All articles by Martin Blaney – Page 172

  • News

    Germany's Senator holds crisis talks with banks

    2004-03-18T04:00:00Z

    German producer-distributor Senator Entertainment is to hold talks with its financing banks in a bid to save the company from collapse.The move was announced yesterday when the Berlin based company said it had to write-off the value of some of its film assets and investments - a move which could ...

  • News

    Germany, UK step up anti-piracy operations

    2004-03-16T04:00:00Z

    Anti-piracy operations in both Germany and the UK say they are making increasing inroads against DVD and video pirates.In its annual report for 2003, the German Federation Against Copyright Theft (GVU) revealed that the fines German courts imposed in copyright cases increased to more than Euros 500,000.Even though proceedings were ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-03-16T00:00:00Z

    Scary Movie 3's reign at the German box office came to an end last weekend after it swapped positions with Along Came Polly which has been seen by over 800,000 cinema-goers in its two weeks of release.The Top 10 saw no less than six new entries, led by Mathieu Kassovitz's ...

  • News

    Nine German films get free TV ads

    2004-03-10T04:00:00Z

    Golden Bear winner Head-On is one of nine German films awarded a total Euros 1.8m worth of advertising airtime on public and private channels.The new funding category, which was introduced as part of the agreement with the TV stations on their financial contribution to the German Federal Film Board (FFA), ...

  • News

    'Courageous' doc wins top Diagonale prize

    2004-03-09T04:00:00Z

    Martin Bruch's documentary handbikemovie was the surprise winner of this year's Euros 19,000 Diagonale Grand Prix in Austria, which was sponsored by the Land of Styria and Kodak.Bruch, who has multiple sclerosis and uses an adapted wheelchair, filmed handbikemovie with a camera attached to his bicycle helmet. It shows the ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-03-09T00:00:00Z

    Although the Ben Stiller/Jennifer Anniston romantic comedy Along Came Polly opened with the Top 15's best screen average ($6,384) and sold almost 400,000 tickets in its four days, this was not enough to unseat Scary Movie 3 from the top spot.The genre parody saw its gross slip 50% week-on-week but ...

  • News

    Austrian region launches Euros 1.5m fund

    2004-03-07T00:00:00Z

    Austria's Land of Styria and the city of Graz havejoined forces to provide an annual Euros 1.5m for the creation of the CineStyria Film Commission & Film Fund.Introducing the new regional body at this week's Diagonalefilm festival in Graz, managing director Enrico Jakob explained that CineStyria intends to be 'a ...

  • News

    Malkovich boards Ruiz's Klimt picture

    2004-03-05T04:00:00Z

    John Malkovich is to take the title role in Raul Ruiz's Klimt, an homage to the famous Austrian artist Gustav Klimt.The film will focus on the last years of Klimt's life from 1900 to 1918. Negotiations are currently underway for German actress Veronica Ferres to play Klimt's partner Emilie Floege ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-03-02T00:00:00Z

    BVI's release of Scary Movie 3 was the strongest opener of 2004 to date, grossing $7.3m from 630 screens with a screen average of $ 11,565.The only other new entry in the Top 15 was Constantin Film's 21 Grams - with $371,969 from 107 prints - which could follow the ...

  • News

    Eurimages bankrolls eleven features with Euros 3.3m

    2004-03-01T00:00:00Z

    New features by Pan Nalin (Valley Of Flowers), Radu Mihaileanu (Va, Vis Et Deviens) , Diane Bertrand (Der Ringfinger) and Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now) are among 11 European co-productions which received over Euros 3.3m support from the Strasbourg-based Eurimages in its latest round of funding.The largest amount - Euro 600,000 ...

  • News

    Head-On release impacts German distributors

    2004-02-26T04:00:00Z

    Fledgling distributor Timebandits Films has been lambasted by fellow German arthouse distributors for bringing forward the release date of Fatih Akin's Golden Bear-winner Head-On (Gegen Die Wand) from April 22 to March 11.In an open letter from 12 distributors including Arsenal Film, Kinowelt, Kool Film, Senator Film, Solo Film and ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-02-24T00:00:00Z

    Despite an 18% drop in box office over the previous weekend, Warner's Something's Gotta Give held on to the top spot against two new entries and also posted the Top 15's highest screen average with $5,364 from its 622 screens.Cold Mountain, which was the opening film at this year's Berlinale, ...

  • News

    Diagonale festival unveils Austrian premeries

    2004-02-23T00:00:00Z

    Pjer Zalica's Silver Leopard-winner Fuse (Gori Vatra), the documentaries Virtual Borders by Manu Luksch, Accordion Tribe by Stefan Schwietert, Fucking Freedom by Chris Krikellis and the avantgarde film WAR by Thomas Steiner are among 66 Austrian premieres at this year's Diagonale - Festival of Austrian Cinema in Graz which will ...

  • News

    Kinowelt revives broadcasting ambitions

    2004-02-19T04:00:00Z

    Germany's Kinowelt has revived its ambitions to become a player in the German broadcasting arena with plans for a free-TV niche film channel for nationwide distribution.Kinowelt Television has been granted a broadcasting licence by the Kassel-based media watchdog LPR Hessen subject to a final green light from the assembly of ...

  • News

    France, Spain lead the field at CARTOON 2004

    2004-02-18T04:00:00Z

    France and Spain have the largest number of animation projects and finished works being presented at this year's CARTOON MOVIE forum to be held at the Babelsberg Studios from March 11-13.French producers are represented with eleven works including Les Armateurs' Les Triplettes De Belleville, Prima Linea Productions' U and Lardux ...

  • News

    Kosslick mulls market future, festival dates

    2004-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick declared himself "very pleased" with the running of this year's edition which had "conceptually achieved everything we wanted to."Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily.com, Kosslick described the official competition as a "varied programme of old masters and young first-time directors" and pointed out that the focuses on South ...

  • News

    Premiere, Constantin conclude extensive deal

    2004-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Germany's digital pay TV platform Premiere and producer-distributor Constantin Film have concluded an extensive multi-year programming deal.The agreement covers such films as Constantin's current box office hit Lost In Translation, 21 Grams and Alexander, which are being theatrically released by Constantin Film, as well as all of Constantin's own output ...

  • News

    Bavaria enjoys Berlin business

    2004-02-17T04:00:00Z

    Bavaria Film International (BFI) reported "good business" at this year's Berlinale and European Film Market despite the fact that its films were scheduled quite late into the festival programme.Deals on the Golden Bear winner Head-On by Fatih Akin were closed with Spain (Golem), Italy (BIM Distribuzione), Benelux (Cinemien), Turkey (R-Films), ...

  • News

    GERMANY

    2004-02-17T00:00:00Z

    The smile was wiped off Mona Lisa's face last weekend when Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton arrived in town with Something's Gotta Give to take pole position away from the Columbia TriStar release. The romantic comedy which had been shown in the Berlinale's official section with Nicholson and Keaton in ...

  • News

    Borries' Thoughts excite buyers

    2004-02-16T04:00:00Z

    Achim von Borries' Love In Thoughts (Was Nuetzt Die Liebe In Gedanken) has been sold by Beta Cinema to Japan's New Select Co. and Brazil's Next EntertainmentThe film, which had its European premiere in the Berlinale's Panorama section as a Panorama Special, has also been picked up by Israel's Gil ...