All articles by Tim Dams – Page 57
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UK home video market growth hit by piracy in 2004
The UK video retail market grew by 12% last year, according to figuresreleased by the British Video Association. Although impressive, the 12% growth in 2004 is significantly down fromthe 30% growth posted in 2003 - a slowdown blamed on a maturing market and anincrease in piracy.First reports from the BVA ...
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Woolworths blames DVD piracy for poor Christmas
High street retailer Woolworths has blamed DVD piracy forcontributing to disappointing trading results over the Christmas period. Chief executive Trevor Bish-Jones told The DailyTelegraph that Woolworths was particularly hit by DVD piracy, losing £1.5m ofsales on some individual titles. The latest Harry Potter film, Prisoner of Azkaban,released in November, sold ...
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Sands confirmed as DreamWorks president
Miramax chief operating officer Rick Sands has joined DreamWorksSKG as president and chief operatingofficer. Sands' long anticipated departure comes as Miramax grapples withrecent layoffs and an ongoing contract dispute between parent company Disney andMiramax co-chief executives Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein. Sands will be primarily responsible for day-to-day management ofDreamWorks ...
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BBC viewers vote for best films of 2004
Viewers of the BBC's leading film review programme, Film 2004 with Jonathan Ross, have voted The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King astheir Film of the Year.Massappeal blockbusters such as Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles lineup in the top 10 alongside the subtitled martial arts epic Hero ...
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Berlinale unveils first competition films
The Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 10-20) has namedthe first films that will play in its Competition section as well as unveilingGerman director Roland Emmerich (The Day AfterTomorrow) as president of the International Jury.Including Régis Wargnier's opening film Man to Man, eleven films have been selected for the Competitionsection - ...
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Beatwax founder launches kids brand campaign
Beatwax and Firstmovies founder Chris Ward has launched anew venture called iKnow, a not for profit business aimed at making youngchildren more aware of how brands are created and work.iKnow says it is not an anti-brand initiative, but thatit wants to help counter the potential negative effects of brand marketing ...
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Taylor parts company with UGC Cinemas
UGCCinemas UK and Ireland managing director Margaret Taylor has left the company,just weeks after the exhibitor was taken over by US buyout firm the BlackstoneGroup.Taylorwas in charge of the 42 UGC cinemas in the UK and Ireland. During her tenure,she was responsible for introducing the company's cinema loyalty card, theUnlimited ...
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Butler named as FilmFour development chief
FilmFour have appointed Katherine Butler as head ofdevelopment.Butler was executive producer with the New Zealand FilmCommission until 2002 where she developed projects including the Academy Awardnominated Whale Rider. Most recently she has been working as head of developmentwith Alison Owen at Ruby Films and Gwyneth Paltrow at Go Go Pictures, ...
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Rotterdam festival names Dutch film premieres
A raft of Dutch films will have their world premieresduring the upcoming International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan 26-Feb 6)They are: Souls Of Naples (Zielen Van Napels) byVincent Monnikendam, Voorland by Eugenie Jansen, The Mystery Of TheSardine (Het Mysterie Van De Sardine) by Erik van Zuylen, CinemaInvisible: The Book (Cinema Invisible: ...
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Berjon named as Cannes Critics' Week director
Jean-Christophe Berjon has beennamed as the new director for International Critics' Week at Cannes.Elected by the French Unionof Film Critics, he succeeds Claire Clouzot.The 40-year-old Berjon is atheatre director and drama professor for the Florent School in Paris. Since1998 he headed the Annuel du cinema publication and also serves as ...
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Clark confirmed as UIP international marketing chief
Internationaldistributor UIP has confirmed the appointment of Nigel Clark as executive vicepresident international marketing, effective from Jan 4.Hereplaces Tomas Jegeus, who left to join 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles as headof international marketing.Clark is currently based in Los Angeles were he was mostrecently senior executive vice president of international ...
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China to allow more foreign films in cinemas
China will raise the quotas on imported films from othercountries, according to a report on Chinese news agency Xinhua.In recent years, China has imported about 50 films annually,with about a half coming from the United States.Since many Chinese are unable to watch many films from othercountries, the country's Film Bureau ...
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BBC should invest more in UK films, say MPs
The BBC should invest more inBritish film production and in showcasing UK films on its television channels,says an influential report drafted by Members of Parliament.The House of Commons CultureCommittee investigation into the BBC is published today as part of the processleading up to the corporation's Charter renewal at the end ...
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MPAA takes legal action against file-trading networks
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) istaking legal action to shut down file-trading networks it says distributemillions of unauthorised copies of Hollywood films and TV programmes.The MPAA said it was filing civil suits and pressing forcriminal actions against networks with the names BitTorrent, eDonkey andDirectConnect.The association said the three ...
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Matheson re-elected to key Pact film post
Bard Entertainment managing director Margaret Matheson is to serve athird year on the governing council of producers' alliance Pact as vice chair,film. Matheson stood unopposed for the top film industry role at Pact.Andrew Zein, managing director, Tiger Aspect Productions, will continuefor a second year as chair of Pact, while David ...
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ROK Player launches to bring film to mobile phones
A new system that allowsmobile phone users to watch films on their phone, even without networkcoverage, launches this week.ROK Player, which launchedin the UK on Monday, is predicting a mobile content platform market worth £100min three years for film distributors, TV companies and record labels.ROK Player is a specialdigital video ...
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UK piracy market worth £1bn within three years
The value of the blackmarket in pirate DVDs in the UK is expected to be worth more than £1 billionwithin three years, according to a new report on film piracy launched today.
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Revolver runs with Saint Ralph in UK
Revolver Entertainment has picked up the UK and Eire rightsto Toronto festival hit Saint Ralph.Directed by Michael McGowan, the film is abittersweet comedy about a Catholic schoolboy who attempts to save his mother'slife with a miracle by winning the Boston marathon. It was billed as 'theCanadian Billy Elliot' by Screen ...
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Amazon piles into UK online DVD rental market
Internet retailer Amazon has launched into the hugely competitive online DVD rentalmarket in the UK.The service was launched today (Dec 10), and is integrated into Amazon's UK site, which is already a popular DVD retail store.Unlike most other services,Amazon imposes a limit on the number of DVDs customers can ...
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Empire magazine unveils dates, venue for 2005 awards
Empire Magazine's annualawards ceremony, the Sony Ericsson Empire Film Awards, will take place onSunday March 13, 2005, two weeks after the Oscars.The Awards will also becelebrating their tenth anniversary at a new venue, London's Guildhall.Empire Editor Colin Kennedycommented: "It is fitting that in our tenth year the Awards have moved ...