Large MPU – Page 859

  • News

    Hong Kong raises stakes in online piracy battle

    2005-04-28T00:00:00Z

    Illegaldownloaders in Hong Kong are facing a two-pronged attack as both the Hong KongCustoms and Excise Department and the local film industry have taken the firstconcrete steps towards curbing online piracy. Customs announced this week that it has laid charges againsta man arrested in January on suspicion of distributing three ...

  • News

    Funny Balloons acquires world rights to Cannes trio

    2005-04-28T00:00:00Z

    French sales outfit FunnyBalloons has acquired world rights to three titles selected in Un CertainRegard at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival: Amat Escalante's Sangre,Marcelo Gomes' Cinema, Aspirinas E Urubus and Delwende by S.Pierre Yameogo.Sangre is a first film by the 26 year old Mexican directormaking it eligible for the Camera ...

  • News

    Millennium Dome to host Indian Oscars

    2000-05-07T22:29:00Z

    An Indian cinema awards night - christened the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) - will be held at the Millennium Dome in London on June 24. The organisation chose London as a venue to reflect the UK's status as the leading overseas market for the Mumbai-based film industry.The show, to ...

  • News

    Almodovar ready to roll with Volver

    2005-04-28T00:00:00Z

    Pedro Almodovar and producer Agustin Almodovar haveconfirmed that Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura will star in the director's newfilm, Volver, shooting from July in Spain."Volver is Michael Curtiz's Mildred Piercemeets Frank Capra's Arsenic And Old Lace, mixed with the surrealistnaturalism of my fourth film What Have I Done To Deserve ...

  • News

    UK's Labour Party outlines film policy

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    One week before the UK election, theruling Labour Party has published a business manifesto outlining how it willsupport the creative industries if it wins a third term.Two of the key pledges concerning thefilm industry centre on tackling piracy and securing tax incentives for filmproduction.In a statement published yesterday(April 28), the ...

  • News

    One man's Madness set to screen at Cannes

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    Madness In The FirstDegree is one of the many films thatwill premiere at Cannes this year.However, promises to stand out in a unique way - it has been madeentirely by one man - Geoff Searle. Everything from acting, toediting, to special effects, to production has been completed entirely bySearle.It is ...

  • News

    Iraqi cinema steals Singapore festival limelight

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    Iraqi cinema stole thelimelight at the Silver Screen Awards Gala of this year's SingaporeInternational Film Festival (SIFF) when Oday Rasheed's Underexposure wasdeclared best film. Billed as the first featureshot in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Underexposure lets theaudience witness 'the powerful voice of cinema trying to understand post-warBaghdad', ...

  • News

    3L Filmverleih drafts in senior management team

    2005-04-28T00:00:00Z

    Ahead of this year's Cannes Film Festival,leading German DVD distributor e-m-s new media has made two high-profileappointments to the management team of its theatrical distribution arm 3LFilmverleih. PeterHeinzemann, previously managing director of the now insolvent Solo-Film Verleih[ScreenDaily.com, March 2005], has been named head of distribution anddeputy to 3L Filmverleih managing ...

  • News

    Blackstone Group cleared to take over UGC circuit in UK

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    US buyout firm TheBlackstone Group has been cleared to take over UGC Cinemas provided that itsells six of its cinemas.The Office of Fair Trading(OFT) said today that it will not refer the deal to the Competition Commissionif Blackstone sells certain cinemas where there are particular competitionconcerns. Blackstone acquired UGC's UKand ...

  • News

    Lions Gate brings Lord Of War to North America

    2005-04-28T00:00:00Z

    Lions Gate Films has pickedup all North American rights to Andrew Niccol's action thriller Lord Of War, which stars Nic Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahanand Ethan Hawke.The picture, currently in post-production, centres on an arms dealer whoreevaluates his purpose in life while on the run from an Interpol agent.Philippe Rousselet ...

  • News

    XXX: The Next Level set to storm the world

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    The international blockbusterseason kicks off this weekend as Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) rollsout XXX: The Next Level onapproximately 5,000 screens in 70 markets, including six Revolutionterritories.The action sequel, called XXX: State Of The Union in North America, was due to open in France on Apr 27 on 450 screens, ...

  • News

    Celluloid picks up Euro sales on Three Times

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    CelluloidDreams will handle European sales for Hou Hsiao-hsien's Cannes competition entryThree Times (pictured), the Paris company said yesterday, after striking a deal with the film's French producers Paradis Films andOrly Films.Making his sixth trip to Cannes, the Taiwanese director returns with a lyricalexploration of love and memory. In this tryptych ...

  • News

    TLA picks up select int'l rights to Slutty Summer

    2005-04-29T00:00:00Z

    TLA Releasing has acquiredUS, Canadian, UK and Irish home entertainment and broadcast rights toCasper Andreas' romantic comedy Slutty Summer.Following a limited New York theatrical releasethrough Embrem Entertainment on Jun 10 in New York, TLA will release thepicture on DVD and VHS on Dec 13 in the US and in 2006 ...

  • News

    Malkovich adds Botto, Morante to Dancer cast

    2000-05-07T22:33:00Z

    Actor John Malkovich and producer Andres Vicente Gomez of Lolafilms have unveiled the full cast of Dancer Upstairs which will include Juan Diego Botto, Laura Morante, Elvira Minguez and Abel Folk alongside Spanish star Javier Bardem.The project, which marks Malkovich's directorial debut, will shoot in English on a budget of ...

  • News

    Soderbergh bursts theatrical Bubble with 2929

    2005-04-29T00:00:00Z

    Todd Wagner and Mark Cubanhave taken a step closer to their cross-platform day-and-date releasing visionas it emerged that the 2929 Entertainment founders have signed a mould-breaking six-picturedeal with the ever-adventurous Steven Soderbergh.Soderbergh will directthese low-budget high definition video features for 2929's HDNet Films bannerin a deal finalised at the Tribeca ...

  • News

    Carloss moves from MGM to Paramount Home Entertainment

    2005-04-29T00:00:00Z

    Alex Carloss has been namedexecutive vice president of worldwide marketing and development at ParamountHome Entertainment.Carloss will oversee marketing and creative efforts on all of the studio'sworldwide home entertainment properties.He most recently served as senior vice president of marketing for MGM HomeEntertainment and prior to that worked at Real Networks, video ...

  • News

    Glickman hails anti-camcording law

    2005-04-29T00:00:00Z

    MPAAchief Dan Glickman has hailed the passing into law this week of the FamilyEntertainment and Copyright Act, which makes camcording theatrical releases afederal crime punishable by up to three years in prison.George Bush signed the law earlier this week following its recent passage through Congress."Video piracy is not a victimless ...

  • News

    Losique defends Montreal turf with powerhouse jury...

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    Chinese auteur Chen Kaigeand Russian director Pavel Lounguine have agreed to participate on the jury ofthe 2005 Montreal World Film Festival, the festival announced yesterday. Kaige's credits include thePalme d'Or-winning Farewell My Concubine, while Lounguine is the director of such films as Taxi Blues and Luna Park.Both will unite with ...

  • News

    ... as rival Montreal Festival of New Cinema loses chief

    2005-04-29T04:00:00Z

    Claude Chamberlain, thefounder and director of Montreal's Festival of New Cinema (FNC), has resignedabruptly. The festival today issued abrief statement, announcing with "regret" the departure, effective immediately."For more than three decades, Claude Chamberlain hascontributed with success to the recognition of a high quality and uniquecinema. He leaves a distinguished track ...

  • News

    Montecito Pictures set to roll with Trailer Park Boys

    2005-04-29T00:00:00Z

    Ivan Reitman's Montecito Pictures isset to commence principal photography this summer on Trailer Park Boys- The Movie, a feature adaptation of theCanadian cult television series about the antics of three 'hosers'- Ricky, Julian and Bubbles - in a Maritime backwater. The production will team series director,head writer and creator Mike ...