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  • News

    Chan's epicWarlords conquers Chinain sneak previews

    2007-12-14T06:20:00Z

    Peter Ho-sun Chan's highly-anticipated period epic The Warlords stormed into China, conquering RMB10m ($1.36m) within six hours during its sneak previews in selected cities on Wednesday night (Dec 12). Polybona's Yu Dong expressed confidence that the picture would cross $13.6m (RMB100m) in its first weekend and break new box-office records ...

  • News

    Australia's Abacus Fund backs Geena Davis project Accidents Happen

    2007-12-13T10:26:00Z

    A film fund aimed at raising $26.4m (A$30m) for the production of Australian films has been formed, with the first beneficiary being Andrew Lancaster's debut film Accidents Happen, starring American actress Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise). Accidents Happen was one of five films which yesterday won investment from the ...

  • News

    Glickman responds to unconfirmed Chinese block on Hollywood films

    2007-12-13T02:47:00Z

    Reacting to growing concerns over an apparent blockade of Hollywood films in China, MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman said any such move would represent 'an enormous step backwards' in that country's efforts to establish a legitimate film market.Glickman's comments followed reports that China has told the US majors they ...

  • News

    Hong Kong's Pang Brothers to direct Storm Riders sequel

    2007-12-12T15:31:00Z

    Hong Kong-based Universe Entertainment is lining up a sequel to 1998 martial arts fantasy The Storm Riders, to be directed by the Pang Brothers (Bangkok Dangerous, Re-cycle). The Storm Riders II (working title) is budgeted at $12m and scheduled to start shooting in March 2008 for tentative delivery in October ...

  • News

    France makes headway in international chart with L'Auberge, Luke

    2007-12-12T14:35:00Z

    While The Golden Compass was largely accountable for the 14.5% week-on-week increase in the international top 40, two new entries from France made their presence known taking a collective $4.3m.For the full international chart, compiled by Len Klady, click here.Roissy Films' comedy L'Auberge Rouge was the second highest new entry, ...

  • News

    Japan's Shinobu Yaguchi returns to director's chair

    2007-12-12T12:14:00Z

    After a three year absence from feature films, director Shinobu Yaguchi is set to direct a new comedy set in the world of air travel entitled Happy Flight (working title). Based on research conducted by Yaguchi last year, Happy Flight's story is set on a flight bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. ...

  • News

    Japan's Avex establishes arthouse subsidiary

    2007-12-11T06:02:00Z

    Avex Group film subisidary, Avex Entertainment, has launched an arthouse label PiX Inc, the company announced yesterday. PiX will handle arthouse and other specialty titles that fall outside of Avex Entertainment's more mainstream contents. Avex Entertainment formed the company with a capital outlay of Y60m ($536,000). Avex Entertainment COO Mio ...

  • News

    Indonesian filmmakers call for new film rating system

    2007-12-10T10:11:00Z

    A revised proposal of a new film rating system was submitted to Indonesia 's Constitutional Court in Jakarta today, with the intention of replacing the dated censorship laws made during former President Suharto's regime in 1992. The proposal was submitted by Masyaraka Film Indonesia, the Indonesian Film Society set up ...

  • News

    Legend still waiting for China release greenlight

    2007-12-10T09:11:00Z

    Warner Bros' post-apocalyptic thriller I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, will be released in most Asian territories this weekend except for mainland China. The mainland China release date of the film will likely be later than mid-February, due to the prolonged black-out period of foreign films. 'We struggled very, very ...

  • News

    Lust, Caution sweeps Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards

    2007-12-09T14:25:00Z

    Ang Lee's Lust, Caution dominated the 44th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei with seven wins including best feature, best director, best actor and best adapted screenplay. The film had received eleven nominations. Tony Ayres' The Home Song Stories took best actress for Joan Chen's performance and best original screenplay. The ...

  • News

    Dream, Nanking share top prize at Taipei projects market

    2007-12-07T08:42:00Z

    Clara Law and Yim Ho shared the top award at the 3rd Taipei Film & TV Project Promotion (TFTPP) held Dec 4-6, dividing the cash prize of $15,500. Ironically, runner-up Sherwood Hu walked away with $9,300. Law's $2m Like A Dream follows an American-born Chinese who travels from New York ...

  • News

    KOFIC and KEIC move toward new film insurance plan

    2007-12-06T16:21:00Z

    The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the Korea Export Insurance Corporation (KEIC) today signed an memorandum of understanding (MOU) towards the creation of a Cultural Export Insurance specifically for films. The MOU was 'an agreement to work together to support the local film industry' - to explore ways to steadily ...

  • News

    Romulus, My Fathernamed best film byAustralian Film Insitute

    2007-12-06T12:06:00Z

    Romulus, My Father last night won the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for best film for producers Robert Connolly and John Maynard. 'Some people think awards are a bit frivolous but I think they are of real value,' said Connolly just hours before the award was announced in Melbourne. He ...

  • News

    China expected to extend Christmas black-out period

    2007-12-06T11:32:00Z

    Chinese authorities are understood to be extending the ban on new Hollywood films being released over the Christmas period until the end of the Chinese New Year holidays, according to local sources. China's year-end box office season, which is traditionally reserved for local movies, officially gets underway tonight with the ...

  • News

    Painted Skin starts shooting with Chan as director

    2007-12-06T10:02:00Z

    Gordon Chan has replaced Wilson Yip and Andy Chin as director on the $15m mythical thriller Painted Skin, which has started shooting in Beijing. Donnie Yen, Zhou Xun and Vicky Zhao Wei head the cast of the film which also stars Chen Kun, Sun Li and Singapore star Qi Yuwu ...

  • News

    3D dominates discussions at biggest ever CineAsia

    2007-12-06T02:31:00Z

    3D and digital cinema have been the major talking points of this year's CineAsia conference (Dec 4-6), which is being held for the first time in the gambling mecca of Macau. The move from Beijing, where the December event ran into freezing cold weather and red tape, has boosted attendance ...

  • 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

    Australian Film Institute achievement award goes to editor Bilcock

    2007-12-05T15:48:00Z

    Editor Jill Bilcock received the Australian Film Institute (AFI)'s award recognising achievement on the world filmmaking stage. She thanked two people when she picked up the honours: producer Verity Lambert, who died of cancer in the UK in late November, and director Fred Schepisi. It was Schepisi who directed Bilcock's ...

  • 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

    Dharm, Lucky Miles share best film prize at AFFF

    2007-12-05T08:41:00Z

    India's Dharm, about a Hindu priest's questioning of his religious belief, and Australia's Lucky Miles, about a group of men who are left stranded in the Australian desert, emerged as joint winners of the bestfilm prizeat the 3rd Asian Festival of 1st Films (AFFF). Lesley Dyer was on hand to ...