All articles by Wendy Mitchell – Page 68
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Momentum takes UK rights to Burger's The Return
Momentum Pictures has taken the UK rights to Neil Burger's The Return from sales company QED.Robert Walak, Momentum's director of acquisitions, negotiated the deal with Kim Fox, SVP worldwide sales at QED.Lionsgate has US rights and is considering a December release. The drama is about three soldiers returning from Iraq ...
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Ingenious starts $200m fund for distribution slates
UK-based media investment company Ingenious, which has been hit by recent UK government clampdowns on various investment schemes, has now launched a $203m (Euros 150m) film distribution fund. Instead of backing the release of single films, the fund will take a slate approach with European independent distributors' entire portfolios, including ...
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Britdoc plans second festival for July; selections include We Are Together
Britdoc's second-annual festival will have a theme of 'Documentary Meets Art,' and will run July 25-27, again at Oxford's Keble College.The three-day event will include screenings, a Pitching Forum, masterclasses with the likes of film-maker Larry Charles, and speed meetings. Explaining the theme, organizers said: 'At a time when the ...
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Momentum's Suen joins Aramid as chief operating officer
Aramid Capital Partners has appointed Yu Fai Suen as chief operating officer. Aramid is the large new new film fund comprised of financiers Future Films, Screen Capital International and Stonehenge Capital. Suen had been senior VP operations for Europe at Momentum Pictures, where he had been for nine years. He ...
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Optimum strikes UK deals for Incendiary and Rise Of The Footsoldier
Ahead of Cannes, UK distributor Optimum has picked up two new films: they are Sharon Maguire's Incendiary and Julian Gilbey's Rise Of The Footsoldier. Optimum acquired Incendiary, a Film4-backed project, from producer Archer Street Films (Capitol is handling sales in Cannes). The project stars Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor and Matthew ...
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The Works to handle international sales for Bahrani's Chop Shop
The Works International has taken on several new films ahead of Cannes. They include Directors Fortnight title Chop Shop, from Man Push Cart director Ramin Bahrani. The story follows a young immigrant boy who works in a New York junkyard. Lisa Muskat produced with Marc Turtletaub and Jeb Brody of ...
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High Point Films takes on Greg Hall's The Plague
London-based sales company High Point Film has added Greg Hall's The Plague to its slate ahead of Cannes. High Point has picked up world rights outside the UK, where distributor Wysiwyg Films has already released the project theatrically. Mike Leigh called the film 'a remarkable breath of fresh air.' It ...
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Icon takes on international sales for The Stanford Prison Experiment
Icon Entertainment International has acquired the international sales rights to The Stanford Prison Experiment, which Maverick Films/Infinity Features will start shooting in October 2007. The feature is based on the true story of Philip Zimbardo's groundbreaking 1971 study of human psychology at Stanford University, during which 18 young men assumed ...
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Rome to premiere Coppola's Youth Without Youth
Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth has been confirmed for a world premiere at the secondRome Film Festival, which runs Oct 18-27. 'It is both an honor and a great pleasure to debut Youth Without Youth at the Rome Film Festival. I have worked in Italy extensively, both in Sicily ...
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Northern stars
The first feature from a Newcastle-based film-maker draws inspiration from his time in UK indie bands. Wendy Mitchell reports.About a year ago UK film-maker Ashley Horner was facing a tough time in preparation for his first feature, The Other Possibility. 'Trying to prep the week's shoot in Berlin during the ...
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ContentFilm takes on sales for Toby Wilkins' horror-thriller Splinter
ContentFilm International has taken on international rights to Splinter, which it will launch in Cannes. Toby Wilkins will make his feature debut with the horror-thriller screenplay written by Ian Shorr and Kai Barry. Ted Kroeber and Kai Barry will produce the project, which will shoot this summer. Casting will be ...
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Ealing partners with Lionhead for Julian Fellowes' From Time To Time
Ealing Studios has partnered with Lionhead productions for Julian Fellowes feature as a director, From Time To Time. Ealing's new sales arm, Ealing Studios International, will also take worldwide rights. The deal was negotiated between James Spring of Ealing Studios and Paul Kingsley of Lionhead Productions. The film will star ...
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Toronto to open with premiere of Podeswa's Fugitive Pieces
The 32nd Toronto International Film Festival will open Sept 6 with the world premiere gala presentation of Jeremy Podeswa's Fugitive Pieces, organisers have announced. Stephen Dillane stars as a man who was orphaned in the Second World War and saved by a Greek archaelogist. Years later, he discovers true love ...
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UKFC allocates $11m to new funds including film festival support
The UK Film Council has allocated $11m (£5.5m) from its reserves and recoupments to go towards new funding policies through March 2010. The plans, published today in the Film in the Digital Age document, allocate the $11m of new funding to four new funds: UK Film Festivals Fund - $3m ...
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Hammer Film relaunched with European investors including Cyrte
A consortium of European investors, led by Netherlands-based Cyrte Investments, has acquired the UK's Hammer Film Producttions including its 295-title library. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although the new Hammer will have shareholders equity and facilities of about $50m. Simon Oakes and Marc Schipper, formerly of Liberty ...
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Arts Alliance enters US market with acquisition of Hart Sharp
London-based Arts Alliance Media has expanded into the US with the acquisition of New York-based Hart Sharp Video. Hart Sharp develops, acquires, markets and distributes films for home video, DVD and digital platforms. Past releases include Super Size Me! The deal, announced by AAM CEO Howard Kiedaisch and Hart Sharp ...
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International delegates at Tribeca see room for growth
Proximity to Cannes is still an issue, say international attendees, but those who attended found it a useful pre-Cannes meeting point and appreciated the 75 world premieres in the programme. Wendy Mitchell reports...The Tribeca Film Festival has clearly stated that one of its aims is to increase the presence of ...
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Fortissimo takes on Mexican Critics Week selection Bad Habits
Fortissimo Films has taken worldwide rights outside the Americas to Bad Habits (Malos Habitos), screening as part of Cannes Critics' Week. Simon Bross' feature won best film in the Mexican section at the 22nd Guadalajara International Film Festival. The story follows a family with diverse eating disorders. Ximena Ayala, Elena ...
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Moviehouse takes on sales for Harman's feature debut Credo
UK-based sales company Moviehouse Entertainment has come on board for sales of Credo, the first feature from Alto Films (produced in association with Axis Films). Director Toni Harman makes her feature debut with the psycholoigcal horror film about five students squatting in an abandoned London building who find out they ...
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New York's LaSalleHolland restructures as Sweet 180
New York-based management and production company LaSalleHolland has been restructured and renamed as Sweet 180. Company president Lillian LaSalle said: 'I restructured the company to accommodate a smaller but more prestigious client list. I'm excited about our new partnerships within the industry and I feel the new name reflects the ...