Latest – Page 878

  • News

    Polyband takes German rights to The Turtle's Song

    2007-05-16T04:00:00Z

    Munich-based Polyband Medien, a subsidiary of Splendit Medien, has acquired German rights to Nick Stringer's The Turtle's Song, a documentary following the epic journey of a baby loggerhead turtle. The film is produced by UK-based Film & Music Entertainment and made in collaboration with Stringer's Big Wave Productions. Mike Downey, ...

  • News

    Capitol takes on new films from Don Roos and Joshua Marston

    2007-05-16T04:00:00Z

    Capitol Films has added Don Roos' Love And Other Impossible Pursuits and Joshua Marston's The Fortress Of Solitude to its Cannes slate.The Roos project, which he also wrote, stars Jennifer Lopez in the exploration of a woman's moving and funny relationship with her young stepson. Marc Platt of Legally Blonde ...

  • News

    Clarke and Perkins promoted at UK distributor Optimum

    2007-05-15T17:20:45Z

    Managing director Will Clarke has been promoted to CEO of UK-based Optimum Releasing, with former head of distribution Danny Perkins now promoted to managing director and COO. Clarke will now work more closely with Frederic Sichler, co-chairman of parent Studio Canal, in international production, acquisitions and development of the international ...

  • News

    Becker takes on sales for new Bobby Sands feature

    2007-05-15T15:02:00Z

    Twenty-six years after he died on hunger strike, IRA martyr Bobby Sands is to be the subject of a new feature film, Hunger. Becker International has picked up worldwide rights to the project, which is being directed by Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen.Backed by Film4, Hunger comes billed as 'a ...

  • News

    Asian-focused Tiger Festival to debut in Brighton

    2007-05-15T12:44:00Z

    OORT and Terracotta Media are planning a four-day showcase of Asian films in Brighton, UK, with the debut of the Tiger Festival sponsored by Tiger beer.The event will run May 31-June 3 at the Duke of York's Picturehouse. There are plans afoot 2008 for a week-long event in 2008, post-Cannes.The ...

  • News

    BBC, Film4, UKFC and Pact come to terms on producer's equity

    2007-05-15T12:33:00Z

    As discussed and expected, BBC Films, Film4 and the UK Film Council, the three principal public funders of feature films in the UK, together with producers group Pact, have confirmed an agreement to give producers an equity stake in features in which they invest.The agreement follows on the new UK ...

  • News

    Momentum takes UK rights to Burger's The Return

    2007-05-15T11:10:00Z

    Momentum Pictures has taken the UK rights to Neil Burger's The Return from sales company QED.Robert Walak, Momentum's director of acquisitions, negotiated the deal with Kim Fox, SVP worldwide sales at QED.Lionsgate has US rights and is considering a December release. The drama is about three soldiers returning from Iraq ...

  • News

    Ingenious starts $200m fund for distribution slates

    2007-05-15T10:25:00Z

    UK-based media investment company Ingenious, which has been hit by recent UK government clampdowns on various investment schemes, has now launched a $203m (Euros 150m) film distribution fund. Instead of backing the release of single films, the fund will take a slate approach with European independent distributors' entire portfolios, including ...

  • News

    Cork signs new three-year sponsorship deal with drinks importer

    2007-05-15T09:25:00Z

    The Cork Film Festival has announced a new headline sponsor in Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium, Irish importers of Corona Extra, Absolut Vodka and other products.Recently appointed Festival chairman Michael O'Connell, welcomed the three-year sponsorship deal of both financial and marketing support for the festival. 'This new sponsorship enables us to bring ...

  • News

    Britdoc plans second festival for July; selections include We Are Together

    2007-05-14T16:25:00Z

    Britdoc's second-annual festival will have a theme of 'Documentary Meets Art,' and will run July 25-27, again at Oxford's Keble College.The three-day event will include screenings, a Pitching Forum, masterclasses with the likes of film-maker Larry Charles, and speed meetings. Explaining the theme, organizers said: 'At a time when the ...

  • News

    Momentum's Suen joins Aramid as chief operating officer

    2007-05-14T04:00:00Z

    Aramid Capital Partners has appointed Yu Fai Suen as chief operating officer. Aramid is the large new new film fund comprised of financiers Future Films, Screen Capital International and Stonehenge Capital. Suen had been senior VP operations for Europe at Momentum Pictures, where he had been for nine years. He ...

  • News

    Optimum strikes UK deals for Incendiary and Rise Of The Footsoldier

    2007-05-11T17:22:00Z

    Ahead of Cannes, UK distributor Optimum has picked up two new films: they are Sharon Maguire's Incendiary and Julian Gilbey's Rise Of The Footsoldier. Optimum acquired Incendiary, a Film4-backed project, from producer Archer Street Films (Capitol is handling sales in Cannes). The project stars Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor and Matthew ...

  • News

    The Works to handle international sales for Bahrani's Chop Shop

    2007-05-11T17:07:00Z

    The Works International has taken on several new films ahead of Cannes. They include Directors Fortnight title Chop Shop, from Man Push Cart director Ramin Bahrani. The story follows a young immigrant boy who works in a New York junkyard. Lisa Muskat produced with Marc Turtletaub and Jeb Brody of ...

  • News

    High Point Films takes on Greg Hall's The Plague

    2007-05-11T15:00:00Z

    London-based sales company High Point Film has added Greg Hall's The Plague to its slate ahead of Cannes. High Point has picked up world rights outside the UK, where distributor Wysiwyg Films has already released the project theatrically. Mike Leigh called the film 'a remarkable breath of fresh air.' It ...

  • News

    Icon takes on international sales for The Stanford Prison Experiment

    2007-05-11T12:44:00Z

    Icon Entertainment International has acquired the international sales rights to The Stanford Prison Experiment, which Maverick Films/Infinity Features will start shooting in October 2007. The feature is based on the true story of Philip Zimbardo's groundbreaking 1971 study of human psychology at Stanford University, during which 18 young men assumed ...

  • News

    Northern stars

    2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

    The first feature from a Newcastle-based film-maker draws inspiration from his time in UK indie bands. Wendy Mitchell reports.About a year ago UK film-maker Ashley Horner was facing a tough time in preparation for his first feature, The Other Possibility. 'Trying to prep the week's shoot in Berlin during the ...

  • News

    Seeing the light

    2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

    The UK film finance sector gets a hopeful boost from a new $80m investment fund with producers David Parfitt and Christopher Figg on board. Geoffrey Macnab reports. The UK film finance sector has not been in the strongest health lately.With the closure of the Gaap schemes, the end of Section ...

  • News

    Industry moves

    2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

    Lakeshore adds DeckterJonathan Deckter, former Arclight Films president of international sales and Morgan Creek International vice-president, has been appointed senior vice-president of international sales at Lakeshore Entertainment. He will work alongside Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard Rose, who is promoted to the same position. Meanwhile Rob Burke is promoted to executive ...

  • News

    Eros' homecoming

    2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

    The Bollywood giant is positioning itself at the centre of the growing Indian industry. Liza Foreman reports. In its 30-year history, Bollywood heavyweight Eros International has come a long way as a distributor of Bollywood fare to India's growing number of expats, and is now set to return to its ...

  • News

    Cashing in on the great Indian boom

    2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

    How Kishore Lulla, Eros' CEO, sees,India's future growth. With 3.1 billion tickets being served by a mere 13,000 screens, accelerated growth in multiplex cinemas and rising ticket prices, the $2bn Indian film industry will become a $10bn industry within the next five years.Although growing at 18% compound annual growth rate, ...