Latest – Page 527
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Features
Until Doomsday: the Intrepid Pictures slate
Balls Of Fury: Action comedy set in the world of clandestine ping-pong tournaments. Directed by Robert Ben Garant, starring Dan Fogler, George Lopez, Maggie Q and Christopher Walken. Completed. US release April 27.Strangers: Horror thriller about a young couple terrorised by unknown assailants. Directed by Bryan Bertino, starring Liv Tyler ...
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Features
Free agent
US president George W Bush may not seem to be furthering the cause of independent political cinema, but according to Philippe Diaz, the French producer and director who heads US production, post-production, distribution and international sales operation Cinema Libre Studio, his election in 2000 gave political film-making a shot in ...
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Features
Love spreads
It has been a busy few months since LoveFilm merged with rival Video Island in April 2006. Simon Calver, CEO of the combined company who previously led Video Island (known for its consumer brand Screen Select), can point to an impressive set of statistics: the company is the number one ...
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Capturing the moment
As a London-based photographer, Sean Ellis worked with some of the biggest names in showbusiness, including Elton John, Kylie Minogue and Takeshi Kitano. But his future became clearer when he collaborated with David Lynch on a series of fashion photos. "I was a fashion photographer who was a frustrated film ...
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BackUp bonanza
French financing specialist BackUp Films is celebrating its fifth anniversary in style at Sundance, where its first English-language film, Zoe Cassavetes' Broken English, is playing in dramatic competition.A uniquely European outfit, BackUp structures projects and puts together financing packages for creative producers. While this approach to business is well known ...
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Cervantes Vs Shakespeare
Miguel & William, a period romantic comedy that pits literary giants Cervantes and Shakespeare against each other, represents many firsts for writer-director Ines Paris.After more than a decade writing and directing television sitcoms and two successful Spanish-language romantic comedies, co-directed with Daniela Fejerman, Miguel & William is Paris' first solo ...
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Fortissimo promotes Driessen and Mackey
Sales company Fortissimo Films has announced that Nelleke Driessen has been promoted to managing director, based at its head office in Amsterdam. She had been the co-managing director since 2004. Also, Nicole Mackey is promoted to executive vice-president international sales, and managing director of Fortissimo UK. She had been senior ...
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Features
Thykier to leave Freud's
Kris Thykier will leave Freud Communications at the end of February to join Matthew Vaughn as a partner in production company Marv. Thykier, who joined Freud's in 1992 and served as vice-chairman, will continue to serve as a non-executive director.
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Features
Stephens heads K5 sales
Bill Stephens will handle sales and marketing for new sales company K5 International, formed with K5 Film of Munich. Stephens will remain in the UK. In Munich, Oliver Simon will oversee production and Daniel Baur will head business affairs. Karin Binnberg will assist in sales and marketing.
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Features
Lebowitz to Liberation
Mark Lebowitz has joined sales and distribution company Liberation Entertainment as chief financial officer. He has held senior executive posts at the television groups of Sony and Paramount.
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Features
Bateman heads Rushes Soho Shorts festival
Joe Bateman has joined Rushes Soho Shorts Festival as festival director, effective February 19.
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Features
Dunn promotion at Tartan Video
Tartan Video label manager Sam Dunn has been promoted to deputy managing director.
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Features
Screen Yorkshire staff expands by four
UK regional screen agency Screen Yorkshire has made four new appointments. Neil Preston has joined as finance director, Tony Parker as head of industry development, Andrew Craske as head of communications, and Joan Whale as project monitoring manager.
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Features
Iran - Growth market
Cease Fire, a Mr & Mrs Smith-style domestic drama by Tahmineh Milani, became the highest-grossing Iranian film of all time last year, taking around $2m at the local box office.The 2006 top 10 included a mix of melodramas, war films and romantic comedies, including Hassan Fathi's My Big Fat Greek ...
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Iran - International development
Iranian auteurs have been collaborating with French producers since the 1990s: Abbas Kiarostami with CiBy 2000 on 1994's Through The Olive Trees, for example, and Mohsen Makhmalbaf with MK2 on Gabbeh in 1996.Amir Esfandiari, head of international affairs for Farabi, notes that there has been a rise in co-productions over ...
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Iran - Fajr film festival at 25
Iran supports a plethora of film festivals, culminating in the Fajr International Film Festival, which is now in its 25th year and described by Farabi managing director Alireza Rezadad as "the most important cultural event in Iran". Local audiences pack screenings of international and local films included in a range ...
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Iran - Need to know - Names in the frame
Business playersAmir Esfandiari, market directorEsfandiari began his government career as head of Farabi's co-production department and by the mid-1990s was head of international affairs, setting up the Fajr International Film Festival market in 1997. The key government figure charged with taking Iranian cinema abroad.Contact: Farabi, fcf1@dpi.net.irMohammad Attebai, producer, distributorAttebai, who ...
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Features
Staying home
There has always been a realm of movies where there is a tacit understanding that its inhabitants will not cross borders. Last weekend, local productions topped box-office charts in Italy, South Korea, France, China, Thailand, Denmark and Poland. The likelihood of any of these crossing oceans and finding welcoming cineastes ...
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Analysis: International box-office - Weekend January 19-21 - Crowds still flocking to Museum
Night At The Museum continues to dominate the international box office raking in $14.8m at the weekend across 4,391 screens, bringing its total to $173.8m. The family film could not be uprooted from the top spot despite a 26% decline after opening in an additional six territories. Sony's The Pursuit ...
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Market focus - Numbers back up 007's story
China this week becomes the last major territory to screen Casino Royale, closing a run that has already left all 007 predecessors in its wake. What has been forgotten in a record-breaking run is the inauspicious initial response to the plans for the 21st Bond film.Few were predicting a major ...