All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1357

  • News

    Heartlift opens Miami Film Festival on Mar 3

    2006-01-11T00:00:00Z

    The world premiere of Eliseo Subiela's Heartlift (Lifting De Corazon) will open the 23rd Annual MiamiInternational Film Festival, which closes with the East Coast premiere ofNicole Holofcener's Sundance opener Friends With Money.All in all 92 features including 10 world premieres will screen atthe event, which runs from Mar 3-12 and ...

  • News

    Stiffs begins shooting with backing from Massachusetts tax incentive

    2006-01-11T00:00:00Z

    Filming is underway on Boston-based Mavex Productions' comedy Stiffs, the first feature to take advantage ofthe Massachusetts Production Tax Incentive legislation that came into effect onJan 1.The project, which stars Danny Aiello as an Italian-Americanhearse driver who gets involved in a plot to keep a funeral home afloat, isscheduled to ...

  • News

    Biddle leaves Summit for senior vp production role at Rogue

    2006-01-11T00:00:00Z

    Adrienne Biddle has left Summit Entertainment and joined RoguePictures in the newly created position of senior vice president of production.Biddle will be based in the company's West Coast offices andreports directly to Rogue production chief Andrew Rona.The company's upcoming releases include Dave Chappelle's BlockParty directed by MichelGondry, Alex Aja's The ...

  • News

    Marvel promotes three as company moves into new phase

    2006-01-11T00:00:00Z

    Marvel Studios has promoted three executives to key positions asthe company moves into self-financed production following last year's financingdeal with Merrill Lynch.Kevin Feige has been promoted to president of production and willcollaborate with company chairman and chief executive officer Avi Aradoverseeing all film and television productions. He previously served asexecutive ...

  • News

    Escandell gets vp publicity stripes at Sony International

    2006-01-11T00:00:00Z

    Cathy Escandell has been promoted to vice president of publicity,acquisitions and local productions at Sony Pictures Releasing International(SPRI).Escandell, who reports directly to senior vice president ofmarketing, acquisitions and local productions Sal Ladestro, formerly served asa senior publicist with the division.In her new role she will plan and execute all internationalpublicity ...

  • News

    Emerging Pictures forms digital alliance with Brazil's RAIN

    2006-01-10T04:00:00Z

    IraDeutchman, Giovanni Cozzi and Barry Rebo's Emerging Pictures has formed a NorthAmerican digital distribution alliance with Brazilian technology company RAINNetwork.Called RAIN US, the New York-based exhibition and distribution venture aims tofulfil Emerging Picture's longtime goal of offering a platform to internationaland independent filmmakers.The fledgling venture will provide programming for 400 ...

  • News

    IFC, Tartan conclude deals on Brothers Of The Head

    2006-01-10T04:00:00Z

    IFC Films and Tartan Films have picked up North American and UK rightsrespectively to Film Four's mockumentary Brothers Of The Head.The picture premiered at Toronto last autumn and IFC plans to release it inNorth American theatres in July.Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's picture follows the fate of exploited conjoinedtwins who ...

  • News

    Searchlight names joint COOs in pursuit of happiness

    2006-01-10T04:00:00Z

    Former Fox Searchlightdistribution chief Stephen Gilula and marketing chief Nancy Utley have beenpromoted to joint chief operating officers as the studio prepares for itsbiggest year.The company veterans are regarded alongside president Peter Rice as key playersas Searchlight bids to erase the memory of a lacklustre 2005 and emulate thecritical and ...

  • News

    Lionsgate spreads the word with Don't Tell

    2006-01-10T04:00:00Z

    Lionsgate has picked up USrights to Cristina Comencini's Italian Oscar submission and local hit Don'tTell (La Bestia Nel Cuore). The Cattleya and Rai Cinema production premiered at Venice last autumn andearned Giovanna Mezzogiorno the Coppa Volpi for Best actress. It has grossedmore than $7m since opening in Italian theatres last ...

  • News

    THINKFilm tucks in to When Do We Eat'

    2006-01-10T04:00:00Z

    THINKFilm has swooped onall North American rights to Salvador Litvak's Jewish Passover comedy WhenDo We Eat'The distributor is lining up an Apr7 release for the picture, which has become a mainstay on the festival circuitin recent months, in time for the Passover celebrations.Ben Feldman, Michael Lerner, Jack Klugman and Lesley ...

  • News

    Bender named sales chief at Harmony Gold USA

    2006-01-10T00:00:00Z

    Susan Bender has beenappointed to the new post of president of sales at Harmony Gold USA as thecompany makes a concerted bid to expand its worldwide sales activities.Effective Jan 23, Bender will oversee all domestic and international sales andspearhead strategic development with the existing sales team, which includesvice president of ...

  • News

    Southern Gothic ready to roll for Kindred Media Group

    2006-01-10T00:00:00Z

    Los Angeles andPennsylvania-based Kindred Media Group, North Carolina-based Tasty Pixels, andDewey Beach Films are about to begin production on the thriller SouthernGothic.Dewey Beach will provide completion funds for the $1m project, and Kindredplans a North American theatrical release in autumn 2006.Mark Young will direct the follow-up to his feature debut ...

  • News

    Hostel checks in top of the charts on $20.1m

    2006-01-09T00:00:00Z

    The newly renamed and everambitious Lionsgate kicked off the New Year with the right kind of scare as it launched itslatest horror title Hostel atnumber one on an estimated $20.1m.The result will have delighted studio executives who were expecting a debut inthe mid teens. Hostel isLionsgate's second table-topping launch in ...

  • News

    Narnia remains international champ and nears $300m

    2006-01-09T00:00:00Z

    The Chronicles OfNarnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe maintained its early 2006 supremacy with an estimated $30.6m weekendhaul that raises the cumulative total to a mighty $277m.The picture has amassed $525m worldwide incorporating the $247.6m domestictally and Buena Vista International (BVI) top brass must be rubbing their handswith ...

  • News

    Picture This! acquires Whole New Thing

    2006-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Picture This!has picked up US rights to Amnon Buchbinder's Canadian coming-of-age story WholeNew Thing and plans anautumn 2006 release.Whole New Thingplayed at Toronto and will screen in the New Voices/New Visions strand at thePalm Springs International Film Festival.The story centres on a precocious teenager raised by hippies in rural NovaScotia ...

  • News

    NSFC hands Capote best picture, actor honours

    2006-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Capote was named best picture of 2005 at the weekend by theNational Society of Film Critics (NSFC), who also voted the picture's star PhilipSeymour Hoffman best actor.Reese Witherspoon won the best actress stakes for Walk The Line, David Cronenberg was named best director for AHistory Of Violence, while thatpicture's Ed ...

  • News

    Weinstock takes marketing reins at Screen Gems

    2006-01-09T00:00:00Z

    Marc Weinstock has beennamed executive vice president of marketing for Screen Gems, overseeing upcomingreleases like the imminent Underworld: Evolution, When A Stranger Calls and The Covenant.Weinstock, who moves over from Tristar Pictures to replace Valerie Van Galder followingher appointment as Sony's domestic marketing chief, will continue to work onTriStar titles ...

  • News

    IFC acquires distribution rights to Twelve and Holding

    2006-01-05T12:45:00Z

    Michael Cuesta'schildhood drama Twelve AndHolding, which sold to a raft of international markets on the back of its Torontopremiere last autumn, has found a USdistributor. IFC hasacquired Serenade Films' revenge tale of youngsters who come to terms with thedeath of their friend, and plans to release it this summer. Zoe ...

  • News

    Wim Wenders to receive tribute at Miami Festival

    2006-01-05T12:05:00Z

    Wim Wenders will receive the2006 Miami International Film Festival's (MIFF) Career Achievement Tribute,joining a distinguished roster of previous winners that includes Liv Ulman and Hector Babenco. "Weare proud to pay tribute to this legendary director, writer, and producer whosecontribution to the spirit of independent cinema continues to inspirefilmmakers around the ...

  • News

    Kong, Narnia vie for international control

    2005-12-23T04:00:00Z

    King Kong is in pole position heading into the holiday weekendas impressive weekday business boosted last weekend's mighty $82.8m globallaunch to $113.5m.Universal's three-hour epic has no major releases scheduled through UIP thisweekend, however the picture's strong word of mouth should ensure solid holdsand be enough to fend off the considerable ...