All articles by Tim Dams – Page 68
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Columbia backs film spin-off of BBC's Stella Street
Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group is backing a film spin-off of the BBC television series Stella Street, which parodies celebrity existence and pokes fun at the likes of Michael Caine, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman.Directed by Peter Richardson, Stella Street stars Phil Cornwell and John Sessions in multiple ...
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The Mill cuts its film division out of the picture
In a further sign of the difficult times facing the UK film industry, Oscar winning special effects company, The Mill, is pulling out of feature film. The London based company is blaming the move on the volatile nature of the industry and a desire to concentrate on its advertising activities.A ...
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UK cinema launches distribution venture to pick up Kurdish titles
UK arthouse venue The Rio Cinema has launched a new distribution venture, acquiring UK rights to two films showing in the London Kurdish Film Festival - Handan Ipekci's Hejar and Jano Rosebiani's Jiyan.The Rio Cinema bought Hejar from Menemsha Films and, jointly with the Kurdish Film Festival Organising Committee, Jiyan ...
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Euro animation enjoys production surge
Production of animated feature films in Europe is at an all-time high, according to a study of the industry published by Cartoon, the European animation association. Some 34 films are currently in production or about to be released in cinemas, according to the report. This compares with 56 animated films ...
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UK submits The Warrior as Academy Award contender
The UK has submitted Asif Kapadia's Hindi language film The Warrior as its official entry in the best foreign language film category at the Academy Awards.It is the first time the UK has submitted a film to the Oscars whose language is not indigenous to the UK. In 2000, Welsh ...
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Channel 4 slashes staff numbers as part of radical overhaul
UK broadcaster and former stalwart of the British film industry Channel 4 has embarked on the most radical shake-up in its 20 year history, announcing plans to slash 200 jobs.The redundancies are in addition to the 50 job losses at Channel 4's FilmFour division, which was recently closed as a ...
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Buckingham takes charge of UK arthouse 'virtual circuit'
Former FilmFour deputy chief executive Peter Buckingham has been appointed as head of the Film Council's new distribution and exhibition fund.Designed to boost the exhibition of arthouse films in the UK, the fund will have a budget of $22m (£14m) over the next four years to create a virtual circuit ...
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Anglo-French film investment alliance takes shape
In a bid to stimulate co-production activity between the two countries, UK and French film support agencies The Film Council and the CNC are exploring ways of working together more closely.The two bodies have met several times this year to discuss increased co-operation. At the Dinard Festival of British film ...
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US regulator blocks EchoStar, DirecTV satellite merger
EchoStar Communications $16.2bn bid to acquire rival satellite television outfit DirecTV was dealt a potentially fatal blow yesterday when the US communications regulator moved to block the deal.The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted to refer the deal to an administrative law judge for review - a process that could take ...
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Bloody Sunday wins over Dinard jury
Paul Greengrass's Bloody Sunday added to its tally of festival prizes over the weekend, winning the top award - the Hitchcock D'Or - at the Dinard British Film Festival (3-6 October).The Northern Ireland set drama has already received various international awards including the Golden Bear at Berlin and the Audience ...
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Wales paves way for new international film studio
Plans for a film studio complex in Wales received a boost yesterday, when the Welsh parliament scrapped its main objection to the project. Based in the south Wales valleys, the 350-acre development - called Dragon International Studios - is hoping to be built on a former opencast coal site near ...
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Britain delivers six of the best to Dinard festival
Actresses Patsy Kensit and Emilia Fox and director Brian Gilbert will form the British contingent on the jury of this year's Festival du Film Britannique de Dinard (Oct 3-6).French actor Gerard Darmon will act as jury president, overseeing a total jury of thirteen. His fellow French jury also includes actresses ...
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New BSkyB channel to have heavy film accent
Films will form an integral part of a new entertainment channel to be launched by UK pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB under the aegis of Dawn Airey, who was appointed managing director of Sky Networks over the weekend.Airey, currently chief executive of Channel 5, will join BSkyB in early 2003 in a ...
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AOL Time Warner boss stresses importance of UK and Europe
AOL Time Warner boss Dick Parsons said he wants to expand the company's international presence, with the UK and Europe seen as priorities for growth ahead of the rest of the world. However, he stressed that expansion in the UK and Europe would be cautious, largely because AOL Time ...
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Works starts on new film studio for Cornwall
Work is underway in St Agnes, Cornwall on the construction of a $9m (£5.76m) film studio complex, the first to be built in the South West of England.The studio is one of many currently in planning or construction stage throughout the UK - at least seven are thought to be ...
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Hodgson appointed chief executive of ITC
Patricia Hodgson, currently BBC director of public policy, has been appointed chief executive of UK commercial broadcasting body the Independent Television Commission (ITC).Hodgson takes up the post in September. She succeeds Peter Rogers, who is retiring.Hodgson’s move to the ITC comes just a few months after BBC director general Greg ...