ITV

Category: Movies

  • Bali to host international film festival in 2012

    MUMBAI: Indonesia‘s Bali province will host an international film festival in 2012, the Antara news agency quoted an official as saying on Friday.


    “Bali is preparing itself to successfully host the International Film Festival in 2012,” said the Head of Art and Film at Bali‘s Culture Department I Made Santha. 


    He said that the preparation included the 32nd Balinese Art Fair in June and documentary film festival that will present the latest documentary movies produced by regencies/cities government in the province, local companies as well as individual producers.


    Santha added that growing creative industries has been done to support the international event.

  • Eros to invest Rs 2.8 bn to fund 11 movies

    MUMBAI: Eros International Ltd, which has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in India, has earmarked a budget of Rs 2.8 billion to fund 11 movies in Hindi, Tamil and Marathi.


    The 11 titles include four each in Hindi and Marathi while three are in Tamil. Eros already has deployed Rs 254.10 million in respect of the Hindi film projects, according to information provided till 24 December.


    Among the Hindi projects are three co-productions- Anjana Anjaanee, Desi Boys and a untitled project with Saif Ali Khan. The company has also acquired a Red Chillies Entertainment’s untitled movie starring Shah Rukh Khan.


    Eros International has inked co-production deals for Marathi movies like Punha Dhakka, Haapus, Shodh and Phakt Ladh Mhana.


    The company has also acquired Tamil movies like Murattu Kalai (remake), Arjunan Kaadhal, and Krishna Leelai.


    Eros‘ business model is to release at least 50 movies a year. For the fiscal ended 31 March 2009, the company released 19 Hindi and 75 regional language films. In the year prior to that, Eros released 23 Hindi and 42 regional language films.


    Eros International Media, a subsidiary of Aim-listed Eros International Plc, plans to raise Rs 3.5 billion via an IPO.

  • 11th Mumbai International Film Festival receives record entries

    NEW DELHI: The 11th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF), to be held in Mumbai next month, received 864 entries from 37 countries – an all time record.


    Organised by the Films Division, MIFF will be held from 3 to 9 February at the prestigious National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point, Mumbai.


    The Selection Committee consisting of eminent filmmakers, journalists and critics had previewed the films, the total duration of which crosses more than 400 hours. A total of 64 films have been selected for the Competition Section and 43 films have been taken in the Non-Competition Section.


    Films Division Chief Producer and Festival Director Kuldeep Sinha said, “MIFF, which began in 1990, is rated as one of the world’s best and largest documentary film festivals. It has now gained recognition on par with renowned International Film Festivals like Leipzig , Berlin, Oberhausen, Krakow and Tampere.


    From this year, the International and Indian Competition Sections have been merged into one. Sinha said, “Indian documentary producers have now achieved high level of creative as well as technical excellence, to compete with the best in the world.”


    He said the award money had been enhanced in each category, totaling to Rs 2.275 million. The best short film/documentary (upto 30 minutes) will be awarded a Golden Conch and Rs 3,00,000 cash prize. Another Golden Conch and Rs 3,00,000 award will be given to the best film/documentary over 30 minutes duration.


    Awards are being given for the best animation film, fiction film, and student’s film. The Maharashtra Government’s Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari will give a Trophy and Rs 1,00,000 for the best debut director.


    The “Dr. V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award” will be awarded to an Indian filmmaker for his/her contribution to the documentary film movement, with cash award and trophy.


    Apart from the Competition Section, there will be screening of Retrospectives and Special packages, Spectrum India, Seminars and Open Forum during MIFF 2010. Retrospectives and Special Packages include Jury’s retrospectives, Women packages, Oscar nominated films, immigration issues, environment, global warming, Cinema legends and icons of the Indian Freedom Movement. Films from Bhutan and Argentina figure in the country focus.


    Other packages include Students’ films from L.V. Prasad Institute in Chennai, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute of India in Kolkata, and National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, films from North East India, treasures from the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) and Puppet Films.


    The NFAI, Pune, will also stage a show of pre-cinema projection technique called ‘Shambharik Kharolika’ or the magic lantern (staged earlier at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in November 2009).
     

  • Knightscove acquires Ellis Entertainment for C$2.82mn

    MUMBAI: Canadian distributor Knightscove Media Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Ellis Entertainment for C$2.82 million.


    The purchase price consists of C$1.5 million in cash, with the balance made of Knightscove stock. The transaction is due to close at the end of this month. Knightscove announced in April of last year that it had signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire Ellis Entertainment.


    The company that has been in business for 45 years owns the rights to about 600 titles that cover wildlife and nature genres as well as other factual fare and entertainment shows. 


    It also operates VisionTV International, a joint venture with Canadian specialty broadcaster VisionTV. Knightscove owns the DVD distributor Morningstar, which is expected to manage the Ellis catalogue in the U.S. market.


    Said Knightscove‘s president and CEO Leif Bristow, “Having KnightTV will create a magnet effect assisting in broader distribution rights to be leveraged by all Knightscove divisions.


    “Having Ellis Entertainment and Stephen Ellis become part of this shared vision will demonstrate to the industry and our shareholders our commitment to growth through strategic business combinations. We believe that the synergies by working from the same offices will increase profitability and provide new and enhanced opportunities to increase overall revenues.”
     

  • Fox acquires Spanish rights of historical epic Lope

    MUMBAI: 20th Century Fox has acquired Spanish theatrical rights of Andrucha Waddington‘s Spanish-Brazilian historical epic Lope nmade at a cost of $20m.


    The deal was struck between Fox and Lope‘s producers Ikiru Films, El Toro Films, Antena 3 Films and Conspiracao in Brazil.


    The film, featuring rising star Alberto Ammann as the 16th century playwright Lope De Vega, has taken 10 years to make and passed through the hands of some varied players including Columbia Pictures, major Spanish producer Elias Querejeta and right wing radio and TV corporation Intereconomia.


    Warner Bros has already lapped up the Latin American rights of the film that has also received the backing of regional broadcaster TeleMadrid and private pay-TV platform Canal Plus Espana, which will share TV rights with Antena 3.


    “We are happy to say that Fox has picked up Lope and will release it in Spanish cinemas on September 3,” said Edmon Roch at Ikiru Films adding, “We are currently working on the editing in Brazil and hope to have the film ready by March.”
     

  • Anchor Bay will release …Alice Creed in the US

    MUMBAI: Anchor Bay will release J Blakeson‘s The Disappearance Of Alice Creed starring Gemma Arterton. The film is said to be a kidnapping thriller.


    The Disappearance Of Alice Creed centres on the botched kidnapping of a rich girl. Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston round out the cast.


    The film marks Block‘s first acquisition since leaving his post as president of acquisitions and co-productions at Lionsgate in 2008 and setting up his new Los Angeles-based company.
    Peter Block is understood to have negotiated the deal for US rights with Cinetic and funnelled the film to Anchor Bay, with whom he has a relationship.


    Block, a widely respected genre specialist who has been a key producing executive on the hit Saw franchise, has been busy lining up his intitial slate of films at A Bigger Boat.


    He produced Adam Green‘s ski resort thriller Frozen, which will receive its world premiere at Sundance in several weeks, and the upcoming John Carpenter horror tale The Ward starring Amber Heard.

  • China pulls out two films from Palm Springs Film Festival

    MUMBAI: Chinese authorities have pulled out two films from the Palm Springs International Film Festival ahead of the screening of The Sun Behind The Clouds: Tibet‘s Struggle For Freedom later this week.


    The move comes after festival director Darryl Macdonald defied a request by officials not to show the documentary.
    The Sun Behind The Clouds: Tibet‘s Struggle For Freedom follows the Dalai Lama over the course of an eventful 12 months that saw the 2008 protests in Tibet, the long march in India, the Beijing Olympics and the breakdown of talks with China.


    As a result of the festival‘s decision to go ahead with scheduled screenings on 10 and 12 January, Chinese authorities have withdrawn Lu Chuan‘s Nanking Massacre drama City Of Life And Death and Ye Kai‘s comedy Quick, Quick, Slow from the festival.


    “After meeting with representatives from the Chinese government regarding their request to cancel our screenings of The Sun Behind The Clouds: Tibet‘s Struggle for Freedom, we have respectfully declined their request,” Macdonald said.
    “I‘m saddened that the Chinese film authorities have chosen to withdraw their films from PSIFF, as the festival is an international cultural event whose mandate is to present a wide cross-section of perspectives and points of view, ” he added.


    “That said, we cannot allow the concerns of one country or community to dictate what films we should or should not play, based on their own cultural or political perspective. Freedom of expression is a concept that is integral both to the validity of artistic events, and indeed, to the ethos of this country.”


    The City Of Life And Death screenings will be replaced by For A Moment Freedom (Austria-France) that centres on a group of Middle Eastern refugees who have made their way to Turkey to apply for European visas, and Sticky Fingers (Canada-France-Spain), a comedy about six of the world‘s worst gangsters.
     

  • DQE gets Chaplin to walk the animation path

    MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and entertainment company DQ Entertainment (DQE) has partnered with two French firms – Method Animation and MK2 to produce a series of animated short films inspired by Charlie Chaplin.


    Under the partnership, DQE, Method Animation and MK2 will produce, distribute and exploit an animated version of 104 six-minute episodes inspired by the legendary film icon Charlie Chaplin‘s Hollywood films.


    With a global production budget of approximately $11.4 million, the first series will be developed in colour creating a timeless atmosphere and a unique look, blending early 20th century with present time, allowing younger generations to identify with the Charlie Chaplin character.


    In keeping with the spirit of Chaplin, the short episodes will be presented without dialogue, giving enough space for the full scope of the famous character‘s talents in pantomime. Completing the picture, particular emphasis will be put on the choice of music and the sound design to add to the laughter and emotion of the adventures of the legendary tramp.


    Said DQ Entertainment (International) chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti, “The three companies will keep the legend of Charlie Chaplin alive and these large number of short films in hi-end 3D animation will delight the 21st century kids and families again as they will witness the legendary entertainer in his new Avatar.”


    Added MK2 president of the board of directors Nathanaël Karmitz, “We are confident that this step in the promotion of Chaplin‘s legacy will reach a greater audience and introduce the greatest international star of modern cinema to younger generations. The series represent an introduction to Chaplin‘s world as well as a rediscovery of his body of work.”

  • Paa exempted from entertainment tax in Gujarat and West Bengal

    MUMBAI: The Gujarat and West Bengal government have exempted Paa from entertainment tax with immediate effect.


    A three-member committee consisting of Principal Secretary – Finance, Secretary, Youth and Culture and State Information Commissioner of the Modi Government has recommended that Paa be exempted from entertainment tax in the state.


    The government‘s decision came after producers AB Corp organised a special screening of the film for the Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Amitabh Bachchan in Gandhinagar.


    Bachchan who had specially come from Mumbai for screening of the movie had appealed to the Chief Minister to exempt it from entertainment tax in the state.


    It may be noted that there are hundreds of cinema houses including 22 multiplexes in the state and annual income from the entertainment tax is around Rs 220 million.


    According to the West Bengal government the tax exemption in the state will help reduce ticket prices so that the film can reach out to more people.


    Till date, Paa has grossed Rs 58 crore worldwide.
     

  • In third weekend, Avatar is second biggest global release

    MUMBAI: In its third weekend, Avatar has turned out to be the second highest grossing worldwide release in history garnering $1.131 billion. Now, it should have little trouble retaining its box-office crown as it sweeps past $ 800 million overseas.


    The super hit Fox project currently stands at $760.9 million and has amassed $370.8 million in North America.


    The weekend session is definitely going to bring with it good results. Till date the film‘s tally in China stands at $14.4 million after a mere three days of its release there.


    While the film has set records everywhere, there have been particularly notable grosses in France ($90.2m), Russia ($62.4m), Germany ($62.9m), the UK ($58.1m), Spain ($51.8m), Australia ($50.2m), South Korea ($49.6m) and Japan ($42.8 m).


    Elsewhere, Avatar stands at $24.9m in Mexico, $23,7m in Brazil, $15.7m in India, $14.8m in Taiwan, $10.3m in Holland, $9.7m in Poland, $9.5m in Denmark, $8m in Greece, $7m in Turkey, $6m in Thailand, $5m in Malaysia, and $3.8m in the UAE.


    The highest worldwide grossing release remains Cameron‘s Titanic at $1.842 bn.