All News articles – Page 5320
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News
Media Most cuts deal with Gazprom
Embattled Russian media giant Media Most Group has reached what it described as an "amicable agreement" with its chief creditor, state gas giant Gazprom. While details are not yet available the deal would also involve bringing on board an unnamed foreign investor according to a spokeswoman for the group.The agreement, ...
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Israeli-Arab crisis hits Haifa fest
A slew of no-shows inevitably marred this year's Haifa "Neighbours" Film Festival, which was held despite the current Israeli-Arab crisis. Among the few who dared to make the trip was Irena Strzalkowska, head of Poland's Tor production company, Russian director Vladimir Khotinenko, Georgian directors Dito Tzintzadze and Nana Djordjadze, plus ...
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Star TV appoints Smith to head China
Hong Kong-based broadcaster Star TV has appointed Laurie Smith as executive vice president, China, as part of a drive to step up operations on the mainland.Smith retains his current positions as chief representative of Star TV parent News Corp's Beijing office and COO of News Corp, China. "This enables us ...
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Billy Elliot dances away with four BIFAs
Stephen Daldry's Billy Elliot racked up another clutch of awards at Wednesday's British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), picking up four prizes including best British independent film. Daldry picked up the best director award and collected prizes on behalf of writer Lee Hall, who won best screenplay, and the film's star, ...
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Juarez exits HBO Latin America
Ele Juarez has abruptly resigned from his position as CEO of HBO Latin America. The movie channel's board of directors have accepted his resignation and appointed Gaston Comas as interim CEO. Comas has been a member of HBO's board since the company's creation nearly 10 years ago. Rumours that Jose ...
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Filmax partners with Miramax on Darkness
In the highest-profile pre-sale during the London market screenings so far, Spanish mini-studio Filmax Group has partnered with Miramax Films on Jaume Balaguero's horror flick Darkness for English-speaking territories including the US. Miramax snagged the English-language title during the London screenings after a bidding war for US rights on the ...
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Warner Bros takes North America on The Dish
Warner Bros Pictures has acquired North American rights to The Dish, the Australian comic drama which opened last weekend in its home territory with the highest opening for a local film in history.The deal marks a rare independent pick-up from Warner, coming at a time when rumours are swirling about ...
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Sales Co titles go to UK at London
Testifying to a renewed UK market, The Sales Co has used this week's London screenings to close sales on a trio of titles to local distributors.Momentum Pictures, the UK joint venture of Germany's Kinowelt and Canada's Alliance Atlantis, picked up local rights to Kieron J Walsh's romantic comedy When Brendan ...
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Local film dishes up Australian record
Rob Sitch-directed The Dish has crashed through the record barrier with the highest weekend opening gross for an Australian film at the local box office. The Roadshow release grossed $1.56m (A$2.985m) from 281 prints on its four-day opening weekend - more than any other Australian film in history. Including its ...
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Intermedia gets first-look at Kassar, Vajna's C-2
Intermedia has confirmed it has struck a first-look pact with Mario Kassar and Andy Vajna's US production company C-2 Pictures, kicking off with sequels to the blockbusters The Terminator and Basic Instinct.Both films are to feature their original stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. Intermedia, which floated in Germany in ...
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Altavista eyes Spain as production base
Expanding Mexican producer Altavista Films has unveiled plans to establish a production beach head in Spain. "We hope to set up local operations in order to gain access to Spanish government incentives," said Altavista director general Francisco Gonzalez Compean.Altavista is currently in co-production talks with some of the biggest players ...
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Korea's Cinema Service makes sales debut
One of Korea's largest producer-distributors, Cinema Service, is making its market debut as a film seller this week with a slate of nine pictures including local box office hit Bichunmoo.The $5m martial arts romance has scored 2.3 million admissions at the Korean box office. Shot in Shanghai with a Chinese ...
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Emperor kicks off $100m film push with Highbinders
Emperor Group CEO Gordon Chan is to put his directing career on hold while he powers up the wealthy Hong Kong company's $100m drive into film. Chan and Emperor president Albert Yeung plan to develop a slate of quality Asian movies that play well in both Asia and the international ...
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India's PentaMedia acquires Film Roman
Indian multimedia production outfit PentaMedia Graphics is to acquire a 51% stake in LA-based animation house Film Roman for $15m, establishing a US beachhead for the public company which already has satellite offices in the UK and Luxembourg.Best known for producing The Simpsons and King Of The Hill for Fox, ...
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Filmax seeks partners for Fantastic fare
Spanish mini-studio Filmax plans to open its genre division Fantastic Factory, co-founded two years ago by director Brian Yuzna and Filmax president Julio Fernandez, to co-production partners. "We have proved that we can deliver films of quality and range. Now we want to bring on-board co-producers and to increase budgets," ...
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MBP backs Sides with second fund
German finance house MBP has launched its second tranche of investment, through which it will back Istvan Szabo's $10.5m Taking Sides amongst other projects. The Munich-based outfit plans to raise up to $42.7m (DM100m) from German individuals seeking to lessen their tax burden by the end of 2001. Taking Sides, ...
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McDougal to plough Metro Tartan's Fields
UK-based distribution to production concern Metro Tartan is readying to shoot its Martin Amis adaptation London Fields after securing Charles McDougal as director.McDougal, whose previous credits include UK TV show Queer As Folk, is to direct the project this spring in the UK. Producing duties fall to Chris Hanley, whose ...
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Istituto Luce grabs Semana Santa
Italian state-funded distributor Istituto Luce has acquired local rights to Pepe Danquart's English-language thriller Semana Santa, starring Mira Sorvino and Olivier Martinez, which is currently shooting in Seville.UGC International is handling sales on the $5m film about a female US police detective who becomes involved in a double murder case ...
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Marquet to take strategic role at StudioCanal
Daniel Marquet, one of the most familiar faces at film markets, is to take a new role within the ever-changing StudioCanal group. From January he becomes head of corporate development (directeur delegue au developpement). A strategic role, answerable to StudioCanal principals Vincent Grimond and Michel Schmidt, he will be responsible ...
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Senator grabs Germany's X men
One of Germany's sexiest production outfits, X Filme Creative Pool, has joined the growing list of companies to come under the Senator Entertainment umbrella.Senator announced yesterday it has acquired 51% of X Filme, the Berlin and Cologne-based filmmaking collective that sealed its international reputation as the producer of Tom Tykwer's ...