Large MPU – Page 1629

  • News

    French director Maurice Pialat dies, aged 77

    2003-01-13T00:00:00Z

    French filmmaker and actor Maurice Pialat, whose Under Satan's Sun won the Palme d'Or in 1987 (pictured), died on Saturday, aged 77.In a message of condolence, President Jacques Chirac called Pialat a "master of the cinematographic art" who "leaves a deep imprint on the history of French film." "Through his ...

  • News

    Taiwan's Golden Horse festival under threat

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    The future of Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival and awards ceremony is again looking uncertain as a group of legislators are seeking to axe the event's entire budget. Taiwan's parliament has passed the second reading of a motion, brought by 13 legislators of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), to cut ...

  • News

    Grill Point wins top German critics prize

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    Andreas Dresen's Silver Bear winner Grill Point (Halbe Treppe) (pictured) has won the German film critics' Best Feature Film prize.In addition, Hans Weingartner's much lauded White Noise (Das Weisse Rauschen) was named Best Feature Debut, with Best Actor honours going to the film's lead Daniel Bruehl (who was also recognised ...

  • News

    Constantin Film retreats from TV to focus on features

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    Leading German producer-distributor Constantin Film plans to concentrate its energies even more on the feature film sector in future.Speaking to the German daily newspaper Die Welt, Thomas Friedl, Constantin's board member for distribution and marketiing, said that his company was "assuming that the TV market will remain weak in ...

  • News

    Sony TV int'l promotes McMahon

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has announced the promotion of John McMahon to senior executive vice president, managing director for its European operations. A 12-year veteran of SPTI - a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company - McMahon took charge of its European activities in 1998. Since then he ...

  • News

    Krohmer debut to open Berlinale's German sidebar

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    Stefan Krohmer's feature debut Sie Haben Knut will open the Berlinale's German cinema sidebar Perspektive Deutsches Kino which promises a film mix that "will once again be colourful, exciting and varied in content", according to the sidebar organisers.The realistic and satirical ensemble film, which was made early last year on ...

  • News

    Expat Indians plan to raise funds for Bollywood productions

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    Indian IT Millionaires settled in Silicon Valley are looking to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in Bollywood. Over 600 venture capitalists, angel investors and bankers including Kanwal Rekhi, Shailesh J Mehta, Rahul Bhasin, Raj Dugar and Brajesh Mehra participated in a Media and Entertainment conference in ...

  • News

    Intermedia, Pacifica unveil merger plans

    2000-01-27T20:31:00Z

    An imminent merger between Guy East and Nigel Sinclair's Intermedia Film and Los Angeles-based Pacifica Entertainment is set to create a division within Intermedia armed with a new $100m production fund.Under the anticipated deal, production, distribution and financing outfit Pacifica will bring a fund backed by German tax money to ...

  • News

    Turner Laing named BSkyB's head of film and acquisitions

    2003-01-14T04:05:00Z

    BSkyB has appointed Sophie Turner Laing, the BBC's controller of acquisitions, to head the UK satellite broadcaster's film and acquisitions activities. Turner Laing, who secured Band Of Brothers and 24 for the BBC, effectively replaces Paul Taylor as director of film channels and acquisitions. Taylor is leaving the company after ...

  • News

    Richard Crudo named president of ASC

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    Richard Crudo,whose credits include American Pie and Down To Earth, has been elected president of the American Society ofCinematographers (ASC). Crudo is among the vanguard of a younger generation ofcinematographers and said his election was 'humbling', adding thathe was committed to the ASC's mission to 'inspire and recogniseinnovation and artistic ...

  • News

    Doc-maker Alexandra Pelosi signs output deal with HBO

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    HBO has signed JourneysWith George directorAlexandra Pelosi and her company Purple Monkey Productions to an exclusivetwo-year output deal, it was announced today (Jan 13). Pelosi will produce anddirect documentary specials for HBO that will focus on the American politicalprocess following her acclaimed production Journeys with George, which debuted on the ...

  • News

    MAC Releasing gets P&A financing from Nazarian's Samy Boy Films

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    Samy Boy Filmsis to provide prints and advertising co-financing for independent USdistributor MAC Releasing's next 10 theatrical releases, under a newfinancing deal announced by the fledgling companies today (Jan 13).'I amhappy to be partnered with MAC. My strategy for Samy Boy Films is to team withstrong niche players, and MAC's ...

  • News

    John McMahon promoted to senior evp at Sony TV Europe

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    John McMahon has beenpromoted to senior executive vice president, managing director for SonyPictures Television International's (SPTI) European operations, it wasannounced today (Jan 13). McMahon will be chiefly responsible for developingand overseeing a growing confluence between SPTI and other Sony'sinternational divisions like Sony Electronics and Sony Playstation. Prior tohis promotion, McMahon, ...

  • News

    Sundance NHK Filmmakers Award winners named

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    Yesim Ustaoglu,Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll, Michael Kang and Mai Tominaga have beennamed as the winners of the 2003 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards,the annual honour launched in 1996 to recognise emerging internationaldirectors. The four, who were each chosen from a separate global region, willreceive a $10,000 cash award to ...

  • News

    Starz renews US pay TV output deal with Warren Miller

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    US pay TV channeloperator Starz Encore Group has extended its exclusive output deal with WarrenMiller Entertainment, the film and TV production company that specialises inskiing and snowboarding documentaries, to include two recently releasedtheatrical pictures and two projects still in production. The released titlesare: Cold Fusion (2001)which came out last year ...

  • News

    007 glides past $200m for Fox and MGM

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    Die AnotherDay passed $200m ininternational ticket sales today (Jan 13) after another storming weekend thatyielded $8.62m and another batch of records for distributor Fox International.Opening in Holland, the picture shunted The Lord Of The Rings: The TwoTowers off top spot witha tremendous $1.45m bow that included previews ($110,000). It was ...

  • News

    Yoji Ikushima is ShoWest International Exhibitor of the Year.

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    Yoji Ikushima,managing director of leading Japanese exhibitor Warner Mycal Corporation, hasbeen named ShoWest 2003's International Exhibitor of the Year, it wasannounced today (Jan 14) by Robert Sunshine, chairman of ShoWest operatorSunshine Group Worldwide. Ikushima will receive his award at the InternationalDay Luncheon on Mar 3, the opening day of ShoWest ...

  • News

    Gangs opens big in UK, France, continues big in Japan

    2003-01-14T04:00:00Z

    Gangs Of New York opened in five international markets over theweekend, including a strong three-day $4.2m bow on 385 screens in the UKthrough Entertainment Film Distributors (£2.6m in local currency), rankingsecond nationwide and first in London's West End and in Ireland. MartinScorsese's three-hour epic opened at number one in France ...

  • News

    Alchymie cools on BBC's Romantic

    2000-01-28T17:53:00Z

    Alchymie, the European production and distribution operation for which British financier Flashpoint has pledged $250m, has pulled out of financing what was expected to be its debut project, Born Romantic.But a spokesperson for Flashpoint, which launched Alchymie in October under UK producer Simon Channing-Williams, dismissed rumours that Flashpoint is beset ...

  • Reviews

    War (Vojna)

    2003-01-14T00:00:00Z

    Dir. Aleksei Balabanov. Russia 2002. 120mins. The takeover of a Moscow theatre by Chechen rebels last year, and that incident's bloody outcome, can only emphasise the impact of Alekesi Balabanov's War. The gang wars of Balabanov's previous action-packed hits Brat and Brat 2 are replaced here by real conflict, between ...