Category: International

MUMBAI: The 53rd BFI London Film Festival opened with a dual world premiere of Wes Anderson‘s animated adaptation Fantastic Mr Fox.Wes Anderson and his cast namely George Clooney

, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson and Jarvis Cocker attended both the screenings. However, Meryl Streep was unable to attend the screenings due to ill health.

The total capacity of the dual premiere was around 3000, significantly higher than last year‘s opening night.

Introducing Anderson, Festival director Sandra Hebron said “The opening night is always exciting for us, but never more so than this year, when the world premiere has seen us spread across Leicester Square and occupy London‘s two largest cinemas.”

MUMBAI: The Asian Film Market (AFM) 2009, held on the sidelines of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), closed on Thursday after its four-day run showing an increase both in sales and participants.

This year‘s event brought to the fore fruitful achievements in terms of sales, with its total amount of deals estimated at approximately $ 2 million.

The AFM, held for the fourth time, showed an increase in various dimensions, including the number of sales offices, participating companies, and screenings.
Starting on 11 October, the event attracted 75 firms from 25 countries and regions.

This year, the sales grew 9 per cent to 45 per cent from last year‘s 41 per cent. The number of films screened at the market also increased from 38 to 43 that included 40 market premieres that almost doubled in size from that of last year.

MUMBAI: The hair salvaged from the scalp of Michael Jackson after he was burned during the filming of a soft-drink commercial is to be sold at auction.

The 12 strands of hair from the late pop legend‘‘s mane, collectively valued at USD 1,600 will be auctioned in London on 17 October 17.

Jackson‘‘s hair was famously set alight on the sets of the Pepsi by pyrotechnics in the 1984 accident, leaving him with second degree burns. Jacko‘‘s fire-damaged locks were collected by the executive producer of the commercial, Ralph Cohen, who helped rescue the star by extinguishing the blaze with his coat.

A clump of singing legend Elvis Presley‘‘s hair will also go under the hammer

this month, with the clipping expected to raise up to $ 14,400.

MUMBAI: Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has come under fire from child protection advocates after a nine-year-old-girl carried the train of her gown at a fashion event.

Anderson shocked guests at the Hollywood Style Awards on 11 October when she turned up with young Adelaide Gault, who walked behind her making sure that her flowing gown didn‘t catch on the floor, it is understood.

Gault, the daughter of a make-up artist who was said to be working at the event, was left looking embarrassed and uncomfortable as she followed the actress around, and even sat on the floor as Anderson took her seat near the catwalk.

The audience physically gasped when Anderson took to the stage, turned to Gault and patted her leg, shouting ‘daughter,‘ as if she was calling for a pet dog.

A spokesperson for America‘s Child Labor Coalition has now called for investigation into how the nine-year-old came to be ‘working‘ as part of Anderson‘s entourage.

MUMBAI: Anna Kendrick will be the proud winner of the 21st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival‘s ‘Rising Star Award‘ for her performance in Up in the Air.

The award will be presented during the fest‘s awards gala on 5 January at the Palm Sporings Convention Center, hosted by “Entertainment Tonight‘s” Mary Hart.

The announcement was made by Festival chairman Harold Matzner at a private event.

Said, Matzner, “Anna is a gifted young actress. At 12, she received a Tony Award nomination for best featured actress in a musical for her role as Dinah in High Society. Now in her mid 20s, Anna has gone from strength to strength with each film.”

Up, directed by Jason Reitman and also starring George Clooney will be released by Paramount on 4 December.

Anna‘s other credits include Camp, Rocket Science and Twilight and also its sequel New Moon.

The festival itself will run from 5 to 18 January.

MUMBAI: Crooner Al Martino expired on Tuesday at the age of 82. A crooner who had several hits to his credit in more than 20 years, Martino essayed the role of Johnny Fontane in all the Godfather films.

Born Alfred Cini on 7 October, 1927 in South Philadelphia, Martino was pushed into singing by his childhood friend Mario Lanza. He began his singing career in the late 1940s.

His single Here in My Heart hit no. 1 in the U.K. in 1952 and stayed on top for a record nine weeks. That year, Martino performed for Queen Elizabeth at the London Palladium.

Martino had a run of chart singles through 1953, but his career stalled with the advent of rock ‘n‘ roll. He caught fire again in 1963 with the Top 5 hit I Love You Because; it was the first of six consecutive top 40 singles in less than two years, including I Love You More and More Every Day in 1964.

Martino sang I Have but One Heart (O Marenariello) in the first part of Godfather in the wedding

scene.

A longtime resident of Beverly Hills, Martino is survived by his wife, Judi; a daughter, Allison; a son, Alfred; a brother, Frank; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

MUMBAI: After working as CEO for Essential Entertainment, Jere Hausfater has stepped down from the organisation.

John Fremes has taken over as president of worldwide distribution before the American Film Market (AFM). It is understood that Hausfater is likely to serve as a consultant.

A statement from Essential Entertainment read, “We acknowledge and appreciate Jere‘s contribution to Essential over the past three years, and look forward to a continued relationship with him as a consultant and valued advisor to our team.

“Recently, Essential has made soon to be announced investments, specifically in television production, and we are looking at further expansion in other media ventures. I have full confidence in the existing management team, and am excited about the future of Essential.”

Hausfater was the former executive vice-president of Miramax International and head of worldwide sales and acquisitions at Intermedia. He served as a longtime senior executive at Buena Vista International.

MUMBAI: Macau is all set to launch its first international film festival in December with a jury chaired by popular Chinese actor Ge You. The inaugural Macau International Film Festival (MFF) will run from 26 December to 2 January.

The MIFF jury will award prizes for best feature film, screenplay, director, actor, actress and newcomer.

Last year, Macau was host to industry trade show CineAsia, put on by Hollywood Reporter parent, the Nielsen Company. CineAsia 2009 will be held in nearby Hong Kong from Dec. 8-10.

Ge, one of China‘s most popular actors, was last seen in If You Are the One directed by Feng Xiaogang and produced by Beijing-based Huayi Bros. Pictures.

MUMBAI: Entertainment Partners, a leading provider of payroll and production management solutions for the entertainment industry, has been selected by The ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Association as the ‘California/Western States Chapter 2010 ESOP Company of the Year.‘

With this title, Entertainment Partners will be the Chapter`s nominee for the “National ESOP Company of the Year Award” at the May 2010 national conference in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the top prize, Entertainment Partners‘ ESOP Communications Committee leader Justin Standard, a senior programmer analyst, placed as a finalist for “Employee Owner of the Year.”

The Award was based on an overall assessment of how Entertainment Partners,which became 100 per cent employee owned in 2004, has developed a culture of employee ownership.

In May, Entertainment Partners was named first runner-up in the Annual Awards for Communication Excellence by The ESOP Association.

The ESOP Association, founded in 1978, is a national non-profit membership organization with 18 local Chapters, serving approximately 2,500 ESOP companies, professionals with a commitment to ESOPs, and companies considering the implementation of an ESOP.

MUMBAI: Film studio Lionsgate has acquired worldwide distribution rights of Burst 3D, a horror/thriller to be produced by Ghost House Pictures. Neil Marshall, who had warlier written and directed Lionsgate‘s 2006 horror film The Descent, is likely to direct the film.

In the film a group of stranded travelers meet during a blizzard and are stalked by a malevolent force that makes people spontaneously combust.

Lionsgate says that it was the first to apply next-generation 3D technology to the horror genre with My Bloody Valentine 3D, released 16 January this year.

Says Lionsgate president of motion picture production Mike Paseornek, “We are thrilled to be working again with Neil Marshall, a modern master of horror, suspense and action. With Neil at the helm of Burst 3D, horror fans are guaranteed one of the most terrifying and innovative experiences of their movie-going lives.”