Small MPU – Page 938
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Features
United States - Selling Britain
When she moved to Los Angeles two years ago to become executive director of the UK Film Council's US office, Claire Chapman quickly discovered she was in a new film-making world."I learnt overnight how different the industry is in terms of how it operates and how it's treated in Hollywood," ...
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Profile: Zentropa co-founder Peter Aalbaek Jensen
Last month, Scandinavian major Nordisk Film acquired 50% of the shares in Denmark's Zentropa - backing that will enable the company founded by Lars von Trier and Peter Aalbaek Jensen to expand internationally.After years of Dogme manifestos, irreverence and a rebellious nature, has age finally caught up with the maverick ...
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Features
France - Canal dreams
In February, French pay-TV giant Canal Plus announced its long-time head of cinema, Evi Fullenbach, would step down, to be replaced by Manuel Alduy.Alduy is no stranger to Canal, having joined the group in 1994 and working with Fullenbach as head of French film acquisitions since 2005.Now, he oversees the ...
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Salt Shakers: rebranding Luminafilms
What's in a name' A lot if it is misleading. That is why Lumina Films has this week rebranded as The Salt Company.Lumina was originally founded in Spain to sell the Latin American films produced by Buena Onda Films. But since 2005, Lumina has been London-based with a more diverse ...
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Features
United Kingdom - Wolf man
In an age when short-form content can seem as disposable as a mobile-phone video, Peter & The Wolf is something of a lesson in longevity.The 30-minute stop-motion animated film, adapted from Prokofiev's classic and directed by Suzie Templeton, premiered at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2006 and continues to roll ...
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Italy winning race for Hollywood shoots
Inhabitants of the Tuscan city of Siena are being treated to the sight of Daniel Craig leaping over their Renaissance-era rooftops this spring.The actor is in Tuscany for six weeks with Marc Forster's $230m Quantum Of Solace to shoot the latest international location sequence in the new James Bond production.Top ...
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Production - The Italian connection
Italy's local production sector is booming, with a clutch of top directors busy on projects with international partners. Dario Argento has Giallo (literally 'thriller'), a $10m English-language film financed by Los Angeles-based Hannibal Pictures. 'It's fast-paced and creepy,' promises producer Rafael Primorac, of the plot which centres on the abduction ...
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Film Council to give boost to UK production houses
UK film superbody the Film Council, which went live this week, is to pump a share of its own revenues from films back into independent production companies in a bid to help build a sustainable local industry.The boost will come from films backed through the Council's main fund for commercially-oriented ...
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The Fixers: who are the indispensable figures for international shoots'
ENZO SISTISisti's local know-how has been earned through stints as both co-producer and fiscal representative on some of the biggest international productions to hit Italy, where he has been active in the film business since 1970. Italian co-producer credits include the upcoming Walt Disney film When In Rome and Wes ...
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Critical Mass: Lee Marshall looks at disappearing critics
The trend is undeniable: US newspapers and weekly magazines have shed around 30 film critics over the last two years, either by sacking them outright or by forcing them into early retirement. Some - such as veteran David Ansen at Newsweek - are likely to be replaced; but many more, ...
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Canadian producers seek Criminal Code reference in tax amendment
Canada's film production representatives are calling for the federal government to amend controversial tax legislation by making reference to the nation's Criminal Code. In a presentation to the Canadian Senate today, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) and the Association des producteurs de films et de television du ...
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Kitano unveils new project Achilles And The Tortoise
Award-winning Japanese writer-director-actor Takeshi Kitano has unveiled details of his latest feature film, entitled Achilles And The Tortoise. Details of the production were announced at the Nikkatsu Studios in Chofu City, with the press invited on the soundstages.Kitano, also known for his paintings, found inspiration in past canvas embarrassments for ...
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Phang's Half-Life wins Gen Art jury prize
The 13th Annual Gen Art Film Festival Acura Grand Jury Award for Best Feature went to Jennifer Phang's Half-Life and the Acura Grand Jury Award for Best Short went to Christina Voros' The Ladies.The Stargazer Award honouring breakout talent for excellence in acting went to Luis Chavez from the short ...
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21, Leatherheads kick off overseas campaigns in Europe as Horton hurtles away
Fox International's Horton Hears A Who! remains the leading Hollywood export and looks like the one to beat this weekend as executives expect it to cross $100m.The family film has amassed $93.9m and opens in 10 territories including Greece on April 10.The romantic comedy 27 Dresses is doing well on ...
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IFP Market recasts itself as Independent Film Week
With its 30th anniversary coming up in September the IFP has renamed its annual IFP Market to Independent Film Week.The event is also on the move from from Soho's Angelika Film Center and Puck Building to new digs at Chelsea's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) and nearby venues.Organisers have also ...
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Writers Guild of America West fetes Tom Schulman
Writers Guild Of America West (WGAW) board of directors member Tom Schulman will receive the WGAW's Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his career and service to the industry.Schulman has been a WGAW member since 1986 and served as president of the Writers Guild Foundation from 1998 to 2002. He ...
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THINKFilm handcuffs The Escapist for North America
THINKFilm has acquired North American rights to Rupert Wyatt's feature directorial debut The Escapist, which was well received at its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year. The company will schedule an autumn release.Brian Cox plays as an ageing lifer who hatches a plot to break out to ...
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Hanhwa launches second fund as Korean IPTV market hots up
Hanhwa's second Daisy Cultural Content Investment Fund, specialising in content such as films, animation and performances, will invest $10.2m (KW10bn) over five years. Hanaro Telecom is investing $2m in the fund, alongside Hanhwa Venture Capital Corp and film importer Daisy Entertainment, to buy up content for its IPTV service HanaTV.HanaTV ...
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Luis Chavez picks up Stargazer award
The 13th Annual Gen Art Film Festival Acura Grand Jury Award for BestFeature went to Jennifer Phang's Half-Life and the Acura Grand JuryAward for Best Short went to Christina Voros' The Ladies.The Stargazer Award honouring breakout talent for excellence in actingwent to Luis Chavez from the short film A Day's ...
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Celestial launches two movie channels on Now TV
Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures is launching two new movie channels - Celestial Movies Asia (CMA) and Celestial Classic Movies (CCM) - which will be carried by PCCW's now TV IPTV service in Hong Kong. CMA will screen blockbusters from across Asia such as Erika Sawajiri's Closed Note, Francis Ng's One ...