All News articles – Page 5141
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Italian minister condemns American Beauty
Italian government minister Umberto Bossi has condemned Oscar-winning picture American Beauty for corrupting Italian family values.Bossi, the controversial leader of Italy's Northern League movement who is currently pushing for a seat on Rai's new board of directors, charged that the movie, about a middle-aged man's obsession with his daughter's ...
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New opportunities for Central and Eastern Europe
Enlargement of the European Union's Media Plus programme to include Central and Eastern Europe was high on the agenda at meetings held at the Berlinale this week."At least six of the 12 candidate countries could join this year" said the EU's Giorgio Ficcarelli. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, ...
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FIAPF re-categorises Locarno film festival
Previously specialised in young cinema, the Locarno festival is to become a generalist event from this year."FIAPF moved us to the general festival category which will give us freedom to choose what we want, although our focus will still be on new cinema", said artistic director Irene Bignardi during the ...
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Wild Bunch seals raft of deals at EFM
French sales agent Wild Bunch has completed a swathe of sales on its huge European Film Market slate. Competition film Spirited Away was confirmed as going to Pathe for UK and Switzerland, RAI Cinema for Italy and Central Partnership Russia. After buying City Of God at Sundance for the US ...
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Korea's Volcano High to Amuse for $1.5m
In a deal started at the Rotterdam film festival and completed in Berlin, Korea's Cinema Service has sold its futuristic Volcano High (pictured)to Japan's Amuse Pictures for whopping $1.5m (Y200m). In Thailand, the film was bought by Nontanund, which also grabbed Cinema Service's My Sassy Girl. For Jeong Jae-Eun's Take ...
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Vivendi Universal reports 10% revenues rise
Vivendi Universal has announced a better-than-expected 10% rise in revenues for 2001, to Euros 57.4bn, and is expecting a further 10% increase in 2002.News of the results, some Euros 1bn better than expected, boosted the company's share price by 2.9% to Euros 48.2 on Feb 11.Revenues from film and broadcasting ...
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Oz govt set to restore confidence in tax scheme
Australia's competitive appeal as a location for offshore productions, threatened last year when tax breaks were denied to investors in Red Planet and Moulin Rouge, is set to be restored following the Government's establishment of a new scheme regulating the "refundable tax offset".Australia's Government has held its ground on some ...
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Independent cinema to double size in Tokyo
Tokyo Theatres Co., a leading independent exhibitor specialising in Japanese and European arthouse films, has announced plans to double the number of theatres it operates in Tokyo from eight to sixteen, over the next five years. During Japan's long recession and consequent deflation, urban land prices have plunged, bringing residents ...
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Gilliam to revive The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
'If I play it right,' says Terry Gilliam, 'I can continue making this film for the rest of my life.' In Berlin to support Lost In La Mancha, the so-called 'un-making of' documentary about his aborted Don Quixote production, Gilliam still aims to make the film in question. Titled The ...
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South Africa's AME reports $18.3m fall in revenue
South African listed media company African Media Entertainment (AME) has reported disappointing end of year results, with the group's revenue falling by about a third to $18.3m (R209m).This fall in revenue was attributed largely to the disposal of struggling units and unprofitable operations. The group was a major co-financier of ...
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Bollore takes 7% stake in France's Gaumont
French investment group Bollore has acquired a 7% stake in French film group Gaumont, the value of which has not been disclosed.Gaumont - which saw a massive Euros 66.7m loss in 2000 and merged its exhibition operations with Pathe's in early 2001 to form EuroPalaces, (66% Pathe/ 34% Gaumont) - ...
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Monsters, Inc. scares up UK box office record
Nothing could stand up to the might of Buena Vista International's Monsters, Inc. at the UK box office over the weekend with the animated hit claiming first place with a massive $13.0m (£9.2m), including previews of $3.8m (£2.7m). BVI's biggest opening to date, Monsters, Inc. played at 503 sites including ...
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Full list of 74th Academy Awards nominees
The full list of nominees for the 74th Academy AwardsBest PictureA Beautiful MindGosford ParkIn The BedroomThe Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The RingMoulin RougeDirectingA Beautiful Mind - Ron HowardBlack Hawk Down - Ridley ScottGosford Park - Robert AltmanThe Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ...
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Rings lords over the Oscars with 13 nominations
The Academy Awardnominations, announced this morning in Los Angeles, produced a few surprisesbut as expected were dominated by The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship OfThe Ring which scored 13 nominationsand A Beautiful Mind which scoredeight. Other big winners were Robert Altman's Gosford Park which was nominated in seven categories ...
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Lions Gate acquires North America on Secretary
Lions Gate Films hasacquired North American rights to Sundance Film Festival favourite Secretary, about the S&M relationship between a lawyer andhis secretary. The film was in dramatic competition at Sundance and won aspecial jury prize for originality. Directed by Steven Shainberg, the filmstars James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhall.Peter Block, president ...
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Senator Int'l picks up worldwide on Vaya Con Dios
Senator International hasacquired worldwide rights (excluding German-speaking territories) to the Germanromantic comedy Vaya Con Dioswritten and directed by Zoltan Spirandelli.Recent winner of fourBavarian Film Awards including best new director, best new actor and best newactress, the film tells the story of three monks who leave their bankruptmonastery to find their ...
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Ocean's Eleven steals past $100m overseas
Warner Bros celebrated itsfirst international smash of the new year as Ocean's Eleven stole past the $100m mark outside North America overthe weekend with a healthy $21m gross in 32 territories. Its total is now$111m.Playing on 3,827 screens,the film drew an estimated 3.75m admissions over the three days. It opened ...
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Euro public film fund coordination group launched
A new structure to promote a greater exchange of information between European public film funds is on the cards after meetings held during the Berlinale.The venture, which goes under the unwieldy working title of European Coordination Group for Regional Audiovisual Investment Funds (CEFIR-AV), was initiated by Rotterdam Film Fund's Jacques ...
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Gilliam to exec produce Quay Bros' next feature
Two of the Berlinale's "Vision Day" panelists have revealed details of the new projects they are hatching.Terry Gilliam, in town for Lost In La Mancha, will serve as executive producer on the Quay Brothers' long-anticipated second feature The Piano Tuner Of Earthquakes. "Audiences are searching for a chance to journey ...
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Ex-London film fest chief launches Metropolis Film
Former London Film Festival head Sheila Whitaker is launching UK distributor Metropolis Films.The venture is to handle world cinema, releasing most titles on video but with some theatrical outings. Whitaker is attending Berlin with her partner in the company, Andy Ordonez, formerly of Japanese financing house NDF.Ordonez said the company ...