Small MPU – Page 296

  • News

    Scheckel joins Christie in new international business post

    2007-11-01T00:37:00Z

    George D Scheckel Jr has been appointed to the new position of director of international business development of digital projection pioneer Christie's entertainment solutions business division. Scheckel will spearhead business development, identify new market opportunities for digital cinema, and develop relationships in the exhibition and distribution sectors. ...

  • News

    Inaugural Brit List highlights most liked unproduced screenplays

    2007-11-01T05:00:00Z

    A list of the most liked and recommended unproduced screenplays in the UK and Ireland has got tongues wagging across the local film community. Compiled from a survey of 40 producers, acquisitions executives, agents, sales agents and public funders, the list has been circulating widely. It is intended to echo ...

  • News

    National Geographic Entertainment taps Beal as president

    2007-11-01T01:20:00Z

    National Geographic Global Media (NGGM) has launched National Geographic Entertainment, an umbrella company that combines the group's film, home video, music and radio divisions. David Beal has been named president of National Geographic Entertainment, hot on the heels of Tim Kelly's appointment as NGGM president last week. Beal ...

  • News

    Pfeiffer, Kutcher get together for romance Personal Effects

    2007-11-01T05:00:00Z

    Michelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher will star opposite each other in the romance Personal Effects, which is set to begin filming in Vancouver on Nov 26.Los Angeles-based Voltage Pictures will commence sales at AFM after company chief Nicolas Chartier acquired rights from Vancouver-based Insight Film Studios.Kutcher will play a young ...

  • News

    Asian buyers eat up Show East's Le Grand Chef

    2007-11-01T01:21:00Z

    Korean seller Show East has closed a raft of Asian deals on foodie drama Le Grand Chef. Among sales concluded so far at AFM, Festive Films has acquired the film for Singapore and Taiwan, Sundream Motion Pictures for Hong Kong, M-Pictures for Thailand and AOE for Malaysia. Show East is ...

  • News

    Hollywood writers talks break down

    2007-11-01T06:38:00Z

    The prospect of a Hollywood writers strike was heightened after talks between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach agreement on a new contract.Talks ended last night with the sticking point appearing to be over payments to writers on ...

  • News

    Interview: Julie Taymor

    2007-11-01T10:30:00Z

    Julie Taymor seems fated to direct a musical based on Beatle's songs - when an approach for a Broadway version fell through, the opportunity quickly re-established itself through Revolution Studios, who specifically wanted Taymor for the job. The services of British screenwriters, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, had already ...

  • News

    Interview: Julie Taymor

    2007-11-01T10:30:00Z

    Julie Taymor seems fated to direct a musical based on Beatles songs - when an approach for a Broadway version fell through, the opportunity quickly re-established itself through Revolution Studios, who specifically wanted Taymor for the job. The services of British screenwriters, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, had already ...

  • Reviews

    Bee Movie

    2007-11-01T11:11:00Z

    Dir: Simon J. Smith & Steve Hickner. US. 2007. 90mins.Misguided narrative choices prevent Bee Movie, small screen king Jerry Seinfeld's sociable freshman entry into the animated fray, from fully taking flight. Spinning the story of a young bee who discovers life outside of his hive and sues humankind over their ...

  • News

    UK government pledges $9.3m support for film festivals

    2007-11-01T11:39:00Z

    The UK government has announced a $9.3m (£4.5m) three-year package of support for British film festivals.Culture Secretary James Purnell said the money was intended to raise the profile of British film and to broaden the interest in cinema.The money will come from the National Lottery. The UK Film will make ...

  • News

    Elisabeth Murdoch joins UK publisher Future

    2000-09-11T10:02:00Z

    Elisabeth Murdoch has joined the board of UK magazine publisher Future Network.Murdoch takes up the position of non-executive director, her first post since quitting her father's satellite TV company BSkyB three months ago. The former managing director of Sky Networks joins with immediate effect.Future Network announced the appointment as it ...

  • News

    Chengtian acquires 25% stake in Golden Harvest

    2007-11-01T14:45:00Z

    Beijing-based Chengtian Entertainment Group has reached a deal with Raymond Chow, chairman of Hong Kong 's Golden Harvest Entertainment, to buy his shareholding in the company. Chengtian will pay $26m (HK$202m) in cash for a 24.78% stake and $2.6m (HK$20m) in convertible notes in Golden Harvest from Chow and related ...

  • News

    Bleiberg picks up international sales on Israeli hit Noodle

    2007-11-02T05:00:00Z

    Los Angeles-based Bleiberg Entertainment has picked up Ayelet Menahemi's Israeli drama Noodle and is commencing sales at AFM.Mili Avital, Anat Waxman and Baoqi Chen star in the tale of a flight attendant who looks after an abandoned Chinese boy whose immigrant mother has been deported. Waxman won best supporting actress ...

  • News

    High Point sells Extraordinary Rendition to North America and Latin America

    2007-11-01T16:52:00Z

    High Point Media Group has kicked off AFM with two new sales for Jim Threapleton's Extraordinary Rendition. The film was sold to North America (BFS Entertainment) and Latin America (LAPTV). Extraordinary Rendition, starring Andy Serkis and Omar Berdouni, is about an innocent man abducted from London and interrogated abroad.'We are ...

  • News

    Persepolis, Unrelated take prizes at London Film Festival

    2007-11-01T19:00:00Z

    The Times BFI London Film Festival closed last night with its Sutherland Trophy going to Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's Persepolis.The Sutherland is for the most original and imaginative first feature at the festival.The Sutherland jury said the film was 'an astonishing and courageous film which captures a universal story ...

  • News

    Whistler unveils competition line-up including Continental and Amal

    2007-11-01T17:53:00Z

    Stephane Lafleur's Continental: A Film Without Guns and Richie Mehta's Amal are among the six titles competing at the upcoming Whistler Film Festival. Continental premiered at Venice and won the Best First Canadian Feature Film prize at Toronto. Amal debuted at Toronto. Other titles in the Whistler competition are Mark ...

  • News

    Hot Docs in April 2008 to spotlight Iran and Mexico

    2007-11-01T17:56:00Z

    Contemporary documentary cinema from Iran will be the focus of National Spotlight programme of the 15th annual Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, it was announced yesterday. Mexico has been selected for the festival's other national-themed sidebar, the Made In programme. The festival runs from April 17 to ...

  • News

    Spiderwick Chronicles set for simultaneous IMAX release

    2007-11-01T18:02:00Z

    Paramount Pictures will release The Spiderwick Chronicles simultaneously in IMAX and conventional cinemas, the companies announced today. The fantasy adventure will be released in the US and Canada on February 15, 2008. The agreement is the fourth between Paramount and IMAX in the past five months. Paramount releases an IMAX ...

  • News

    Weed leads nominations for Asian Festival of 1st Films

    2007-11-01T20:04:00Z

    Chinese director Wang Liren's feature debut Weed is the frontrunner at the 3rd Asian Festival of 1st Films (AFFF) with five nominations, including best film and best director. The picture which premiered at Rotterdam this year is about a day-wage worker in Beijing who falls for a prostitute which leads ...

  • News

    Jaman seals strategic partnership with Terra.com

    2007-11-02T05:00:00Z

    Online film community Jaman.com has signed a multi-year strategic partnership with leading Latino internet portal Terra.com. The deal see Jaman become a featured provider of Spanish-language and Latino-themed movies for Terra.com's community of 6.6 million unique users. In addition, Jaman will showcase to its users, the four short films that ...