All articles by Wendy Mitchell – Page 32
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UK's Sky Movies Indie gets broadcast rights to Spirit Awards
UK channel Sky Movies Indie has struck a deal for the exclusive UK broadcast of Film Independent's Spirit Awards. The winners are announced in Santa Monica February 23 and highlights will be shown at 9 pm GMT March 1 on Sky Movies Indie.The channel will also run a week's worth ...
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Berlin Talent Campus score prize goes to Conrad Oleak
The Berlinale Talent Campus has come to a close, with Conrad Oleak from Germany taking the top prize in the Volkswagen Score Competition.He did a new score for an excerpt of Platz im Schatten by Sophie Narr.He now gets a one-week trip via Dolby to Los Angeles to visit top ...
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Austria's Revanche takes Europa Cinemas Label in Berlin
The Europa Cinemas Label at Berlin has gone to Gotz Spielmann's Revanche from Austria.The prize is awarded to the best European film in Berlinale Panorama, as judged by a jury of four Europa Ciemas exhibitors.The honour comes with the support of the Europa Cinemas network of exhibitors, which will give ...
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Chellomedia takes 25% stake in UK-based Shorts International
Liberty Global's European content division Chellomedia has acquired a 25% stake in London-based Shorts International.The deal is done by subsidiary LGI Ventures BV, which specialized in minority investments. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Chellomedia will have a non-executive director on the board of Shorts International.Shorts International's projects include channel ...
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Melissa George to set sail with Icon's thriller Triangle
Melissa George is in final negotiations to star in Triangle, a new supernatural thriller from Creep and Severance director Christsopher Smith.Icon will distribute in Australia and the UK and will handle international sales in other territories. Jason Newmark is producing for Dan Films, with Australia's Chris Brown at Pictures in ...
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Berlin's Teddys go to Queen Raquela, Football Under Cover
The Teddy Awards have been handed out to the best films with a queer context across all programmes of the Berlinale.The best feature award went to Olaf de Fleur's The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela (an Icelandic production). That film was the story of a transsexual from the Philippines who ...
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Thailand's Aditya Assarat on Wonderful Town
'There's nothing special about this little town,' says Thai writer-director Aditya Assarat of Takua Pa, the southern Thailand town that is the setting of his debut feature film. 'Except it got hit by a tsunami.'That post-tsunami calm is what Assarat explores in the somewhat ironically titled Wonderful Town, which recently ...
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Falcon swoops on Elephant Eye's Turkey for Middle East
New York-based Elephant Eye Films has closed its first pre-sale on Craig Zobel's Turkey In The Straw. All rights for the Middle East have been taken by Falcon Films.The project is Zobel's follow-up to 2007 Sundance hit Great World Of Sound, which has been also screening at the EFM market ...
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Shorts Golden Bear splashed out for A Good Day For a Swim
The Berlinale's shorts jury has given its Golden Bear to A Good Day For a Swim (O zi buna de plaja) by Romania's Bogdan Mustata, about three juvenile delinquents who break out of prison and go to the beach.Of the winner, the jury said: 'The film raises questions about its ...
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Middle East festival to add four more days to Abu Dhabi event
The Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), now planning its second festival in Abu Dhabi. The festival, running October 10-19, has grown by four days to accommodate a larger programme of films.The inaugural run in 2007 screened more than 80 films, a number set to increase this year. Also new ...
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Tiscali, Guerilla plan free downloads of Matt Winn's January 2nd
Broadband/phone company Tiscali is working with UK/Irish distributor Guerilla Films for the first free, on-demand premiere of a UK feature film. The UK romantic comedy January 2nd will be launched simultaneously online and via Tiscali TV.The film will be out February 29 on tiscali.co.uk or to subscribers on Tiscali's digital ...
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In Berlin, Madonna says directorial debut was 'learning curve'
Madonna, in Berlin with her directorial debut Filth And Wisdom, says the 81-minute feature was her version of 'film school.' 'I wanted to do it under the radar because I had to learn how to make a film,' the star told Screen International. 'I paid for it myself and begged, ...
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Sutherland sets up Fluorescent Productions slate
UK producer Mairi Sutherland, who has worked with director Robbie Moffat through their Palm Tree Entertainment, has set up new company Fluorescent Productions to work with directors in addition to Moffat.Her development slate includes WWII project Devils Harbour written by Jack MacLaughlan to be directed by Barry Campbell; Afghanistan-set love ...
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Fandango Portobello heats up Gomorra sales
Fandango Portobello has followed its successful sales of Competition title Quiet Chaos (Caos Calmo) with a round of deals on Matteo Garrone's Gomorra, which is now in post-production for Fandango and Rai Cinema (Fandango's Domenico Procacci is producing).Gomorra has gone to France (Le Pacte), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Canada (Seville) and Benelux ...
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Liberation-Halcyon pact for DVD launches of Wristcutters, Deepwater
UK and North American distributor Liberation Entertainment and UK-based producer/distributor Halcyon Releasing have joined forces for the DVD releases of Wristcutters - A Love Story and Deepwater.Liberation will handle sales and distribution for the features, which were both produced by Halcyon's managing director Chris Coen. Both will be released May ...
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Pretty Pictures strikes German deal for Joy Division
Pretty Pictures has added German rights on Grant Gee's Toronto hit documentary Joy Division. Pretty also holds the French and Benelux rights. 'We're considering our options,' said Paris-based Pretty Pictures head James Velaise. 'We think it makes sense with a documentary of this kind to acquire several territories. For example, ...
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UK producers Initialize co-production meetings
The UK's Skillset, UK Film Council and legal firm Olswang are hosting a new producers lab, Initialize Films, for 17 UK producers seeking European co-producers. The producers have been in Berlin attending the Co-Production Market and will have a day of pre-selected meetings today at the Marriott.Projects include Young from ...
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Visual Factory eyes slew of deals for Hideout, Concrete Romance
UK-based sales outfit Visual Factory has closed a number of deals here at the EFM. Marco Martani's gangster story Concrete Romance has gone to CanalPlus for France; Pupi Avati's The Hideout, a US-shot thriller starring Laura Morante, Burt Young and Treat Williams, has gone to Film Depot for Russia and ...
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Screen East backs The Reeds, Barbarian Princess
Ildi Toth Davy's Altadena Films has taken on The Reeds, a UK production casting now. The Funnyman Films/Red Eye Pictures project is produced by Simon Sprackling, Neil Peplow and Charlie Gauvain. The director will be announced later. The story follows a boating party that gets lost in the Norfolk broads ...
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UK companies back new CTBF short film award
The UK's film and TV industry charity CTBF has launched the new John Brabourne Big 5 Award.The backers are Arri Rental Group, Technicolor, Kaos, Pinewood Group and Kodak. Working Title Films will help select the final script and help with funding.The award will provide a platform for a rising director ...