Latest – Page 465

  • News

    Suite Dreams director Mitani set to make Magic for Toho

    2007-07-23T07:23:00Z

    Toho has announced details of Suite Dreams writer-director Koki Mitani's next project. Entitled The Magic Hour, the film will star Satoshi Tsumabuki (Dororo) and Koichi Sato (Sukiyaki Western Django). The story follows a young underworld figure (Tsumabuki) who promises to track down a hit man for his boss. When he ...

  • News

    Chan to star in Tokyo-set drama Shinjuku Incident

    2007-07-23T07:12:00Z

    Hong Kong's JCE Movies is set to produce Japan-set drama The Shinjuku Incident, starring Jackie Chan and directed by Derek Yee. Chan will also produce the film through JCE - his joint venture with Albert Yeung's Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) - while EMP will handle international sales. The Hong Kong ...

  • News

    Lynch's Empire kicks off Korea's inaugural CinDi film festival

    2007-07-23T05:57:00Z

    The first Cinema Digital Film Festival (CinDi) opened on Friday (July 20) with a screening of David Lynch's Inland Empire. With a view to spotlighting new Asian directors working in the digital medium, the festival has a competition section of 20 films (see list below) vying for awards and a ...

  • News

    Potter rockets past $350m in overseas grosses

    2007-07-23T03:41:00Z

    Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix consolidated its gains from last weekend's memorable launch and seized an estimated $100.8m to cross $350m overseas after less than two weeks.Warner Bros Pictures International's (WBPI) fifth entry in the children's fantasy series drew approximately 14m admissions from 13,000 prints in 58 ...

  • News

    Thailand's Kantana starts work on Khan Kluay sequel

    2007-07-22T20:30:00Z

    Thailand's Kantana Group has started production on a sequel to 3D animated feature Khan Kluay, about the adventures of a blue elephant, which was the top local hit at the Thai box office last year. The new animation, Khan Kluay 2, has an estimated budget of $5m. 'The bulk is ...

  • News

    Film Frame unleashes Brave at Bangkok Film Market

    2007-07-22T20:30:00Z

    Thailand 's Film Frame Productions is launching action comedy drama Brave at the Bangkok Film Market, which kicks off today (July 23). The $1.2m picture - high by local standards - is a co-production with Aflin Shauki's Malaysian outfit Vision Works. The picture marks the first completed project of Thanapon ...

  • News

    Cinefan opens with Iran-Azerbaijan co-production Raami

    2007-07-21T12:09:00Z

    Osian's Cinefan 9th Festival of Asian & Arab Cinema opened in Delhi on Friday night (July 20) with the international premiere of Iran-Azerbaijan co-production Raami. The feature debut of documentary filmmaker Babak Shirinsefat, the film follows a musician searching for his Armenian wife, who fled to Iran during the conflict ...

  • News

    Pia Film Festival awards grand prix to Bare-assed Japan

    2007-07-20T12:45:00Z

    Director Yuya Ishii's Bare-assed Japan (Mukidashi Nippon) won the Grand Prix at this year's Pia Film Festival (PFF), which ran July 14-20 in Tokyo 's Shibuya district. A total of 14 films, both feature-length and shorts, were selected to screen in competition from 780 submissions. Shot for a budget of ...

  • News

    Chen's Mei Lanfang starts shooting in Beijing

    2007-07-20T12:37:00Z

    Chinese director Chen Kaige announced the start of production on his biopic of Peking opera singer Mei Lanfang in Beijing yesterday. The actual shooting started last Saturday (July 14) in Beijing Film Studio. Huayi Brothers Pictures came on board as one of the backers just last week, joining the original ...

  • News

    Mansoor's In The Name Of God opens in Pakistan

    2007-07-20T07:39:00Z

    Pakistan's first local feature film to deal with the subject of fundamentalism and militancy, In The Name Of God (Khuda Key Liye), opens in Pakistan today (July 20) on 11 screens in ten cities. The Urdu-language film is financed by Unilever Pakistan which has sponsored many of the music videos ...

  • News

    Bangkok fest opening heavy on filmmakers, light on glitz

    2007-07-20T06:38:00Z

    Despite a six-month delay and constant doubts about the event's value, the Bangkok International Film Festival rolled out the red carpet last night for an opening gala, well-attended by local and international filmmakers, along with Thai politicians and the media. The opening event was elegant and tasteful, while avoiding the ...

  • News

    Thai thriller 13 takes top prize at PiFan

    2007-07-20T06:32:00Z

    South Korea 's Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) held its closing ceremony yesterday (July 19), with the top award going to Thai film 13 by Chookiet Sakveerakul. A psychological thriller noted for its engaging script about a salesman who enters into a high-stakes adventure game, the film also picked ...

  • News

    Harry Potter's own book launch poses only real competition to ever-rising Phoenix

    2007-07-19T23:38:00Z

    Every fan of the franchise knows it's not in Harry Potter's nature to be a bully, but the film version of his exploits is a different beast entirely and has been swatting rivals like flies since it was released around the world last week.The fifth episode in the fantasy series, ...

  • News

    Fox Home Entertainment targets emerging markets in re-shuffle

    2007-07-18T20:32:00Z

    Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) top brass have implemented a corporate restructure to accommodate emerging markets.Gary Ferguson will now focus on China, Russia and Brazil in his newly expanded role as senior vice president of emerging markets.He will also supervise Fox's worldwide licensee operation and play a key role ...

  • News

    Australia launches landmark website for film history

    2007-07-18T12:25:00Z

    A comprehensive website showcasing Australia's extensive filmmaking history is about to be launched today in Sydney.The Australian Film Commission (AFC) received A$2.4 million to create the site - www.australianscreen.com.au - and executive producer Ron Saunders worked with a different curator for each genre. 'To the best of our knowledge this ...

  • News

    Phuket film festival pushed back by two weeks

    2007-07-18T07:12:00Z

    The inaugural Phuket Film Festival will change its dates to October 21-27, a delay of two weeks, as the screening venue will not be ready in time for its original play date. The event is scheduled to take place at the upscale Jungceylon shopping complex on Patong Beach in which ...

  • News

    Macquarie consortium acquires Korea's Megabox circuit

    2007-07-18T07:01:00Z

    Major Korean studio Mediaplex has announced the $159m sale of the country's third most successful multiplex chain Megabox to a consortium, Korea Multiplex Investment Corporation (KMIC), led by Australian banking group Macquarie. Megabox comprises a total of 19 theatres and 155 screens nationwide, with scores that follow those of top ...

  • News

    Monkey Magic leads Japan's quest for summer movie success

    2007-07-18T03:45:00Z

    Fuji TV's Monkey Magic (original title Saiyuki) has become the first local live-action success of the summer season, grabbing the number two position at Japan 's box office this past weekend. However, it was unable to beat the latest adventure in the ever-successful animated Pokemon franchise, Gekijoban Pocket Monsters: Diamond ...

  • News

    Hong Kong's Sundream appoints Nan Wong as distribution chief

    2007-07-18T03:18:00Z

    Hong Kong distribution executive Nan Wong has joined local producer-distributor Sundream Motion Pictures as general manager of distribution. Wong was formerly deputy general manager of local distributor Intercontinental Film Distributors, which handles Buena Vista product in Hong Kong. In her new role she will be responsible for Sundream's international film ...

  • News

    Bangkok Film Market set to open for business next week

    2007-07-17T20:30:00Z

    The Bangkok Film Market (July 23-25) is all set to open its doors for business with about 60 confirmed exhibiting companies and 800 pre-registered buyers, according to Surasak Sunpituksaree, secretary-general of the Federation of National Film Association. The federation has been assigned by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as ...