All articles by Wendy Mitchell – Page 31
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News
UK's John Akomfrah at work on Fela Kuti documentary
UK film-maker John Akomfrah, who recently collected an Order Of The British Empire (OBE) for his services to film, has several new projects in the works.His Smoking Dogs Films production outfit, with Lina Gopaul and David Lawson, is currently working on a feature-length documentary about Afro Beat legend Fela Kuti. ...
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Richard Napper takes MD post at UK's Curzon Cinemas
Richard Napper, the former managing director, UK, of Sony Pictures International, has been appointed as the new managing director of Curzon Cinemas.He will oversee all the business operations of exhibition outfit Curzon, part of UK distributor-exhibitor Curzon Artificial Eye Group. Louisa Dent continues as managing director on the distribution side.Philip ...
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Material takes on three Treasure Island pre-quels
UK production company Material Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to John Drake's Flint & Silver as well as the book's two follow-ups.The author makes his debut with the adult adventure novel, a prequel to Treasure Island. The story is about the rivalry between Flint and Silver before their confrontation ...
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BBFC oversightlaw shot down in UK House of Commons
Conservative MP Julian Brazier today had a second reading in the House Of Commons for his British Board of Film Classification (Accountability to Parliament and Appeals) Bill, and the proposal has now effectively been killed off after five hours of discussion.Brazier's proposed Bill points to violent and sexual material allowed ...
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Terry Pratchett, Vadim Jean on board for Screenwriters Festival
The International Screenwriters' Festival, hosting its third event in Cheltenham this July, has announced several more key attendees.Fantasy writer Terry Pratchett and director Vadim Jean will discuss their recent collaboration The Colour Of Magic (a Sky project), which brought them together after The Hogfather.Other speakers already lined up for the ...
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Nicolas Winding Refn starts Bronson shoot with Vertigo
Danish-born director Nicolas Winding Refn has started a six-week UK shoot for Bronson, his feature about notorious prisoner Charles Bronson.Vertigo Films is producing in association with 4DH Films, EM Media, Str8jacket Creations and Aramid Entertainment.Vertigo's Rupert Preston and 4DH Film's Danny Hansford will produce. Executive producers are Nick Love, Allan ...
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London Australian Film Festival to open with Unfinished Sky
This year's London Australian Film Festival will run March 6-16, opening with Peter Duncan's Unfinished Sky, about a reclusive farmer in rural Queensland who befriends an Afghan refugee. The festival will close with Richard Roxburgh's Romulus, My Father starring Eric Bana and Franka Potente.The festival, hosted at the Barbican, is ...
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Greek feature Pink takes top prize in new !f Istanbul competition
Alexander Voulgaris' Pink (Roz) won the top prize at the!f Istanbul International Independent Film Festival.The festival's new!f Inspired Film Competition comes with a cash prize of $15,000 and showcases new directions in cinema and innovative story-telling.The Greek feature is about a twentysomething Greek man who is afraid of growing up, ...
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UK regional audiences name Bourne Ultimatum as top film
The Bourne Ultimatum has taken the public-voted Film of the Year at the Richard Attenborough Film Awards in the UK.The awards are for UK's regional film journalists and the audience winner was announced at trade event Cinema Days.Filmgoers across the country voted for the prize, which was coordinated through 25 ...
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News
Power takes TV, film rights to graphic novel Shooting War
UK-based production company Power has optioned the film and TV rights to Anthony Lappe's graphic novel Shooting War, which is illustrated by Dan Goldman.The book, published by Grand Central in the US and Wiedenfeld & Nicolson in the UK, is a near-future political thriller/dark satire about a blogger trying to ...
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UK's Peccadillo takes on 50+ films in Millivres catalogue
UK-based Peccadillo Pictures has acquired the feature film back catalogue of Millivres Multimedia.The deal includes more than 50 titles, such as Francois Ozon's Criminal Lovers, Gregg Araki's Totally F***ed Up, Anna Kokkinos' Head On, Angelina Maccarone's Hounded and a selection of Bruce LaBruce films.The Millivres Multimedia titles will gradually be ...
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Features
Sweden - Taking the crown
Jens Jonsson was on the other side of the world for his breakthrough moment. As his film The King Of Ping Pong was winning the Sundance 2008 World Cinema Jury Prize (as well as the World Cinema cinematography prize), he had already left Park City to show the film closer ...
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Features
United Kingdom - Love is all around
Mike Leigh has not named his new film Happy-Go-Lucky ironically. He readily says the Berlinale Competition title is "lighter" than 2004's devastating 1950s abortionist drama Vera Drake. "It's upbeat and funny and life affirming," the director says. Still, he says the project "does have some weight to it".Actress Sally Hawkins, ...
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Revolver strikes marketing deal with UK publisher Pan MacMillan
UK distributor Revolver has struck a unique marketing deal with publisher Pan MacMillan.The companies will work together on film releases and book tie-ins.Revolver's forthcoming release My Brother Is An Only Child by Daniele Luchetti is based on Antonio Pennacchi's Il fasciocomunista. Each will be released (in cinemas and bookstores) on ...
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News
Grant Thornton promotes Brion, Page to partner
UK-based accounting/financial services firm Grant Thornton has promoted Liz Brion and Nick Page to become partners in the firm's Media and Entertainment team.Brion joined GT in 2001 and is head of media tax.Page joined GT in 1996 and has been a specialist in the Media and Entertainment Team since 2004, ...
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Magic Light Pictures teams with Skillset for producer scheme
UK-based training body Skillset and production company Magic Light Pictures have launched the Producer Placement Programme for eight up-and-coming film producers to work in the UK industry.Placements are augmented with masterclasses, workshops and presentations from industry experts.Martin Pope of Magic Light said: 'We're delighted to be bringing together talented emerging ...
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NonStop takes on five new titles including Donkey Punch
Sweden's NonStop Entertainment has acquired several more new films as a distributor.The pick-ups include Sundance titles Donkey Punch, Red and previously announced Sundance Grand Jury prize winner Frozen River; as well as Seven Days and Honeydripper.Olly Blackburn's Donkey Punch was sold by Lumina Films, Trygve Allister Diesen's Red by Bleiberg ...
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Niki Caro starts New Zealand portion of Vintner's Luck shoot
Director Niki Caro starts shooting tomorrow on her new project, The Vintner's Luck.Keisha Castle-Hughes, who also starred in Caro's Whale Rider, will star alongside Jeremie Renier, Gaspard Ulliel and Vera Farmiga.The film is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name by New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox. The story ...
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Berlin Generation 14plus youth jury prize goes to The Black Balloon
The Berlinale's youth jury in the Generation 14plus section have given their Crystal Bear for best feature to Elissa Down's The Black Balloon from Australia.The jury said: 'We were very moved by the close to life story portraying the everyday life of an extraordinary family in this film. We were ...
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Delphis strikes Japanese deal for Berlin selection Dunya & Desie
Berlinale Generation 14plus selection Dunya & Desie has been sold to Japan's Wako. The Dutch teen movie, starring EFP Shooting Star Maryam Hassouni, had its world premiere in Berlin.Montreal-based Delphis Films is handling sales. Producers are Netherlands-based Lemming Film with co-producers A Private View (Belgium) and Motion Investment Group (Belgium).The ...