Small MPU – Page 757

  • News

    Osama is first title for five-strong buying alliance

    2003-05-29T04:05:00Z

    Osama, the first Afghan film to be made since the fall of the Taliban, was jointly acquired by five European distributors which last year formed a loose buying alliance.The currently unnamed company is owned by Lucky Red of Italy, Frenetic Films of Switzerland, Haut Et Court of France, Cineart of ...

  • News

    Kitchen Stories sells like hot cakes

    2003-05-29T04:05:00Z

    Bent Hamer's kitchen-sink drama Kitchen Stories (Salmer Fra Kokkenet), which was one of the hits of the Cannes Directors' Fortnight section, has proved as popular with buyers as it has with critics and the public. Handled by France's Celluloid Dreams it was sold to SPO Inc (Japan), Cinelibre-Cineart (Benelux), Lady ...

  • News

    Euro film bodies lobby Commission for more ambitious vision

    2003-05-29T04:05:00Z

    European film councils this week called on the European Commission to adopt a more ambitious vision for the European film industry and to include it in the new EU constitution currently being considered by member states.At a meeting of European culture ministers in Greece, the 16 state-funded film councils (see ...

  • News

    Schroeder unveils plans for Franco-German academy

    2000-02-11T16:55:00Z

    German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced the creation of a German-French film academy today at the Berlin film festival.While the chancellor disclosed neither the budget nor the location of the proposed institution, he said it would address the cultural and economic needs of the industry.At a conference attended by French culture ...

  • News

    Mr Ibrahim goes to Japan

    2003-05-29T04:05:00Z

    Powerful French sales and production operation ARP Selection sold Japanese rights on Mr Ibrahim to Gaga Communications. The film (aka Les Fleurs Du Koran, aka Momo) by French director Francois Dupeyron, stars Omar Sharif as an elderly Arab grocer who develops an enduring friendship with a 12 year-old Jewish boy."Gaga ...

  • News

    Mar del Plata retains its 'A' grade festival status

    2003-05-29T04:05:00Z

    Argentina's leading Mar del Plata International Film Festival will retain its A grade festival status next year, the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations (FIAPF) agreed at a general assembly meeting in Cannes.The festival's status was challenged following the inclusion in competition at its latest edition (March 6-15) of local ...

  • News

    Paradiso enjoys buying spree

    2003-05-29T04:05:00Z

    Paradiso Entertainment bought all Benelux rights to After The Sunset and Rush Hour 3. From the UK's Portman Entertainment it bought Intermission. From Odyssey Entertainment it picked up The Libertine. From Pandora it concluded a three picture deal including Casa De Los Babys, A Home At The End Of The ...

  • News

    Spain's Sogepaq announces 'best Cannes in years'

    2003-05-29T00:00:00Z

    Calling Cannes its "best market in years," Spanish sales house Sogepaq announced a slew of deals, including local hits Mondays In The Sun and Mortadelo & Filemon - The Big Adventure.Fernando Leon's award-winning Mondays was sold to Winchester Entertainment for the UK and Ireland. The film, Spain's official nomination to ...

  • News

    MGM, Rogers sign VOD pact

    2003-05-29T00:00:00Z

    MGM Home Entertainment and Rogers Cable have signed an agreement that will see some of the studio's pictures on the Canadian cable company's VOD service. Rogers says it's the first Canadian company to sign a VOD content agreement with a Hollywood major. Rogers and competitors Calgary-based Shaw Cable and Carleton-based ...

  • Reviews

    Bruce Almighty

    2003-05-29T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Tom Shadyac. US. 2003. 102minsThe triumvirate of actor Jim Carrey, director Tom Shadyac and screenwriter Steve Oedekerk struck box office gold with their first film together, 1994's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Ever since they have worked together in various combinations (for example Shadyac and Carrey with Liar, Liar). Finally ...

  • News

    Local box office hits starve Norway of film funds

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    The local success of two children's films has caused unforeseen problems for the Norwegian Film Fund, which administers the annual $28m in state subsidy for film in Norway.Olsenbanden jr has so far recorded 350,000 admissions, while Summer Of Wolves has been seen by 210,000 Norwegians. In addition, the local low-budget ...

  • News

    Bavaria Film closes multiple Cannes sales

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    Bavaria Film International (BFI) has sold the FIPRESCI Award-winning Spanish film Las Horas De Dia to France's ARP and the UK's ICA among a raft of deals concluded by the German sales agent in Cannes.ICA also picked up Argentinian director Santiago Loza's Extrano which won a Tiger Award at ...

  • News

    Nicolas Roeg to shoot Adina

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    Legendary British film-maker Nicolas Roeg is attached to direct Adina, a philosophical horror exploring society's obsession with youth, sex and beauty. Producers are Andy Denemark and Bernadette Elliott for New York-based Burnt Danish Productions. Scheduled for production later this year, the film is written by Bernadette Elliott and Michael Lupetin. ...

  • News

    Sandrew Metronome grabs Arcand's Barbarians

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    Nordic major Sandrew Metronome, which had an all new acquisition team in Cannes, grabbed Denys Arcand's double award-winning Les Invasions Barbares along with four other films at the festival. Sandrew Metronome already holds rights to the animated crowd-pleaser Belleville Rendez-Vous, which screened in the official selection outside competition, as well ...

  • News

    Tsatsiki racks up sales in Berlin

    2000-02-14T18:54:00Z

    Nordisk Film has sold Swedish film Tsatsiki, Mum And The Policeman to Cinemien Film & Video Distribution for Benelux and Best Film Distribution for Poland.The film, which dominated the recent Swedish Film Awards, winning prizes for best film, director, script and cinematography, has been a hot item on the Berlin ...

  • News

    Buyers rush to acquire Grudge sequel

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    The Grudge 2, the sequel to Japanese hit horror The Grudge (Juon), was sold to France, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand at Cannes this year, while over 18 other countries, including the US, are in negotiations. The Grudge was sold to over 30 territories, including the US where ...

  • News

    Spain's Filmax starts shooting The Machinist

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    Filmax began principal photography Monday on Brad Anderson's The Machinist, a 100% Spanish production shooting for eight weeks in Barcelona.The English-language film stars Christian Bale (American Psycho), Jennifer Jason Leigh (ExistenZ), Aitana Sanchez-Gijon (I Am Not Scared), John Sharian (Saving Private Ryan) and the young Matthew Romero.The story turns on ...

  • News

    French indie banks on next generation festival auteurs

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    Independent French production label Aeternam Films unveiled a raft of art-house pictures produced by some of the world's edgiest talents.The company, headed by Francesca Feder, will co-produce The Moon Also Rises, the next picture by Lin Cheng-Sheng, whose Robinson's Crusoe appeared in Cannes competition last week. The drama focuses on ...

  • News

    Paltrow out, Deneuve in on cast of Russell's Huckabee's

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    After news this week that Gwyneth Paltrow had pulled out of David O'Russell's forthcoming I Love Huckabee's, casting has been confirmed with French doyenne Catherine Deneuve set to topline alongside Dustin Hoffman.The film, which also stars Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg and Naomi Watts, will begin shooting in Los Angeles in ...

  • News

    Imax, CAA extend project hunting agreement

    2003-05-30T04:05:00Z

    Imax Corp. said it is extending its March 2002 agreement with CAA. The large-format leader retained the talent agency to assist in securing major studio pictures for re-engineering as large-format product and attracting A-list talent to appear in Imax original productions. The company says CAA was integral in landing Star ...