Category: International

MUMBAI: Sony Electronics‘ Digital Cinema Solutions and Services Group (DCSS) has finalised a virtual print fee agreement with Overture Films.

Under this arrangement, Overture will release its titles in digital format for playback in US theatres equipped with Sony 4K projection systems.

The agreement marks the latest alliance for the Sony DCSS group with a motion picture distributor, following recent announcements with Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Said Overture Films executive vice president, theatrical distribution Kyle Davies, ” The Sony digital cinema team has the right resources in place to give exhibitors the strongest foundation for digital cinema,”.

Overture‘s first film under this new agreement is the box-office hit Law Abiding Citizen about a brilliant sociopath seeking revenge for his wife and daughter‘s murder.

Released nationwide 16 October, the film stars Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. Up next on 6 November is The Men Who Stare at Goats, a quirky dark comedy that follows the U.S. Military‘s attempts to harness paranormal abilities to combat its enemies. The film stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.
 

MUMBAI: Following the departure of Steve Bickel, Weinstein Company (TWC) international chief David Glasser has taken over foreign sales of Mark Gill and Neil Sacker‘s The Film Department.
The parties had been negotiating the deal for some time and the ongoing arrangement will kick off at American Film Market (AFM), giving The Film Department access to TWC‘s network of international buyers while broadening the latter‘s sales roster.

Glasser will initiate talks with buyers about the Kate Hudson romantic comedy Earthbound that is scheduled to start shooting in January and complete the remaining territory sales of Law Abiding Citizen with Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx that has grossed more than $43m in North America through Overture Films.

The Film Department co-founders Gill and Sacker will continue to finance, develop and produce content as they see fit and did not comment on the circumstances of former international president Bickel‘s departure.

Glasser is a natural fit to take charge of international sales given that he previously worked with Sacker when he was Bob Yari‘s international sales chief and Sacker was Yari Film Group COO. “I love the guys at The Film Department and this is a perfect fit,” Glasser added.

MUMBAI: The London Film Festival‘s inaugural Star Of London award for best film went to Jacques Audiard‘s A Prophet at the awards ceremony last night.

Said Jury chairperson, Anjelica Huston of France‘s foreign-language Academy Award submisison, “A masterpiece, Un Prophete has the ambition, purity of vision and clarity of purpose to make it an instant classic. With seamless and imaginative story-telling, superb performances and universal themes, Jacques Audiard has made a perfect film.”

The jury gave a special mention to John Hillcoat‘s The Road.

In another first-time presentation, the Best British Newcomer award celebrating a film-maker who had demonstrated ‘real creative flair and imagination with their first feature‘ went to The Scouting Book For Boys screenwriter Jack Thorne.

The jury also gave a special mention to J Blakeson, the writer and director of The Disappearance Of Alice Creed that premiered in Toronto recently.

The longstanding Sutherland Award presented to the maker of the most original and imaginative first feature went to Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani‘s Ajami, Israel‘s foreign-language Oscar submission.

The London Film Festival Grierson Award for best documentary was presented to Yoav Shamir for Defamation.

MUMBAI: Korean director Kwak Kyung-Taek will direct a 3D live-action film, tentatively titled The Battle Of Yellow Sea.

The film is about the explosive naval engagement between North and South Korea on the second-to-last day of the 2002 World Cup.

IM Pictures, the main investor and producer of the film, has earlier been associated with films like My Sassy Girl, Tazza: The High Rollers and The Big Swindle. Kwak previously directed Korean blockbusters Typhoon and Friend.

IM Pictures, in a statement, stated, “The global film industry is moving towards 3D films. Domestic multiplexes have also been introducing 3D projection quickly, and we will go from the more than 60 screens now to more than 100 screens by next year.

The film made on a budget of approximately $16.65m is currently in the casting stage and will go into the production stage in March next year.

MUMBAI: Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier is in talking to producers Anonymous Content to direct an English-language romantic comedy Which Brings Me To You.

The film based on a novel written by Julianna Baggott and Steve Almond centres on a single man and a woman who meet at a wedding and begin a relationship in which they write letters describing past romances and mis-steps. Published in 2006, the book earned strong reviews as a clever look at modern romance. 

Incidentally, Bier made a name for herself with the Danish-language melodrama After The Wedding that was nominated for a foreign-language Oscar in 2007 and went on to helm the Benicio del Toro-starring recovery tale Things We Lost In The Fire for Paramount.

She also co-wrote and directed the Danish language film Brothers, a war-themed drama that is being remade for Lionsgate with Jim Sheridan directing and starring Natalie Portman.

MUMBAI: A claymation film Mary and Max made by Oscar-winning Australian animator Adam Elliot won the grand prize for best animated feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, that ended last Sunday night.

The film has been voiced by Toni Collette, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Humphries.

The Ottawa jury also made a special mention to My Dog Tulip, an animated feature voiced by Christopher Plummer, Isabella Rosseillini and Lynn Redgrave.
 

Estonian film Kaasundinud Kohustused, (Inherent Obligations) by Rao Heidmets picked up the grand prize for best independent short animation.

The 33rd Ottawa animation festival also awarded Madagascar, A Journal Diary from French director Bastien Dubois, the best adult TV animation trophy and the NFB Public Prize.

MUMBAI: A film about an eccentric teen who believes he‘s the reincarnation of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky has won the audience prize at a Japanese festival. The Trotsky starring Jay Baruchel got the most votes from viewers at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Writer-director Jacob Tierney and producer Kevin Tierney were on hand to receive a cash prize of US$10,000 along with a trophy and certificate last Saturday.
The festival‘s website quotes Jacob Tierney as saying that he was “moved and very humbled” by the honour.

Set in Montreal, The Trotsky follows the sometimes-inflammatory measures taken by a 17-year-old boy as he tries to replicate the political and romantic milestones of his Bolshevik hero.

The film is expected to be released next year.

MUMBAI: Actor, director Ricky Gervais has been selected to host of the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards to be held in California on 17 January.

Gervais is best known for creating and starring in the TV comedy series Extras as well as the original British version of The Office. He has also appeared in films like The Invention of Lying, Ghost Town and Night at the Museum.
In a statement Gervais said, “Not only is this the biggest Hollywood celebration of the industry which includes both film and TV, but also an environment where I feel I can get free reign as a host. I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don‘t turn down.”

Said NBC and Universal Media Studios executive vice president of alternative programming Paul Telegdy, “Ricky is certainly one of the funniest people on the planet and has provided some of the most hilarious and memorable awards show moments in recent memory.”

MUMBAI: Michael Haneke‘s The White Ribbon beat a selection of films including Jacques Audiard‘s A Prophet, Jane Campion‘s Bright Star, Jessica Hausner‘s Lourdes and Luca Guadagnino‘s I Am Love to win the Screen International Hollywood World Award at the Hollywood Awards gala in Los Angeles last night.

In Haneke‘s absence, the award was accepted by US distributor Sony Pictures Classics‘ co-president Tom Bernard.

The star-studded event also saw JJ Abrams‘ Star Trek named film of the year by the public online voters of the Yahoo! Movies wevsite.
Winners whose names were previously announced include Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank, Christoph Waltz, Julianne Moore, Jeremy Renner, Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Gabourey Sidibe. Lee Daniels, Nora Ephron, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Melanie Lynskey, Zachary Quinto, Kathryn Bigelow, Lee Daniels, Pete Docter and Ryan Kavanaugh.

Steven Spielberg, Ron Meyer, Ed Asner, Kate Beckinsale, Ewan McGregor, Kathleen Kennedy, Diane Kruger, Michael Mann, Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock, Pierce Brosnan, Charlize Theron, Maria Bello, Diablo Cody, Zooey Deschanel, Marisa Tomei and Anthony Mackie were among the presenters.

MUMBAI: Samuel Goldwyn Films has lapped up the US theatrical rights of Brian Baugh‘s To Save a Life. It will partner with Outreach Films and New Song to market the film‘s release, set for 22 January.

The film starring Randy Wayne, Deja Kreutzberg, Kim Hidalgo and Sean Michael Afable is the story of an all-American teen (Wayne) coping with the death of a friend.

Cinematographer Baugh makes his directorial debut with the feature that has been written by Jim Britts.

Goldwyn previously worked with Outreach on the release of Fireproof and Amazing Grace.

Said Goldwyn vp of acquisitions Peter Goldwyn, “We are confident that To Save a Life‘ will continue our proven track record of releasing faith-based films.”