All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 180
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News
The Lives Of Others director to host special screening for Attenborough
Florian Henckel von Donnsermarck is planning a private preview in London of his multiple award-winning debut feature The Lives Of Othersfor Richard Attenborough. "We're going to hold aspecial screening in England before the film premieres because I know that hedoesn't really like to go to premieres," von Donnersmarksaid. The young ...
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Kazakh epic Nomad racks up sales in Locarno
It may have had threedifferent directors and an immensely complex birth, but bloodcurdling Kazakhepic Nomad has caught buyers' hearts.The $35m epic, which received its international premiere in Locarno's Piazza Grande at the weekend, has been bought in anumber of international territories. In France, Nomadwill be co-distributed by Rezo and Wild ...
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Reviews
The Lives Of The Saints
Dirs: Rankin/Chris Cottam.100mins. UK. 2006.The Lives Of TheSaints is a bold but determinedly awkward affair in whichdebut directors Rankin and Chris Cottam ultimatelyrisk overstretching themselves. Individual sequences are strikingly shot andperformed and there is no faulting the film-makers' ambition or imagination - butthere is no disguising either the gauche moments ...
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Reviews
Stormbreaker (aka Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker)
Dir: Geoffrey Sax. UK-US-Ger. 2006. 93mins.Geoffrey Sax's Stormbreaker, the first in whatthe producers are hoping will become a new British movie franchise to rival Spy Kids or Harry Potter, announces its intentions right at the outset. The audienceare treated to a frantic chase in which James Bond-style superspyIan Rider (Ewan ...
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First ThinkTank draws 170 international delegates
The inaugural Copenhagen ThinkTank, which took place last week, has been pronounceda success by organisers. "I think it wasextraordinary. We had 170 people there, representing 34 countries including Australia and Canada," the Danish Film Institute's chief executiveHenning Camre said. During the conference, delegatesbrainstormed strategies for "strengthening and reinvigorating European film." ...
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London UK Film Focus to host 12 premieres
The London UK Film Focus(LUFF), the annual showcase of British films for invited UK and international buyers, is looking to set up aco-production market along the lines of Rotterdam's CineMart. "It may be at the beginningor end of LUFF in 2007," said Adrian Wootton, chiefexecutive of organiser Film London. "Initial ...
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Vue's buyout should help with flexible planning
Following its managementbuyout earlier this week, UK exhibitor VueEntertainment is aiming to open as many as 20 cinemas over the next threeyears. "We are continuing with a very aggressive expansion programme in the UK," Tim Richards, CEO of Vue,told ScreenDaily.com. The new cinemas will be ineither greenfield sites or will ...
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Hauer plans directorial debut Changing Fortunes
Dutch star Rutger Hauer is to make hisdirectorial debut feature with ChangingFortunes, a drama set in occupied Holland during World War II.The $11.3 million projectis being put together as a UK/Dutch/Belgian co-production by Glasgow-based AlbaFilm Productions.Hauer is also in line to play a part in the film, based onthe true ...
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Raindance Festival to go ahead with new investors
UK indieshowcase The Raindance Film Festival has been saved, it has emerged thisweek. The festival was previously organised through writer and producer ElliotGrove's Raindance Film Festival outfit. When the Raindance organisation went into receivership earlier thissummer, it looked as if the festival might have been dragged down too.However,financiers Dean Goldberg ...
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News
UK's Aquarius adds international partners
Aquarius Film is goingglobal. The London-based financing and production outfit is setting up AquariusWorld Wide, a new venture with partners from Australia, South Africa, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Germany and India. Aquarius chief executiveTerence Potter won't disclose who the new partners are, but says that dealshave already been concluded in seven ...
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Congorama gone to UGC for France
Philippe Falardeau's Congorama,the closing film at the Directors Fortnight, has been sold to UGC for France.The deal was negotiated by French co-producer EricTavitian and producer Luc Dery.Congorama, onLondon-based The Works' Cannes slate, is a Canada/Belgium/France co-production.Starring Olivier Gourmet (best known for his work withthe Dardennes), Congorama is the story of ...
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Julian Richards prepares for Summer Scars
Prolific British filmmaker Julian Richards, whopreviously directed The Last Horror Movie, has completed the financing of hislatest project.Summer Scars, Richards'sfourth feature, is billed as "a dark psychological thriller about a gang ofschool truants held hostage in the woods by a psychopath."Kevin Howarth (who also played in The Last HorrorMovie) will ...
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Scottish producers criticise Scottish Screen
Scottish producers in Canneshave issued a stinging rebuke to national film agency Scottish Screen over itsdelay in revealing its long-term plans for feature film production. "Again and again(in Cannes), we have been asked what is happening with Scottish Screen. We don't quite know," said Mark Cousins of 4 Ways Productions. ...
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Czech producers protest funding cut in Cannes
Czech producers in Canneshave reacted with dismay and fury to yesterday's decision by the Czech Parliamentto kill off the long-awaited law to boost Czech production support.To register their anger, theCzech film delegation attending the Cannes Film Festival shut down the Czechstand at 5 pm yesterday for the remainder of the ...
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News
Danish Film Institute's THINKTANK could become policy body
The Copenhagen THINKTANK,the new initiative organised by the Danish Film Institute (DFI) to ponderstrategy for European film, is looking over time to become a policy body.'We have all the keyplayers with us, all the national institutes and a lot of people from theindustry,' said the DFI's Henning Camre in Cannes ...
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News
Danish Film Institute's THINKTANK could become policy body
The Copenhagen THINKTANK,the new initiative organised by the Danish Film Institute (DFI) to ponderstrategy for European film, is looking over time to become a policy body.'We have all the keyplayers with us, all the national institutes and a lot of people from theindustry,' said the DFI's Henning Camre in Cannes ...
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News
Israel Film Fund backs new film from Koshashvili
The Israel Film Fund hasannounced that it is boarding a raft of new projects. The Fund will pump morethan $300,000 into $5m drama Kishta,by director Dover Koshashvili and producers Marek Rozenbaum and EdgardTenenbaum.Meanwhile, the Fund hasalready committed $400,000 to Lebanon, produced by Einat Bikel and executive produced by France-based AlainGirard ...
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Celsius racks up deals on Paris Je T'aime
Buyers have fallen head overheels for Paris Je T'Aime.Mid-way through the market, the portmanteau picture (which opened Un CertainRegard) has been snapped up by more than 20 buyers. The French release throughLa Fabrique is scheduled for June 1. Celsius Entertainment, which co-financedthe film and is handling world sales, is in ...
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Trust books several deals for Red Road
Andrea Arnold's Red Road, one of the buzz titles in the Cannes competition,has closed multiple deals following its premiere earlier this week, with Spain,France and a host of other smaller territories already gone. The film is alsoattracting strong interest from the US.The version of Red Road on Copenhagen-based that screened ...
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NonStop Sales gets Irreverent Media slate
Stockholm-basedinternational sales agent NonStop Sales has struck a multi-picture deal withVancouver-based Irreverent Media Ltd.The slate deal includes TheBestRestaurant in the World. Ever, starring Bruno Ganz with THINKFilm to distribute in Canada; TheLight-house starring Kevin Zegers,Ryan Reynolds, Henry Czerny and Ewen Bremner; and mockumentary Gay Like Me', also with THINKFilm. The ...