Latest – Page 395

  • News

    Germany's M-Appeal picks up internationalto Yang Yang

    2009-03-23T01:41:00Z

    Germany’s M-Appeal has picked up international rights to Taiwanese director Cheng Yu-chieh’sYang Yang, which recently had its world premiere in the Panorama section at Berlin.The film, which follows a young Eurasian woman in Taiwan struggling with cultural identity issues, is also screening at the awards gala of the Hong Kong ...

  • News

    iHQ picks up sales rights to Joo Ji-Hong's Rabbit And Lizard

    2009-03-23T01:32:00Z

    South Korea’s iHQ has picked up sales rights to sell Rabbit And Lizard, directed by Joo Ji-Hong, a Korean graduate of FEMIS who has spent some years in France making shorts.The award-winning director is now working with two pop idols-turned-actors - Jang Hyuk (Volcano High, Windstruck) and Sung Yuri (TV ...

  • News

    Universe puts Filmart buyers on Alert with Benny Chan actioner

    2009-03-23T01:09:00Z

    Hong Kong’s Universe Films Distribution is introducing the latest project from hot action director Benny Chan - $10m sci-fi action title City On Alert (working title) - to buyers at Filmart.Chan is producing and will direct the film, which is set to star Aaron Kwok, Wu Jing and Shu Qi. ...

  • News

    NTV sells suspense actioner MW to Sundream in Hong Kong

    2009-03-23T01:05:00Z

    Nippon Television Network (NTV) has sold action-suspense manga adaptation MW to Hong Kong’s Sundream Motion Pictures ahead of its market screening premiere.Based on a story by famed creator Osamu Tezuka first published in 1976, MW stars Hiroshi Tamaki as a high level banker leading a double life as a calculating ...

  • News

    Zhang Yimou lines up black comedy with Zhao Bensan

    2009-03-23T00:59:00Z

    The Olympic Games now behind him, Zhang Yimou is preparing to shoot a black comedy with comedians Zhao Benshan and Xiao Shenyang.Zhang has just returned from visiting Zhao and his theater troupe in Shenyang City of Northeastern China. Chinese media reported that it was a casting trip for his new ...

  • News

    Distribution Workshop adds Road, Curse to sales slate

    2009-03-23T00:54:00Z

    Distribution Workshop has added a further two projects to its fast-growing slate - Derek Chiu’s romantic dramaThe Road Less Travelledand Lo Chi-leung’s horrorCurse Of The Deserted- both of which started shooting at the end of last month.The Road Less Travelled stars Louis Koo, Huang Yi and Karen Mok and is ...

  • News

    Matsumoto's Symbol to be completed in time for Cannes

    2009-03-22T02:20:00Z

    Director and famed comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto revealed some details of his second directorial effort at a press conference held on Friday evening at the inaugural edition of the Okinawa International Movie Festival (OIMF, March 19-22).Entitled Symbol (Shimboru), the film stars Matsumoto as a man plotting to escape some manner of ...

  • News

    Animax Asia unveils first original HD production LaMB

    2009-03-20T03:11:00Z

    Sony's Animax Asia channel has unveiled its first original HD animation production, LaMB, which is set to be released over multiple platforms including TV, internet and mobile phones. Backed by the $6m Singapore Economic Development Board and SPE Networks Asia Joint Production Fund, and executive produced by Animax Asia, the ...

  • News

    Can other festivals learn from Adelaide'sinnovative funding strategy'

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    The world premieres of a selection of new Australian films put this year's Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) firmly on the international map. Six of these features were part-funded by the festival itself, and four of these in particular were responsible for much of the buzz.These were Sarah Watt's My Year ...

  • News

    Kent Smith: Australia's newest mini-mogul

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    Although he began producing features only three years ago, Kent Smith can bring more to a co-production deal than most Australian producers. He and his colleagues own the Adelaide-based Kojo Group, which includes post-production and other film services as well as a theatrical distribution division. Smith signed on as a ...

  • News

    100 years of Hong Kong cinema

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    Every great story involves a little mystery, and so it is with the story of Hong Kong cinema. Film-making is thought to have made its way to town as early as 1898, when the US-based Edison production house sent a camera crew through Asia, and returned home with footage of ...

  • News

    Filmart's hottest projects for international buyers

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    This year's Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart) gets underway at a difficult time for the international film industry - a period when production finance is scarce and travel budgets are being trimmed. But while ripples from the global financial tsunami - as it is known in this ...

  • News

    HKIFF to showcase changing local industry

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    Both of the opening films of this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) - Derek Yee's Shinjuku Incident and Ann Hui's Night And Fog - are from Hong Kong film-makers, reflecting the creative strength of the local film industry despite the challenges it now faces.Produced by Emperor Motion Pictures ...

  • News

    HAF: high-profile directors and Philippines focus

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    The seventh edition of the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) will present 27 Asian projects over three days from March 23-25.High-profile directors in the line-up include China's Lu Chuan and Ning Hao, who participated in HAF 2005 with their now completed films Nanking! Nanking! and Crazy Racer respectively; ...

  • News

    Tough times at the Indian box office

    2009-03-20T00:00:00Z

    A reduction in multiplex ticket prices across India is an indicator of the delicate economic times in the territory.Prices have been reduced by 20%-50% at various multiplexes, with rates varying based on location, day and time of the screening. At PVR Cinemas' sites, tickets now cost $1.36-$4.86 (rup70-rup250), on average ...

  • News

    Star appoints Yim as head of Chinese filmprogramming

    2009-03-19T11:18:00Z

    Regional broadcaster Star has appointed Cora Yim as vice president, programming for Star Chinese Movies and Star Chinese Movies 2. Yim was previously director of marketing & strategic planning for Hong Kong-based animation producer Imagi International Holdings. Prior to that, she was senior manager, acquisition & marketing at Hong Kong's ...

  • News

    China Film Group to import Slumdog Millionaire

    2009-03-19T06:53:00Z

    China's state-own film importer China Film Group has confirmed that it will import Academy Award-winner and world-wide hit Slumdog Millionaire to the mainland China market. The release date is scheduled for March 26. The film's director Danny Boyle will be attending itsBeijing premiere next week, according to a source at ...

  • News

    Korea's Barunson acquires majority stake in Sio

    2009-03-19T04:11:00Z

    Barunson, the investor/producer of Korean hit The Good, The Bad, The Weird, has acquired a majority stake in Sio Films, producer of hits such as Park Chan-wook's Old Boy. Barunson acquired 700,000 shares equalling a 51.8% stake, in Sio Films for $492,800. Head of Sio Films Syd Lim will now ...

  • News

    Beijing-based ACE lines up thriller, Japan co-production

    2009-03-19T03:57:00Z

    Beijing-based distributor-turned-producer ACE Film Studio has announced that it is lining up thriller Midnight Taxi and China-Japan co-production Dream Wall (working title). Adapted from Xu Zi's hit online novel of the same name, Midnight Taxi tells the true story of a Beijing-based taxi driver's encounter with a mysterious woman. Scriptwriter ...

  • News

    Sakamoto starts production on Zatoichi The Last

    2009-03-17T12:39:00Z

    Japanese director Junji Sakamoto has started shooting Zatoichi The Last, starring SMAP member Shingo Katori in the lead role of the famed blind swordsman, for Japan's Sedic International and Toho Studios. Toho has announced a 2010 release for the film which has secured investment from Celluloid Dreams. The French sales ...