Small MPU – Page 1348
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News
UK film censor could lose powers to new super body
A UK communications super watchdog unveiled on Tuesday could take over some of the activities of film certification body the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) as part of far-reaching regulatory changes.Under one scenario proposed by the government, the new OFCOM regulatory body could take over video classification, currently under ...
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Shmuger, Finkelstein promoted at Universal
Universal Pictures has promoted two senior executives - Marc Shmuger and Rick Finkelstein. Shmuger, formerly president of marketing, has been named vice chairman and Finkelstein, formerly president, has been given the additional title of chief operating officer (COO). They will both report to Stacey Snider, chairman of the studio.The promotions, ...
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News
Palm Springs to honour Nicolas Cage, Ridley Scott
Nicolas Cage, Ridley Scott and Randy Newman are among the honorees at next year's Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival. Cage will be presented with the Charles A Crain Desert Palm Award, Scott with the Director's Achievement Award and Newman with the Frederick Loewe Award at an awards gala ...
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News
Japan's Warner Mycal planning float for 2002
Japanese supermarket group Mycal is planning to float Warner Mycal, its joint exhibition venture with Warner Bros International Theatres, on the Tokyo stock exchange in autumn 2002, sources have revealed.Mycal aims to raise from $545m (Y60bn) to $636m (Y70bn) from the IPO, as part of a company restructuring plan to ...
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News
Imax sells digital projector to Japan's T-Joy
Canada's Imax Corp has sold its first commercial digital cinema projector to Japan's T-Joy, an exhibition joint venture backed by a total of 22 companies, including the Toei group. The deal gives Imax a much-needed boost. The beleaguered wide-screen entertainment company has seen its market valuation drop dramatically in recent ...
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News
Pearce signs on for Blood And Guts
Guy Pearce has signed to star in Australian production Blood And Guts, the directing debut of Scott Roberts, which is set to start shooting in Melbourne on July 30, 2001. The film will mark the second time that Pearce has worked with producer Al Clark, following The Adventures Of Priscilla: ...
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News
AFC launches Oz overseas film fest initiative
The Australian Film Commission (AFC) has developed a do-it-yourself film festival package for the use of diplomatic missions spread across the world. Australia's department of foreign affairs and trade has been heavily involved in the initiative, which is part of a strategy to promote the country abroad through its cultural ...
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News
Gaga, So-net team up for Sweet And Low release
Sony Communication Network Corp (So-net) has joined Gaga Communications in the acquisition of Japanese rights to Woody Allen's Sweet And Low, marking the first time a Japanese internet service provider (ISP) has made such an investment.The deal is part of So-net's strategy to acquire content for its subscribers, which numbered ...
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News
Helkon planning to buy Eagle, Tri Pictures stakes
Germany's Helkon Media, which earlier this year acquired 51% of the UK's Redbus Films Distribution, is eyeing stakes in its two other European partners, Italy's Eagle Pictures and Spain's Tri Pictures, as part of its on-going strategy to create an international distribution network.The company also plans to fill the network ...
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News
StudioCanal shares leap by 20%
The shares of StudioCanal have become the latest part of the Vivendi Universal galaxy to suddenly shine. In heavy trading on Wednesday the shares surged 20% from Euros9.39 to Euros11.20.Stockmarket rumours suggest that Vivendi Universal is considering a bid for the 18% of the company that it does not already ...
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News
Spain's Grupo Correo buys 30% of Grupo Boca
Spanish multimedia house Grupo Correo has acquired a 30% stake in Madrid-based production outfit Grupo Boca, home to the BocaBoca and Cristal labels.The deal leaves the door open for Correo to take an additional 30% interest before January 2002, a move which would convert Boca owner Cesar Benitez into a ...
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Reviews
Compassionate Sex (Sexo Por Compasion)
Dir: Laura Mana. Spain-Mexico. 100mins.Prod cos: Sogedasa (The Filmax Group), Visual Grup SL. Co-producers: Resonancia Productora. Backers: Via Digital, Media, Tabasco Films, ICAA, IMCINE, L'Institut Catala de Finances. Spain distrib: Filmax. Int'l sales: Filmax International (34-93-336-8555). Prods: Julio Fernandez, Miguel Torrente. Exec prods: Carlos Fernandez, Fina Torrente. Co-prods: Fernando Camara, ...
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News
New York critics get high on Soderbergh's Traffic
Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, the $50m theatrical re-working of the Channel 4 mini-series on the international drug trade, was named best picture on Wednesday by the New York Film Critics Circle after nearly five hours of deliberation at Manhattan's Sardi's Restaurant.Soderbergh himself was named the year's best director for both Traffic ...
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News
What Lies Beneath crosses $100m internationally
What Lies Beneath, the DreamWorks/20th Century Fox co-production starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, has crossed the $100m barrier internationally, making it the 18th film to do so this year. Fox has international rights to the film which is directed by Robert Zemeckis; DreamWorks has taken $155m on it domestically.Last ...
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News
Dailey, Epstein promoted in marketing at Artisan
Brian Dailey been promoted to vice president of media and research at Artisan Entertainment from his position as director of theatrical administration. He will report to Amorette Jones, executive vice president, worldwide marketing, Artisan Pictures. In this new capacity, he will oversee the newspaper and broadcast media buys for Artisan's ...
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News
Alliance Atlantis, H20 to produce Kwietniowski pic
Alliance Atlantis Communications is backing Richard Kwietniowski's second film Owning Maloney which is being produced by Alliance Atlantis-based H20 Motion Pictures. H20's Andras Hamori and Seaton McLean, president of Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Production, will produce the film which is set to start shooting in mid-March on location in Toronto ...
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News
CTFDI glides past the $1 billion mark for 2000
Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI) has passed $1 billion in international box office grosses, the company announced on Wednesday, marking the second time in its history after 1997 when Men In Black, My Best Friend's Wedding and Jerry Maguire pushed the studio past the billion mark.The announcement came Wednesday, ...
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News
Australia introduces moral rights legislation
Legislation giving moral rights to the principal director, producer and screenwriter of Australian features, television programmes, documentaries and commercials has now passed through both houses of parliament. The new legislation also gives the creators of works reproduced or recorded in these productions, such as music, moral rights over that aspect ...
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Reviews
Traffic
Dir: Steven Soderbergh. US. 2000. 147 mins. Prod cos: Bedford Falls. US dist: USA Films. Int'l sales: Initial Entertainment Group (+ 1 310 315 1722). Exec prods: Richard Solomon, Mike Newell & Cameron Jones, Graham King & Andreas Klein. Prods: Edward Zwick, Marshall Hersovitz, Laura Bickford. Scr: Stephen Gaghan, based ...
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News
Meet The Parents charms German box office
UIP's Meet The Parents began its international roll-out by shooting straight to the top of the German box office chart, with a four-day gross of $2.51m (DM5.54m) from 356 screens. The film's healthy opening screen average of $7,064 is the third highest of the year in Germany behind Mission: Impossible ...