Small MPU – Page 1370

  • News

    SPAIN

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Spanish film Football Days (Dias De Futbol) opened strong on its first weekend with a three-day gross of Euros 879,354 from 200 prints through Buena Vista International. The film marks the directorial debut of the screenwriter of last year's local hit The Other Side Of The Bed (El Otro Lado ...

  • Reviews

    Under The Tuscan Sun

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Audrey Wells. US 2003. 120 minutesA genial, if undemanding, romantic comedy/drama about a divorced woman learning to embrace life again, Under The Tuscan Sun owes a great deal of its appeal to its ingratiating star, Diane Lane. The actress has an inherent likableness that also worked for her in ...

  • News

    FRANCE

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    As kids get back to school and the French reminisce about summer flings, love is in the air with Jeux d'Enfants. The story of two inseparable and sometimes insufferable lovers who never quite make it, opened healthily at number one boosted by the star power of Guillaume Canet and new ...

  • News

    Ladies In Lavender kicks off for Dance

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Charles Dance's directorial debut, Ladies In Lavender, has kicked off seven weeks of principal photography in Cornwall, London and at Pinewood Studios.Good Bye, Lenin! star Daniel Bruhl plays Andrea, a handsome and charismatic Polish castaway who is discovered by two spinsters - played by Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie ...

  • News

    HUNGARY

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Adventure was the name of the game last weekend at the Hungarian box office when The Pirates Of The Caribbean took over the top spot from Jim Carrey's Bruce Almighty with a strong opening performance of over forty thousand admissions. Peter Mullan's multi-award winning The Magdalene Sisters had a decent ...

  • News

    NETHERLANDS

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Francois Ozon's thriller Swimming Pool proved another hit in The Netherlands for independent distributor Cinemien. The film placed sixth over the four-day weekend and held place over the full first week - taking $76,731 from 20 screens including previews by the end of its first week.The success follows the $750,000 ...

  • News

    Foreign language Oscar race hots up

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    With just days to go before the deadline for submissions to the foreign language Oscar category, four countries have named their heavyweight contenders. Argentina has selected Alejandro Agresti's bittersweet comedy Valentin, while Brazil has submitted Hector Babenco's prison drama blockbuster Carandiru. Korean has chosen Kim Ki-duk's Locarno favourite Spring, Summer, ...

  • News

    Kieft & Kieft acts to fend off insolvency

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    The shareholders of Germany's leading cinema chain Kieft & Kieft have undertaken a Euros 9m cash injection to keep the company afloat and continue its programme of restructuring measures.A cost cutting programme has seen 49 jobs go and six regional offices close, according to the German daily newspaper Die Welt. ...

  • News

    Avati pulls out of Italian Oscar race

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    Italian director and Cinecitta president Pupi Avati has withdrawn his latest film, The Heart Elsewhere from consideration as Italy's Oscar candiate, as a sign of protest against a "lack of transparency" at the country's Donatello Academy.Avati's decision came after he learned that an extra 112 members had just been appointed ...

  • News

    AFM: Breillat's Fat Girl sexes up FPI slate

    2000-02-24T15:45:00Z

    Flach Pyramide International (FPI) is once again at a film market selling sex. After the hugely controversial Romance, FPI is at the AFM handling Catherine Breillat's next picture, Fat Girl, an explosive examination of female sexuality set on the slopes of Mount Etna.The picture, which examines the troubled relationship of ...

  • News

    Mexico targets UK, Pirates eyes $300m haul

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    Sheer momentum should ensure another strong international box office haul for Pirates Of The Caribbean this upcoming weekend as it closes in on $300m.The swashbuckling blockbuster has no major bows but will look to more impressive holdovers to boost its $275m international running total for Buena Vista International (BVI).BVI opens ...

  • News

    Han, Arclight to fly with $15m Silver Hawk

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    Hong Kong's Han Entertainment has completed finance on its $15m martial arts action film Silver Hawk through a gap finance deal and the appointment of Arclight Films as sales agent.Han principal Thomas Chung and Jarred Underwood of specialist bank Comerica yesterday closed a loan of undisclosed size. The advance is ...

  • News

    Italy unveils major new film promotion outfit

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    After weeks of rumour, Cinecitta Holding has officially announced that it is establishing a new company with Fiera Milano International (FMI) and the Venice Biennale, in the hope of boosting the sales of Italian films abroad, as well as the stature of Mifed and of the Venice Screenings. The new ...

  • News

    Giannetti named Columbia exec-vice president of production

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Andrea Giannetti has been named executive vice president of production at Columbia Pictures. Giannetti, who reports to co-presidents of production Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, most recently spearheaded development and production on Once Upon A Time In Mexico and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. She is currently working on Tim Burton's ...

  • News

    Cartoon initiative unveils pan-Euro film conference

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    In the run-up to the European Union's enlargement eastwards, the Brussels-based animation initiative CARTOON has been hired by the European Commission to organise a two-day audiovisual conference in Warsaw from March 19-20, 2004.CARTOON managing director Marc Vandenweyer told ScreenDaily.com that the event will aim to foster a greater exchange of ...

  • News

    Danish Film Insitute greenlights eight films

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Six new Danish films and two Danish-Swedish co-productions have been greenlit after securing support from the Danish Film Institute. Two of these have received backing through the so-called 60/40 deal based on their high commercial potential, as they will be directed by the two successful female directors Hella Joof (Shake ...

  • News

    UPI appoints Suzuki as Japan president

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Universal Pictures International (UPI) has appointed Mutsumi Suzuki as president of Universal Pictures Japan (UPJ). Based in Tokyo, Suzuki will report to Wayne Borg, vice president, Universal Pictures, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The appointment is effective from Sept 30..Suzuki succeeds Tada Wakabayashi, who has held the role ...

  • News

    Colombian project wins Latin cash prize at San Sebastian

    2003-09-26T04:00:00Z

    Columbian title The Wandering Shadows won the Films In Progress cash and post-production services prize on Sept 25 at the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival (Sept 18-28).From director Ciro Guerra, The Wandering Shadows (La Sombra Del Caminante) was chosen from the seven, mostly-Argentinean titles participating in this year's initiative. The ...

  • News

    French budget hikes production aid by 4.8%

    2003-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Asmuch as 531.8m euros has been set aside for French film and TV production nextyear under the promising new budget outlined this afternoon in Paris by Frenchculture minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon. Thatfigure represents a 4.8% jump from 2003 and is made up largely of funds comingfrom the National Cinema Center's (CNC) ...

  • News

    Four UK writers scoop funding for high concept pitches

    2003-09-26T00:00:00Z

    The UK Film Council has unveiled the winners of its latest '25 Words Or Less' film initiative - which called on writers to pitch their concept for a romantic comedy, science fiction or teen movie in not more than 25 words. The four winners will each be awarded £10,000 in ...