All articles by Wendy Mitchell – Page 103
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Tartan takes UK, Ireland rights to Mr Lonely
Tartan Films has taken onall UK and Ireland rights to Harmony Korine's Mr Lonely, which is currently shooting on location in Panama,Scotland and Paris. Diego Luna stars as aMichael Jackson look-a-like and the cast also features Samantha Morton, AnitaPallenberg and Denis Lavant. Harmony Korine co-wrote with Avi Korine. MarcelZyskind served ...
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FilmFour backs Winterbottom's Italy-set Genova
FilmFour hasannounced plans to continue its relationship with Michael Winterbottom andAndrew Eaton's Revolution Films by financing Winterbottom's next feature Genova. Eaton said theproject's budget would be around $3.9m (£3m) and shooting is likely to start inthe autumn. Laurence Coriat,who also collaborated with Winterbottom on 1999's Wonderland, wrote the screenplay. The ...
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Optimum starts music, audio books division
UK distributor Optimum Releasing, which was recentlyacquired by France's StudioCanal, has launched a new division devoted tocompilation albums, audiobooks and soundtracks.Optimum Sounds will issue its first release, tripleCD Extended Seventies - The Dawning of the the 12" Era, in May. Feel The Spirit - Other Worldly FolkSongs & Psychedelics will ...
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High Point adds Bride Flight and Dennis P to Cannes slate
London-based sales andproduction company High Point Films has taken world rights (excluding Benelux)for Bride Flight and Dennis P.The company is also now handling sales for Frank Van Mechelen's Belgium drama Tangier,about two Belgian bus drivers that are arrested in Morocco for trafficking drugs.Pre-production has just startedon Bride Flight, which is ...
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Tartan takes UK, US rights to Ghost of Mae Nak
Tartan Films has acquiredall rights in North America and the UK to De Warrenne Pictures' supernaturalthriller Ghost of Mae Nak. British writer/director MarkDuffield makes his feature debut with the Thai-language project. The film wasalready a success at the box office in Thailand and Malaysia. The deal was struck byproducer Tom ...
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Gatti-Pascual to work with Film London's Microwave scheme
Producer Sol Gatti-Pascual hasjoined Film London's micro-budget feature film fund Microwave as a freelancecreative executive. Gatti-Pascual previouslyworked on films including Glue, L'Annulaire,Joyeux Noel and Noi Albinoi. She will support FilmLondon's head of production Maggie Ellis is overseeing the new scheme, whichwas announced in February.The BBC-backed Microwaveprogramme will work with film-makers ...
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Film Connection gets Brazil rights to The Gigolos from Punk Cinema
Film Connection has taken Brazilian rights to TheGigolos, the debut feature from new UK company Punk Cinema.Film Connection plans to release theatrically inBrazil in September 2006.New UK distributor Word of Mouth struck a pre-Cannesdeal for all UK rights and also plans a September release. "Our experience suggests that The Gigolostravels ...
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Paramount appoints key execs in new international unit
ParamountPictures International has announced a number of key appointments for its newLondon-based international distribution arm, which will become operational inJanuary 2007. All will reportdirectly to Andrew Cripps, who as previously announced will serve as presidentof Paramount's new international operations. Of the four newdepartment heads announced, one is already at Paramount ...
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UK distributor Soda Pictures adds two to team
UK distributor Soda Picturesis growing with the addition of two new staffers. Kevin Owen has joined as theatricalsales manager. In June, Martin Gough will come on board as marketing manager. Owen worked as a film bookerat Artificial Eye and Tartan Films. Gough has a background in distribution andmedia planning and ...
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UK Film Council awards $1.2m from Development Fund
The UK Film Council hasannounced funding for nine new film projects through its Development Fund.The total investment in thenine films is $1.2m (£628,339). The projects funded are:Mrs Ratcliffe'sRevolution written by PeterStraughan and Bridget O'Connor, to be directed by Bille Eltringham;Ghetta Life, written by Christopher Browne;West Is West from writer Ayub ...
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Momentum gets UK and Spanish rights to Cholera
Momentum has acquired the UKand Spanish rights to Cannes market title Love In The Time Of Cholera. Mike Newell, who previouslydirected Four Weddings and a Funeral and Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire, will direct the $40m project. Javier Bardem, GiovannaMezzogiorno and Benjamin Bratt will star. The Pianist screenwriter ...
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Capitol takes on sales for Beresford's Mansions
Capitol Films has taken oninternational sales for Bruce Beresford's A Dream Of Red Mansions, currently in pre-production. Kate Hudson and KenWatanabe are set to star in this epic love story set during the ChineseCultural Revolution. Capitol has already closed adeal on A Dream Of Red Mansionspre-Cannes with Toshiba Entertainment for ...
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Mike Leigh picked for Heart of Sarajevo award
Mike Leigh will receive this year's honourary Heart of Sarajevo awardat the Sarajevo Film Festival. Leigh has previously visited the festival to show Topsy-Turvy in 2000, to receive a tribute in 2002, andto serve on the competition jury in 2004. 'His presence and support has done a great deal in ...
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MPA appoints Halli Kristinsson to Brussels-based post
The Motion PictureAssociation (MPA) has appointed Halli Kristinsson to the position of VP andregional director, anti-piracy, for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.As regional director, hewill work with the MPA's regional partners from the MPA regional headquartersin Brussels. Kristinsson reports to ChrisMarcich, senior VP in Brussels and John Malcolm, ...
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Dubai sets third festival dates for December 10-17
The DubaiInternational Film Festival has announced the dates for its third edition,which will be held December 10-17, 2006. The festival will inaugurate theSheikh Zayed Lifetime Achievement Award to honor a film industry personalitywho has built "cultural bridges on the world stage." Three otherlifetime achievement awards will be presented to artists ...
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UK distributor Revolver plans Kidulthood TV show
Film distributor Revolver Entertainment has announced plans to turn itscontroversial UK feature Kidulthood into a TV serial drama. The film's screenwriter Noel Clarke will work closely with the teambeing recruited to develop the TV project. "Kidulthood is a film that defines a generation," said Revolverproduct director Natascia Phillips. "It is ...
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Head Gear, Spice Factory start completion fund
UK producers and financiers MichaelCowan of Spice Factory and Phil Hunt of Head Gear Films have launched a new fund for features needed completion financing.
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Swipe Films starts UK/Ireland student screenwriting competition
London-based filmproduction, sales and distribution company Swipe Films has launched a newscreenwriting competition for UK and Irish students. Undergraduate andpostgraduate Students will submit an original screenplay of 80-120 pages fromany genre. The top winner will option and develop the winning script. Swipesaid that the prize will include a "five figure" ...
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EastWest on board for Yarik sales
Austrian/UK sales companyEastWest Filmdistribution has acquired international sales rights to Russian dramaYarik. First-time feature directorsKlaus Hundsbichler and Cecile Henry direct the story about a Russian child whois abducted and sold on the black market. MBI, Fischer Film and OrkenFilm are the co-producers.EastWest will be invitebuyers to screen the project as ...
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Anne-Marie Duff signs on for Bed Blockers
Anne-Marie Duffwill star in Alan Entwistle's UK black comedy/satire Bed Blockers. Duff previously starred in TheMagdalene Sisters andTV's Shameless and TheVirgin Queen.Entwistle willstart shooting in 2007. The film is about two Northern English mothers who takeon the system when the government threatens to withdraw health treatment forpremature babies. The film ...