Latest – Page 492
-
Features
Spain short life of a saint
Spanish director Javier Fesser has sparked controversy and praise in equal measure for his third feature film, Camino, which delves into the curious world of Opus Dei as seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl. A favourite with both critics and audience alike at the San Sebastian film festival ...
-
Features
Co-productions - The next episode
Significantly more Australian co-productions are set to be made as the producer offset's flexibility and generosity make the country a true international player."I see a massive wind of change coming," says producer Chris Brown, whose list of credits includes The Proposition. "Co-productions are the key to building a big-budget sector... ...
-
Features
Co-productions - Taking a world view
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL: Just 11 official co-productions have gone into production in the last four years, eight with the UK. Why doesn't Australia make more co-productions and more with other countries'BALDERSTONE: Co-productions are a result of stories naturally relevant to two participating countries. Given our shared history and close relationship with ...
-
Features
International - Quantum of profit
Sony Pictures Releasing International's (Spri) Quantum Of Solace soared to the top of Screen's international box-office chart, with a substantial take of $40m from its initial release in just three territories: France, Sweden and the UK.The 22nd film in the Bond franchise broke records in the UK where the film ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - California Dreaming
THE USWhat are the commercial English-language titles coming out of the US right now' Jeremy Kay has the lowdown.The US financial meltdown, coupled with ongoing logistical difficulties caused by punishing exchange rates and the possibility of an actors strike by the end of November have traumatised the US production sector.The ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - The UK
Following a quiet Cannes, the UK had a particularly strong Toronto with 22 features in the programme. The AFM will be the first official market for many of the Toronto premieres. They include the documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit: A Popumentary for Intandem, The Secret Of Moonacre for Velvet Octopus, ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - Germany
German sales agents will be at the AFM presenting a diverse range of product from the territory. Bavaria Film International will have a promo-reel of Esther Gronenborn's mystery thriller Kaifeck Murder, starring Benno Furmann and Alexandra Maria Lara, which is inspired by one of Germany's most infamous crimes.Telepool will screen ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - France
There are a handful of big projects headed for the AFM from France - including one that could provoke a bidding war - but some sales agents are holding back on announcing new projects, for the moment at least.Yohann Comte of Roissy Films says: "The AFM is a market where ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - Italy
This year, leading Italian sales agents Intramovies, Istituto Luce and the newer Fandango/Portobello Sales are not attending the AFM. Instead, they launched their new titles at the Rome International Film Festival's film market, The Business Street, in October."The AFM is a market concerned only with English-language commercial movies, with almost ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - Japan
Despite successes at home, Japanese films continue to be a difficult sell to English-speaking territories.Even in Asia, where pre-sales were once commonplace, skittish buyers are demanding to see finished product. While Japanese companies introduce new titles at continental events such as Hong Kong's Filmart, Pusan's Asian Film Market and Tokyo's ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - South Korea
The South Korean investment/production bubble has popped and the local industry is suffering from the after-effects of an injection of too much blind and eager money into the sector. But the few new films that have managed to struggle through are worth checking out.Period films are going strong. CJ Entertainment ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - Thailand
It has been a difficult year for the Thai film industry, coping with the double whammy of political unrest and inflation which have battered the economy and impacted on audience spending power. But although local studios have been cautious and there have been delays to production schedules, there are some ...
-
Features
AFM buzz - Hong Kong, China and Taiwan
The Chinese-language production sectors, in both Hong Kong and Beijing, were hit badly this year by a slow-down in mainland China's censorship process in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. As a result, there will not be a huge amount of new Chinese product at this year's AFM.Indeed, one of ...
-
Features
International - Saw V shows its teeth
The big international story this weekend may have been Walt Disney Smpi's High School Musical 3: Senior Year (see review, p24, and box office, p31) but a number of diverse openers also managed to scare up big business at the box office. Mandate International's fifth instalment in the Saw franchise ...
-
Features
In focus - Reasons to be cheerful
A nagging question underpinned this year's UK Film Finance Summit - why wasn't everyone more miserable' Goodness knows there was plenty to worry about: a crashing economy, collapsing pre-sales and a depressingly complicated digital switch which threatens the future of exhibition.The packed audience at London's Waldorf Hotel did not lack ...
-
Features
United Kingdom - Dodge the doom-mongers
In a credit crunch, necessity must be the mother of invention. That is the view of a growing number of industry players, including Mark Herbert and Barnaby Spurrier, who called on film-makers to innovate their way out of the present economic difficulties, at Screen International's UK Film Finance Summit last ...
-
Features
International - Eagle eye rules roost
Paramount Pictures International's Eagle Eye flew to the top of the international chart, with a 6% increase in takings for the October 17-19 weekend, holding on to the top spot in South Korea (taking $2.1m) and securing second-place debuts in both Japan ($3.1m from 306 screens) and the UK ($1.1m ...
-
Features
Worldwide - Here comes the crunch
Cinema may still prove to be recession-proof but the third-quarter figures for international markets do not suggest people are rushing to the multiplex for escapist entertainment.Global box office for Q3 generated approximately $7.28bn in ticket sales. Compared with 2007, that translates to a drop of roughly 0.5% and a decline ...
-
Features
Editorial - New models armies
The crowning, deposing and re-crowning of "content" as "king" has become a ritual over the last few years. Wondering where on earth the industry is heading has given the old cliche a new lease of life. It's possible even to identify camps here: content as king is the mantra of ...
-
Features
In focus - Pusan Review - Pushed for space in a crowded scene
Everybody says it, everybody knows it: the autumn festival circuit, which bows out with Rome and London this week, is too crammed. Yet the situation staggers on from year to year, with festivals pointing frantically to their record numbers of world premieres. Even after Venice, Toronto and San Sebastian had ...