Large MPU – Page 1185
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News
UK scriptwriters learn to pitch in 25 words or less
Four feature films pitched using 25 words or less have been granted development funding from UK support body the Film Council.The films were pitched to the Council as part of their "25 Words or Less" programme which was launched last year and called for applicants to present their concept for ...
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Savage to direct Blanchett in Atwood adaptation
Rising UK director Dominic Savage is to direct Cate Blanchett in an adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel Alias Grace for Working Title Films.John Brownlow, whose recent credits include BBC Films' Sylvia Plath project, is adapting the novel, which tells the true story of a Canadian housemaid named Grace Marks who ...
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Heijl joins expanding Moonlight Films
Dutch distribution veteran Jean Heijl has joined independent outfit Moonlight Films from Indies Entertainment Group. His move coincides with Moonlight opening a new distribution office near Amsterdam and a planned expansion of the number of titles it handles."With Jean Heijl on our team we believe we can be a serious ...
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Chris Davis International takes on ACG library
American Cinema Group (ACG)has appointed Chris Davis International (CDI) the exclusive worldwidedistributor in all media for the ACG library which includes Go Tell TheSpartans and A Force Of One.CDI will be licensing video,DVD and internet rights to the titles at Cannes next month and ACG'ssenior vice president, worldwide marketing, Eric ...
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Steve Smith leaves Intertainer for Encore
Encore International (EI),the international television programming affiliate of Starz Encore Group, hasnamed former Intertainer Asia chief operating officer Steve Smith as its chiefoperating officer and executive vice president.Smith assumes overallresponsibility for EI's channel development plans in Asia and the US andwill oversee the company's unique daily programming block on ChinaCentral ...
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Warner scores its biggest opening ever in India
In its finalinternational release Warner Bros' Harry Potter And The Chamber OfSecrets scored thebiggest opening ever for the distributor in India, grossing $341,000 (Rs 16.1m)from 102 screens.The familysequel finished second in the charts behind the regional blockbuster Hero (third weekend) and ahead of opener ShanghaiKnights. The opening was44.6% higher than ...
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Jungle Book 2 crosses $70m international grosses
Buena VistaInternational's The Jungle Book 2 grossed $5.4m in international markets over the weekend,raising its running total to $71.8m.Highlights were a third weekend $1.8m haul in the UK,which saw box office drop 22% for a $9.6m cumulative total, and a $1m gross inGermany that slipped 31% and raised the five-week ...
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Tsatsiki sweeps the board at Swedish film awards
Swedish children's film Tsatsiki, Mum And The Policeman dominated the Swedish Film Awards - the Guldbagga 1999 - which took place in Stockholm yesterday, winning prizes for best film, best direction, best cinematography and best script.The film, which also took the top prize at the Goteborg Film Festival over the ...
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Johnny whips up another $13.3m
Universal'sspoof spy thriller Johnny English was the top international film for the third week in a row,grossing $13.3m from 3,167 theatres in 27 countries over the weekend.After 18 days inrelease the film has amassed a staggering $77.1m international running total.In two openings,Johnny Englishfinished third in Taiwan on $132,000 from 60 ...
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Pathe steps up for Oliver Stone's Alexander
France's Pathe hasboarded Oliver Stone's historical epic Alexander as a co-production partner and will handledistribution rights in France and Benelux. The film, which is beingfinanced by Intermedia and stars Colin Farrell, is scheduled to start shootingin the summer and is being structured as a UK-France-Germany co-production.Warner Bros has domesticrights to ...
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SARS causes Shall We Dance shift from Toronto
The SARS scare in Torontohas claimed its first feature film victim. Miramax Films' Shall We Dance, starring Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere, set toshoot June 23 in Toronto, will relocate physical production to Winnipeg,Manitoba. A company spokesperson toldScreendaily that Miramax production executives made the decision Monday,spurred by the World Health ...
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Reviews
X2: X-Men United
X2: X-MEN UNITEDMike Goodridge in Los AngelesDir: Bryan Singer. US. 2003. 135mins.Bryan Singer lifts the X-Men franchise out of the formulaic superhero realm in his rip-roaring sequel which, having had the scene set for it so efficiently by the 2000 smash original, is as subversive and sophisticated as any summer ...
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Filmart falls victim to SARS
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) is expected to announce tomorrow that its annual film and TV market, Filmart, will be postponed to September 24-26 as a result of the ongoing SARS crisis.The widely expected postponement comes after a recent survey by the TDC which found around 60% of ...
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SARS shuts Beijing's cinemas
Beijing authorities have closed the city's cinemas for an indefinite period in an attempt to stop the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a move which executives fear may be followed in other cities and provinces.The Beijing government decided Saturday to suspend all entertainment businesses involving mass public gatherings ...
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Cannes' Un Certain Regard to add lustre
The Cannes Festival's Un Certain Regard sidebar is taking on the allure and scale of a fully-fledged festival to rival discovery events like Locarno or Rotterdam.The Cannes selectors today completed their selection with the addition of Argentinian director Pablo Reyero's La Cruz Del Sur (sold by F For Film). Previously ...
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Vivendi buries Hollywood ambition
Media giant Vivendi Universal ended months of speculation yesterday by confirming that it was bowing out of the US entertainment industry and selling-off subsidiary Universal Entertainment Networks.Indicating that a post-restructure Vivendi would focus on telecoms and French television, Vivendi Universal chief executive Jean-Marie Fourtou told shareholders the company was talking ...
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Beyond to sing with Other Voices
Beyond Films has acquired worldwide rights, excluding North America, to Dan McCormack's debut feature Other Voices, which featured in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Beyond quietly signed for the film after getting a sneak preview prior to Sundance. Other Voices stars Campbell Scott, Peter Gallagher and Stockard Channing and ...
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UK tax breaks could disappear altogether warns PACT
UK producers body PACT has warned that the UK's influential film tax breaks could disappear completely in July 2005.While the tax relief mechanism under Section 48 is due to expire in 2005, the film industry is hoping for another extension after lobbying led by support super body the Film Council ...
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Paramount's Prince heads for Prague
Paramount is joining the Prague production influx with romantic comedy The Prince and the Freshman starring Julia Stiles and directed by Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl, Rambling Rose). The film has received the green light and will begin production in the Czech capital in June, Prague sources told Screendaily.Paramount joins a ...
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Mauritania's Waiting For Happiness wins at Buenos Aires
Films from as far afield as Mauritania, Thailand and Belgium took home the top prizes at the Buenos Aires Fifth International Film Festival of Independent Cinema.Mauritania's Waiting For Happiness by director Abderrahmane Sissako won best picture while director Apichatpong Weerasethakul of Thailand's Blissfully Yours was named best director. In a ...