Large MPU – Page 562

  • News

    Lucky Red launches genre label through Key Films

    2005-09-06T04:00:00Z

    Italian indie distributor Lucky Red has acquired the nameand catalogue of Key Films and is launching a new genre label.Lucky Red's Andrea Occhipinti said the first film that hewill distribute under the new label will be Venice title Initial D byAndrew Lau and Alan Mak. The film is being sold ...

  • News

    Oscar nominated director cranks up Eagle vs Shark

    2005-09-05T00:00:00Z

    Eaglevs Sharkfrom Academy Award nominated writer/director Taika Waititi is to be the firstfeature for Whenua Films, set up in 2004 by producer Ainsley Gardiner and CliffCurtis, one of New Zealand's best-known actors.Thefilm has been fully financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. The fundingoutfit's sales division is handling international sales. ...

  • News

    Wallace And Gromit enjoy upbeat Oz world premiere

    2005-09-05T00:00:00Z

    Aardman/DreamWorks animation WallaceAnd Gromit: TheCurse Of The Were-Rabbit world premiered in Sydney on Sunday (Sep 4) - three weeks before the US and four weeks ahead of theUK. The film goes wide in Australia on Sep 15.The positive reaction of the severalhundred strong audience - the majority of them young ...

  • News

    Gone With The Wind named as top grossing film of all time

    2005-09-05T00:00:00Z

    Gone With The Wind is the top grossing film of all time based oninflation-adjusted figures, according to new research by Screen Digest and datafrom Box Office Ginca. The 1939 Civil War dramaracks up an adjusted U.S. gross of $1.26bn, beating out Star Wars at$1.11bn. The figures were based on original ...

  • News

    Fox, Europa Corp drive US box office with Transporter 2

    2005-09-05T00:00:00Z

    The action sequel The Transporter 2 roared to the top of the charts overthe Labor Day holiday weekend on an estimated $20.3m over four days.Opening in third place on $10.8m was Focus Features' acclaimedJohn LeCarre adaptation The Constant Gardener, while two movies from the shelf - Underclassmanfrom Miramax and ASound ...

  • News

    Queen Isabelle is back

    2000-05-18T15:07:00Z

    Isabelle Adjani, who was last seen in the Hollywood remake of Diabolique in 1996, is coming back to to the big screen in a French film that will shoot next year after year's finished acting on the Parisian stage. The star of Queen Margot and Camille Claudel, and former Cannes ...

  • News

    Boe's Allegro sells fast for Celluloid Dreams

    2005-09-06T04:00:00Z

    Celluloid Dreams has lockedmultiple sales on Christopher Boe's Venice Directors Fortnight screener Allegro.Celluloid managing directorCharlotte Mickie confirmed the following sales: Ladyfilm for Italy, AudioVisual for Greece, Bir Film for Turkey, Budapest for Hungary, Tantra forPoland, Maywin for Russia and the Baltic states, and Alfa for Argentina andChile.The second feature from ...

  • News

    Kujipers' Off Screen takes top jury prize at Montreal

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Montreal filmmaker ClaudeGagnon did not win the top prize but his film Kamataki walkedaway with five major awards as the Montreal World Film Festival wrapped up its29th edition on Monday. Kamataki, a Canada-Japan coproduction, won the AudiencePrize, the FIPRESCI Prize, the Ecumenical Prize and the Prize for The MostPopular Canadian ...

  • News

    Booking surge for Berlinale's European Film Market

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Berlin's European Film Market (EFM) is boasting a 30%year-on-year increase in bookings for 2006 with nearly 200 companies signed up forthe upgraded Martin-Gropius-Bau facilities.They will have a choice of more than 600 screening slots innew or improved facilities. The surge in bookings follows AFM's move toNovember, leaving the February market ...

  • News

    Raindance to open with Devil documentary

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Jeff Feuerzeig's documentaryThe Devil and Daniel Johnston, about the cult musician and songwriter,will kick off the 13th Raindance Film Festival in London on September 28. Thefilm previously won the best director prize at Sundance. Raindance will close onOctober 9 with the European premiere of Jonathan Jakubowicz's SecuestroExpress, a Caracas, Venezuela-set ...

  • Reviews

    Proof

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Dir:John Madden. US-UK. 2005. 100mins.Anefficient drama, rather than a memorable one, John Madden's Proofbenefits, for once, from its theatrical origins. Madden directed GwynethPaltrow in the main role of David Auburn's stage play at the Donmar Warehousein London, and the familiarity of both director and actress with the materialcomes through in ...

  • Reviews

    Casanova

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Lasse Hallstrom. US.2005. 112mins.There's somethingold-fashioned about Lasse Hallstrom's take on the 18-century Venetian rake andwomaniser Giacomo Casanova; but also something disarmingly likeable.It's as if the spirit of Richard Lester, circa The Three Musketeers, had takenpossession of the Swedish director.Hallstrom is helped by ascript fizzing with brio and by the ...

  • News

    Pusan unveils tenth anniversary festival line-up

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    The Pusan International Film Festivalwill present a record 307 films to celebrate its tenth edition, which runs fromOctober 6-14 in South Korea.Notable world premieres include Loft byJapanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Love Talk by Korea's Lee Yoon-ki (whowon PIFF's top award last year with This Charming Girl), Iraniandirector Abolfazl Jalili's Full ...

  • News

    Movie Network, Tropfest launch Oz low-budget film push

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    The push to turn Australia'sfilm industry into a low-budget Mecca continues with the news that the giantoutdoor short film competition Tropfest and pay TV channel the Movie Networkwill fund a $770,000 (A$1m) feature for each of the next three years.Tropfest attracts up to 700short film entries each year and several ...

  • News

    Saudi officials break up huge piracy operation

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Saudi Arabianofficials have seized over 2.2m pirate DVDs, VCDs, DVD-Rs and VHS cassettes ina raid on a major pirate distribution centre in Dammam, in the Eastern Provinceof Saudi Arabia.It isone of the biggest ever seizures of pirate product in the entire EMEA (Europe,the Middle East and Africa) region.Three Indian nationals ...

  • Reviews

    Persona Non Grata

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Dir/scr:Krzysztof Zanussi. Pol-Russ-It. 2005. 117mins.Krzysztof Zanussimakes films for mature specialised audiences, interested in human nature andethical standards rather than in plots, heroes and villains. If this dooms himto a small, appreciative cinema-going crowd and to selective festivals (likehis competition slot in Venice), then so be it. He has never appeared ...

  • News

    Fine Line swings for Eco's Pendulum

    2000-05-18T15:08:00Z

    In a rare move for both parties, Fine Line Features has optioned Umberto Eco's metaphysical thriller Foucault's Pendulum.The move marks not only the first time in more than a decade that the renowned Italian author has granted film rights to his work, but an unusual step for Fine Line, which ...

  • News

    BAFTA to host debate on portrayal of older women on screen

    2005-09-06T00:00:00Z

    Women in Film and Television (WFTV), Equity and the BritishAcademy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) are holding a joint event, entitledMirror Mirror - From Snow White to Wicked Queen, to discuss theportrayal of older women on screen.The event kicks off with the UK's first public screening ofRosanna Arquette's feature ...

  • News

    La Fenice set for Istituto Luce slate

    2005-09-07T04:00:00Z

    Italian distributor Istituto Luce has unveiled a newco-production slate that includes both films by hot local directors andambitious international projects.Luce is currently lining up a Euros 20m noir-thrillerentitled La Fenice. The film, which will be entirely set in Venice, isexpected to star Colin Firth and Peter O'Toole, and will start ...

  • News

    IDP Distribution bolsters ranks with new appointments

    2005-09-07T00:00:00Z

    IDP Distribution has hired Kristi Avram as vice president ofpublicity and promoted Shani Ankori to vice president of marketing andpromotions, and hired Daniel Feiner as director of finance and administration.Avram will create and oversee all publicity campaigns forIDP, the joint venture between Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractionsthat theatrically markets ...