All articles by Silvia Wong – Page 20
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Singapore admissions to rise as censorship laws relax
Cinema attendance is expected to rise significantly in Singapore thanks to the launch next week of a new ratings system.In a move to further ease the country's strict censorship laws, Singapore's Board of Film Censors is due to creates a new category of M18 for viewers aged 18 and above.Currently ...
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Malaysia cranks up local production
Malaysiais poised to become the second largest film producer in South East Asia, thanksto an increasing number of pictures being churned out by local producers.Twoof the biggest producers in Malaysia are planning to increase film output thisyear: Metrowealth has set to make 11, up from six last year, while TayanganUnggul ...
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Irreversible clears Singapore censors uncut
Signalling that Singapore may be easing its strict film censorship stance, Gaspar Noe's controversial drama Irreversible has been cleared for an uncensored release in Singapore cinemas.The country's Film Appeals Committee overruled the Board of Film Censors' earlier decision to screen the film with some cuts.Committee chairman Pang Cheng Lian was ...
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Malaysian box office surges upwards in 2003
Malaysia recorded an upward surge in 2003 in both the number of local film productions and their box office takings, according to statistics from Finas, the national film development body.A total of 16 Malay-language films were released in 2003, up from 10 in 2003, while total box office takings for ...
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Rings reigns as top Singapore film of 2003
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King reigned as the top grossing film in Singapore in 2003, according to figures from the Cinematograph Film Exhibitors Association.Although the third Lord Of The Rings opened only on Dec 18, 2003, it took $2.6m (S$4.45m) in box office receipts within ...
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Metrowealth makes foreign language foray
Metrowealth Movies Production, Malaysia's most active Malay-language film producer in 2003, is making a foray into foreign language films targeted at the regional markets. In April next year, cameras will start rolling on an as yet unnamed Thai-language film. Professor Madya A Razak Mohaideen, who has made eight films for ...
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Hong Kong films expand 2003 market share
Hong Kong productions reversed their downward slide at the local box office in 2003, grossing $47m (HK$366) as of December 14, up 11.6% from the same period last year, according to industry body, the Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA). In addition, Hong Kong-produced films accounted for 46.7% of this year's ...
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Malaysia's Metrowealth to almost double film production
Malaysia's Metrowealth Movies Production has an ambitious target for 2004 - aiming to produce 10 Malay-language films, almost doubling this year's output of six films made at a total cost of $22.1m (RM84m).With six films under its belt, Metrowealth is already the most active producer of 2003. Of these, Cinta ...
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GSC beefs up Malaysian multiplex presence
Malaysia's film distributor and exhibitor GSC is adding a second cinema outlet on the island of Penang with the launch of a $4.7m (RM18m) 12-screen multiplex on 11 December. The new cinema is sited at Gurney Plaza shopping mall with more than 1,800 seats, making it the largest cinema in ...
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Malaysia imposes home entertainment price controls
Malaysia is to impose price controls on home entertainment products in its fight against piracy despite opposition from the local film and music industries.According to a recent report released by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, the price control mechanism will take effect from 1 January 2004, setting ...
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Website plans to boost Taiwan films abroad
Taiwan's Government Information Office (GIO) is gearing up for a re-launch of its website Taiwancinema.com as the definitive guide to the local film industry in a bid to further promote Taiwan-made films in the international market.The re-launch is scheduled on 7 January 2004, by which the Chinese-language website will be ...
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Homerun is a non-starter in Malaysia
Raintree Pictures' Homerun - which has picked up two nominations from Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards this year - has been banned in Malaysia.The Chinese-language drama was nominated for best new performer for Megan Zheng as well as best original song - the lyrics of which are penned by director Jack ...
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Infernal Affairs leads Golden Horse race
Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Infernal Affairs leads the race for this year's Golden Horse Awards - Taiwan's equivalent of the Oscars - with 12 nominations, while another Hong Kong cop thriller, Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai's PTU, is hot on its heels with 11 nods. Both films picked up ...
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Hong Kong industry embarks on mainland China visit
A delegation of the Hong Kong film industry today (Oct 23) begins a three-day visit to Beijing to explore possibilities for closer co-operation with mainland China. Led by Ma Fung-Kwok, vice chairman of Hong Kong's Motion Picture Industry Association and deputy to the National People's Congress, the group consists of ...
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Malaysia looks to partner with China for co-productions
Malaysia's film development body Perbadana Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia (FINAS) is in talks with China's Fujian Film Studio about establishing a joint co-production venture.According to Mahammad Nor Abu Shahid, FINAS' director of film development, FINAS is planning a 10-member delegation to visit the Chinese film studio in Fujian province in ...
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Taiwan producer targets Golden Horse awards
Taiwan's Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC) is wrapping up three films at a total budget of $6.6m (NT$225m)In recent years Taiwan's film output has dwindled dramatically to around 10 films a year, compared to around 80 films a year in Hong Kong.The three films from CMPC are Alex Yang's Taipei ...
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Taiwan's Golden Horse rides out funding storm
Despite a funding controversy, this year's Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival and awards ceremony have received the green light to go ahead, according to George Chang, chairman of the event's executive committee.A question mark hung over the future of the Golden Horse earlier this year following the cancellation of Taiwan's ...
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Golden Horse organisers target Hong Kong
Organisers of Taiwan's Golden Horse awards are in Hong Kong to promote the 40th anniversary of the event amid criticisms that too many prizes have been given to Hong Kong-produced films.Last year for example, Hong Kong movies scooped the top prizes for best director (Hollywood Hong Kong), best actor (Three-Going ...
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Tsui Hark readies Chinese pair
Film Workshop's Tsui Hark is lining up two US$3.9m (HK$ 30m) Chinese-language dramas to be directed by Tsui himself later this year and early next year.The first is titled Initial D, adapted from a hit Japanese comic book of the same name, which tells the story of a delivery boy ...
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Hong Kong submits Affairs for Oscar consideration
Blockbuster action thriller Infernal Affairs has been selected as Hong Kong's official entry for the best foreign-language category of the 76th Academy Awards. The selection was unveiled by Crucindo Hung, chairman of the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong. The choice of Infernal Affairs was unanimous.Infernal Affairs topped ...