Large MPU – Page 3914

  • News

    Mifed date change sparks domino effect

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    The shift in the MIFED dates is having repercussions for many other events in the international film calendar.Spanish sellers, for example, fear that with Mifed and AFM now as separate and competing events they are expected to pitch their sales tents at no less than five locations in nine weeks: ...

  • News

    Renaissance strikes key Pobby And Dingan pre-sales

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    On the strength of its screenplay and director, but as yet no cast attachments, Renaissance Films has struck pivotal pre-sales deals on Pobby And Dingan, a rites-of-passage story set in the Australian outback that is due to start shooting on location in July.Gaga Communications of Japan and A-Film/Cinelibre of Benelux ...

  • News

    Madrid, Barcelona plan Spanish film studios

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    New plans are underway to build studio and production centres in both Madrid and Barcelona.Spain is already gearing up for the opening this summer of sections of the massive City of Light (Ciudad de la Luz) studio complex in Alicante. Whereas City of Light will target international productions, the smaller ...

  • News

    Eurimages bankrolls eleven features with Euros 3.3m

    2004-03-01T00:00:00Z

    New features by Pan Nalin (Valley Of Flowers), Radu Mihaileanu (Va, Vis Et Deviens) , Diane Bertrand (Der Ringfinger) and Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now) are among 11 European co-productions which received over Euros 3.3m support from the Strasbourg-based Eurimages in its latest round of funding.The largest amount - Euro 600,000 ...

  • News

    Fantasporto shares out top honours

    2004-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Korean title A Tale Of Two Sisters and Spain's Killing Words shared the top prizes of the official Fantasy Film competition at the 24th annual edition of Portugal's leading film festival, the Oporto International Film Festival (Feb 20-Mar 1), better known as Fantasporto.Kim Jee-Woon's Sisters took the best film, director ...

  • News

    South Australia launches Screen Industry Council

    2004-03-01T00:00:00Z

    A screen industry council is to be formed in South Australia to bring under one roof all production sectors - from film and television to games and education - with the aim of sharing experiences and market intelligence."Our philosophy is that the industry needs to be more involved in policy ...

  • News

    Treston promoted to director of marketing and distributor sales at York

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Arik Ben Treston has been promoted to director of marketing anddistributor sales at Burbank-based production and distribution outfit YorkEntertainment.Treston's duties will include overseeing artwork and ad schedules,handling public relations for trades and consumer press, unit publicity onin-house titles and managing sales to US video distributors.He has worked at York for ...

  • News

    Duguay signs on to direct The Runelords

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Christian Duguay, whosecredits include The Art Of Warand the mini-series Hitler: Rise Of Evil, has been signed to direct the $80m fantasy adventure The Runelords which is being co-produced by Franchise Pictures,Story Island Entertainment, Canyonlight Entertainment and EntertainmentBusiness Group (EBG).The Runelords is the first of three sword and sorcery tales ...

  • News

    Paltrow gets decade of achievement award at ShoWest

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Gwyneth Paltrow is to behonoured with the ShoWest 2004 Distinguished Decade of Achievement in FilmAward at the 30th anniversary film expo in Las Vegas later this month."For the past decade,Gwyneth Paltrow has delivered one sensational performance after another," MitchNeuhauser, co-managing director of the event, said in a statement."With such varied ...

  • News

    Cinelibre takes worldwide rights on Greenwald's War In Iraq doc

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Cinema Libre Studio willhandle worldwide rights on veteran director-producer Robert Greenwald's highlytopical documentary Uncovered: The War In Iraq.Greenwald, whose creditsinclude Unprecedented and StealThis Movie, partnered withMoveOn.Org and the Centre for American Progress to produce the picture, whichis due to get its world premiere at Cannes.Uncovered: The War InIraq is set ...

  • News

    Passion's domestic weekend tally tops out at heavenly $125.2m

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Confirmed figures releasedtoday (March 1) reveal The Passion Of The Christ grossed an astonishing $125.2m in its first five days, making it thebiggest Wednesday-to-Sunday five-day US opening of all time.Released through NewmarketFilms, Mel Gibson's self-financed crucifixion epic took $26.6m on its openingWednesday (25) and added $22.9m on Friday (27), $33.1m ...

  • News

    See Grace Fly wins Oporto festival audience prize

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Pete McCormack'sdrama See Grace Flyhas won the audience award at the Oporto International Film Festival(Fantasporto).The picture tells of a 38-year-old schizophrenic'sincreasingly erratic behaviour following her mother's death and stars GinaChiarelli, Paul McGillion and Benjamin Ratner.This is thethird prize for See Grace Fly following a Women in Film award for Chiarelli ...

  • News

    Polly is top in UK and Brazil, scores $4.3m weekend

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Universal's AlongCame Polly opened top inthe UK through UIP at the weekend on an estimated $1.8m from 369 sites.The opening was15% bigger than that of Meet The Parents in 2000 and 21% bigger than American Pie in 1999.Polly held on to number one in its second weekin Brazil, adding $300,000 ...

  • News

    Ben Ammar's Quinta takes French rights to The Passion...

    2004-03-02T04:00:00Z

    Quinta Communications, theParis-based holding company of international investor Tarak Ben Ammar, hasrevealed itself as the company which has bought rights in French-speakingterritories to Mel Gibson's blockbusting The Passion Of The Christ.Quinta plans to release thefilm before Easter, in early April, although details of how it will handle thefilm are not ...

  • News

    Iosseliani appointed head of Camera d'Or jury

    2000-03-17T18:20:00Z

    Veteran Georgian director Otar Iosseliani has been appointed as head of the Camera d'Or jury as the Cannes festival begins to take shape. The prize, given during the closing ceremony of the official selection, is awarded to the best first feature in any section of the festival. Iosseliani, whose films ...

  • News

    AFM and AFI Fest lay out the foundations of coordinated events

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Aiming to fusethe benefits offered by the AFM and AFI Fest, organisers of both events saidyesterday they hoped the deliberate scheduling match in November would presentfilm-makers with a complete introduction to the global film community.While details stillneed to be firmed up, a picture is emerging of a co-ordinated agenda designedto ...

  • News

    Cinema Service learns to speak Chinese

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    Korean major Cinema Servicehas tied up a multi-picture deal with Thomas Leong's Hong Kong productionoutfit Lotus Entertainment.While details of theagreement have yet to be finalised, the deal is understood to involve CinemaService financing a slate of Chinese pictures that Lotus will source, developand produce."We want to make genuinelyChinese films that ...

  • News

    DENMARK

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    By clinging to its strong screen average and falling back just 3%, Something's Gotta Give moved into the top spot in its second week as Brother Bear dropped 25%.The new release of Cold Mountain just managed to edge in on fourth with its 25 prints, while 21 Grams' low eight ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    BVI's release of Scary Movie 3 was the strongest opener of 2004 to date, grossing $7.3m from 630 screens with a screen average of $ 11,565.The only other new entry in the Top 15 was Constantin Film's 21 Grams - with $371,969 from 107 prints - which could follow the ...

  • News

    UK/IRELAND

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    UIP's Along Came Polly saw a stunning launch in the UK and Ireland last weekend slipping easily into first place with a $4.2m gross.Along Came Polly is the latest comedy success in the UK following strong showing so far this year for Scary Movie 3 ($16.7m to date), School Of ...