All articles by Mike Goodridge – Page 162
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News
Election scoops top Spirit Awards
Election, the dark high school comedy produced by MTV Films and distributed worldwide by Paramount Pictures, won three top prizes at the IFP West Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday afternoon (March 25).The sweep echoed themes brought up by many winners and speakers at the event that the ...
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Almodovar wins Foreign Language Film for Spain
Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film last night, ending a triumphant year which began last April with the film's Spanish release.The prize came 12 years after his first nomination ' in 1988 for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. ...
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American Beauty wins 5 Oscars including Picture
As expected American Beauty won the major Oscars at the 72nd annual Academy Awards ceremony, winning in five categories - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.The $15m production which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year was the first film to win the ...
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Asian veteran Sogabe leaves Columbia TriStar
Kunikazu Sogabe has resigned from his post as vice president of FarEast/Asia for Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI)to pursue other interests in the Asian region.Sogabe, who was appointed to his current post in Feb 1998, has been withCTFDI for 23 years. He joined in 1977 as an international departmentmanagement ...
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Warner Japan wins Government Trade Award
Warner Bros Pictures Distribution, Japan, will receive Japan's Ministerof International Trade and Industry Award for Best Motion PictureImporter/Distributor of the Year in a ceremony to take place in Tokyo onApril 21. William Ireton, managing director, Warner Bros PicturesDistribution Japan, will accept the award on behalf of Warner Bros.The award is ...
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Jean Prewitt appointed president of AFMA
Jean M Prewitt has been named president of the American Film Marketing Association (AFMA), the LA-based organisation which represents the independent film industry in the same way the MPAA relates to the major studios. AFMA has 180 member companies.Prewitt was previously a principal with Podesta.com, a Washington-based lobbying and public ...
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Reviews
Wonder Boys
Dir: Curtis Hanson. US. 2000. 112 mins.Prod cos: Scott Rudin Productions, Mutual Film Co. US dist: Paramount Pictures. Int'l sales: Mutual Film International (+1 323 871 5690). Prods: Scott Rudin, Curtis Hanson. Exec prods: Adam Schroeder, Ned Dowd. Scr: Steve Kloves, based on the novel by Michael Chabon. DoP: Dante ...
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Erin Brockovich stays at top of US box
Universal's Julia Roberts-starrer Erin Brockovich grossed $19m in its second weekend on general release to bring its ten-day total to $56.3m. Dropping about 32% from its opening, the Steven Soderbergh-directed film still scored a powerful screen average of $6,675.But coming close to dethroning the critically acclaimed Roberts hit was Warner ...
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Nicks signs on to direct Destination's Slackers
Commercials and music video director Dewey Nicks has signed to direct Slackers which is being produced and distributed domestically by Destination Films. Set to start principal photography on May 24, the film is written by first-time writer David Steinberg (currently writing the sequel to American Pie) and follows three college ...
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News
AFMA launches production loan guarantee scheme
The American Film Marketing Association (AFMA) has clinched a major new independent financing initiative, reaching agreement with Export-Import Bank Of The United States (Ex-Im) to furnish US AFMA members (producers and lenders) with film production loan guarantees.The agreement is revolutionary in that it guarantees the production loan and not the ...
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News
Roberts smashes box office again
Julia Roberts confirmed her place in the very highest pantheon of movie stars over the weekend with a spectacular $28.2m opening for her latest tour de force Erin Brockovich. The story of a real-life single mother who won a record settlement for victims of water contamination, the movie had won ...
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News
Seldin takes up production role at Top Cow
Spike Seldin has been named president of production for the film and television division of comic book publisher Top Cow Productions. Seldin was formerly vice president of original programming for Turner Network Television (TNT) from 1996-99. Top Cow is the third largest publisher of American comic books worldwide and its ...
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News
Gilliam's Quixote saddles up with European backers
After tilting in vain at so many financing windmills for the past year, Terry Gilliam has finally lined up a combination of European funding partners for his long-cherished The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.French majors Pathe and Le Studio Canal Plus are teaming up with French production outfit Hachette Premiere ...
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News
Pogachefsky honoured at LA Indie Fest
LA-based independent PR specialist Mark Pogachefsky and the Film Division of his mPRm Public Relations will receive the fifth annual Indie Supporter Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival which takes place April 13-18 in Los Angeles.The award, presented annually to individuals who have provided an extraordinary contribution to ...
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News
David Adamson rejoins ICM LA
LA-based New Zealander David Adamson has rejoined International Creative Management (ICM) as a talent agent in the motion picture department. Adamson was most recently at Hoflund-Polone where his clients include Emily Mortimer, Kathy Baker, Judith Godreche, Alan Rickman and British comedy duo Armstrong & Miller.The announcement was made by Eddy ...
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Spielberg to direct Kubrick's A.I. as next project
Steven Spielberg has committed to directing two science fiction tales starting immediately with A.I. an epic about artificial intelligence that had been a long-gestating pet project of Stanley Kubrick''s before his death in 1999.A.I, which Kubrick had been actively developing before he suddenly shifted his attention to what would be ...
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News
Sony Pictures launches new digital unit
Sony Pictures Entertainment has formed a new business unit - Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment - which aims to align the studio's digital production activities with online content and game services.Yair Landau, previously executive vice president, corporate development and strategic planning, will be president of the new unit, reporting to SPE ...
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News
Tsujihara to head up Warner Bros New Media Ops
Kevin Tsujihara has been named to the newly created position of executive vice president, new media, at Warner Bros, signalling an attempt by the studio to bring all of its new media initiatives under one overseer. Tsujihara will coordinate all new media activities within Warner - including Warner Bros Online ...
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Eagle buys two-picture package from Summit
Newly recapitalised Italian distributor Eagle Pictures has sealed a two picture deal with leading LA sales agent Summit Entertainment for horror picture The Calling and Artisan Entertainment comedy Novocaine starring Steve Martin and Helena Bonham Carter.Summit's Patrick Wachsberger implied that the deal would signal a longterm relationship with Eagle, which ...
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News
American Beauty dominates SAG, DGA Awards
Hollywood's final round of awards ceremonies before the Oscars took place over the weekend, and they were almost totally dominated by American Beauty. The DreamWorks film now looks set for a sweep at the Academy Awards on March 26.The film's British director Sam Mendes continued his winning streak, taking top ...