Small MPU – Page 640

  • News

    Third Man Out to open Philadelphia gay & lesbian fest

    2005-06-08T00:00:00Z

    The worldpremiere of Ron Oliver's murder mystery Third Man Out will open the 2005 PhiladelphiaInternational Gay And Lesbian Film Festival, which closes with Craig Lucas'noir thriller The Dying Gaul.Festivalorganisers will present three awards this year. Activist and actor Kathy Najimywill receive the Artistic Achievement Award, actor Peter Paige will receive ...

  • News

    Basner confirmed as Weinsteins' international president

    2005-06-09T00:00:00Z

    One day after his abruptdeparture from Focus Features [Screendaily, June 7], Glen Basner has been namedpresident of international at The Weinstein Company.Basner, who worked for DavidLinde for a decade at Good Machine International and Focus Features, startswork immediately for the Weinsteins at Miramax and The Weinstein Company. Hewill begin working ...

  • News

    Singapore's Cathay acquires 40 pictures at Cannes

    2005-06-10T04:00:00Z

    Singapore distributor Cathayhas acquired a record 40 titles at this year's Cannes Film Festival, includingDuncan Tucker's road movie Transamerica,Hans Canosa's drama Conversations withOther Women in split screen format and Pen-ek Ratanaruang's film noir Invisible Waves.Cathay has also bought therights to Kim Ki Duk's The Bow andKim Yong-Gyun's The Red Shoes ...

  • News

    Alquimia set 4 Dances with Ripoll

    2005-06-10T04:00:00Z

    Spain's Alquimia Cinema is preparing a new English-languagefeature from Tortilla Soup director Maria Ripoll called 4 Dances.The tale revolves around the magical imaginings of anautistic teenager and her relationships with her dancer brother and the youngman he hires to care for her. Casting is underway in Spain and the UK ...

  • News

    Italian box office posts huge slump in May

    2005-06-10T04:00:00Z

    Italy's box office has slumped a massive 35% in May, compared tothe same month last year.Thedrop comes as Kingdom of Heaven and Star WarsEpisode 3: Revengeof the Sith, which have respectively grossed $8,664,419 and $8,419,105 todate, failed to match the success of last year's Troy and The DayAfter Tomorrow, which ...

  • News

    Metrodome snaps up McGuckian's Rag Tale

    2005-06-09T00:00:00Z

    UK distributor Metrodome has acquired Mary McGuckian'ssatire Rag Tale which it plans to release in September/ October2005.Rag Tale chronicles a week in the life of atabloid newspaper in contemporary London. Its tyrannical chairman andobsequious editor (who also happens to be sleeping with the chairman's wife)battle for political supremacy, using staff ...

  • News

    UK censor's annual report reveals thinking behind ratings

    2005-06-09T00:00:00Z

    UK censor the BBFC hasrevealed some of the thinking behind its ratings decisions in its annual reportfor 2004, which is published this month.A movie can be violent andgory, but still escape a high rating, depending on its genre. British comedyhorror Shaun Of The Dead included decapitations, gunshot wounds and theuse ...

  • News

    Industry veterans crank up Italian productions

    2005-06-13T04:00:00Z

    After anear 18-month freeze in public funds, a new round of financing from the state'sFondo di Garanzia has allowed several films to finally get off the ground. Amongthese is Michele Soavi's long-gestating Arrivederci Amore Ciao, which isproduced by StudioCanal Urania. Adapted from Massimo Carlotto's eponymousnovel, the film tells the story ...

  • News

    Hilltop takes world on TF1 comedy

    2000-05-12T16:58:00Z

    LA-based sales and production outfit Hilltop Entertainment has cut a deal with French broadcaster and film backer TF1 to represent worldwide rights on French language comedy Jet Set starring Lambert Wilson, Ornella Muti, Ariadna Gil and Samuel Le Bihan.The deal is unusual in that not only does it bypass TF1's ...

  • News

    IMAX enters Turkey in deal with AFM Cinemas

    2005-06-09T00:00:00Z

    IMAX Corporationand leading Turkish exhibitor AFM Cinemas have struck a deal to open the firstIMAX theatre in Istanbul. An IMAX MPXtheatre system will be retrofitted at the eight-screen AFM Maltepe multiplexlater this month and is expected to open in early July. The launch ispart of a previously announced deal with ...

  • News

    Mr & Mrs Smith land in UK, Australia, Mexico, Brazil

    2005-06-09T00:00:00Z

    Star Wars: Episode III has dominated the international landscape for thepast month but does it have the clout to see off a concerted challenge from Mr& Mrs Smith'Either way Fox Internationalexecutives won't mind - the company handles Episode III and handles some international rights for Mr& Mrs Smith for New ...

  • News

    Searchlight, DNA, BBC Films team on History

    2005-06-10T04:00:00Z

    Fox Searchlight Pictures,DNA Films and BBC Films are partnering up on an adaptation of Alan Bennett'sOlivier Award winning coming-of-age play The History Boys.The project is set to beginfilming in the UK in July and will reunite the play's director Nicholas Hytnerwith key cast members including Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances ...

  • News

    Meyer takes sole control of Lions Gate International, hires Denton

    2005-06-10T00:00:00Z

    In a major restructure, Lions Gate International president NicolasMeyer has assumed sole control of the division and created two key executivepositions.Stephanie Denton has been named president of film sales for LionsGate Films International and will head up theatrical sales, while CraigCegielski oversees the expanding television slate as vice president ofprogramming ...

  • News

    Digital cinema dominates Oz indie exhibitor conference

    2005-06-12T04:00:00Z

    Digital cinema dominated this week's IndependentCinemas Association of Australia (ICCA) conference and, with digital advocateDenis Parkes as new president, the topic will stay on the table.Like many members, Parkes exhibits in regional Australia, inhis case in picturesque Merimbula south of Sydney. He recently invested in twodigital projectors and has been ...

  • News

    Cameras roll in Uganda on Last King Of Scotland

    2005-06-10T00:00:00Z

    Principal photography starts in Uganda tomorrow (June 11) on The Last King OfScotland starring Forest Whitaker as Ugandandictator Idi Amin. The project was developed by FilmFour, is financed by bothFilmFour and DNA, and will be distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures andTwentieth Century Fox International.James McAvoy will appear opposite Whitaker as ...

  • Reviews

    The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl In 3D

    2005-06-10T00:00:00Z

    Dir. Robert Rodriguez.US. 2005. 94mins.A mildly engaging children's morality tale, RobertRodriguez's The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl In 3D is the kind offilm that parents should be happy to let their kids see but which likely provetoo undemanding for anyone beyond its target age group.While the digital specialeffects are inventive ...

  • Reviews

    Event Horizon (L'Orizzonte Degli Eventi)

    2005-06-10T00:00:00Z

    Dir:Daniele Vicari. Italy. 2005. 114mins.It's a nice idea for a film: take Italy's highest mountainoutside the Alps - the Gran Sasso - and come up with a storyline that links thehi-tech world below the mountain (which hosts the Gran Sasso National Laboratory,the world's largest underground laboratory for research into particle ...

  • News

    Marshall, Pathe eye autumn shoot for Outpost

    2005-06-13T04:00:00Z

    Writer-director Neil Marshall, one of the leading figuresbehind the new wave of British horror films, is at work on another horror filmfor Pathe Pictures. Outpost is a sci-fihorror film about a genetic experiment which goes horribly wrong. Marshall is currentlyat third draft script stage and may be ready to shoot ...

  • News

    Mr. Lazarescu triumphs at inaugural Hungarian fest

    2005-06-13T04:00:00Z

    The First Alba Regia International Film Festival (ARIFF),claiming to be the first competitive event of its kind in Hungary, wrapped overthe weekend in the city of Szekesfehervar, an hour's ride away from Budapest.The Best Film award went to The Death of Mr. Lazarescu by Cristi Puiu, still fresh from its ...

  • News

    CanWest's Aaronson acquires Simon Magus

    2000-05-12T16:58:00Z

    Bob Aaaronson, the new acquisition chief for CanWest Films, has made his first purchase for the fledgling US distribution company, picking up North American rights to Ben Hopkins' debut feature Simon Magus.Aaronson, who was previously an acquisitions executive for both New Line/Fine Line and 20th Century Fox before becoming an ...