All articles by Geoffrey Macnab – Page 185
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News
Celluloid boards Oz mockumentary Razzle Dazzle
A newmockumentary Razzle Dazzle promises to lift the lid on the spangle-clad world of children'sdance troupes. The project, just added to Celluloid Dreams' AFM slate, is beingscripted by Carolyn Wilson and longtime Ricky Gervais collaborator Robin Ince.from an original story by Daren Ashton and Carolyn Wilson.The $1.5 millionfeature will shoot ...
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News
Sales sizzle for Nordisk on hot Scando festival titles
In the run-up toAFM, Nordisk has closed deals on several titles that screened on the autumnfestival circuit.Finnish foreignlanguage Oscar contender (and Toronto official selection) Mother Of Mine has sold to Eurocine for Spain andPortugal and Cine Video y Television for Mexico, with France in negotiations. Market premiere Murk, a psychological ...
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Campfires Burning at Celluloid Dreams
Underlining its growing appetite for upscale English-language fare,Paris-based Celluloid Dreams is taking up sales duties on US road movie CampfiresBurning, the debut feature from Mary Sweeney. The $5 million feature, shootingnext summer for delivery in 2007, will be shot by Diego Vignatti Martinez (BattleIn Heaven) and cast by Johanna Ray ...
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Asterix conquers AFM ahead of world premiere
Inadvance of its world premiere at the AFM on Friday, M6's Euros22m animatedfeature Asterix And The Vikingshas been selling widely. Thecartoon about the doughty, magic potion-swilling Gauls has gone to Germany(RTL). Eastern Europe (SPI), Spain and Portugal (Lusomundo), Scandinavia (ABSvensk), Greece (Rosebud), Turkey, Brazil, Switzerland and Indoneisa.Adaptedfrom the 1967 Asterix ...
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News
New Benelux distributor BFD hoovers up Hannibal, Bobby Z
In the run-up to the AFM,voracious new Dutch and Belgian-based outfit Benelux Film Distributors (BFD),is hoovering up product. Along with titles already announced, the company hasconfirmed it will be releasing Young Hannibal: Behind The Mask, The LastMogul, Hurricane Chasers, The Life And Death Of Bobby Z, Running Scared and The ...
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News
Siritzky introduces Chinese Emmanuelle to AFM buyers
Veteran producer and salesagent Alain Siritzky is hatching a new $5 million Emmanuelle-style erotic drama to shoot in Beijing and Shanghai.The Mandarin-language drama,billed as "sex in the forbidden city," is based on the hugely popular blogs by26-year-old Chinese writer Mu Zimei. These blogs have now been published inbook form. "I ...
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News
Korine's Mr Lonely features Pallenberg, Morton, Luna
Colourful details have emerged of Mister Lonely, the latest feature from Tennessee and London-basedmaverick Harmony Korine (Gummo, Julien Donkey Boy). 60s icon Anita Pallenberg is to play the Queen OfEngland, Denis Lavant will portray Charlie Chaplin, Samantha Morton is MarilynMonroe and Diego Luna will play a Michael Jackson impersonator"I am ...
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Rezo takes on sales for Finnish martial arts movie Jade Warrior
Paris-based Rezo FilmsInternational is to handle sales on AJ Annila's Jade Warrior, the Scandinavian-Chinese co-production billed asFinland's first ever martial arts movie.Blind Spot Pictures, theFinnish co-producer of Lars Von Trier's Dancer In The Dark, is producing in association with San Fu Maltha's FuWorks in the Netherlands (Maltha's A-Films will release ...
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News
Casablanca picks up Brazilian rights to Shadow Of The Sword
In the run up to the AFM, German sales outfit Sola Media/AtrixFilms has sold Simon Aeby's historical epic Shadow Of The Sword to Brazilian distributor Casablanca Films. Benelux rights have been taken by F.E.G. and AQS acquired allrights for Czech Republic and Slovakia. Shadow Of The Swordcomes billed as "a ...
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News
Daldry, Dornford-May partner on South African pics
Golden Bearwinner Mark Dornford-May (U-Carmen eKhayelitsha) and Oscar-nominated director StephenDaldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot) are to partner on a series of three new films in South Africa.The firstfeature, already in post-production, is tentatively titled Son of Man (aka Jezile). This is an extension of award winningglobal theatre success Yiimimangaliso - ...
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News
UK directors take issue with government's tax proposals
As theclosing date beckons for responses to the UK Government1s proposals forreforming film tax incentives, certain sectors of the industry are claimingthat their voices are not being heard. One lobby group determined to ensure its concerns are addressed is TheDirectors Guild of Great Britain (DGGB), which today (Oct 21), will ...
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News
UK tax plans get some credit
Ever since the Government published its consultation document for thereplacement of Section 48 and 42 in July, accountants and producers have beenquick to run their slide rules over the new tax credit proposals to see whatthey are really worth.There were several immediate areas of concern. One was inward investment- would ...
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News
Woodward speaks out to defend Film Council role
UK FilmCouncil chief executive officer John Woodward has delivered an impassioneddefence of the function of the Film Council. Speakingthis week at an ACE (Ateliers Du Cinema Europeen) debate in London on 'The UK, A Suitable CaseFor Treatment,' Woodward sought to clarify the Council's position vis a vis the Government and ...
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News
Altman lines up Tortoise shoot in London
Followinghis success with murder-mystery Gosford Park, US directorRobert Altman is set to return to the UK. He isattached to direct The Tortoise And The Hare, due to shoot in London nextyear from a screenplay by Andrew Davies. Theproject is being produced by industry veteran Alan Ladd Jr.EmmaThompson is in talks ...
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News
Storm brews over Venezualan Oscar choice
A storm is brewing overVenezuela's choice as Foreign Language Oscar candidate. The cause of therumbling is the decision by El Centro Nacional De Cinematografia (CENAC) tooverlook the claims of Secuestro Express, the country's biggest box-office hit in history. Some, notably thefilm's 27-year-old writer director Jonathan Jakubowicz, believe the decisionmay be ...
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News
Gromit success hit by Aardman warehouse blaze
A firehas broken out at the Bristolwarehouse of UKanimation maestros, Aardman Animations.Theblaze, which began early on Monday morning, has destroyed many irreplaceable Aardman sets, props, storyboards and models as well as somefestival awards (although not Aardman's haul ofOscars and BAFTAs, which are housed elsewhere.)An Aardman source said the company had ...
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Golconda Films completes Camille financing
London-based Golconda Films looks to have completed thefinancing on its twisted honeymoon adventure, Camille, to star SiennaMiller, Nick Stahl and Harvey Keitel.The $4.5m project is being co-financed by new sales outfitVoltage Pictures, headed by international sales veteran Nicolas Chartier, whichwill handle international sales. Odeon Films is set to release the ...
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Heroes And Villains cranks up in London
Shooting is underway in London on romantic comedy Heroesand Villains, the directorial debut of Selwyn Roberts, the producer ofBAFTA-winning TV drama Shackleton..Produced by Mark Pegg through One Vision Films, Heroesand Villains is the story of a group of young London lads who come up withthe idea of setting up a ...
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Reviews
The Wild Blue Yonder
Dir: Werner Herzog.Ger-Fr-UK. 81mins.At times in WernerHerzog's docu-drama The Wild Blue Yonder, as the glittering-eyed BradDourif rants at the camera, audiences could be forgiven for thinking that theyare being buttonholed by an extra-planetary version of Samuel TaylorColeridge's Ancient Mariner.Dourif plays an alien fromAndromeda who has been stranded on Earth for ...
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Jobson reteams with Tartan for New Town Killers
Writer-director Richard Jobson is re-teaming with HamishMcAlpine's Tartan Films on his next project, The New Town Killers, dueto shoot in Edinburgh early next year. This will be the third collaborationbetween Jobson and McAlpine following on from 16 Years Of Alcohol and A WomanIn Winter.The £1 million thriller is set against ...