wackness
As the Berlin EFM gets under way, Celluloid Dreams has announced it is to handle international sales of the Sundance Dramatic Audience Award Winner The Wackness. Click here to see review.Written and directed by Jonathan Levine, The Wackness stars Ben Kingsley,Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Mary Kate Olsen, Olivia Thirlby and ...
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News
Gaumont scores key sales on Auteuil thriller MR73
As the EFM opens, Gaumont has confirmed a host of deals on Marseilles-setthriller MR73 directed by Olivier Marchal and starring Daniel Auteil.The film, being shown privately to buyers in Berlin, has gone to Italy (Medusa), Eastern Europe (Monolith/Best Hollywood), Central Partmnership (CIS), Brazil (California Filmes), South Korea (Sponge) Canada (Chrystal) ...
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News
Stassen, nWave launch sales of 3-D movie Fly Me To The Moon
Ben Stassen's Fly Me To The Moon will be making history as the first 3D Imax film to screen in EFM and is hoping to ride a wave with buyers after the sensational US opening of Disney's 3D concert film Hannah Montana.Fly Me To The Moon, which is being released ...
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News
Roissy takes on new films from Amos Gitai, Agnes Varda
On the eve of the European Film Market, Paris-based sales outfit Roissy Films has announced two new acquisitions, both of features from long-established auteurs.Roissy is to represent Amos Gitai's One Day You'll Understand (Plus tard tucomprendras), based on the book by Jerôme Clement. The film, starring French acting legend Jeanne ...
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Reviews
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Dir: Richard Robbins, USA, 2007, 81mins
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News
European Film Market preview
For Berlin world premieres click hereFor this year's buzz titles click hereFor the critic's choice click hereFlash back to last year's European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, and 2007 was the year the EFM came of age.Significant deals were made as Berlin moved beyond its image as the market for ...
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Reviews
Go with Peace, Jamil
Dir: Omar Shargawi, Denmark 2008, 90 minutesHigh on testosterone and sweaty machismo, Omar Shargawi's debut feature is let down by a lack of subtlety and some shallow characterisation. This is a revenge thriller set in the immigrant Arab community in Copenhagen. Sunnis are pitted against Shias. Shargawi shows plenty of ...
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News
Rotterdam opens with Lamb of God, speculation about future head
The 37th IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam) opened last night with the world premiere of Argentinian director Lucia Cedron's Lamb Of God. At a packed screening in concert hall, the Doelen, the festival's new director Rutger Wolfson spoke of his vision for the festival.Click here for Screen's full Rotterdam preview'Perhaps ...
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Reviews
Lamb Of God (Cordero de Dios)
Dir: Lucia Cedron. Argentina/France/Chile. 2008. 91minsFirst-time feature director Lucia Cedron makes an assured debut with Lamb Of God, a skillfully told and affecting tale which straddles the line between political thriller and family melodrama. The elaborate flashback structure - the film is set in Argentina in 1978, when the country ...
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News
Staying on the map: Screen previews Rotterdam
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) in the Netherlands has long held a reputation as a cinephile's delight.Still, on the eve of the 37th edition of the festival (January 23-February 3), questions are being asked about what Rotterdam can do to stay relevant to the international industry.Some say its status ...
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Features
United Kingdom - Next top model
It is looking like a good year ahead for the Bristol-based animation powerhouse Aardman. The company, formed back in 1976, had a notable 2007 after ending its relationship with DreamWorks and signing a first-look deal with Sony Pictures. Now the company behind Wallace and Gromit, Flushed Away and Chicken Run ...
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News
Keeping Rotterdam on the festival map
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) in the Netherlands has long held a reputation as a cinephile's delight. 'Rotterdam is one my favourite festivals for movies,' says James Schamus, head of Focus Features and one of its many illustrious supporters.The buzz filmsCinemart celebratesCinemart buzz filmsCase studies'They have the freedom to ...
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Features
Rotterdam - CineMart Celebrates
Rotterdam is not the kind of festival to be big on celebrating numbers," says CineMart head Marit van den Elshout of the co-production market's 25th anniversary this week. "We'll do something but we won't be making a huge celebration."Still, this is an opportune moment to take stock, "to look back ...
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Features
Rotterdam - CineMart Buzz
22nd Of May dir: Koen Mortier (Belgium, Ger-Neth)Mortier caused a stir with his debut Ex Drummer, in Rotterdam's Tiger competition last year. The film, dubbed by some as a Flemish Trainspotting, was distributed in Benelux by A-Film and was sold internationally by Loic Magneron's Wide Management. Now, Mortier is back ...
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News
Piracy undermining opportunities for exhibition, says Vue boss
Piracy remains the 'biggest threat' to cinema exhibition. That was the message yesterday from Tim Richards, Chief Executive Officer Of Vue Entertainment.Speaking at The Media Summit 2008, backed by Screen International, Richards expressed his dismay at the powerlessness of exhibitors to confront the pirates.Under current legislation, Richards said, it was ...