ITV

Category: Movies

  • Dan Glickman to relinquish MPAA office in September next

    MUMBAI: CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Dan Glickman will vacate his post as chairman when his contract expires in September next year.

    Said Glickman revealing his decision, “My guess is that I‘ll end up in the non-profit or academic world. People who know me know I‘ve had these great extra-curricular interests that have been very significant in driving me.”


    Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the list of possible successors along with Harold Ford Jr, Universal Music lobbyist Matt Gerson, Howard Berman, Richard Bates of Disney, MPAA COO Bob Pisano, and federal affairs chief Michael O‘Leary.


    After relinquishing office, Glickman would have served five years in the post and will leave behind an unremarkable track record.


    Glickman, who served as agriculture secretary under former President Bill Clinton, failed to make any headway in the fight against piracy and repeatedly declined to update data revealing the level of potential lost earnings to MPAA affiliates.

  • Odd Lot, Bold merge to form Affinity International


    MUMBAI: Bold Films and international sales arms of Odd Lot Entertainment


    have merged as Affinity International that will officially launch at American Film Market next month.
    Odd Lot Entertainment and Bold Films will remain as separate entities and both the highly-capitalised companies would continue their independent finance, development and production activities.


    Odd Lot‘s Brian O‘Shea has been appointed president of worldwide sales and distribution and will report to Bill Lischak, who will oversee the day-to-day operations as Affinity International‘s acting COO and retains the same role at Odd Lot Entertainment.


    Bold Films‘ Jim Harvey will join as executive vice-president of worldwide sales, and will report to O‘Shea. Both of them will commence sales on From Prada To Nada, Rabbit Hole, The Hole 3D and Spy High among others.

  • The Cove to show at Tokyo Intl Film Festival

    MUMBAI: The Cove, a documentary about the annual dolphin hunt in the Japanese fishing village of Taiji, will be shown to Japan‘s general public for the first time at the Tokyo International Film Festival tomorrow.

    The documentary features Ric O‘Barry, former dolphin trainer for the television show


    Flipper, in his pursuit to stop Taiji‘s fishermen from catching and killing the mammals.


    The film was added to the festival at the last minute because of growing worldwide interest in the U.S. documentary, said Tom Yoda, chairman for the event.


    “We were just carefully looking at the situation overseas and there was growing attention about this film,” Yoda said at a news conference on 17 September, a day after announcing the film‘s inclusion in the festival. Because the documentary “became so hot, we decided to screen this film,” he said.


    Japanese have been hunting dolphins for as long as 9,000 years, and Taiji‘s hunt is legal under international and domestic law, according to a website operated by the town‘s fishing association.

  • Independent laps international rights of Barafundle Bay

    MUMBAI: London-based sales and production outfit Independent has picked up international rights to award-winning director Hattie Dalton‘s first feature Barafundle Bay.

    The film written by Vaughan Sivell and produced by Sivell and Kelly Broad stars Tom Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch, JJ Field and newcomer Adam Robertson.


    The film is billed as “the uplifting and often hilarious story of four childhood friends who take an ill-advised camping trip to the farthest reaches of West Wales.”


    Shooting is underway for the film being made under the Western Edge Pictures banner.


    Independent that is handling international sales will be introducing the film to international buyers at the American Film Market, next month.

  • Disney elevates Seshasaye Kanthamraju to director of motion pictures biz

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (India) has elevated its corporate communications director Seshasaye Kanthamraju, shifting him to a new role as marketing and distribution director for the motion pictures

    business.


    At Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures India, Kanthamraju will be responsible for overall marketing and distribution strategy for the theatrical slate.

    He will also be working closely with UTV Motion Pictures on the film distribution front.Kanthamraju will work closely with Walt Disney Studios theatrical production and acquisitions team. The heads of theatrical distribution and theatrical marketing for Walt Disney Studios India will report into him.

    The Walt Disney Company (India) senior vice president and managing director Mahesh Samat said, “Kanthamraju has been with Disney for last five years. We are confident that his contribution will further strengthen the reach and relevance of our Studios business in India.”


    In his previous role as corporate communication director, Kanthamraju managed internal and external communications as well as company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts in the market.


    Kanthamraju has over 16 years of marketing and communications experience across different industries ranging from advertising, technology and media.

  • K Sera Sera raises Rs 1.35 bn via GDR

    MUMBAI: K Sera Sera Productions has raised Rs 1.35 billion through a GDR (Global Depositary Receipts) issue, building cash to fund its expansion programme that includes bidding for an IPL (Indian Premier League) team franchise.

    The company already has a cash reserve of Rs 1.25 billion. “A substantial chunk of the GDR money will be kept for the IPL. We may bid with strong partners. Part of the net proceeds of the issue will be for movies and also the online business,” says K Sera Sera chief financial officer Dharmesh Rajkotia.


    K Sera Sera will be investing Rs 250 million in the portal business, Rajkotia adds.


    Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that K Sera Sera will raise over Rs 1 billion through a GDR.


    K Sera Sera has approved and allotted 4.48 million GDR shares and and 134.2 million underlying equity shares (of Rs 10 each) representing the GDR, the company said.


    In an earlier GDR in November 2007, K Sera Sera had raised Rs 1 billion.


    Meanwhile, K Sera Sera has decided not to issue convertible warrants on preferential basis to Hindustan Times and Dainik Bhaskar. The company had earlier issued warrants to the Times of India Group.

  • Wake Up Sid garners Rs 460 million in 14 days

    MUMBAI: Dharma Productions‘ Wake Up Sid, directed by Ayan Mukerji, has collected Rs 460 million at the box office worldwide within the first 14 days of its release. The film has been directed by UTV Motion Pictures.

    While the movie collected Rs 376 million in the domestic market, it pocketed over Rs 83 million overseas.


    Says UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur, “Offering the audience refreshing youthful content, this movie continues its reign not just at the box office, but in viewers‘ hearts and minds owing to its simple narrative.”


    In the US, the movie collected $611,500, it made $382,000 and $376,000 in the UK and Gulf respectively.



  • Two Indian films awarded at Global Film Festival

    NEW DELHI: The short feature ‘Bebadelse’ from Sweden, directed by Jonas Moberg, and the documentary ‘Paradiso’ from the United Kingdom, directed by Alessandro Neglini, were given the main awards at the Global Film Festival which concluded in Indore.

    The jury, headed by renowned filmmaker S Krishnaswamy, also named two certificates each in the Short Films and documentary categories, apart from three films that came up for special mention.


    In the short films category, the two certificates of merit go to the film ‘In the name of Art’ from New Zealand (directed by Mardo El Noor), and from India ‘Midnight Lost and Found’ (by Atul Sabharwal).


    In the Documentary category, the two certificates of merit went to the Canadian ‘House of Numbers’ by Brent Leung and the Indian film ‘Children of the Pyre’ by Rajesh Jala.


    The jury made special mention of the Indian ‘Bilal’ in the Documentary Section, the Taiwanese ‘Grandpa’ in the Short films Section, and the American ‘Sincity Sincerely’ in the Shorts films section.


    Jitendra Jain, President of the Film Federation of India which organised the Festival, was present along with Dr Uma Sasi Sarma, Mayor of Indore.


    The jury saw 16 Documentary and 40 Short Films. Other members of the jury included Prof Nilotpal Majumdar and Dr K Mohana.

  • Shah Rukh Khan is South Korea ambassador for Culture and Tourism

    MUMBAI: The South Korean embassy yesterday presented Shah Rukh Khan with an honorary belt in Taekwondo and bestowed the title of an Honorary Ambassador for Culture and Tourism.

    The 43-year old actor has been conferred the 5th degree black belt of Taekwondo. Delegates of the Korean government especially flew down from Delhi to confer the honours on Khan. In July this year, Khan was also nominated by an NGO Routes to Roots and presented an honorary doctorate in arts and culture by Bedfordshire University in London for his contribution to culture.

    Earlier Khan was honoured as Datuk by the Malaysian government.

  • MFF introduces Film Business Centre

    MUMBAI: The Mumbai Film Festival has introduced a business centre this year that would provide networking facilities for Indian and foreign companies.

    The business centre aims at facilitating industry professionals from all over the world to explore business opportunities in India while its purpose is to encourage B2B interactions under the aegis of the Mumbai Film Festival.


    Representatives from film production and distribution companies, film sales agents from various countries and directors of film festival will be attending the Film Business Centre.


    The Film Business Centre will be hosted for a period of four days from 30 October to 3 November at Fun Cinemas, Andheri, the central hub for MFF. The Film Business Centre will be open to the members of film industry on an invitation basis and also to the registered delegates of MFF.


    Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) backed 11th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) will take place in Mumbai from 29 October to 5 November.