Small MPU – Page 446
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News
Celestial parent to float on Malaysian stock exchange
Astro All Asia Networks, the Malaysian pay-TV operator that owns Hong Kong film studio Celestial Pictures, is to float on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange later this month. The flotation, handled by Goldman Sachs and Malaysian investment bank CIMB, is expected to raise up to $552m (M$2.1bn) of fresh cash. ...
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Carlton acquires large-format film processor
UK media group Carlton Communications is pushing into giant-screen formats by acquiring US film processor Consolidated Film Industries (CFI), Carlton announced on Monday (March 6).Carlton's film processing subsidiary, Technicolor, acquired CFI from its parent Continental Graphics for $48m in cash. CFI specialises in giant-screen and large film formats including IMAX. ...
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Reviews
Travellers & Magicians
Dir: Khyentse Norbu. Bhutan. 2003. 105 mins.Travellers & Magicians is the first feature film to be shot entirely within the secret and reclusive Kingdom of Bhutan. Like Khyentse Norbu's debut, The Cup, this magic realist fable is being handled by UK-based sales company HanWay. But buyers may find it less ...
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Reviews
Travellers & Magicians
Dir: Khyentse Norbu. Bhutan. 2003. 105 mins.Travellers & Magicians is the first feature film to be shot entirely within the secret and reclusive Kingdom of Bhutan. Like Khyentse Norbu's debut, The Cup, this magic realist fable is being handled by UK-based sales company HanWay. But buyers may find it less ...
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News
Blind Shaft falls victim to Chinese pressure
The International Film Festival of India (Oct 9-19) has pulled Li Yang's Blind Shaft from its line-up after the Chinese government expressed its objection to the film. The Hong Kong-German co-production has already played widely at festivals around the world, starting with its premiere at this year's Berlin Film Festival ...
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French exhibitors sweat as box office downturn bites
Calling themselves the film industry's 'poor relation', French exhibitors worried very vocally about the future of their business last week at a meeting held during the 58th annual exhibitors' conference in Deauville. The event, organised by the National Cinema Federation (FNCF), is similar to Show West in the US and ...
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...as foreign language hits benefit from French exposure
This year's two leading foreign-language releases at the international box office are both enjoying a major boost in France - where local films have been suffering of late.The biggest international foreign-language film so far this year is Zhang Yimou's Hero.It opened top in France last week (Sep 24-30) selling nearly ...
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Taiwan readies first teenage gay comedy
Reflecting the new commercial sensibility amongst Taiwan's young filmmakers, production starts October 7 on a film that it described as Taiwan's first ever teenage gay comedy. Formula 17, produced by start-up production company Three Dots Entertainment, is a light-hearted fable about a gay 17-year-old boy who moves to Taipei for ...
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Searchlight pacts with Wong Kar-Wai's Block 2
Fox Searchlight Pictures has signed a three-picture deal withaward-winning Hong Kong director-writer-producer Wong Kar Wai and his productionoutfit Block 2 Films.Under the terms of the deal, Block 2 and Searchlight willco-finance and co-distribute a minimum of three English-language films thatWong and Block 2 will produce. Wong will select the directors ...
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News
Pusan gets surprise North Korean sidebar
Ina late addition to its line-up South Korea's Pusan International Film Festival(PIFF) is to show a selection of seven films from North Korea. The move isbelieved to be the first time that films from the isolationist northern statehave been officially screened in public in the South.PIFFchief Kim Dong Ho said ...
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News
Dinard enjoys Pearl Earring, Alcohol
The Dinard Festival of British film handed out its top prize on Sunday in a split decision. Peter Webber's Girl With A Pearl Earring took home the Hitchcock d'Or but will split the purse that goes along with the award with Richard Jobson who won the directing prize for his ...
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News
School Of Rock rocks for Paramount with $20.2m
Paramount's comedy School Of Rock shook the charts at the weekend, openingnumber one on an estimated $20.2m.The film, which stars Jack Black as a struggling guitarist whouses a stint as a substitute teacher to spread his love of heavy metal music,enjoyed sensational reviews and averaged $7,728 from 2,614 sites.It was ...
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News
AFM: Armstrong, Blanchett in talks for Charlotte
Gillian Armstong is in advanced talks to direct FilmFour's adaptation of Sebastian Faulks' best-selling novel, Charlotte Gray.John Madden was previously expected to direct the high-profile project but he is now attached to Working Title Films' Captain Corelli's Mandolin. As previously reported, Cate Blanchett, the Australian actress who starred in Armstrong's ...
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News
Eco's medieval epic joins desert crusade
Thomas Schuehly, the producer of Oliver Stone's Alexander, is planning to return to Morocco withhis next project, an adaptation of Umberto Eco's medieval historical novel Baudolino that he hopes to shoot in 2005.Schuehly, who was also executive produced the screen adaptation ofEco's The Name Of The Rose, is trying to ...
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News
Brazil introduces film investment schemes
The fledgling government of Brazil's President Luis Inacio'Lula' da Silva is poised to announce a new subsidy grant of $9.2m (Reals 25m)towards film production.This is welcome news for a film community that has suffered fromrecent cutbacks in film investment from the public sector. State-owned companies such as BR, BNDES and ...
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News
Fox Searchlight launches In America strategy after screener ban
In the first practical response to the MPAA ban on screener tapes,Fox Searchlight is trying to get exposure for its Nov 26 opener In America directed by Jim Sheridan by hostingweekly paid screenings in the LA area starting Oct 9.The film, which was warmly received at Toronto 2002 and Sundance2003, ...
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Pie 3 opens top in Italy, New Zealand for Universal
Universal's American Pie: The Wedding opened number one in Italy on anestimated $2m from 337 sites through UIP at the weekend, grossing 40% more thanthe prequel's equivalent bow in 2001.The third instalment in the comedy franchise also opened top inNew Zealand, grossing $332,000 from 47, which was 23% ahead of ...
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UK Production Listings - October 6 2003
UNITED KINGDOM - October 6PRE-PRODUCTIONBRONTE (Random Harvest Pictures) Budget: $12m. Period drama. The moors above Yorkshire are harsh and life is severe for the Bronte family. Follows the lives of the famous writing family. Exec prods: Tim Smith, Melvyn Singer. Prods: Alistair Maclean-Clark, Basil Stephens. Dir: Marleen Gorris. Scr: Angela ...
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Stars express Marrakech support
The Marrakech International Film Festival (Oct 3-8) will likely move to November in 2004 to occupy a less crowded space on the international film calendar, and to avoid a clash with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.The festival, presided over this year by French actress Nathalie Baye, launched its third ...
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Reviews
School Of Rock
Dir: Richard Linklater. USA 2003. 100 minsOne of the best things about Richard Linklater's superb new comedy, School Of Rock, is that it doesn't take itself too seriously, as director Linklater has on occasion been wont to do. Employing the highest of high concepts - failed rock guitarist impersonates ...