All articles by Tim Dams – Page 55

  • News

    Harry Potter ponders UK future

    2005-06-03T04:00:00Z

    Hard onthe heels of ScreenDaily.com's exclusive report that the next JamesBond film looks set to shoot in Prague comes more troubling news for thebeleaguered British production sector.HarryPotter producerDavid Heyman has confirmed to ScreenDaily.com that it is not certainthat the fifth installment of the franchise - Harry Potter And TheOrder Of ...

  • News

    Dutch FilmWorks unveils big budget Cannes haul

    2005-06-02T04:00:00Z

    Netherlandsdistributor Dutch FilmWorks has unveiled a string of big budget acquisitionsfrom this year's Cannes film festival. Buys include Peter Hyams' $60m The Chaser fromSignature Pictures. An action film filled with special effects, it is about a bankrobbery which takes place in Key Largo during a tornado.It also bought Renny Harlin's ...

  • News

    Boyle, Crowley sign for Director's Cut of '25 Words'

    2005-05-30T04:00:00Z

    The UK Film Council's Development Fund has launched afresh version of its "25 Words or Less" initiative, partnering withdirectors Danny Boyle and John Crowley to bring new film ideas to the bigscreen. Backed by film companies Pathe UK and Intermedia, thenew "25 Words or Less: Director's Cut" project gets bothdirectors ...

  • News

    UK Film Council names cinemas joining digital network

    2005-05-26T00:00:00Z

    The UK Film Council hasunveiled the list of cinemas set to participate in the roll out of its DigitalScreen Network (see full list of cinemas, below).TheCouncil is spending £11.7m of its National Lottery funding to install digitalfilm projectors and related equipment in 209 cinemas (on 238 screens) acrossEngland, Scotland, Wales ...

  • News

    Short film channel to launch for UK mobile phones

    2005-05-25T04:00:00Z

    Short films specialistShorts International is to launch a short film channel'"Shorts Tv" - which willbe broadcast to mobile phones in a pioneering UK mobile TV trial led by NTLBroadcast.The channel will launchalongside other established channels including Cartoon Network, CNN, Discovery Channel, Sky Sports News and Sky Travelas part of a ...

  • News

    Minghella cranks up Breaking And Entering

    2005-05-25T04:00:00Z

    Principal photography has begun in London on Breaking AndEntering, written and directed by Anthony Minghella.Previouslyannounced cast members Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn and VeraFarmiga are joined by Martin Freeman, Ray Winstone and Mark Benton in thecontemporary drama.The film is a co-production between Miramax Films and TheWeinstein Company, the ...

  • News

    Metrodome takes on Von Trier's Manderlay

    2005-05-24T04:00:00Z

    UK distributor Metrodome has bought Lars Von Trier's Manderlayfrom Trust Film Sales.The Cannes competition title has now sold to over 35countries. The US is the last major territory yet to announce a deal for Manderlay,Von Trier's follow-up to Dogville.Manderlay is the first Lars Von Trier directedfilm that Metrodome has handled; ...

  • News

    Hidden triumphs in Screen critics' poll

    2005-05-24T00:00:00Z

    It may not have won the Palme d'Or, but Michael Haneke's Hiddenhas emerged as the most popular Cannes competition title according to Screen'sannual poll of international critics.The Screen Cannes jury was made up of 12 key criticsfrom around the world who voted on every film in competition, awarding fourpoints for ...

  • News

    Kino snaps up Cannes trio

    2005-05-24T00:00:00Z

    US independent distributor Kino International hasacquired three titles at the recently-concluded Cannes Film Festival.The titlesare: Im Sang Soo's The President's Last Bang from South Korea andIranian director Mohammad Rasoulof's Iron Island - both of which playedin Directors' Fortnight - along with French director Karin Albou's La PetiteJerusalem which screened in ...

  • News

    European Film Promotion elects new board

    2005-05-19T00:00:00Z

    The members of European FilmPromotion (EFP) have elected a new Board of Directors at its general assemblymeeting during Cannes.The Board is composed of sixmembers and the term of office lasts for two years. Claudia Landsberger has beenre-elected as President and Christian Dorsch has been re-elected asVice-President, both ...

  • News

    Brussels sprouts new tax financiers

    2005-05-16T04:00:00Z

    Belgian tax financiers havehit Cannes with a vengeance this year, announcing plans to launch new filmfunds while looking for new international projects to invest in.New Brussels based outfitMoviestream has already invested Euros 1.5m in a slate of four projects and isnow planning to raise Euros 15m over three years from ...

  • News

    Indican takes US for Wedding comedy

    2005-05-15T00:00:00Z

    US distributor IndicanPictures has picked up rights to Laurent Firode's comedy My First Wedding, which stars Rachel Leigh Cook. The deal was negotiated byDavid Gordian of Paragraph Pictures and Shaun Hill of Indican Pictures. ChrisDavis International handling foreign sales.Cook plays blushingbride-to-be Vanessa who enlists the help of her local Priest ...

  • News

    Reding hosts Euro culture ministers for Cannes summit

    2005-05-14T04:00:00Z

    EuropeanUnion media commissioner Viviane Reding has said she wants European film-makersto be able to use technology to boost the circulation of their films within theEU.Reding, who oversees theEuros 513m Media Programme, was speaking to Screen ahead of a Europe Dayconference she is hosting here on May 17.18 of the 25 ...

  • News

    Inspired Movies hits Cannes with Conquistador

    2005-05-14T04:00:00Z

    Anglo-Indian productionoutfit Inspired Movies has arrived in Cannes with a slate of three new picturesto sell. The independent movieproduction house launched its UK operation in 2004 and has already producedthree full-length English language features - Red Mercury, Exitz and Take 3 Girls - featuringthe likes of Malcolm McDowell, Stockard ...

  • News

    Cannes hit by ghosts of rock stars

    2005-05-13T00:00:00Z

    Two very different directors- Gus Van Sant and Stephen Woolley - hit Cannes today with films inspired bythe deaths of rock stars.Van Sant's Last Days was originally meant to be a full blown biography ofNirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, the director explained at a press conference forthe competition film. "But I ...

  • News

    Woody's next match will be on screen with Scarlett

    2005-05-12T13:00:00Z

    WoodyAllen revealed that he will star alongside Scarlett Johansson in his next film,which is set to shoot in London this summer."It so happens that in thisnext film there is a very good part for me to play and I'm going to play it,"said the veteran director. He described it as ...

  • News

    Arab festivals co-ordinate to avoid date clashes

    2005-05-10T04:00:00Z

    The second DubaiInternational Film Festival is to be held from December 11-17, 2005. The date of the week-longfestival was decided after a series of discussions with the organizers of theCairo, Marrakech and Damascus film festivals to enhance synergies between majorfestivals from the Arab world. The discussions focused onthe most appropriate ...

  • News

    UPI appoints Deeks as international marketing SVP

    2005-05-06T00:00:00Z

    Universal PicturesInternational (UPI) has appointed Sara Deeks as Senior Vice President,International Marketing and Darren Linton as Vice President, InternationalMarketing, effective 16 May 2005. Deeks joins UPI fromBarclays Bank where she was most recently Brand Strategy Director with theresponsibility for devising and implementing the global brand strategy for thecompany. Prior to ...

  • News

    Cannes unveils competition screening schedule

    2005-05-04T00:00:00Z

    TheCannes Film Festival (May 11-22) has unveiled the screening schedule for thefilms playing in its official selection this year.Festival watchers will scrutinise the schedule carefully tosee which films have secured strong screening slots. In recent years, most films that go on to win the Palme d'Or haveplayed in the second ...

  • News

    Fortissimo tunes into The Night Listener

    2005-05-02T04:00:00Z

    FortissimoFilms is to handle worldwide sales outside of North America forTheNight Listener, the recently wrapped film adaptation of Armistead Maupin'sbestselling drama, directed by Patrick Stettner and starring Robin Williams andToni Collette.FortissimoFilm's co-chairmen, Michael J. Werner and Wouter Barendrecht who receiveco-producercredits,completed the deal with UTA, which represent theproducers Hart Sharp Entertainment, ...