Latest – Page 845

  • News

    Escape joins Sohonet for PODS programme with MPC

    2007-12-07T11:29:00Z

    Escape Studios has joined the entertainment industry network Sohonet. London-based Escape is a CGI training and consultation facility and the company will use Sohonet for its new Escape PODS graduate programme. Graduate students of the Escape CGI programme will wok on actual TV and film projects from partner Moving Picture ...

  • News

    Josh Lucas signs on for Morahan's $15m God's Spy

    2007-12-07T11:15:00Z

    Josh Lucas with lead the cast in God's Spy, alongside Jordi Molla, Giancarlo Giannini, and Peter O'Toole. Andy Morahan will direct the $15m UK-Canada co-production. Cardinal Pictures' Lovett Bickford will produce in association with Local Films' executive producer Kim Leggatt. Brian Phelan wrote the script, based on true events that ...

  • News

    Del Toro and Morgan among guests at Screenwriters Festival

    2007-12-07T06:53:00Z

    The annual International Screenwriters' Festival has announced early details of its third edition, which will take place in Cheltenham on July 1-3. Speakers will include Guillermo Del Toro (The Orphanage, Pan's Labyrinth), who was a speaker at the first event in 2006.Other guests include Peter Morgan (Frost/ Nixon, The Queen, ...

  • News

    Golden Compass takes nearly $2m on UK Wednesday opening

    2007-12-06T16:31:00Z

    Fantasy adventure The Golden Compass was off to a mighty start at the UK box office as it took nearly $2m (£1m) in its first day on release.The film, released through Entertainment Film Distributors, generated a robust $1.86m (£920,479) from 502 cinemas in the UK and Ireland on its opening ...

  • News

    Sorrenti's Wednesday takes top prize at Cologne Short Cuts

    2007-12-06T14:58:00Z

    Rob Sorrenti's short film Wednesday (UK) won the first jury prize at the Short Cuts International Short Film Festival in Cologne, Germany. The jury praised the film's 'sensitive script, clear direction and convincing cinematography used to convey the moving story of an apparently coincidental love affair.' Wednesday has some high ...

  • News

    Meadows, Wright and Corbijn vie for South Bank Show Awards

    2007-12-06T13:43:00Z

    The UK's South Bank Show has announced its nominees for its 2008 awards. The ITV show is presented by Melvyn Bragg and recognises several areas of the arts. In the film category, the three nominees are Shane Meadows' This Is England, Joe Wright's Atonement and Anton Corbijn's Control. Edgar Wright's ...

  • News

    Northern Lights, Moxie launch new $500,000 production prize

    2007-12-06T11:57:00Z

    This year's Northern Lights Film Festival (NLFF) in Newcastle will serve as a platform for launching a new feature film production prize in the UK worth up to $500,000 (£250,000).The programme, dubbed The Big Pitch, is a new venture from micro studio Moxie Makers and will provide training and development ...

  • News

    AAM adds Sony as digital cinema partner in Europe

    2007-12-06T11:15:00Z

    Arts Alliance Media has recruited another studio for its digital cinema plans: Sony Pictures Releasing International has signed a non-exclusive long-term agreement with the company for digital cinema deployment. This follows on June 2007 AAM pacts with Fox and Universal and an October 2007 deal with Paramount. Sony will supply ...

  • News

    New Line takes film rights to Capella's Chemistry For Beginners

    2007-12-06T11:04:00Z

    New Line has optioned the rights to Anthony Capella's forthcoming novel Chemistry For Beginners, in what is described as a 'high five-figure deal.'The book is described as a zany romantic comedy in a much different vein than Capella's usual work.Ileen Maisel, senior VP of European production, brought the project to ...

  • News

    Kiarostami, Panahi and Puiu among CineMart 2008 selections

    2007-12-05T21:46:00Z

    CineMart, the co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, has selected 39 projects for its 2008 edition, out of a record 550 entries. CineMart, celebrating its 25th anniversary, runs Jan 27-31, 2008 and comes with prize money of Euros 25,000.The selections are low- and medium-budget features including new projects ...

  • News

    Irish budget gives 18% increase to Irish Film Board

    2007-12-05T17:23:00Z

    In this afternoon's Budget for 2008 Brian Cowen, Irish Minister for Finance, gave a generous 18% increase to the Irish Film Board and renewed Section 481 Film Relief until 2012.During the course of his budget speech the minister said, 'I am renewing Section 481 Film Relief until 2012 on the ...

  • News

    Pact elects 2008 Council including chair Charles Wace

    2007-12-05T15:33:00Z

    UK producers group Pact has elected its 2008 Council members, which take their posts as of January 2008. The Chair will be Charles Wace of Twofour, Vice Chair/Television is Debbie Manners of RDF, Vice Chair/Film is Andrea Calderwood of Slate Films, Vice Chair/Children's & Animation is Mike Watts of Novel ...

  • News

    Italy heats up as Beowulf leads international box-office chart

    2007-12-05T14:48:00Z

    Italian box office may typically be dormant during summer months but it's making up for it now as three titles generated nearly $7m this weekend, accounting for 5.5% of the international top 40's revenue.For the full international chart, compiled by Len Klady, click here.New entry Winx Club: Il Segreto Del ...

  • News

    Fred Claus leads UK box office for Warner Bros

    2007-12-04T15:18:00Z

    Christmas season is in full swing as Fred Claus opens to number one in the UK box office, generating nearly $4m (£2m) in its first weekend. For the full UK/Ireland chart click here.The festive comedy, distributed by Warner Bros, took $3.9m (£1.9m) from 445 sites and enjoyed the highest site ...

  • News

    Vaughn's MARV strikes first-look deal with publisher Quercus

    2007-12-03T14:23:00Z

    Matthew Vaughn and Kris Thykier's production company MARV Films has struck a three-year, first-look deal with Quercus Publishing.MARV will have an exclusive first-look window for all of Quercus' fiction material to consider optioning film rights. MARV recently produced Vaughn's Stardust and the company also has a new first-look deal with ...

  • News

    Transmedia takes UK rights to Tornatore's The Unknown

    2007-12-03T13:34:00Z

    UK distributor Transmedia International Releasing has taken all UK and Ireland rights to Guiseppe Tornatore's The Unknown (La Sconosciuta). A theatrical release is planned early next year. Transmedia's Simon Caplan negotiated the deal with Rome-based Adriana Chiesa. The Unknown won best film at Italy's Donatello Awards and is also the ...

  • News

    Bracewell lines up Richard E Grant, Laura Fraser for Cuckoo

    2007-12-03T12:35:00Z

    UK producers Punk Cinema are starting a shoot this week for Richard Bracewell's Cuckoo, his second film following acclaimed low-budget debut The Gigolos. Richard E Grant, Laura Fraser, Antonia Bernath, Adam Fenton and Tamsin Greig star in Cuckoo, a thriller about lies and jealousy. The story follows Poilly, a woman ...

  • News

    Wide sells Sabine to a dozen territories including US, UK

    2007-11-30T12:23:00Z

    Underlining that there is still an appetite among theatrical buyers for feature documentaries, Paris-based Wide Management has been racking up sales on two of its titles that screened this week at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).Sandrine Bonnaire's Her Name Is Sabine has been an especially strong draw for distributors. Bonnaire's ...

  • News

    London Film School recruits new patrons for funding appeal

    2007-11-30T05:00:00Z

    The London Film School (LFS) has welcomed a new group of patrons who support the School's capital appeal. The $14m (£7m) two-year appeal will raise funds to establish a new, larger LFS in London's West End. The new space will have teaching and film-making facilities with public cinemas, a bar ...

  • News

    Prime Focus strikes acquisition deal for Post Logic and Frantic

    2007-11-29T18:50:00Z

    The Prime Focus Group has moved into the North American market with the acquisition of Post Logic Studios, based in New York and Los Angeles, and Frantic Films VFX, which has offices in Los Angeles, Winnipeg and Vancouver.Financial terms were not disclosed. Prime already has six visual effects and post-production ...