All Middle East articles – Page 177

  • News

    Rotterdam increases Tiger Awards prizes; festival honours Kobayashi

    2007-12-06T16:12:00Z

    Rotterdam has upped the ante for its 2008 festival, asking main sponsor, Dutch broadcaster VPRO, to raise the total prize money for the Tiger Awards to $65,800 (Euros 45,000), or $21,932 (Euros 15,000) to each of the three winners. That's up from $14,620 (Euros 10,000) each last year, or a ...

  • News

    Sarajevo Festival launches fund for Talent Campus shorts

    2007-12-06T13:31:00Z

    The Sarajevo Film Festival is launching a new project, Sarajevo City Of Film, in partnership with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government. The initiative will see the festival create a fund that will give participants of the Sarajevo Talent Campus the chance to create low-budget short films inspired by ...

  • News

    Berlinale expects 5,000+ submissions for 2008 festival

    2007-12-06T11:39:00Z

    Organisers are expecting that the 2008 edition of the Berlin International Film Festival will again be a record-breaking one when it opens its doors on Feb 7, 2008. Speaking to ScreenDaily.com during this week's Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia's Tallinn, Berlinale festival director Dieter Kosslick said that he expects ...

  • News

    AAM adds Sony as digital cinema partner in Europe

    2007-12-06T11:15:00Z

    Arts Alliance Media has recruited another studio for its digital cinema plans: Sony Pictures Releasing International has signed a non-exclusive long-term agreement with the company for digital cinema deployment. This follows on June 2007 AAM pacts with Fox and Universal and an October 2007 deal with Paramount. Sony will supply ...

  • 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

    Daldry's The Reader gets funding boost from Filmstiftung NRW

    2007-12-05T17:13:00Z

    International co-productions by Dito Tsintsadze, Ben Verbong, Joergen Bergmark, and Stephen Daldry are among 14 projects awarded over $8m (Euros 5.5m) by the Duesseldorf-based regional fund Filmstiftung NRW this week. The largest sum - $2.2m (Euros 1.5m) - went to Daldry's adaptation of Bernhard Schlink's bestselling novel The Reader, which ...

  • News

    Baltic Event gives best project award to Temptation of Saint Tony

    2007-12-05T15:12:00Z

    The third annual Baltic Event co-production market announced four awards in Tallinn. The Temptation of Saint Tony, a local Estonian project, received $5,864 (Euros 4,000) for best project presented in the market. The black comedy is directed by Veiko Ounpuu and produced by Katrin Kissa, the same team behind the ...

  • 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

    Sichler to leave StudioCanal as VP and managing director

    2007-12-05T10:40:00Z

    StudioCanal has announced the departure of board vice president and managing director in charge of international development Frederic Sichler. Sichler, who formerly ran StudioCanal's operations in Paris, has been shuttling between London and Paris since the company took over the UK's Optimum Releasing in May of 2006. According ...

  • Reviews

    Vasermil

    2007-12-04T16:57:00Z

    Dir: Mushon Salmona. Israel. 2007. 95minsClosely related to the socially-engaged films of Ken Loach and Shane Meadows, Mushon Salmona's debut compensates for his lack of experience with a healthy dose of anger and frustration. Set in the provincial town Beer Sheba where he grew up, Salmona situates his three interwoven ...

  • News

    Unknown starRappoport takes lead in new Serebrennikov feature

    2007-12-04T14:24:00Z

    Russian-born actress Ksenia Rappoport, who was nominated for European Actress 2007 at last weekend's European Film Awards for her performance in Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown, has taken the lead in Kirill Serebrennikov's new feature Yuriev Den which has now begun shooting on location in the Russian town of Yuriev near ...

  • Reviews

    El Greco

    2007-12-04T11:01:00Z

    Dir. Yannis Smaragdis. Greece / Spain / Hungary, 2007. 107minsHaving picked up the Greek cinema State Award on top of the Audience Award at Thessaloniki, this is undisputedly this year's favourite Greek film, racking over 600,000 admissions and still going strong. An historical pageant adapted from a fictional biography by ...

  • News

    Gaumont starts shoot for Splice starring Adrien Brody

    2007-12-04T10:36:00Z

    Vincenzo Natali has started principal photography on Splice, which Gaumont is co-producing with Canada's Copperheart Entertainment. The film is set to shoot until February 29 in Toronto, with a 2009 release planned.Splicestars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley and Delphine Chaneac.Natali, who found cult success with Cube and also directed a vignette ...

  • News

    Norwegian Fund backs projects including epic Max Manus

    2007-12-04T10:31:00Z

    The Norwegian Film Fund's $3.1m backing hasgiven thegreen light for leading Norwegian producer John M Jacobsen's Max Manus, a WWII epic which will shoot from February. The fund also chipped in for two less expensive first features.From a screenplay by Thomas Nordseth based on Manus' own books, and produced by ...

  • News

    Vaclav Havel's play Leaving eyes big screen

    2007-12-04T05:00:00Z

    Playwright and former Czech president Vaclav Havel says his new play is likely to become a feature film. (Leaving) Ochazeniwas published in book form in November and will see its stage premiere in May or June 2008.It is the first play in 18 years from Havel, a former dissident who ...

  • News

    Transmedia takes UK rights to Tornatore's The Unknown

    2007-12-03T13:34:00Z

    UK distributor Transmedia International Releasing has taken all UK and Ireland rights to Guiseppe Tornatore's The Unknown (La Sconosciuta). A theatrical release is planned early next year. Transmedia's Simon Caplan negotiated the deal with Rome-based Adriana Chiesa. The Unknown won best film at Italy's Donatello Awards and is also the ...

  • News

    Rutger Hauer plans second masterclass in Rotterdam

    2007-12-03T13:19:00Z

    Film-maker Rutger Hauer will again host a masterclass during The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR, Jan 23- Feb 3, 2008). The second Rutger Hauer Filmfactory, Jan 21-31, will invite 30 international film-makers to work with Hauer and other experts to make 12 short films. In addition to direction, writing, camera, ...

  • News

    New rules approved on European Audiovisual Media Services

    2007-12-03T12:45:00Z

    The European Parliament has formally approved the Council's position on the new Audiovisual Media Services Without Frontiers Directive. The Directive promises to modernise the rules governing the sector and provide a comprehensive legal framework covering all services, including on-demand distribution of content.The Directive has been developed to a provide more ...

  • News

    Participant, Magnolia back Gibney's new lobbying documentary

    2007-12-03T12:04:00Z

    Participant Productions (the outfit behind Oscar winner An Inconvenient Truth) is partnering with US distributor Magnolia on Burning Down The House, a new Alex Gibney feature-documentary about the murky world of political lobbying.This is a subject that has caused huge controversy in the US since political lobbyist Jack Abramoff was ...

  • News

    Garage takes top honours at Moretti's first Turin festival

    2007-12-03T11:37:00Z

    Irish director Lenny Abrahamson's second feature Garage took the $36,600 (Euros 25,000) Best Film Prize at the 25th edition of the Turin Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday in the Northern Italian town. Scripted by Mark O'Halloran who also wrote Abrahamson's debut feature Adam & Paul, Garage is the story of ...