Small MPU – Page 311

  • Reviews

    Mr Brooks

    2007-05-31T09:03:00Z

    Dir: Bruce A. Evans. US. 2007. 117mins.A lurching, zigzag tale of serial murder, killer apprenticeship, malevolent reverence and cat-and-mouse investigation, Kevin Costner's Mr Brooks puts a deliciously warped spin on what are by now many prim and proper thriller conventions. A throwback to a certain breed of wildly plot-driven thrillers ...

  • News

    Weinsteins acquires domestic rights to Woody Allen film

    2007-05-31T10:35:00Z

    The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired US, Australian and New Zealand rights to Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream. TWC expects to open the film in North America later this year. The completed drama, starring Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Tom Wilkinson, Sally Hawkins and newcomer Hayley Atwell, ...

  • News

    QED secures $50m credit facility from Comerica and Aramid

    2007-05-31T02:40:00Z

    Los Angeles-based finance and international sales company QED International has secured a $50m revolving credit facility from senior lender Comerica Bank and the London-based Aramid Entertainment Fund. The new financing facility will allow QED to 'directly and quickly' greenlight projects, said CEO Bill Block. 'This ...

  • News

    Deauville competition line-up echoes Sundance

    2000-08-14T18:01:00Z

    Several Sundance titles feature in the competition line-up at this year's Deauville Festival of American Cinema (September 1-10), including Ben Younger's Boiler Room, Miguel Arteta's Chuck And Buck and Karyn Kusama's Girlfight.Other Sundance titles in the nine-strong line-up include Rob Schmidt's Crime And Punishment In Suburbia, Brad Anderson's Happy Accidents, ...

  • News

    Conget takes VP distribution role at Film Movement

    2007-05-31T10:43:00Z

    US independent and foreign distributor Film Movement has hired Rebeca Conget for the newly created position of vice president of theatrical distribution. Conget, who has been vice president of theatrical distribution at New Yorker Films for the past 10 years, will be responsible for expanding and running ...

  • News

    Rogue and Random House take film rights to Sigler novel

    2007-05-31T10:46:00Z

    Scott Sigler's novel Infested, to be published in the US and Canada next spring by Random House's Crown imprint, has been acquired for development by Random House Films and Rogue Pictures. The thriller is the first in a series of at least two books. Crown has a ...

  • News

    Ambitious Pixion recruits visual effects master Crawford

    2007-05-31T13:18:00Z

    Pixion, the post-production arm of Century Communication Limited (CCL), has recruited specialist David Crawford to lead its VFX team in India. Crawford is associated with Hollywood blockbusters such as Spiderman, Titanic, Mission Impossible 2, XXX, and Vanilla Sky.Pixion has recently seen an exponential growth and is working on around 40 ...

  • News

    Canada promises piracy clampdown to visiting Schwarzenegger

    2007-05-31T14:13:00Z

    He didn't come seeking it, but The Terminator's presence in Canada's capital triggered the promise of a new Canadian anti-camcorder bill. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Canada on a trade mission, promoting everything from his state's fruit and vegetables to wine, high technology and climate-change awareness, but it ...

  • News

    Hunton takes new role at Paramount Home Entertainment

    2007-05-31T15:25:00Z

    Paramount Home Entertainment International (PHEI) has appointed Don Hunton to a new post as executive vice president, general manager Paramount Home Entertainment for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Hunton was previously senior vice president of the Asia Pacific, UK and Ireland regions for PHEI. Prior to joining PHEI, he ...

  • News

    Lithuania becomes eligible for Eurimages funding

    2007-05-31T15:46:00Z

    Lithuania has become the 33rd country to join Eurimages, the Council of Europe-supported film co-production, distribution and exhibition fund. The Eurimages board had recommended the inclusion at its March 2006 meeting and Lithuanian authorities have now confirmed their membership. Now all projects involving a Lithuanian co-producer can be considered for ...

  • News

    Editorial opinion: complications at birth

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    'This story, in which we believe so much, is going to reach lots of people now,' Cristian Mungiu said as he deservedly collected his Palme d'Or.The victory for 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days will indeed allow the film to spread its wings. Its success points to the sound ...

  • News

    Sweet 60 for Cannes

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    The 60th edition raised expectations but the festival and market succeeded because Cannes concentrated on what it has always done best. Michael Gubbins and Mike Goodridge report.The merchandising, and particularly the ubiquitous poster, made sure no-one forgot it was the festival's diamond jubilee. But there was a commendable refusal to ...

  • Features

    In focus - Festival Buzz - Cannes Talent Watch

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu, actors, 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 DaysThe understated, emotionally nuanced performances from the two young stars of Cristian Mungiu's abortion drama helped propel the Romanian title to the Palme d'Or. "The leads never put a foot wrong, giving remarkably controlled and unaffected performances," is ...

  • News

    Charlie Kaufman: worlds within worlds

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    Charlie Kaufman started production last week on his first feature as a director, Synecdoche, New York, with a cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman. On the eve of the shoot, Kaufman and Spike Jonze, one of his producers, talked exclusively to Mike Goodridge. Oddly, I'm not scared,' Charlie Kaufman says ...

  • News

    Advanced signs on for MGM's Heartbreakers

    2000-08-14T18:27:00Z

    Munich-based Advanced Medien is co-financing MGM's Heartbreakers, starring Sigourney Weaver, Gene Hackman and Jennifer Love Hewitt, in return for German-speaking theatrical rights and a percentage of worldwide box office receipts. UK-based Winchester Films is handling international sales on the film which is currently in production in Los Angeles. German-speaking free ...

  • News

    Fuel's gold

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    Small can be very sweet, as the Irish director discovered when his new film Garage was well-received at Cannes last week. He talks to Ted Sheehy. Lenny Abrahamson's first film, Adam & Paul, is one of the most successful Irish films of recent years. And with the film's cult status ...

  • News

    Ring of truth

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    The Austrian auteur tells Vladan Petkovic why blurring the line between fact and fiction is the hallmark of his work. Austria's Ulrich Seidl is a film-maker best known for his documentaries such as Loss Is To Be Expected and Animal Love, as well as the Venice prize-winner Dog Days, the ...

  • News

    Family business

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    The daughter of film-maker Luis Puenzo has emerged as an exciting international talent with Cannes favourite XXY. Diego Batlle reports. A renowned novelist and screenwriter in Argentina, Lucia Puenzo is enjoying an exciting 2007 with a new book recently published and her first feature, XXY, selected for Cannes' Critics Week. ...

  • Features

    Thailand - Whirlwind Affair in Bangkok

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    After two high-profile international co-productions, Invisible Waves and Last Life In The Universe, Pen-ek Ratanaruang has returned to his Thai roots with the $2m Ploy, a riff on The Seven Year Itch. The film played in Directors' Fortnight at Cannes, where critics described it as dark, erotic and funny.Ploy follows ...

  • Features

    Industry moves

    2007-06-01T00:00:00Z

    CONI TAKES HELM AT 01Adriano Coni has been named the new president of Italy's 01 Distribution, the distribution arm of RAI Cinema. Coni previously acted as chief of both RAI Cinema's marketing and human resources divisions.MEDIA 8 INTERNATIONAL ROLE FOR ANISIThe US's Media 8 Entertainment has hired Tannaz Anisi as ...