Small MPU – Page 572
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News
Middle East companies unite to acquire, finance films
Anew strategic alliance has been created in the Middle East between Dubai'sFront Row Entertainment, Lebanon's Shooting Stars and the Kuwait NationalCinema Company (KNCC). Thethree outfits will partner to jointly finance and acquire independent film. Ina statement, the companies said they were "committed to working proactivelywith the ministry of information in ...
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Cinemavault spins into SJP's butter
Toronto-based Cinemavault Releasing International is bringing a line-upof 10 titles to AFM including Sarah Jessica Parker's first feature producercredit in Spinning Into Butter and the high school sports drama 30 Days starring Ellen Burstyn and Taye Diggs.Directed by Mark Brokaw, Spinning Into Butter stars Parker as the dean of a ...
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Cineclick generates market buzz with Korean duo
Korean sales agent CineclickAsia is introducing two new productions to international buyers at the AFM- Blue Swallow, based onthe true story of Korea's first female aviator, and Bong Joon-ho's $10m monstermovie The Host. Both films were stirring upbuyer interest at the recent market Pusan film market, held alongside the PusanInternational ...
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Horizon sources new supplier in Stadium
Rob Straight's Vancouver-based Horizon Entertainment has signed a dealwith Randy Purcell's Stadium Entertainment under which the partners will bringfour to six new pictures to world markets in 2006.The alliance will announce in due course their upcoming roster of English-languagetitles and promise pictures with worldwide appeal, name cast and globallyrecognisable directors.Horizon ...
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IMAX, Epic to build three giant screen theatres in Israel
IMAX Corp. and US-based EpicEntertainment have signed an agreement to install three giant-screen cinemas atmultiplexes throughout Israel. The new facilities willprogramme digitally re-mastered Hollywood films. Specific locationannouncements are pending. In a statement, Epic's Bennett Kaplan and PeterIsraelson said the company hopes to build on the success of its originalinvestment, a ...
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Tartan buys US rights to Father's Den
Salesagent NZ Film has sold US rights to psychological drama In My Father's Den to Tartan Films, which is looking to release thefilm theatrically in May 2006.Itseems a little late for the UK/New Zealand co-production to be making such asale given that it was one of the darlings of the ...
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Rezo takes on sales for Finnish martial arts movie Jade Warrior
Paris-based Rezo FilmsInternational is to handle sales on AJ Annila's Jade Warrior, the Scandinavian-Chinese co-production billed asFinland's first ever martial arts movie.Blind Spot Pictures, theFinnish co-producer of Lars Von Trier's Dancer In The Dark, is producing in association with San Fu Maltha's FuWorks in the Netherlands (Maltha's A-Films will release ...
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Pathe, Reason team on Apted's football documentary
Pathe Pictures and LA-based ReasonPictures are teaming up for Michael Apted's new feature documentary aboutfootball around the world. The film will feature sixintertwining stories in what Pathe calls a "moving examination of the socialimpact of the game across the world."It is currently inproduction, with footage already shot in South Africa, ...
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THINKFilm picks up worldwide rights to Beastie Boys doc
THINKFilm has picked up worldwide rights to the Beastie Boysconcert documentary Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That and plans a spring 2006 theatricalrelease.Nathaniel Hornblower aka band member Adam Yauch directed thepicture, which features 50 difference audience perspectives from an October2004 concert in Madison Square Garden after the band handed out cameras ...
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Blue Star CEO Maggi steps back to set up financing outfit
European production andsales company Blue Star Movies has announced that Pietro Dioni and IreneMasiello have taken over as managing directors, overseeing day-to-dayoperations of the business, while former CEO Pete Maggi will assume the titleof Chairman and kick start his new financing company, Movie Finance.Movie Finance, an equityfund to be launched ...
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Lions Gate international sales soar before AFM
Riding high on Saw II's one-two punch following record North American and UK weekendlaunches that generated $31.7m and $3.8m respectively, Lions Gate FilmsInternational has announced a slew of major territory sales on three otherhorror pictures heading into AFM.The company has closed sales on most territories for James Isaac'swerewolf feature Skinwalkers ...
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Wild Bunch: From Penguins To Polar Bears
Hot off announcing a $145mnjoint-venture devoted to co-producing and acquiring big budget films, France'sWild Bunch enters the AFM with a new $7m nature documentary that echoes its USmega-success The March Of The Penguins.The company has signed withNational Geographic Feature Films to handle Call Of The North, a five-year odyssey in ...
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Scorsese, Kiarostami to teach workshops in Morocco
Martin Scorsese and Abbas Kiarostami will teach filmmakingworkshops in Morocco as part of an educational initiative between the TribecaFilm Institute and the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation.Sixteen Moroccan and New York film students will participate inthe Marrakech/Tribeca Filmmaker Exchange set to take place from Nov 6-20 inconjunction with the fifth ...
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Echo Bridge takes domestic rights to The Big White
Echo Bridge Entertainment has picked up all North American rightsfrom Capitol Films to Mark Mylod's black comedy The Big White starring Robin Williams, Holly Hunterand Woody Harrelson. Williams plays a desperate travel agent in Alaska who fakes areport of his brother's death as part of an insurance scam. Ascendant Pictures'Christopher ...
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Reviews
Estorvo (Turbulence)
Dir: Ruy Guerra. Brazil. 2000. 95 mins.Prod cos: Sky Light, Rio Filme, D&D Audiovisuais. Co-prod: Productora Cinematografica ICAIC. Int'l Sales: Serene Skylight International (001 801 659 8840). Exec prod: Jom Tob Azulay, Miguel Mendoza. Prod: Bruno Stroppiana, Bruno Cerveira. Scr: Guerra, based on the novel by Chico Buarque. Dop: Marcelo ...
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Korine's Mr Lonely features Pallenberg, Morton, Luna
Colourful details have emerged of Mister Lonely, the latest feature from Tennessee and London-basedmaverick Harmony Korine (Gummo, Julien Donkey Boy). 60s icon Anita Pallenberg is to play the Queen OfEngland, Denis Lavant will portray Charlie Chaplin, Samantha Morton is MarilynMonroe and Diego Luna will play a Michael Jackson impersonator"I am ...
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Rizvi, Merrill Lynch finance recapitalisation of ICM
US talent agency ICM has recapitalized as part of its expansionstrategy in a deal financed by Connecticut investor Suhail Rizvi's RizviTraverse Management and Merrill Lynch's Asset Based Finance Group.Terms of the deal remain confidential. What is known, however, is thatthe deal will allow agency chief Jeff Berg to develop ICM's ...
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Perry appointed chief executive of Irish Film Board
In a widely-rumoured move, theIrish Film Board has confirmed the appointment of Simon Perry as CEO, effectiveJanuary 9 of next year.Perry, a former producer andhead of British Screen Finance between 1991 and 2000, is currently President ofAteliers du Cinema Europeen (ACE), the Paris based advanced professionaltraining initiative for European producers. ...
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Reviews
Riding Alone For Thousands Of Miles (Qian Li Zou Dan Ji)
Dir: Zhang Yimou. HK-Chi-Jap. 2005. 108mins.The opening film at the Tokyo International Film Festival,Riding Alone For Thousands Of Miles isa departure for director Zhang Yimou from the big-budgetperiod spectacles he has been making of late and a return to the themes and ruralsettings some of his most-acclaimed earlier work.But instead ...
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Rotterdam to host a record 30 Bals-supported titles
The upcoming Rotterdam Film Festival has selected 36 filmprojects to receive funding from the Hubert Bals Fund - as a record thirtycompleted fund-supported titles are set to screen at the festival itself (January25-Feb 5).The 36 projects, which include new works from Babak Payami,Josue Mendez, He Jianjun and Lisandro Alonso, will ...