Small MPU – Page 1612
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News
Hot docs swell Wild Bunch slate
French sales house Wild Bunch has added another controversy-stirring documentary to the huge line-up it will present at the Berlinale and the AFM later this month. It has also added two films that look made for high profile slots at Cannes.It has picked up world sales rights to The Yes ...
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Berlinale adds political spice to glitz cocktail
Glamour is set to walk hand in hand with politics along the red carpet at this year's Berlinale.First, there's the opening Cold Mountain bonanza tonight (Feb 5) fronted by Anthony Minghella, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Brendan Gleeson - although Nicole Kidman will be a no-show and Jude Law and Renee ...
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Germany's 'ambivalent' cinema year
"An ambivalent cinema year" was how Rolf Baehr, the outgoing board member of the German Federal Film Board (FFA), described 2003 on presenting Germany's official annual box office figures yesterday.While the box-office success of such local films as Good Bye, Lenin!, The Miracle Of Bern and Luther saw German ...
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Solo takes Your Next Life
German distributor Solo-Film has picked up veteran Spanish director Manuel Gutierrez Aragon's latest feature Your Next Life which will have its world premiere in the Berlinale's Official Competition on Feb 9.Meanwhile, Senator Film Verleih has been named as the distributor for Carsten Fiebeler's East-West comedy Kleinruppin Forever. Handled internationally by ...
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Deveau named MK2 acquisition chief
French mini-conglomerate MK2 comes to Berlin having recently appointed Jean-Francois Deveau as its new head of acquisitions.The move signals MK2's ambition to expand its theatrical releasing operations, which have taken a back-seat in the last couple of years as the group developed its exhibition portfolio and branched into DVDs.Deveau, who ...
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Ireland bucks downward Euro admissions trend
Irish box office revenues continued to climb - up 4% to Euros 97.5m in 2003, while admissions bucked the downward European trend and rose by 1% to 17.4 million, according to year-end analysis of cinema-going in the Republic of Ireland from Carlton Screen Advertising.The population of the Republic of Ireland ...
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Reviews
Akame 48 Waterfalls (Akame Shijyuyataki Shinjyumisui)
Dir: Genjiro Arato. Japan. 2003. 159minsA veteran producer of Seijun Suzuki (Zigeunerweisen, Kageroza, Yumeji) and the director of the 1995 The Girl Of The Silence, Genjiro Arato has returned to screen after an absence of eight years with Akame 48 Waterfalls, a film with Suzuki's characteristic mix of traditional Japanese ...
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Awards and festival invitations galore for Attila Janisch film
The new feature by Attila Janisch was the big winner at last night's awards' ceremony that closed the 35th edition of the Hungarian Film Week.His film, After The Day Before received the jury's main prize as well as awards for best cinematography going to Gabor Medvigy, best actor for Tibor ...
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Lions Gate brings home Canadian distribution
Lions Gate Entertainment has restructured its television division as well as the Canadian arms of its production and theatrical distribution outfits, where the company has brought sales functions back in-house after a two-year service agreement with Alliance Atlantis'' distribution subsidiary, Odeon Films. The following personnel were promoted in the restructuring: ...
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Roadside and Goldwyn pick up US rights to Super Size Me
Roadside Attractions anddistribution partner Samuel Goldwyn Films have picked up US theatrical andvideo rights to Morgan Spurlock's hot Sundanceaward-winner Super Size Me.Spurlock won the BestDirector award in the festival's documentary section last month andearned wide popularity for the film, which charts his efforts to eat onlyMcDonalds food over the course ...
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News
DVD piracy on the rise in Asia-Pacific, MPAA report warns
The Motion PictureAssociation of America (MPAA) said it organised and conducted anti-piracyoperations in the Asia-Pacific region last year that resulted in nearly 13,000raids by law enforcement agencies, as well as the seizure of nearly 45millionpirated optical discs, a new record.Videotape seizures in 2003dropped 55% compared to 2002, while seizures of ...
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News
Walden Media fast-tracks three children's projects
Fast-tracking threechildren's projects, Walden Media has acquired rights to KatherinePaterson's Newbery Award-winning novel Bridge To Terabithia and Australian author Wendy Orr's award-winnerNim's Island and has signedAntz writer Todd Alcott to adaptLois Lowry's Newbery Award-winner The Giver.The company has partneredwith Jeff Bridges and his AsIs Productions and RCN Entertainment (RCNE) toproduce.'These ...
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News
OZ producers' conference moves date, location
The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) plans to stage its annual conference three months earlier than usual and relocate it to Queensland's Surfers Paradise, so that it overlaps with the Australian International Movie Convention."This decision can only grow Australia's film business because of the opportunities that will come from ...
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South Africa launches anti-piracy campaign
South Africa's major entertainment company, Johnnic communications unveiled a multi-million rand public education campaign to combat piracy over the festive season which is beginning to see results.In this past week alone a consignment of over 13,300 pirated DVDS was intercepted at customs at Johannesburg International Airport. Advertisements in the campaign ...
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News
UK/IRELAND
While only placing 17th in the UK/Ireland chart Gus Van Sant's 2003 Cannes Palme D'Or winner Elephant drew a heavyweight screen average during its strong bow in the territory last weekend.Playing at just 17 locations the documentary-styled drama, which tells a Columbinesque story of two disenchanted high school boys who ...
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News
Filmax creates second Spanish base
Spanish mini-studio Filmax is expanding its Barcelona-based activities with plans for a new, integrated hub in the northwest Galicia region.The company has appointed former TV producer Xose Manuel Barreira new general manager to oversee activities in the region, where Filmax Animation and part-owned animation factory Bren Entertainment are currently headquartered."Galicia ...
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European Film Market faces growing pains
This year's Berlinale European Film Market (EFM), which opens today, is going to be bigger than ever before - but its chief is playing down its growth prospects once the American Film Market loses its February slot from 2005."We don't know what is coming. We cannot just assume that the ...
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Sex drama entices Winterbottom
With $30,000 in development money from United Artists, last year's Golden Bear winner Michael Winterbottom has started shooting what promises to be his most contentious project yet - a fully sexually explicit relationship drama.He is yet to decide whether the film will ever be released or indeed even completed. "We're ...
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Telefonica grabs Venezuela's Chevere
Terra Networks, the Internet subsidiary of Spanish telecommunications and media giant Telefonica, has acquired one of Venezuela''s top web portals, Chevere (www.chevere.com). Terra aims to become the leading Internet provider for the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets and maintains web interests in seven countries in Latin America and the US.Terra''s move ...
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UK Film Council tickled by Spanish comedy
The UK Film Council is to make its first ever investment in a Spanish language film as part of a bid to extend ties with mainland European partners.Spanish comedy Only Human will receive £298,723 in UK lottery investment.The Meet The Family-style comedy to be directed by Teresa De Pelegri and ...