Latest – Page 398

  • News

    Low-budget doc stampedes South Korean box office

    2009-02-25T02:05:00Z

    Old Partner, a documentary about an old man and his cow, has topped the South Korean box office with 419,295 admissions from 276 screens this past weekend. The sleeper hit, which is distributed by Indiestory both in Korea and overseas, has accumulated a record 1,393,079 admissions for a documentary, and ...

  • News

    AWPto handle sales onTaraporevala's Little Zizou

    2009-02-24T08:04:00Z

    LA-based American World Pictures (AWP) has picked up international rights to Indian screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala's directorial debut, Little Zizou, from The Indian Film Company (TIFC). Produced by TIFC and executive produced by Mira Nair, the film recently won two awards - best director and best screenplay - at the Mahindra ...

  • News

    Wonderful Town wins top honours at Thai Oscars

    2009-02-23T10:36:00Z

    Aditya Assarat's Wonderful Town scooped five awards, including best film and best director, at Thailand's leading film honours, the Subhanahongsa Awards, on Sunday night (Feb 22). The indie drama also won best screenplay - which also went to Assarat - best cinematography and best art direction. A love story set ...

  • News

    Departures sweeps Japanese academy awards

    2009-02-21T03:40:00Z

    Yojiro Takita's Departures picked up ten prizes, including best picture of 2008, at the 32nd Japan Academy prize awards ceremony, held Friday evening at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo. The film, which had thirteen nominations, also won best director, best actor (Masahiro Motoki), best supporting actor (Tsutomu ...

  • News

    Korea's Sponge Entertainment wins Shortbus ratings battle

    2009-02-20T10:58:00Z

    After two years, Sponge Entertainment has won the fight to screen John Cameron Mitchell's sexually explicit film Shortbus in South Korea with a 'Teenager Restricted' rating. The film follows a sex therapist, who has never experienced an orgasm, as she is introduced to the people in an underground sex club ...

  • News

    Frames wraps with talk of cost-cutting and collaboration

    2009-02-20T10:45:00Z

    As the three-day FICCI Frames media and entertainment conference came to a close in Mumbai yesterday, industry leaders had agreed on three recession-busting strategies - collaboration, improving consumer relations and cutting costs. Speaking at the closing session, Zee chairman Subhash Chandra spoke of the entertainment industry's need to pull together ...

  • News

    Australia's ABC TV considers investing in film

    2009-02-20T05:38:00Z

    Australian broadcaster, the ABC, is hoping to invest in 15 feature films over the next three years. 'We must be one of the few public broadcasters in the developed western world that does not have a connection with its national feature film industry,' said the director of ABC TV, Kim ...

  • News

    Dasgupta quits as CEO of India's Multi Screen Media

    2009-02-20T05:03:00Z

    Kunal Dasgupta has quit as CEO of India's Multi Screen Media (MSM), previously known as Sony Entertainment Television (SET), after almost 14 years in the role. Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) issued a statement on Thursday saying that Dasgupta had resigned for 'personal reasons'. However, local press is speculating that ...

  • News

    South Australian Film Corp launches producer equity scheme

    2009-02-19T03:49:00Z

    South Australian Premier Mike Rann has announced the introduction of a producer equity scheme that will give producers of films with investment from the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) cash up front and a bigger share of the rewards from successful films. Under the scheme the SAFC will channel the ...

  • News

    Indian film industry revenues to remain flat in 2009

    2009-02-17T13:44:00Z

    Following years of rapid growth, the combined revenues of the Indian film industry, including box office and ancillary revenues, are expected to remain flatin 2009at around $2.2bn (Rs109.2bn), according to a joint FICCI-KPMG report. Long-term prospects remain strong - the report also stated that the industry would grow at a ...

  • News

    India's FICCI Frames conference opens in reflective mood

    2009-02-17T08:55:00Z

    The tenth FICCI Frames entertainment convention got underway in Mumbai today (Feb 17) with industry leaders chewing over the impact that the global financial crisis is having on the local film and television industries. Although domestic box office picked up in the fourth quarter of 2008, India's film industry is ...

  • News

    UK Film Council takes delegation to FICCI Frames in Mumbai

    2009-02-16T15:13:00Z

    On the back of the success of Slumdog Millionaire and with the UK India co-production treaty in place, UK film companies will travel to Mumbai to meet their Indian counterparts and to attend the 10th edition of India's FICCI Frames Entertainment Conference. UK film sales, production, facilities and service companies ...

  • News

    Motion Picture Association opens Mumbai office

    2009-02-16T13:08:00Z

    The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has opened an office in Mumbai to represent the US film, video and TV industries at a time when the US studios are stepping up their investment in Indian film and TV. The newly-established Motion Picture Distribution Association (India) Pvt Ltd will work with local ...

  • News

    Hyde Park, Activers to co-produce Korean Mata Hari story

    2009-02-16T12:33:00Z

    Korea's Activers Entertainment has announced a deal with Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment and investment banking firm Film Financial Services (FFS) to co-produce Against Conspiracy (working title), a $20m film based on 'the Korean Mata Hari story' of Kim Soo-im, a woman accused of and executed for being a North ...

  • News

    Red Cliff leads the charge for Hong Kong Film Awards

    2009-02-16T12:13:00Z

    John Woo's war epic Red Cliff is the front-runner for this year's Hong Kong Film Awards, with 14 nominations, followed by biopic Ip Man and fantasy epic Painted Skin with 12 nods each. Red Cliff was nominated for best film, best director, best actor for Tony Leung Chiu-wai's performance, and ...

  • News

    Chan, Polybona establish production company Cinema Popular

    2009-02-16T02:02:00Z

    Beijing-based Polybona Film Distribution, Hong Kong film-maker Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Chinese producer/director Huang Jianxin have jointly established Beijing-based film production company Cinema Popular, as part of Beijing-based Bona International Film Group.The company has set up a film fund of $73.1m (RMB500m) and plans to produce 15 films in the ...

  • News

    Film Critics honour The Black Balloon as best Australian film

    2009-02-13T12:00:00Z

    The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) tonight in Sydney presented its annual best Australian film award to The Black Balloon and voted the film's director, Elissa Down, the best in her category.Slumdog Millionaire topped the category for English-language foreign films and The Diving Bell And The Butterfly for foreign ...

  • News

    Working Title closes its Australian doors - again

    2009-02-13T11:31:00Z

    Working Title will be closing the doors of its Australian office as of today, sources have confirmed. Deborah Balderstone has been the head of the Sydney office since relocating from the UK in late 2004. It is understood that things between her and head honchos Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan ...

  • News

    Paramount scares up 30+ territory opening for Friday The 13th

    2009-02-13T01:16:00Z

    Paramount and New Line's horror remake Friday The 13th will be the oneto beat when it opens day-and-date with North America in more than 30territories through PPI this weekend.Highlights are expected to come from France on February 11, Germanyand Russia on February 12 and the UK, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Spain,Brazil ...

  • News

    Waisbren: Don't hesitate - consolidate!

    2009-02-13T00:00:00Z

    In times of trouble, the big beasts always herd together. 'Consolidate or die' has been the frequent mantra when the independent film business is under threat. It was very much the message given by Ben Waisbren, president and chief executive of Continental Entertainment Capital, during his keynote speech at the ...