Small MPU – Page 54

  • News

    CineAsia wraps with confirmation of move to Macau

    2006-12-08T00:00:00Z

    After two years in Beijing, exhibition trade show and conference CineAsia willmove to Macau, a Special Administrative Region in South China, in 2007. Robert Sunshine, vice president of VNUFilm Exposition Group, announced the move at the closing ceremony of thisyear's conference on Thursday in Beijing.Sunshine added that the new venue ...

  • News

    Eurimages gives $5.7m backing to 14 features

    2006-12-08T04:00:00Z

    The Council of Europe Eurimages Fund Board of Management has agreed to invest $5.7m (Euros 4.3m)in 12 films.They are:* Dusan Rapos' Cinka Panna (Slovakia/Hungary) * Amos Gitai'sDesengagement (France/Italy/Israel) * Carlos Saura's Fados (Portugal/Spain) * Ole Christian Madsen's Flammen & Citronen (Denmark/Germany) * Dagur Kari's The Good Heart (Iceland/ Denmark/France) * ...

  • News

    Chesneau appointed Rezo's head of world sales

    2006-12-08T08:00:00Z

    Sebastien Chesneau has joined Rezo Films International, the sales arm of Paris-based producer/distributor Rezo Films as head of world sales. Chesneau, who took up his functions on December 1, replaces outgoing sales head Cecile Gaget.Previously at Celluloid Dreams (2004-2006), Chesneau was also a sales executive at France Televisions Distribution from ...

  • Reviews

    The Pursuit of Happyness

    2006-12-08T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Gabriele Muccino. US. 2006. 117mins.Playing against type, Will Smith finds a role wellsuited to his talents in the true-life drama The Pursuit Of Happyness.Though a conventional "inspirational" tale of a saintly underdog findinghard-earned success through sheer will, it stays afloat thanks largely toSmith's effortless charm.In a crowded holidayfilm season, ...

  • News

    $30m epic to become most expensive Scandianavian film

    2006-12-08T14:00:00Z

    Svensk Filmindustri's The Knight Templar is to set to become Scandinavia's most expensive feature with a budget of $30.3 million (Euro 22.8 million).The film is an adaptation of Swedish writer Jan Guillou's bestselling trilogy of Arn Magnusson to be shot in two parts by the Swedish major.Danish director Peter Flinth ...

  • News

    CMG seals French, Scandinavia deals on Darryl Hunt

    2006-12-09T00:00:00Z

    Ed Noeltner's Cinema Management Group has closed deals onthe Oscar shortlisted wrongful imprisonment documentary The Trials Of DarrylHunt.Rights have gone to France (Free Dolphin), Scandinavia (NobleFilms), Portugal (Filmes Unimundos) and Iceland (Sena Films).Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's film is attracting stronginterest from buyers in Spain, Australia and Japan; it will ...

  • Reviews

    Home Of The Brave

    2006-12-09T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Irwin Winkler. US.2006. 107mins.The first Hollywood film to directly address theemotional and political repercussions of the USoccupation of Iraq,Irwin Winkler's Home Of The Brave isa particularly blunt instrument that never satisfies as entertainment,effective storytelling or moral inquiry.Didactic and politicallyincoherent, its complex and emotionally risky scenariois the return of several ...

  • News

    Cinemavault takes international rights to Puffy Chair

    2006-12-09T00:00:00Z

    Cinemavault Releasing International has acquired all internationalrights to Jay Duplass' 2005 Sundance Audience Award winning romantic comedy ThePuffy Chair.The film tells of a man who embarks on a road trip todeliver an outsized birthday gift to his father. Roadside Attractions and RedEnvelope Entertainment handled the US release.Mark Duplass wrote and ...

  • News

    TWC, Genius Products enter alliance with RHI Entertainment

    2006-12-09T00:00:00Z

    The Weinstein Company (TWC) and home entertainment distributorGenius Products have entered into a strategic alliance with RHI Entertainment(formerly Hallmark Entertainment).Under the terms of the deal the parties will co-produce andco-finance a slate of television productions, including series, miniseries andmovies-of-the-week.Worldwide home video distribution of co-productions will gothrough Genius Products and worldwide ...

  • News

    Micosoft's Broes hired at Paramount Digital Entertainment

    2006-12-11T04:00:00Z

    Derek Broes has been hired as senior vice president of worldwidebusiness development at Paramount Digital Entertainment. In the newly created position Broes will be responsible foridentifying new business opportunities across broadband and mobile platforms.He reports directly to Paramount Digital Entertainment presidentThomas Lesinski.Broes arrives from Microsoft Corporation where he served as ...

  • News

    Imax puts itself on the block

    2000-07-13T17:24:00Z

    Pioneering giant-screen entertainment company, Imax Corp, has hired investment firms Goldman Sachs and Wasserstein, Perella & Co to advise it on sale or merger opportunities. The company's share price jumped 18% to $26.50 yesterday on the news.In a prepared statement, co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler said: "Our ...

  • News

    Senator ends dispute over X-Filme

    2006-11-08T00:00:00Z

    Producer-distributor Senator Entertainment is to retain its 56.1% interest in the Berlin production house X-Filme Creative Pool after an out-of-court settlement.The dispute dates back to 2004 when Senator filed for insolvency, since when there has been often acrimonious wrangling about the stake in X-FIlme.Now Senator's new majority shareholders Marco Weber ...

  • News

    The Red Cockatoo takes top prize at Marrakech

    2006-11-10T06:30:00Z

    Germany's Dominik Graf picked up the top prize at the 6th Marrakech International Film Festival for his The Red Cockatoo this weekend. Max Riemelt also took the Best Actor prize for the same film.The Jury Prize went to Romania's Radu Muntean for The Paper Will Be Blue while Best Actress ...

  • News

    Norway continues local production revival

    2006-11-10T06:30:00Z

    2006 is set to follow 2003 in taking local films in Norwegian cinemas back to a level not seen since the 1970s.Stein Slyngstad, managing director of the Norwegian Film Fund, said ticket sales for domestic productions over the last week reached around 1.9 million, with three Norwegian features close to ...

  • News

    Apocalypto beats out Holiday in North America

    2006-12-11T00:00:00Z

    Hollywood's love for a second act and filmgoers' capacity for forgivenessrendered Mel Gibson's arrest for drunk driving and subsequent anti-semitictirade four months ago a distant memory as Apocalypto opened top at the North American box office this weekend.Gibson's R-rated Mayan epic, released in North America throughBuena Vista, launched on a ...

  • News

    AFI names its ten best of 2006 including Borat, Prada

    2006-12-11T00:00:00Z

    The top 10 films of 2006 as voted by the American Film Institute(AFI) are: Babel, Borat, The Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Half Nelson,Happy Feet, Inside Man, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, and United 93.AFI will honour the creative ensembles behind each film at a lunchin Los Angeles on ...

  • News

    Casino wins the weekend again for SPRI with $36.2m

    2006-12-11T00:00:00Z

    Nothing could prise James Bond's kung-fu grip off the number oneberth for a fourth consecutive weekend as Casino Royale swept towards $250m.Sony Pictures Releasing International's (SPRI) 007 adventure addedan estimated $36.2m from 7,730 prints in 63 territories to stand at $247.2m. Itshould overtake Die Another Day's $271.1mnext weekend to become ...

  • News

    Iwo Jima voted best picture of 2006 by LA Critics

    2006-12-11T00:00:00Z

    Clint Eastwood's LettersFrom Iwo Jima, already named bestpicture of the year by the National Board Of Review on Wednesday, was namesbest picture of 2006 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA)yesterday (Sunday). The runner-up was The Queen.The 32nd annualLAFCA achievement awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on ...

  • News

    Universal Studios to open theme park in Singapore

    2006-12-11T00:00:00Z

    Universal Studios is set toopen its largest theme park in Asia after Infinity@The Bay, a joint venture betweenGenting International and Star Cruises, clinched the bid for the project todevelop an integrated resort on Sentosa island in Singapore. To be located on the eastside of the site, the Universal Studios Singapore ...

  • Reviews

    Charlotte's Web

    2006-12-11T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Gary Winick. 2006.97mins.While no live-action/CGI-hybrid about talking animalsis ever likely to match or surpass Chris Noonan's Babe (1995), the film adaptation of Charlotte's Web proves itself a pleasant and engaging addition tothe genre.Since its publication in1952, EB White's classic tale of friendship has been translated into 23languages and has ...