Category: International

MUMBAI: There‘s good news for Paramount Studio. Not only has it become the first studio in history to generate $1 billion for four years in succession, it has become the first studio to cross the $1 billion mark at the domestic box-office in the US this year.

On the other hand, 20th Century Fox that has surpassed $ 2 billion internationally, is all set to cross the $1 billion mark domestically soon.

For years, Paramount lagged behind the others as far as market share was concerned, but the studio‘s box-office fortunes improved greatly this year. So far this year, it released five titles in the US and till Sunday, the studio‘s domestic revenue stood at $1.005 billion that was catapulted by Marvel Entertainment‘s Iron Man 2, that grossed $306.9 million and two DreamWorks Animation‘s animated films How to Train Your Dragon ($215.4 million) and Shrek Forever After ($229.4 million).

Among the films that opened this year, Iron Man 2 stands at No. 2 after Disney‘s Alice in Wonderland ($334.2 million). Twentieth Century Fox‘s Avatar, released in January is still the top grosser of the year, grossing $466 million. The film‘s total domestic box-office figures stand at $749.5 million.

Till Sunday, Warner Bros.‘s domestic box-office revenue stood at $849.8 million; Disney, $794.4 million; Sony, $423.2 million; Universal, $376.5 million; Lionsgate, $237.9 million and Summit Entertainment, $113.8 million.
 

MUMBAI: Pixar/Disney‘s Toy Story 3 has grossed $ 100 million overseas and has thereby clung onto the No. 1 spot on the foreign theatrical circuit for a second consecutive week. It drew $36.1 million from as many as 6,278 screens in 32 markets.

Worldwide total for Toy Story 3 totals $326.6 million and seems that it will easily surpass” the $361.9 million grossed by the 1995 original in less than three weekends of worldwide release.

The films Latin American haul contributed $62.2 million while the weekend‘s Australia opening grossed $6.2 million from 365 screens. In South Africa, the film roped in $1.1 million from 72 screens, the market‘s biggest opening weekend ever. Other markets accounted for $9.1 million of the $36.1 million weekend tally.

In all, Toy Story 3 amassed $100 million overseas total from just 35 per cent of the overall international market.

MUMBAI: Venezuelan film Brother, on Saturday, lapped up the best film prize Golden George of the 32nd Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF).

The film that beat 16 others which participated in the main competition sector, is the story of two young football players in a Venezuelan slum.

The special jury prize Silver George was annexed by The Albanian, a feature jointly developed by Germany and Albania. Polish Jan Kidawa-Blonski was awarded the best director for his Little Rose.

While Nik Xhelilaj was adjudged the best actor for his performance in The Albanian, the best actress award was awarded to Vilma Cibulkova.

The 32nd MIFF opened last Thursday night with more than 100 films from Russia, Germany, Spain participating.

MUMBAI: Sylvester Stallone wants to end his acting career and seriously concentrate on direction.

Divulging his intention, the 63-year-old actor said his new film The Expendables, in he plays a gang leader of veteran mercenaries on a deadly mission, could be his last as an actor. “I‘m on borrowed time. At this age I hear the ticking clock and it‘s as loud as the gong on Big Ben,” he said.

“Rambo wants to remain a part of the acting world but only as a director. “The ultimate ambition is to follow in Clint Eastwood‘s footsteps and move on to directing films without me having to be in them”, he said.
 

MUMBAI: The 2010 Taipei International Film Festival opened yesterday with its focus on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 152 films from about 30 countries will be shown during the festival.

Twelve films have been nominated for the International Young Director Award which carries a prize of 600,000 Taiwan dollars (19,000 US dollars). The winners will be announced on 2 July.

Launched in 1998, the festival picks one foreign city as its theme each year. This year‘s focus on the Brazilian capital.

Sais Jane Yu, the festival‘s press officer, “Some 30 Brazilian films will be screened during the festival. Brazilian film Elite Squad, winner of the Golden Bear prize at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival will open the film.”

About 24 foreign directors and actors have come to attend the festival. Among them are Aluizio Abranches, director of Brazilian film From Beginning to End and lead actor of Bye Bye Brazil, Jose Wilker.

MUMBAI: In its bid to wipe out its $450 million debt, film studio Weinstein Co. has signed an agreement with Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Weinstein will retain 150 titles including The Reader and Inglourious Basterds, Goldman and its partner Assured Guaranty Ltd. will have possession of titles including Halloween II and The Road.

Goldman was paid $115 million to take ownership of 250 films with $225 million in receivables and future cash flow that would wipe out Weinstein‘s debt. The studio can buy them back before 2016. Weinstein will manage the films. 

“Obviously this is an exciting time for the company,” commented Harvey Weinstein. “It‘s always nice when a deal can be a win-win for all partners involved,” he added.
Shares of Goldman Sachs declined by 20 per cent and fell 9 cents to $134.98in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

Said Goldman in an e-mailed statement, “We believe that the restructuring will allow the Weinstein Company to continue to produce new films, and to create value for all of its stakeholders.”
 

MUMBAI: James Cameron‘s Avatar picked up 10 awards at the recently held 36th annual Saturn Awards in Los Angeles including the best science fiction film and best actor and actress awards for Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana.

Two more awards came Cameron way in the form of best writer and director. during the ceremony, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films at the Castaway restaurant in Burbank.

Other best film winners included Watchmen, Drag Me to Hell, Monsters vs. Aliens, District 9 and Inglourious Basterds.

While Irvin Kershner, the director of Star Was: The Empire Strikes Back was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the writing-producing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman received the George Pal Memorial Award for their work in TV and film.

Lauren Shuler Donner was given the Producers Showcase award for her work in X-Men.
 

MUMBAI: The 45th International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary will present the Crystal Globe to 64-year old Nikita Mikhalkov for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema.

Slovak-born filmmaker Juraj Herz would also receive the lifeime achievement award for his contribution to cinema.British film and theatre actor Jude Law will be bestowed the festival president‘s award.

This year‘s festival in Karlovy Vary will present 180 full-length feature filmsof which some 50 films will have their world or international premiere.

While twelve films will be in the main feature film competition, 16 films have been shortlisted for the documentary competition.

The main jury will be chaired by US producer Ron Yerxa who produced the historical film Cold Mountain (2003) with Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

MUMBAI: This year‘s Locarno Film Festival will see the world premiere of Daniele Gagliacone‘s drama Pietro and Canadian Bruce La Bruce‘s L.A. Zombie.

The two films are among an estimated 20 others that will compete for Locarno‘s prestigious Pardo d‘Oro (Golden leopard) award. 

Pietro is the third full-length feature from Gagliacone, who came onto the Italian film scene six years ago after winning the award for his first feature in Venice for Nemmeno il destino.

This will be Gagliacone‘s second appearance in Locarno. Earlier he was there for the screening of his documentary Rata Nece Biti in 2008.

The international screening of L.A. Zombie will coincide with the first visit of noted photographer and underground pornography figure La Bruce.

The 63rd edition of the Locarno festival is set for Aug. 4-14.

MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) have created a new $100,000 film fund for the cause of development funding for features each year from the Asia Pacific region. ?

Announcing the creating of the Fund at the recently concluded Shanghai Film Festival, the partners said that the fund was intended to stimulate production in the region, particularly at the development phase among the 70 countries embraced by APSA. 

Grants of $25,000 each, will be allocated to the script development of four new film projects.

Recipients of the MPA-APSA Academy Film Fund money will be members of the APSA Academy, a body of filmmakers comprising of past APSA nominees, winners, jury and nominations council members. ?

The first recipients will be selected by a panel of industry experts and announced at the fourth annual APSA ceremony, scheduled to take place in Australia on 2 December.

Among those eligible are feature films, children‘s features, animated features and feature length documentaries with a synopsis or treatment that have a producer, director or screenwriter attached at the time of submission.

Submissions for the first round of grants from the new fund will open on 31 July. 31.