Small MPU – Page 141

  • News

    Winchester sells slate, Heartbreakers goes east

    2001-05-23T17:18:00Z

    UK-based Winchester Films has closed a host of deals to the Far East on its MGM comedy Heartbreakers.The story of mother and daughter con artists went to Hong Kong (Delon), India (RDB), Indonesia (PT Multiplex), Philippines (AIX), Singapore (Shaw) and Taiwan (Long Shong).The feature arm of listed media concern Winchester ...

  • News

    American Rhapsody, Kinski open Karlovy Vary

    2001-05-23T17:55:00Z

    Eva Gardos' mother-daughter drama An American Rhapsody will open the 36th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July. The film's star, Nastassja Kinski, is expected to accompany the picture.Czech title Angel Exit, directed by Vladimir Michalek, will screen in competition, while film-maker Emir Kusturica is expected to hit the Bohemian ...

  • News

    Warner plans Spanish, Italian local prod ventures

    2001-05-24T10:09:00Z

    Warner Bros International is readying its first Spanish-language pictures in the next phase of its drive into local-language production in Europe.According to Simona Benzakein, Warner's newly appointed vice president of European production, the multinational is studying the possibility of opening a Spain-based production office, much like it has done in ...

  • News

    Director Khudoinazarov sets up two more pictures

    2001-05-24T15:54:00Z

    Luna Papa director Bahktiar Khudoinazarov is planning to shoot a low-budget feature Faraway Gochi on location in Russia this September ahead of his $4m-$4.4m (DM 9m-DM 10m) feature Leo which is being slated to shoot in and around Vienna for 12 weeks in spring 2002.Budgeted at under $440,000 (DM 1m) ...

  • News

    Oz industry reacts bitterly to tight Govt budget

    2001-05-24T16:19:00Z

    "We are fighting for survival," said Catriona Hughes, chief executive of Australia's Film Finance Corporation (FFC), in reaction to the very small increases for film announced in this week's budget.Other commentators noted that the proposed A$50m budget for the FFC, the Australian industry's biggest film investor, is only half that ...

  • News

    Sony Classics has a crush on FilmFour's Crush

    2001-05-24T17:32:00Z

    Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) has reportedly capped a late flurry of Cannes acquisitions by taking all North American rights to FilmFour's Crush, one of the market's most talked about UK titles. The $6.5m picture, which stars Andie MacDowell, follows the relationship between three middle-aged single women and a younger man. ...

  • News

    UK BO enjoys best April for quarter of a century

    2001-05-24T17:52:00Z

    After an uncertain start to the year, things are finally looking up for the UK's exhibition sector. According to the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) admissions in April were the highest for 26 years, averaging 3.26m ticket sales a week. This, says the CAA, could translate into 148m admissions by the ...

  • News

    Swaraj promotes booming Indian film sector

    2001-05-24T17:56:00Z

    The Indian Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sushma Swaraj announced this week that the government is in discussions with The British Film Institute with a view to setting up a Museum of Moving Images in New Delhi. Discussions advanced during a meeting at last week's Cannes Film Festival.The minister said ...

  • News

    Streather to head LFCA's European operations

    2001-05-24T18:02:00Z

    Large Format Cinema Association (LFCA) has appointed Phil Streather as vice president - Europe, Africa and Middle East.Streather, who is currently co-chairman and head of large format at Principal Media Group and current LFCA board member, is briefed with raising the association's global profile and helping to grow the large ...

  • News

    Sony pays theatre chains to show film trailer

    2001-05-25T00:41:00Z

    Sony PicturesEntertainment has set a new precedent by becoming the first Hollywood studio toactually pay theatre chains to carry one its promotional trailers.According to a news report in Thursday's Los Angeles Times, Sony paid two US exhibition chains -- General Cinema Theatres and AMC Entertainment -- as much as $100,000 ...

  • News

    Bidding may go sky-high for DirecTV with new buyer

    2001-05-25T01:37:00Z

    A bidding war is set to erupt over DirecTV, the largest satellite TV operator in the US with 9.5m subscribers.DirecTV's current owner, General Motors, says it is willing to entertain offers from bothcurrent suitor News Corp as well as new would-be buyer EchoStar Communications,which is second largest satellite TV provider ...

  • Reviews

    Angel Eyes

    2001-05-25T17:03:00Z

    Dir: Luis Mandoki. US 2001. 115 mins.A muddled blend of a supernatural thriller, romantic melodrama, and urban police-crimer, Angel Eyes, Jennifer Lopez' latest disappointing star vehicle, tries to do too much to little effect. Lifting a number of ideas and characters from Ghost and City Of Angels, ...

  • News

    Zee seeks partner for int'l expansion drive

    2001-05-25T17:32:00Z

    Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) is looking to partner with a multi-national media group in order to catapult itself into Asian and international markets.The executive committee of ZTL, which is managed by The Essel Group, has invited proposals from leading international investment and merchant bankers to put together the proposed strategic ...

  • News

    Danielsen to take over at Edinburgh Festival

    2001-05-25T18:26:00Z

    Shane Danielsen has been named as the next artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.A writer and critic for The Australian newspaper, Danielsen will take over from current artistic director Lizzie Francke after she has presided over this year's festival, which runs from 12-16 August. As well as being ...

  • News

    Sharada snags two Cannes titles for Italy

    2001-05-25T18:35:00Z

    Confirming the rise in Italy of a new generation of ambitious distributionoutfits, Sharada, a new Rome-based company, has snapped up Italiandistribution rights to two Cannes titles, including Catherine Corsini'scompetition film La Repetition.Sharada's Andrea De Liberato, who also heads Italian production outfitPoetiche Cinematografiche, and his business partner Antonio Fusco, have alsoacquired ...

  • News

    Valladolid sets up retrospective six pack

    2001-05-25T18:46:00Z

    The International Film Week of Valladolid, Spain (Oct 26-Nov 3) is preparingsix retrospectives for its 46th edition this autumn.The first of these, "Todo Visconti", will feature restored copies of the famed Italian neo-realist director Luchino Visconti's oeuvre, including Death In Venice, Rocco And His Brothers, The Leopard, The Wanton Countess ...

  • News

    EIB now ready to accelerate audiovisual funding

    2001-05-25T19:03:00Z

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) gave a clear signal at last week's Audiovisual Roundtable in Cannes that it wants to support the European film and TV industry and build greater competitiveness in the international market.The Roundtable had been organised following the launch of the Euros500m "Audiovisual i2i" initiative and to ...

  • News

    Ireland enjoys unexpected production boom

    2001-05-28T21:28:00Z

    Feature production in Ireland is heading for an unexpected upturn. It comes after a hesitant start to the year prompted by the threatened Hollywood strikes and exacerbated by industry anxiety that the UK's foot and mouth disease outbreak might spread to Ireland.Spyglass Entertainment's epic fantasy Reign Of Fire with ...

  • News

    Spanish newcomer continues film buying binge

    2001-05-28T21:35:00Z

    Start-up Spanish distributor Alquimia Cinema, run by former Aurum Producciones head Francisco Ramos, has acquired all Spanish rights on four big-name films from Alliance Atlantis Pictures International and one from Pandora Cinema.From Alliance, Alquimia has picked up Lynne Ramsay's forthcoming Morvern Callar, Atom Egoyan's Ararat, Richard Kwietniowski's Owning Mahowny and ...

  • News

    Euro Kids Network dropped by Media Plus

    2001-05-28T21:39:00Z

    Financial support for Media Salles' Euro Kids Network (EKN) is being stopped as part of an overhaul of the cinema exhibition support initiatives of the MEDIA Plus Programme. The European Union-backed MEDIA Programme will instead concentrate its future support for the exhibition sector within the Europa Cinemas network.EKN was founded ...