Small MPU – Page 3893

  • News

    Fortissimo's Overture sings to Toho Towa

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    On the eve its Sept 11international premiere in Toronto, Thai drama The Overture put in placea key piece in its distribution jigsaw. Handled by Fortissimo Film Sales, thefilm was sold to Toho Towa of Japan. The Overture, directed and produced by Itthisoontorn Vichailak, is a period drama about a peasantxylophone ...

  • News

    Tierney's latest set up as Greece/Canada co-pro by Victorious

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Toronto-based VictoriousFilms is readying Jacob Tierney's Return Baggage aka The Lonely Planet, the Canadian actor's follow-up to his featuredirectorial debut Twist, whichscreened at last year's Venice Film Festival. Victorious president VictoriaHirst will co-produce the Canada-Greece coproduction with Fenia Cossavitsa (TheCat's Meow, Signs And Wonders). Thedrama is set to star Nick ...

  • News

    Seville joins Haut Et Court in Cantet's South

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Montreal-based SevillePictures has signed on as Canadian copoducer of Laurent Cantet's long-delayed HeadingSouth (Vers Le Sud), joining France's Haut et Court. Work on theproject, announced at Cannes 2003, has been held up by political upheaval in its key location of Haiti.International sales agent Hengameh Panahi of Celluloid Dreams told ScreenInternational ...

  • News

    Element X take on international sales to Clara Law doc

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    UK sales company Element Xhas picked up international rights to Letters To Ali, the first documentary by Australian-Chinese directorClara Law.The film is a personalisedexamination of Australia's uniquely brutal policy of mandatory prison-campdetention for political asylum seekers a policy which extends to children. Itfollows the letters sent between an Afghani ...

  • News

    Kay Armatage to leave Toronto festival after 24 years

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Kay Armatage,the veteran Toronto International Film Festival programmer, is leaving theorganization after 24 years. "This is my last year," Armatage told ScreenInternational. Of her departure, she said, "This wasn't my choice." She saidshe learned at the beginning of this summer that her seasonal contract wouldnot be renewed. "At the time, ...

  • News

    First Look picks up When Will I Be Loved

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    US sales and productionoutfit First Look Media has picked up international rights to James Toback's When Will I Be Loved, which worldpremieres at the festival today (Sept 9). Sister-company First LookInternational will begin sales in Toronto this week; IFC Films has domesticrights to the film and opens it in the ...

  • News

    Toronto buying spree kicks off with Crash to Lions Gate

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    In a deal closed late Saturday night, Lions Gate Films ponied upclose to $4m for North American rights to Paul Haggis’ red-hot Toronto ensembledrama Crash. Easilythe biggest deal of both Venice and Toronto so far, the Crash negotiations took place after the Fridayafternoon public screening and Saturday morning press and ...

  • News

    Celluloid Dreams scares up sales on Marebito

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    Celluloid Dreams has pickedup worldwide sales rights to Marebito, the latest horror picture fromTakashi Shimizu, and immediately closed a deal for the US and UK with HamishMcAlpine's Tartan Films.Shimizuis the director of cult Japanese horror film The Grudge and its sequelas well as the US remake starring Sarah Michelle Gellar ...

  • News

    Deauville graces Marston's Maria with prizes

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    The30th annual Deauville Festival of American film wrapped up last night with aslew of prizes for Joshua Marston's Maria Full Of Grace. The festival favourite already honored atSundance and Berlin among others - took home the Grand Prize, the AudienceAward and the International Critics' Prize.Thejury, presided over by Claude ...

  • News

    Bird swoops on top prize at Fribourg

    2000-04-06T16:03:00Z

    The Bird Who Stops In The Air, by South Korean film-maker Jeon Soo-il, won the top prize at the 20th edition of the Fribourg International Film Festival in Fribourg, Switzerland (March 12-19).Special mention went to Darkness And Light, by Taiwanese director Chang Tso-Chi, while the festival's international jury gave the ...

  • News

    Beyond sells Cold & Dark to US

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    British horror film Cold& Dark found itself a US distribution berth with First Look Features.The deal was brokered by Hilary Davis of the London-based sales arm ofAustralia's Beyond Films. Previous sales included those to Japan's GagaCommunications, Mexico's Cine, Video Y Television and Russia's BelivenEnterprises.Directed by Andrew Goth andstarring former boy ...

  • News

    New Friend for Mrs Palfrey

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    RupertFriend, the hot British newcomer who can be seen later this week in romanticclinch with Johnny Depp in The Libertine, has landed the lead male roleopposite Joan Plowright in Dan Ireland's latest comedy Mrs Palfrey At TheClaremont.Scriptedby Ruth Sacks from the popular 1971 English novel by Elizabeth Taylor, the filmstarts ...

  • News

    Luce picks up Italian rights to Venice first film winner

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Le Grand Voyage, which won its director Ismael Ferroukhi the prize for best firstfilm at Venice last week, also found itself a home in Italy. In a deal arrangedby sales house Flach Pyramide International (FPI), the Franco-Moroccan financedfilm Italian distribution rights were picked up by Istituto Luce. The film is ...

  • News

    Radar Pictures buys stake in C.O.R.E.

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    Ted Field's Radar Pictureshas acquired a minority stake in Toronto-based visual effects group C.O.R.E. ina move to boost his production company into the forefront of computer-generatedfeature animation. C.O.R.E, which is currently creating an animated film for amajor studio under tight security, is considered one of North America's leadersin visual effects. ...

  • News

    Fall, Clark, Pereira join Fortissimo's sales canon

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Jim Fall, director of Trick and The LizzieMaguire Movie, has signed on to direct the English-language remake of1999 Thai comedy 6IXTYNIN9. International sales are handled by FortissimoFilm Sales, which has also boarded the next pictures by Larry Clark and Spain's Manuel Gomez Pereira.The $10m film is to be produced by ...

  • News

    TLA Releasing honours Honore's Ma Mere

    2004-09-13T04:05:00Z

    TLA Releasing picked up USDVD and TV rights to Christophe Honore's erotic drama Ma Mere atToronto. Starring Isabelle Huppert, the film is adapted from the novel byGeorges Bataille about a woman leading her teenage son into a world of drugs,alcohol and sex-drenched debauchery. TLA director of acquisitions Richard Wolffnegotiated for ...

  • News

    Zhang Yimou teams with Japan's Ken Takakura on next film

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Chinese movie legend ZhangYimou, in Toronto to promote his latest martial arts spectacle House OfFlying Daggers, is returning to morepersonal drama for his next film which will be a starring vehicle for Japanesefilm veteran Ken Takakura.Takakura, the 75 year-oldactor famous as the "Japanese Clint Eastwood", is well-known to westernaudiences from ...

  • News

    Ryder, Lehmann reteam on stoner comedy Weed

    2004-09-13T04:00:00Z

    Winona Ryder is reuniting with her Heathers director MichaelLehmann on a new comedy called Weed which Sideways producer Michael Londonwill produce. International sales agent Arclight Films is talking the film upto buyers at Sundance; Cinetic Media is handling domestic rights.The movie is a hip comedy with the same cult trappings ...

  • News

    Resident Evil sequel roars to the top of the box office

    2004-09-13T00:00:00Z

    The shock of a new seasonfound two premiering thrillers scaring up business with Resident Evil:Apocalypse leading the way forScreen Gems with an estimated $24.2 million and New Line's Cellular trailing with about $10.5 million.However, overall businesswas soft and the weekend tally is unlikely to generate more than $78 million inticket ...

  • Reviews

    Shark Tale

    2004-09-13T00:00:00Z

    Dirs:Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman. USA. 2004. 90mins.Afterbugs and monsters, the DreamWorks versus Disney/Pixar tit-for-tat animationgrudge match has moved on to fish. The latest blow to be struck by theDreamWorks camp, Shark Tale is a colourful, fast-paced, jive-talkingseabed caper that continues the scattershot, kids-and-adults targeting of muchmajor studio animation ...