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Obaba and Princesas dominate the 20th Goya Awards
Montxo Armendariz's Obaba and Fernando Leon's Princesses are the frontrunners in the nominations for the 20th anniversary edition of Spain's Oscar-equivalent Goya Awards, which will take place January 29.Obaba, a Basque Country-set adaptation of an award-winning novel, earned 10 nominations including in the best film and director categories. The movie ...
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Martin Lawrence nearly dethrones M: I 2
20th Century Fox's Martin Lawrence-starrer Big Momma's House opened with a surprisingly strong $25.6m (estimated) over the weekend at the North American box office, giving Paramount's Mission: Impossible 2 a run for its money. However, the Tom Cruise action adventure clung to the top spot with $27m in its second ...
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Academy rejects Dutch Oscar entry
Dutch Oscar candidate, Bluebirdhas been rejected for this season's Academy Awards. The film was first made fortelevision and therefore does not qualify. Bluebirddid get its theatrical release, but only after its premiere on television. Producer Egmond Film tried topersuade the Academy to accept Bluebirdbut to no avail. The Netherlandswill now ...
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Obaba and Princesas dominate the Goyas
Montxo Armendariz's Obaba andFernando Leon's Princesses are thefrontrunners in the nominations for the 20th anniversary edition of Spain's Oscar-equivalent Goya Awards, which willtake place January 29.Obaba, aBasque Country-set adaptation of an award-winning novel, earned 10 nominationsincluding in the best film and director categories. The movie is Spain's nomination to the ...
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Egypt's bid to try and entice foreign production
In a bid to compete with Moroccofor foreign productions coming to North Africa and the Middle East, Egyptian filmindustry officials are expected to recommend a single government entity to handlelocation shoot permissions, replacing the Byzantine system of multipleauthorities that exists now. Film industry veterans led by producer Khaled Alkhamissi are ...
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Peter La Terriere to produce Quiver
Ex-Trainspotting hardman and former Bond villain RobertCarlyle is to star as Cupid in a new romantic comedy, Quiver, being set up by London-based First Foot Films. Frenchactress Virginie Ledoyen (The Beach) will play the woman whobreaks his heart. Also in the cast is James McAvoy.Scripted by Liam Gavin, Quiver is ...
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Gerardmer elects Hideo Nakata as President
TheGerardmer Fantastic Film Festival (January 25-29 2006) has named director Hideo Nakata as president of the main jury for its13th edition. TheJapanese thrill master has previously been to Gerardmerwith Ring in 2000 and Dark Water in 2003 which took both thecritics and grand prizes that year.Frenchwriter, director and actor Sam ...
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TPS and Canal Plus back at the negotiating table
FollowingSunday's announcement of merger negotiations between rival satellite platformsTPS and Canal Plus, France's writers, directors, producersassociation (ARP) has called for careful reflection by the government beforeallowing such a marriage.In a pressrelease, ARP stressed the importance of meeting with government officials inorder to "reinforce the conditions of maintenance and development ofindependent ...
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New Spanish studio secures its first international production
Additional reporting by Nancy Tartaglione-VialatteThe third installment in France'shugely popular Asterix series will shoot at Spain'snew City of Light studio complexnext year, marking the studio's first major international production.The budget of around $95.6m (80m Euros)Asterix At The Olympic Games (AsterixAux Jeux Olympiques) isexpected to begin shooting next May or June ...
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Sogepaq sells Goya-nominated Virgins to US
Spain's Sogepaq has sold allrights for the US to Picture This! Entertainment on Alberto Rodriguez's coming-of-age drama 7Virgins (7 Virgenes).The announcement comes onthe same day the film turned heads with six nominations for the Spanish FilmAcademy's Goya Awards including in the best film, director and original scriptcategories.7 Virgins, a Tesela ...
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Kong opening day strong, but not record-breaking
King Kong fell short of delivering the gargantuandomestic opening day results Universal executives had been hoping for onWednesday as the picture generated approximately $9.8m from 3,568 theatres.Studiospokespeople quickly shifted their focus to the weekend, predicting mightygrosses on the back of strong word-of-mouth."We knew weweren't launching a sequel and it's at ...
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Vitale sets new roots as president of First Look
Former ParamountClassics co-head Ruth Vitale has joined First Look Studios as president.Reporting tostudio chief executive officer Henry Winterstern, Vitale will oversee thetheatrical division, working closely with First Look International and FirstLook Home Entertainment.Vitale's arrivalcomes during a period of ramping-up for the company, which recently brought inKen DuBow as executive vice ...
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Telefonica buys 25% of producer Media Park
Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica has acquired a 25% stake in Barcelona-based content producer and broker Media Park in a transaction worth a reported $60m (pts10,500m). The shares will be managed by Telefonica subsidiary Telefonica Media. Local reports suggest that Telefonica paid as much as five times what Media Park shares ...
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Emerging to re-release 1972 Oscar winner in US
Emerging Pictures will re-release 1972's Oscar-winning documentaryMarjoe on Jan 13 2006at New York's IFC Center theatre, followed by a wider roll-out.Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan's feature chronicles the life andtimes of faith healer Marjoe Gortner, whose charisma and dynamic style ensuredcapacity crowds in arenas across America.'Emerging Pictures is thrilled to ...
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Willis to star in intense drama for Ziskin, Relativity
Bruce Willis will star inthe drama Morgan's Summitfor Laura Ziskin Productions and Relativity Media.Relativity also arrangedfinancing and partners Ryan Kavanaugh and Lynwood Spinks will serve asexecutive producers alongside producer Ziskin.Arclight Films is handlinginternational sales on the project, which is set to begin filming in LosAngeles next year.Dead Poets Society screenwriter ...
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Tribeca teams up with Australia's Tropfest
Tribeca Film Festival founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal andCraig Hatkoff have teamed up with Tropfest founder John Polson on the newTribeca programme, Tropfest@Tribeca.The inaugural Tropfest@Tribeca is set to take place during nextyear's Tribeca and will feature eight shorts in competition.Australia's Polson will serve as creative director and has setsome ...
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Universal, Rogue tie up Intrepid for partnership
Universal Pictures and Rogue Pictures have signed a multi-yearproduction and co-financing deal with new production and financing companyIntrepid Pictures.Founded by Trevor Macy and Marc Evans, Intrepid is backed by aconsortium of institutional investors and a revolving credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase.The company will finance 50% of each picture it ...
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Lee signs on to direct The Better Man for Universal
Malcolm D Lee will write anddirect comedy The Better Man forUniversal Pictures and studio-based producers Scott Stuber and Mary Parent.Charles Castaldi will alsoproduce the project, Lee's third collaboration with Universal Picturesfollowing The Best Man and UndercoverBrother.The Better Man follows the story of a successful Los Angeles comicwho attends a tempestuous ...
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Kong takes on Potter, Narnia as holidays kick in
It's all about the 80,000-lbgorilla this weekend as Universal embarks upon its biggest ever globalday-and-date release through UIP.King Kong goes out in more than 6,500 locations in 55territories this weekend, and already grossed an estimated $8m on its openingday [Wednesday] in 4,695 theatres in 36 territories.The dynamic start scorednumber one ...
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Lions Gate rebrands as Lionsgate
Lions Gate haschanged its name to Lionsgate and unveiled a new corporate logo yesterday[Thursday].Company chiefexecutive officer Jon Feltheimer told a Santa Monica press conference that thelogo, which depicts revolving camera gears and heavenly doors opening to revealthe company name, would be modified for each division.Feltheimer toldattendees the company will release ...