All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 170

  • News

    Revolver pockets Loose Change for UK

    2007-05-23T20:23:00Z

    Controversial documentary Loose Change (Final Cut) has been picked up for UK release by Revolver to be shown to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11. The feature doc was financed by Alex Jones' Prisonplanet.com. The original versions of Loose Change are among the most downloaded films in internet history. The ...

  • News

    Ruiz ramps up $36m epic Love And Virtue

    2007-05-23T06:43:00Z

    Raoul Ruiz has revealed further details of his $36.3m (Euros 27m) historical epic, Love And Virtue (on Echo Bridge Entertainment's slate). Damian Lewis, Saffron Burrows, John Malkovich, Virginie Ledoyen, Darryl Hannah, and Jonathan Rhys Meyer are all attached to appear in the film, scripted by Mia Sperber and Stefano Pratesi.The ...

  • News

    Germans woo Cannes producers with film fund

    2007-05-23T06:18:00Z

    The German film industry has been in Cannes bullishly promoting its 'lean, straightforward' new Federal Film Fund to an audience of international producers. The Fund, worth $240 (Euros 180m) from 2007 to 2009, is open to international co-productions. In the five months of its existence, it has already backed 24 ...

  • News

    Cyclops and Little Mo forecast Hitler's Weatherman

    2007-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Pint-sized UK comedian Lee Evans (Mousehunt, There's Something About Mary) is to star as Adolf Hitler's personal meteorologist in $8m comedy, I Was Hitler's Weatherman, being produced by Cyclops Vision with Little Mo Films.The part of Hitler is under offer to Stanley Tucci.The film is scripted by Stuart Silver and ...

  • News

    Scanbox co-produces three new Swedish features

    2007-05-23T04:00:00Z

    As it gets more involved in Swedish production, Scanbox Entertainment has announced details of three new Swedish features it is co-producing. The move into co-production includes the films Iskariot, directed by Miko Lazic and produced in cooperation with Ironwood Films, Tjuvarnas Marknad by Jan Guillou, which will start shooting in ...

  • News

    Latido pre-sells The Horn Of Plenty to CNC

    2007-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Spanish sales outfit Latido has pre-sold The Horn Of Plenty, directed by Juan Carlos Tabio (Guantemara, Strawberry and Chocolate), to Belgium (CNC).Latido has also sold its Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary Running With Arnold to Madman (Australia) and Turkey (Barbar) and is in advanced negotiations with Italy, Switzerland and German. The Spanish ...

  • News

    Big Sister dances with Johnny Clegg documentary

    2007-05-23T04:00:00Z

    South African musician Johnny Clegg is the subject of a major new feature documentary, The Last Dance Of A White Zulu. The film, due for release, is a French-South African co-production. It is being put together by French outfit Big Sister and Big World Cinema.The film will tell the story ...

  • News

    Kensani starts first institutionally backed South African fund

    2007-05-23T04:00:00Z

    Kensani Entertainment, a subsidiary of Kensani Capital has announced details of the first institutionally backed film fund in South Africa.The Kensani Film & Television Fund (KEF) will make available an initial sum of R200 million ($28.5m) for the production and acquisition of film and television projects to be made or ...

  • News

    New German $242m fund already backs 24 projects

    2007-05-23T04:00:00Z

    The Germans were in bullish mood in Cannes yesterday, talking up their 'lean, straightforward' new Federal Film Fund to an audience of international producers. The Fund, worth $242m (180m) Euros from 2007 to 2009, is open to international co-productions. In the five months of its existence, it has already backed ...

  • News

    Spain's Gomez re-elected as FIAPF president

    2007-05-22T17:45:00Z

    Oscar-winner Andres Vicente Gomez from Spain has been re-elected as FIAPF's General Assembly as FIAPF President. Argentinean producer Luis Alberto Scalella was newly-elected as 1st Vice-President, alongside representatives of Asia and Australasia, Europe, North and South America. The International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), which gathers 26 producers' associations ...

  • News

    Irish Film Board backs new Glawogger film

    2007-05-22T11:28:00Z

    The Irish Film Board has committed $404,785 (Euros 300,000) to Michael Glawogger's new feature, Das Vaterspiel, about a man developing a computer game in which players kill their fathers. The investment comes as the Irish Film Board (IFB) moves more aggressively into co-production. The idea is that the body will ...

  • News

    Bavaria slides onto Finland's Black Ice

    2007-05-22T11:27:00Z

    Munich-based Bavaria Films International has picked up all rights outside of Finland and Norway to thriller Black Ice by Finnish director Petri Kotwica. Also in post-production on Bavaria's slate is Shadows (formerly titled Bones) by Macedonian auteur Milcho Manchevski (Before The Rain.)Bavaria is also taking the plunge into animation for ...

  • News

    Belgian tax shelter looks shaky

    2007-05-22T11:24:00Z

    Is the Belgian tax shelter in danger' This week, the EU sent back proposals for the renewal of the shelter, the fiscal incentive that has provided a major boost to the local industry as well as supporting international production. It is understood that the EU had reservations about the lack ...

  • News

    F&ME strikes with White Lightnin'

    2007-05-22T11:16:00Z

    Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME) the London-based production and distribution outfit run by Mike Downey and Sam Taylor, has begun production on three feature films all shooting in the US and with a fourth slated to start in October in Canada.Headlining the slate is the debut feature from Dominic Murphy, ...

  • News

    Cronenberg swarms to executive produce Woodley's Drone

    2007-05-22T11:14:00Z

    David Cronenberg will executive-produce horror Drone, the next film by Aaron Woodley (being pre-sold in Cannes by Global Cinema Group.) The film is being produced by Joel B. Michaels and Garth H. Drabinsky.Drone, written by Jon Felson and Rusty Gorman, is based on a short story by TC Boyle. It ...

  • News

    Maths murders add up for Filmworks partners

    2007-05-22T06:57:00Z

    Odeon and Sky have announced The Oxford Murders, from cult director Alex de la Iglesia and starring Elijah Wood and John Hurt, as the second release under their new joint venture Odeon Sky Filmworks.Based on Guillermo Martinez's award winning novel, Oxford Murders sees Hurt and Wood star alongside each other ...

  • News

    Cillian Murphy joins Bounty in hot 9 slate

    2007-05-22T06:54:00Z

    Cillian Murphy is poised to star in $9.4m dark comedy Perrier's Bounty, scripted by Mark O'Rowe and directed by Ian Fitzgibbon. A co-production between Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen's Number 9 Films and Alan Moloney's Parallel, the film will shoot in Spring 2008. Intandem is handling sales.Perrier's Bounty is one ...

  • News

    Sony picks up North America on Long Good Friday remake

    2007-05-22T06:50:00Z

    Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired rights to North America and several other significant territories to Handmade's US-based remake of British gangland classic The Long Good Friday.Screen International revealed last week that the Classic UK gangster film The Long Good Friday is to be re-made, it was confirmed in Cannes, with ...

  • News

    Niki Caro uncorks Vintner's Luck

    2007-05-22T04:40:00Z

    Niki Caro (Whale Rider) will direct a screen adaptation of The Vintner's Luck. Caro scripted with Joan Scheckel from the New Zealand novel of the same name by Elizabeth Knox. The cast is led by Jeremie Renier (The Child), Gaspard Ulliel (Young Hannibal), Vera Farmiga (The Departed), Maria Ruiz (Summer ...

  • News

    Revolver takes rights to Luchetti's Brother

    2007-05-22T04:03:00Z

    Voracious UK distributor Revolver has taken rights to That My Brother is An Only Child, the Un Certain Regard title directed by Daniele Luchetti.The film was acquired from Think Film.Revolver has also picked up documentary Chavez, by actor Diego Luna, about the illustrious career and turbulent life of Mexican boxing ...