Small MPU – Page 720

  • News

    Element Films locks 13 deals on The Last Time

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    John Fremes' Element FilmsInternational (EFI) has closed key deals in Cannes on drama The Last Time starring Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser andAmber Valletta.Fremes is showing footage tobuyers on Michael Caleo's tale of a top salesman who falls for his protege'sgirlfriend. The project is in post-production.Adam Rosenfelt, president ofUS-based production company ...

  • News

    ThinkFilm gets US rights to Keeping Mum

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    ThinkFilm has picked up USrights to the ensemble comedy Keeping Mum, starring Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith and PatrickSwayze.The company plans aSeptember release on the film, which stars Atkinson as an absent-mindedvicar whose family troubles appear to be solved by the arrival of amysterious housekeeper.Keeping Mum was directed ...

  • News

    Haneke plans English remake of Funny Games

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Revered Austrian auteurMichael Haneke is to take his English-language bow, it was announced in Cannesyesterday. He is remaking his 1997 film Funny Games, but the setting will now be the Hamptons. NaomiWatts is to star.The film is about amiddle-class family on holiday who are terrorised by two young men.Chris Coen ...

  • News

    UK financiers gear up to cash flow new tax credit

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Nobody yet knows how the UKfilm tax credits (introduced last month) will work in practice, but there isalready evidence of a mini-stampede among British film financiers to cash flowthe new credit. This promises to be a highly lucrative, if short-term,business.One new company, IvanMcTaggart's Meteor Films, is being set up specifically ...

  • News

    Garcia, Cassel to star in Annaud's His Majesty Minor

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Veteran directorJean-Jacques Annaud has announced plans for his next film, HisMajesty Minor, to begin shooting inSeptember.Starring Jose Garcia andVincent Cassel, the film will shoot in French on a $38m (Euros 30m)budget. Annaud spoke to members of the press on Thursday morning and explainedhis decision to return to the French language ...

  • News

    Film Connection gets Brazil rights to The Gigolos from Punk Cinema

    2006-05-18T00:00:00Z

    Film Connection has taken Brazilian rights to TheGigolos, the debut feature from new UK company Punk Cinema.Film Connection plans to release theatrically inBrazil in September 2006.New UK distributor Word of Mouth struck a pre-Cannesdeal for all UK rights and also plans a September release. "Our experience suggests that The Gigolostravels ...

  • Reviews

    Summer Palace

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Dir: Lou Ye. Chi-Fr. 2006.140mins.Social upheaval and sexual liberation make for areasonably potent cocktail in SummerPalace, an ambitious attempt to convey the sweep of recent world historythrough the life and loves of a young Chinese woman. The fourth feature from Suzhou River director Lou Ye is easily hismost accessible, although ...

  • Reviews

    Hamaca Paraguaya

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Dir/scr: Paz Encina. Fr-Arg-Hol-Par-Sp. 2006. 78mins.With a Cannesappearance (in Un Certain Regard) that makes it the first Paraguayan film to screenin the official selection of a major festival - and the only Paraguayan featureshot on 35mm in the last 30 years - HamacaParaguaya will delight those self-flagellatingcineastes who believe, like ...

  • News

    Tartan takes UK, US rights to Ghost of Mae Nak

    2006-05-18T00:00:00Z

    Tartan Films has acquiredall rights in North America and the UK to De Warrenne Pictures' supernaturalthriller Ghost of Mae Nak. British writer/director MarkDuffield makes his feature debut with the Thai-language project. The film wasalready a success at the box office in Thailand and Malaysia. The deal was struck byproducer Tom ...

  • News

    Summit sets up Latin American distribution operation

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Leading LA production,financing and sales house Summit Entertainment has set up its own LatinAmerican distribution operation in alliance with LA-based Pedro Rodriguez whoformerly ran the Latin distribution consortium Nu Vision Network.The outfit, calledInternational Distribution Company (IDC), has set up a fixed structure ofdistribution partners in each Latin territory which will ...

  • News

    Kim Ki-Duk's Time to open Karlovy Vary

    2006-05-18T00:00:00Z

    Kim Ki-Duk's new film Time will open the Karlovy Vary International FilmFestival. TheKorean director is scheduled to attend the world premiere of the film June 30 at the Czech festival. The film will see its marketpremiere in Cannes on May 20 and has reportedly already been sold in 15territories. Time ...

  • News

    Advanced Medien sells DVD package to EMS

    2000-06-19T18:40:00Z

    Advanced Medien has sold a package of DVD rights to E-M-S new media for Austria and Switzerland.The package was headed by Oskar Roehler's Die Unberuehrbare, which appeared at Cannes this year and was named best film at the German Film Awards this weekend. It also includes Running Game and Stranger ...

  • News

    Screen Media buys domestic rights to Disaster!

    2006-05-18T00:00:00Z

    Screen Media Films has acquired North American theatrical and video distributionrights to the claymation adventure spoof Disaster!Los Angeles-based Dream Entertainment and Bleiberg Entertainment sold therights to the story of a crack team assembled to thwart an earth-boundplanetoid.Screen Media plans an October release followed by DVD launch in February2907 through its ...

  • News

    Gatti-Pascual to work with Film London's Microwave scheme

    2006-05-18T00:00:00Z

    Producer Sol Gatti-Pascual hasjoined Film London's micro-budget feature film fund Microwave as a freelancecreative executive. Gatti-Pascual previouslyworked on films including Glue, L'Annulaire,Joyeux Noel and Noi Albinoi. She will support FilmLondon's head of production Maggie Ellis is overseeing the new scheme, whichwas announced in February.The BBC-backed Microwaveprogramme will work with film-makers ...

  • News

    Maria Koepf to leave X-Filme to set up own company

    2006-05-18T20:19:00Z

    Maria Koepf, co-managingdirector of X-Filme creative poolsince 2000, is leaving the Berlinproduction house to set up shop with herownoutfit MagnetFilmproduktion.Koepf started at X-Filme asa line producer in 1995, working with Tom Tykwer as line producer on Wintersleepers, as executive producer onRunLolaRun, and producer on The PrincessAnd The Warrior, Heaven and ...

  • News

    Paramount appoints key execs in new international unit

    2006-05-18T00:00:00Z

    ParamountPictures International has announced a number of key appointments for its newLondon-based international distribution arm, which will become operational inJanuary 2007. All will reportdirectly to Andrew Cripps, who as previously announced will serve as presidentof Paramount's new international operations. Of the four newdepartment heads announced, one is already at Paramount ...

  • News

    Summit embarks on pan-Latin distribution

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Summit Entertainment has set up its own Latin Americandistribution operation in alliance with LA-based Pedro Rodriguez who formerlyran the Latin distribution consortium Nu Vision Network.The outfit, International Distribution Company (IDC), hasset up a fixed structure of distribution partners in each Latin territory whichwill handle 5 or 6 Summit titles a ...

  • News

    Swank to star in PS, I Love You

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Double Oscar winner Hilary Swank has signed to star inPS, I Love You, the forthcoming film ofCecelia Ahern's bestseller which is being produced by Alcon Entertainment,released domestically by Warner Bros and sold here by SummitEntertainment.Another Oscar winner Richard LaGravanese, who isdirector of one of the segments in Un Certain Regard ...

  • News

    Swank to star in PS, I Love You

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Double Oscar winner Hilary Swank has signed to star inPS, I Love You, the forthcoming film ofCecelia Ahern's bestseller which is being produced by Alcon Entertainment,released domestically by Warner Bros and sold here by SummitEntertainment.Another Oscar winner Richard LaGravanese, who isdirector of one of the segments in Un Certain Regard ...

  • News

    Swank takes lead in Alcon production

    2006-05-19T04:00:00Z

    Double Oscar winner Hilary Swank has signed to star inPS, I Love You, the forthcoming film ofCecelia Ahern's bestseller which is being produced by Alcon Entertainment,released domestically by Warner Bros and sold here by SummitEntertainment.Another Oscar winner Richard LaGravanese, who isdirector of one of the segments in Un Certain Regard ...