Small MPU – Page 852

  • News

    Samaha files for new trial against Baeres, Intertainment

    2005-04-15T00:00:00Z

    Elie Samaha, the filmproducer who lost a $106m jury verdict last June in Los Angeles federal courtin a fraud and breach-of-contract suit filed by Germany's IntertainmentLicensing, has filed for a rematch.On Monday this week,attorneys for Samaha filed a motion for a new trial, claiming thatIntertainment's former chairman Rudiger "Barry" Baeres ...

  • News

    Zentropa, Kinowelt share Moments Of Clarity

    2000-05-04T23:25:00Z

    Nordic mini-major Zentropa's international branch, Zentropa Internationale, is finalising a three-picture deal with Germany's rapidly expanding Kinowelt. The pact, which is likely to be extended to more pictures, will kick off with Moments Of Clarity written by newcomer Mikael Colville Andersen."We'll work on three projects for now, but we really ...

  • News

    First Look, DEJ swoop on Craven's The Breed

    2005-04-15T00:00:00Z

    Los Angles-baseddistribution partners FirstLook Media and DEJ Productions have picked up worldwide rights to Wes Cravenproject The Breed, which stars Michelle Rodriguez and will be directedby Craven's longtime collaborator Nick Mastandrea.First Look Media's sales arm First Look International will begin licensingterritories at Cannes next month. Principal photography is scheduled to ...

  • News

    Exhibition boom fuels Russian box office

    2005-04-18T04:00:00Z

    Box office receipts in Russia and theCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are growing impressively, according tolatest figures.The winter release season (from 26 November 2004to 27 February 2005) saw a total gross of $78.5m, 42.2% higher for the periodyear-on-year, according to Russian Film Business Today.Observers say the growth is a result ...

  • News

    Ousted Puchon director launches rival festival

    2005-04-18T04:00:00Z

    The ongoing controversy surrounding Korea's PuchonInternational Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) has taken a new turn, with thefestival's former director and programmers announcing a rival event to takeplace in Seoul over the same week.The 'Real Fantastic Film Festival' will run inJuly on one-twentieth the budget of its larger rival, and will ...

  • News

    Ireland launches new documentary film fund

    2005-04-18T04:00:00Z

    The Arts Council of Ireland and the Irish Film Board (IFB)have called for applications to a new production fund entitled Documenting theArts. The fund is intended to finance five or six new documentaries per year. A maximum of Euros 90,000 will available per documentary andIFB participation will be triggered by ...

  • News

    Willemsen parts company with Maurits Binger Institute

    2005-04-18T04:00:00Z

    In a surprise move, it was announced last week that DickWillemsen's contract as director of the Maurits Binger Film Institutewill not be renewed. Willemsen is on six month's notice and will be leavingthe Institute in early August.Founded in 1995, the Amsterdam-based Binger Film Instituteoffers project-driven training for screenwriters, directors, producers ...

  • Reviews

    Men And Women

    2005-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Dir: Claude Lelouch.France. 2005. 135 mins. Men And Women is an amalgamation of the first two parts inClaude Lelouch's E30 million trilogy Le Genre Humain designed for the export market and worldpremiered last week in Los Angeles at the City Of Lights, City Of Angels filmfestival. Of those two parts, ...

  • News

    Taiwanese, Belgian films share top Istanbul prize

    2005-04-18T04:00:00Z

    Istanbul International Film Festival closed on Saturday(April 16), splitting its main prize, the Golden Tulip award, between Gilles'Wife by Belgium's Frederic Fonteyne and CafeLumiere by Taiwan's Hou Hsiao-hsien. The jury, which was headed by director Jane Campion,considered 13 films in competition.Gilles' Wife portraysa love triangle in France in the 1930s. ...

  • News

    Final MGM release Amityville has strong $23.3m opening

    2005-04-18T00:00:00Z

    MGM's swansong release The Amityville Horror opened top of the North American chartsat the weekend, dominating a lackluster weekend as it grossed an estimated$23.3m.The $19m MGM/Dimension Films picture stars Ryan Reynolds andMelissa George as an ill-fated couple who move into a haunted house. AndrewDouglas directed the remake of the 1979 ...

  • News

    Peet joins the Cusacks in Meyjes-directed drama for New Line

    2005-04-18T04:00:00Z

    Amanda Peet is in final negotiations to sign on to The MartianChild for New LineCinema. The film is an adaptation of a short story by sci-fi writer DavidGerrold that is due to begin shooting in Canada next month.Studio sources confirmed that Joan Cusack boarded the project lastweek, joining her brother ...

  • News

    Horror strikes at the US box office with $23.3m opening

    2005-04-18T00:00:00Z

    MGM's swansong release The Amityville Horror opened top of the North American chartsat the weekend, dominating a lackluster weekend as it grossed an estimated$23.3m.The $19m MGM/Dimension Films picture stars Ryan Reynolds andMelissa George as an ill-fated couple who move into a haunted house. AndrewDouglas directed the remake of the 1979 ...

  • News

    Weinsteins commit to seven more years at Disney

    2000-05-05T02:11:00Z

    Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the inimitable co-chairmen of Miramax Films, have extended their contracts with The Walt Disney Co for another seven years, scotching any speculation that they might be lured away from the company they co-founded in 1979."It is our pleasure to continue our association with Disney," said the ...

  • News

    Interpreter translates into international hit with $9.3m weekend

    2005-04-18T00:00:00Z

    Universal's thriller The Interpreter got off to a strong start through UIP atthe weekend, grossing an estimated $9.3m from 15 launches for a $10minternational running total including Greece, which opened last weekend.Buoyed by a hectic publicity tour that took star Nicole Kidman toAustralia, UK and Germany, and director Sydney Pollack ...

  • News

    Cannes prepares to unveil competition choices

    2005-04-19T01:00:00Z

    The Cannes Film Festivalunveils the official line-up for its 58th edition in Paris today ata 9.30am (GMT) press conference.For the first time in many yearsthere are few certain front-runners for a berth. Paris based distributors andsales agencies - usually a strong bellwether for the films that will make thecompetition - ...

  • News

    Khoo's Be With Me to open Directors' Fortnight

    2005-04-19T04:00:00Z

    Be With Me, directed by Singapore's Eric Khoo (12 Storeys),has been selected as the opening film for directors' fortnight at Cannes. The film weaves together threeinter-connected stories and is inspired by the life of Singapore's Theresa Chan- a blind and deaf woman.'It's almost a silent filmwith only five minutes of ...

  • News

    Bim takes Italian rights to Cannes contenders

    2005-04-19T04:00:00Z

    Italy's BimDistribuzione has acquired Italian distribution rights to Gus Van Sant's Last Days, which is tipped to play incompetition at next month's Cannes Film Festival.The picture, which is sold by HBO London, drawsinspiration from the last days in the life of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. Bim will releasethe film, ...

  • News

    UK launch for post-production trainee scheme

    2005-04-18T00:00:00Z

    Industry-backedpost-production alliance the Post Production Training Initiative and trainingagency Skillset have launched a trainee scheme for post production staff.Titled First Post, theinitiative will be open to up 25 trainees at companies in London and aims tohelp employers provide structured development for runners. The deadline for applicationfrom companies is April 29. ...

  • News

    Revelation delayed as lead actor breaks ankle

    2005-04-19T04:00:00Z

    The shooting schedule of Ana Kokkinos' TheBook of Revelation has had to be rapidly re-arranged after lead actor TomLong broke his ankle on Friday (April 15) while filming in Melbourne. The filmwas one week away from wrapping.The injury occurred when Long landed awkwardly during anaction scene in a nightclub setting. ...

  • News

    Bond Watch Brosnan out of the running

    2005-04-18T00:00:00Z

    The new James Bond film, CasinoRoyale, is scheduled to shoot at the end of 2005 - although it is stilluncertain who will play 007 in the film.With ongoing rumourscirculating throughout the media world, it can be difficult to keep tabs on thelatest information. Here, ScreenDaily.com alleviates some of theconfusion by ...