Small MPU – Page 533

  • Reviews

    Spanish stars head home for new projects

    2005-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Spain's most exportable filmtalent, led by Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz,are going back to their roots for their most recent productions.Cruz has signed on to star oppositeAdrien Brody in English-language bullfighting biopic Manolete, whichbegins shooting on March 21 in Cordoba, Seville and Madrid.Meanwhile, Banderas began filming in his hometown of ...

  • News

    Dutch film's local admissions up by almost 14%

    2005-12-20T11:52:00Z

    With 2.5million admissions for local features so far and the rest of December to go atthe box office, the Dutch films' box office for 2005 is up by at least 13.6%.In 2004, 2.2million tickets were sold for Dutch films in total. Children's and youth filmsform the most significant part of ...

  • News

    Transamerica is a big hit internationally for ContentFilm

    2005-12-20T12:29:00Z

    ContentFilm PLC announced a raft of sales for its newest acquisition, Transamerica, whose star, FelicityHuffman, received the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Dramatic Actress, as did Dolly Parton for Best Original Song.ContentFilm acquired the international distribution rights to the dramatic comedy(excluding North America) in April this year ...

  • News

    EFM 2006 will be 50% larger than 2005

    2005-12-20T14:30:00Z

    EFM director Beki Probst revealed that due to the large demand fromsales companies, we decided at thelast moment to provide additional space'We have about 40 more EFM Business Suites on the fifthfloor of Potsdamer Str.11 (where the Berlinale GuestReception is housed) to give more companies achance of having a presence ...

  • News

    Spanish gov't extends broadcast licence deadline

    2000-06-05T16:12:00Z

    Spain's government has extended the application period for new radio and TV licences until July 3, reportedly in an attempt to motivate competitors to form joint consortia.The original filing period for the new five-year licences, due to be awarded by November 30, ended Friday, June 2. The entry of two ...

  • News

    European Film Market to open second 'spillover' site

    2005-12-20T14:38:00Z

    The European Film Market's move to a new venue - The Martin-Gropius-Bau - in February has been over-subscribed, resulting in a market 50 percent bigger than 2005 and prompting EFM organisers to open a 'spillover' venue for 40 companies.EFM director Beki Probst revealed that due to the large demand from ...

  • News

    Berlin reveals first Competition titles

    2005-12-20T16:45:00Z

    New films by Terrence Malick, Chen Kaige and Oskar Roehler are among the first nine titles confirmed for the Berlin Film Festival next February.Star power accompanying the six world premieres which have been announced should include: Sigourney Weaver, Heath Ledger, George Clooney and Matt Damon among others. The premieres include ...

  • Reviews

    Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World

    2005-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Dir/scr: Albert Brooks.2005. US. 98mins.The title LookingFor Comedy In The Muslim World is perhaps the bravest part of AlbertBrooks' new film, in which he plays himself, travelling to India and Pakistanon behalf of the US government to research what makes Hindus and Muslims laugh.Also brave was Brooks'decision for his feature ...

  • News

    Miami launches Latin American showcase

    2005-12-21T04:00:00Z

    TheMiami International Film Festival (MIFF) will launch MIFF Abroad in March 2006,an annual Latin American cinema showcase that kicks off next year with Chile.Organised in association with the ChileanMinistry of Culture, the Consulate General of Chile in Miami, and emergingChilean producers including Cristina Littin and Ursula Budnik, MIFF Abroadcomprises two ...

  • News

    Toronto critics hail Cronenberg's History

    2005-12-21T04:00:00Z

    David Cronenberg's AHistory Of Violence won three prizesincluding Best Picture as the Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) unveiledits picks for 2005. Toronto-based Cronenberg wasnamed Best Director. while the film itself was deemed Best Canadian Film -despite the fact it was fully-financed by US studio New Line and does not qualifyas ...

  • News

    Spanish Film Screenings at Lanzarote cancelled

    2005-12-21T11:45:00Z

    The Spanish Film Screenings of Lanzarote, a three-day mini-market for Spanish cinema heldevery winter in the Canary Islands, have been cancelledafter six editions.The Screenings drew anywhere from50 to 90 international buyers each winter to the Spanish archipelago off thenorthwest coast of Africa. After five years running inlate November and early ...

  • News

    VOD release dates agreed by French film, TV and Internet providers

    2005-12-21T12:40:00Z

    Evokinga move towards "the responsible spreading of film," French culture minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres announced Tuesday the signing of a new accordbetween French film and television groups and Internet providers.Centeredaround video-on-demand (VOD), the signatories agreedto a 33 week window following a theatrical release before films becomeavailable. In the case ...

  • News

    Local Christmas comedies top Italian box office

    2005-12-22T04:00:00Z

    On its opening weekend in Italy, King Kong paled in comparison to two local Christmas comedies,which stormed into the Italian box office, beating the giant ape into thirdplace. Filmauro's Christmas inMiami grossed a huge $3,659,566from 447 screens on its opening weekend, registering a massive screen averageof $8,148 per screen. The ...

  • News

    Crash makes history with civil rights award

    2005-12-21T00:00:00Z

    Lionsgate'sCrash has become the first filmto be honoured with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights' (LCCR) 2006Hubert Humphrey Civil Rights Award."When I saw Crash I was deeplymoved not just by the powerful portrayal of the racial, ethnic and classtensions in our society, but because the characters and situations felt soreal," ...

  • News

    AFI unveils 2005 moments of significance

    2005-12-21T00:00:00Z

    The American FilmInstitute (AFI) has unveiled its moments of significance in 2005, which includemedia consolidation, artistic responses to 9/11, and the downward trend intheatrical admissions.Pointing to consolidation, AFI officers noted the corporate acquisitions of MGMand DreamWorks, adding in a statement: "AFI hopes that this trend forconsolidation will respect the rich ...

  • News

    Depp, Winslet to narrate IMAX Deep Sea 3D

    2005-12-22T00:00:00Z

    Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet will jointly narrate and DannyElfman will score the IMAX and Warner Bros. giant-screen documentary DeepSea 3D.Set for release in IMAX cinemas on Mar 3, 2006, the film marks the secondoriginal giant-screen documentary for Warner Bros following the successfulrelease of NASCAR 3D, whichgrossed nearly $23m worldwide ...

  • News

    China box office, production levels up in 2005

    2005-12-22T00:00:00Z

    China's box office grew by 30% to $248m (RMB2bn) in 2005, according tofigures announced on Wednesday by the Film Bureau of the State Administrationof Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). The growth is lower thanlast year when box office receipts increased by 50% to $186m (RMB1.5bn). Localfilms accounted for 55% of ...

  • News

    Pride & Prejudice Leads London Critics nominations

    2005-12-22T11:40:00Z

    The London Critics Circlehas announced nominees for its annual film awards, with Pride & Prejudice leading the way with eight nominations. The Constant Gardener was close behindwith seven nominations. UIP was the UK distributor with the most nominations at 20 ahead ofPathe's 14.The winners will beannounced on Feb 9 at ...

  • News

    Report confirms difficult times for Irish film industry

    2005-12-22T11:58:00Z

    The Audiovisual Federation of Ireland's employer's lobbyIBEC has released its annual report for 2005, reviewing production andemployment statistics across the film and TV sectors in 2004 and givingestimates for 2005.Produced just as the new measures were being adopted in Britainthe foreword to the report by producer James Flynn of Octagon ...

  • News

    British Film Institute to refurbish its South Bank venue

    2005-12-22T13:02:00Z

    The British Film Institute (bfi)announced on Tuesday that a significantly refurbished and improved venue on theSouth Bank will open in Autumn 2006, intime for the Times bfi50th London Film Festival.. Work starts at the beginning of January 2006 to revitalisethe existing National Film Theatre (NFT) building and to transform the ...