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News stories from Jan 2006 to 2012..

  • 04 March 2007
    Finance

Cash Warning for UK Film Industry

  Film production in the UK is quite likely to suffer because new tax rules are scaring off investors, industry figures claim. The government has effectively closed a tax loophole that allowed the rich to invest in high-risk ventures and use any losses to reduce their tax bill. A remake of the St Trinian's film could even be scrapped because of the change, according to its financiers. HM Revenue and Customs said it had "not targeted the film ind…
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14 September 2006

Here's an Inconvenient Truth: Arctic Ice Shrinks 14% in one year

"I think we have a very brief window of opportunity to deal with climate change, no longer than a decade at the most." James Hansen, NASA Scientist The NASA satellite results reported yesterday read like the opening exposition of an epic disaster movie. Arctic 'perennial ice'…
07 April 2007

Tutti Frutti Cast Furious Over BBC Re-Run

  It was a comedy classic that amassed a cult following and scooped six Baftas, only to be shelved for two decades. Now, as the BBC finally contemplates Tutti Frutti's return, the original cast members have branded the broadcaster's decision to run it on BBC4 a disgrace. Descr…
12 January 2006

VOLUNTARY OSCAR

One of the world's most prolific and repected directors gets an Oscar at last. {mosimage}Robert Altman, veteran director of over 80 movies and recognised as one of Hollywood's most talented, is to receive an honarary Oscar from the US Film Academy.His last movie Gosford Park, abouit a murder myster…
  • 07 April 2006
    TV

Lumley & SaundersAb Fab in US

  A new sitcom that will reunite Absolutely Fabulous stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley has been snapped up for American TV. The eight part series, which will first be seen in the UK later this year under the title Jam and Jerusalem, follows the exploits of a WI-style women's group in a small village.   Written by Saunders, it will also star Dawn French, Sue Johnston and Pauline McLynn, best known for her role as Mrs Doyle in Father Ted…
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17 January 2012

Bridging the Gap PLUS - New 30min Documentary Initiative - Applications now open

Submitted by Scottish Documnetary Institute Are you a Scottish-based emerging filmmaker with at least two short films screened publicly (tv broadcast or festival)?  You can now apply to Bridging the Gap PLUS. Bridging the Gap PLUS offers the opportunity to work closely with Scottish Document…
09 November 2008

Jonás and Alfonso Cuarón Launch new short film competition

A contest by Alfonso 'Children of Men' Cuarón to accompany his son Jonás' debut feature Año Uña (pictured) has had its entry date extended to November 19.  The competition is inspired by Año Uña’s unique format made entirely from photographic…
15 August 2006

UK Networker Generation Deserting Traditional Media

  Change Accelerating in Communications Industry Now 11 Million UK Broadband Homes Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report shows significant changes are now happening in consumer behaviour, including today's generation of online consumers deserting traditional media l…
  • 21 March 2010
    Festivals

6th Renderyard Short Film Festival Call for Entries

from Renderyard publicist The Renderyard Short Film Festival runs from 8th to 10th October 2010 and supports the screening of new short films and animations including documentaries and this year feature films. The Festival also includes music videos and film scripts and film scores. The Festival is held in London and Spain. We screen in central London at the Roxy Bar & Screen. And in Spain at the Biblotecha in Logrono. The films that are shown have been produced…
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08 May 2007

ePetition to save UK public funding from 35% Olympic cuts

Paul Gilbert recently posted to Shooting People about a new petition on the website of YouTube vlogger 'No 10 Downing Street'... "Does everyone know about this? There is a petition on the Number 10 Downing Street website already up and running which aims to: ‘Stop the Ch…
19 February 2006

Church Produces Bollywood Aids Movie

Bollywood and the Roman Catholic Church in India have jointly produced a commercial film highlighting the problem of Aids. The controversial film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, whose films are known for steamy, bold scenes, has helped with the production. The low budget film, Why Does This Happen? cost nearl…
28 June 2006

First Youtuber to Get TV Deal from Vlog

Brooke "Brookers" Brodack has become the first person to get picked up from YouTube by a recongised Hollywood producer after being signed earlier this month to an 18-month talent and development deal with Carson Daly Productions. The video blogger (vlogger) has gained several millio…
  • 25 July 2006
    BBC

BBC Uncovers Fresh Lawrence Murder Evidence

  Racist Murder Evidence Airs Tonight On BBC 1 9.00pm A BBC documentary has exposed fresh evidence on the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. According to a programme airing tonight, a senior officer in the case is alleged to have accepted bribes from a suspect's father.   The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence, screened on BBC 1 tonight at 9.00pm includes an interview with ex-Detective Constable Neil Putnam, who claims one of the officers took a…
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18 September 2006

A month after Ceasefire, 'life goes on' for Beirut Film Festival

"People continued coming to the cinema the next day, even though war had started," With much of the city in ruins, many would have expected the Beirut Film Festival to cancel its 2006 edition. Yet, now, more than ever, the organisers feel they need to show that Be…
27 March 2006

OBIT: Hollywoods 'Conan' Director Richard Fleischer

  Hollywood legend Richard Fleischer, a talented "jack of all trades" director, died at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in California on Saturday having suffered from a respiratory infection. He was 89 and in his enduring screen career had directed over 50 movies…
23 June 2006

Lifting the veil on Muslim women: Confessions of a Gambler

Based on a novel by Rayda Jacobs, winner of the Sunday Times Fiction and Herman Charles Bosman awards, Confessions of a Gambler is currently in production in South Africa. The film tells the story of Abeeda, a feisty, independent, pious Muslim woman who confronts the prejudices of her community a…
  • 16 March 2010
    Film industry

New Producers Alliance Shuts Down

A sad day for British film - the New Producers Alliance, lynchpin of the UK independent film world over the past two decades, and long term friend and supporter of Netribution, has closed its doors. They ceased trading a week ago, blaming the recession and increased competition for training. Indeed it was the NPA's producer training that was responsible for me incorporating not only Netribution Ltd, but Spirit Level Cinema Ltd. To get a grasp of why there were important…
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28 October 2008

British Independent Film Award nominations announced

Steve McQueen's Bobby Sands biopic Hunger battles it out with Martin McDonagh's In Bruges, James Marsh's Man on A Wire, Danny Boyle's LFF closer Slumdog Millionaire and Shane Meadow's Somers Town in the nominations for the Best British Feature film at the 2008 BIFA Awards. The films receivin…
14 June 2006

Kevin Spacey's Double Life

  Six weeks into his run as the suave, fast-talking socialite CK Dexter, Kevin Spacey left his role in The Philadelphia Story to his understudy. He was only away for six weeks, but the artistic director of the Old Vic still came in for a lot of flak.   At the time, he patient…
13 November 2008

£10k & £8k Music Video pitches invited

Caroline Bottomley, founder of Radar - the leading site for music video production opportunities, writes in with details of a £10,000 music video production budget plus £8,000 prize for Aviv Geffen. Geffen, a huge star in Israel, is launching his UK career with an invitation to…
  • 28 July 2006
    Film industry

Wage Row Puts Spoke Into Cycling Film Gala

  Protesters to  Target EIFF Opening Gala Over Unpaid Wages Protesters are set to target the Edinburgh International Film Festival's opening gala in a row over unpaid wages. One of the companies behind The Flying Scotsman, the movie which will kick off the event, has gone into administration - leaving about 60 crew members and extras out of pocket. The union which represents the workers is organising a mass picket and boycott of the movie's w…
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02 March 2006

Cold Feet Creatives Boost Down Under Drama

Australia's Ten Network has successfully attracted overseas co-funding to boost its drama output and is expected to announce pre-production on the pilots of two new drama series. Ten's head of drama Sue Masters said it was envisaged both projects would become long-running series for the network. &q…
25 July 2006

BBC Uncovers Fresh Lawrence Murder Evidence

  Racist Murder Evidence Airs Tonight On BBC 1 9.00pm A BBC documentary has exposed fresh evidence on the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. According to a programme airing tonight, a senior officer in the case is alleged to have accepted bribes from a suspect's father.  …
20 May 2009

New free carbon calculator for film production from Film London

As Obama continues to walk on water with plans to cut car emmissions drastically, Film London - perhaps the UK's most pioneering screen agency - has released in Cannes its Green Screen plan, with a Carbon Calulator Excel file for calculating a film's carbon footprint. With Hollywood film production…
  • 27 January 2010
    Internet

The movie world is changing - what's next?

from Studio Beyond PR: STUDIO BEYOND - A NEW ONLINE BUSINESS PLATFORM IS NOW ACCESSIBLE TO ALL FILMMAKERS AND TV PROFESSIONALS WORLDWIDE For the first time ever, film makers can access movie-making resources online through a new global online business platform. Studio Beyond harnesses the Internet's crowdsocurcing power to offer movie makers as well as Movie / TV Professionals a wealth of possibilities and a whole new way of doing business online. The most exciting pa…
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19 May 2006

Loach To Collaborate With FilmFour Again

    British film-maker Ken Loach will make his next film with FilmFour. Loach will direct the contemporary story With the provisional title  These Times> the film is set in Britain which reignites the leftwing director's longstanding links with FilmFour.  …
22 September 2008

LFF programme updates & booking

    From the LFF press release: The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival is delighted to announce two additions to the 2008 programme in advance of public booking opening this weekend. The UK premiere of Spike Lee’s MIRACLE AT ST ANNA will screen on Th…
17 March 2010

Cambridge International Super 8 Film Fest from 22nd of April

from CIS8FF publicist Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival - Free film festival from the 22nd of April 2010 to the 1st of May 2010 in Cambridge (UK). In 2009, the third Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival was hailed a resounding success with more than 88 short films shown in fo…
  • 15 July 2006
    Latest

Free Short Film Festival opens in Soho on Mon 17 July 20006

The 3rd Talent Circle Super Shorts Film Festival takes place in venues across Soho between 17-24 July. All events are admission free and include screenings, seminars, workshops, panel discussions and networking parties…
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03 July 2006

UK Distributors Hire A Pirate Buster

  Investigator Will Train Cinema Staff As Pirates of the Caribbean premieres in the UK, another kind of pirate is making preparations to rip off the film's producers. DVD copies of the new film are expected to be on the streets within two days, but the industry is fighting b…
05 December 2010

HUSH YOUR MOUTH Double Win

UK urban drama HUSH YOUR MOUTH was awarded top prizes at Festival Bragacine in Portugal. At the Augusta Awards 2010, HUSH YOUR MOUTH was awaded the Grand prize for BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM and director TOM TYRWHITT won the award for BEST DIRECTOR. This gritty micro-budget drama featuring…
25 September 2009

17th Raindance Film Festival premieres new Japanese films and spotlights Japanese women directors

Since 1998, Raindance Film Festival has continued in its strong support for Japanese filmmaking, with its Way Out East section the largest annual showcase for new Japanese cinema in the United Kingdom, screening at least ten recent features and documentaries annually. The 17th Raindance Festival, h…
  • 20 September 2006
    Hi Definition

Warner Bros files patent for joint Blu-Ray / HD-DVD Disc

Could this be the sollution to the forthcoming DVD-war? Warner Bros has applied for a patent on a technology that will allow DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to be burnt and played on the same disc. It should make choices for consumers a lot easier in the upcomming VHS-Betamax style battle between the two rival disc formats. The most prevalent technical difference between Blu-ray and HD DVD is that the discs are read at a depth of 0.1 millimeters and 0.6 millimeters, r…
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23 October 2006

Documentary film at the East European Forum

The sixth East European Forum begins Wenesday October 25 and for the first time includes a meeting of East European documakers, comissioning editors, and other doc professionals. Running until October 29 in Jihlava, Czech Republic, the event mixes panels, pitching fora, networking and a market…
20 October 2008

Focus on Andres Veiel - London talks and screenings

Every year the Goethe-Insitut presents a special focus as part of the Festival of German Films. This year’s Goethe-Focus will be dedicated to the director Andres Veiel. From Maren Hobein: Best known in the UK for Black Box Germany, his film about a member of the Baader-Meinhof gang a…
20 September 2006

Warner Bros files patent for joint Blu-Ray / HD-DVD Disc

Could this be the sollution to the forthcoming DVD-war? Warner Bros has applied for a patent on a technology that will allow DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to be burnt and played on the same disc. It should make choices for consumers a lot easier in the upcomming VHS-Betamax style battle between t…
  • 15 September 2007
    Internet

Majority of films watched online are not through video sharing site

9 billion films were watched online in July 2007 in the US alone, according to the latest figures from comScore Networks. The figure is up from around 7 billion in March, with 134 million people each watching an average of 181 minutes of video during the month. Interestingly, just 27% of clips watched were through Google/YouTube, which nevertheless far outstripped its rivals - Yahoo nabbed a distant second place, serving up 4.3 percent of the clips, while Fox Inter…
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30 August 2007

Israel: Haifa Film Festival to show "A Mighty Heart," starring Angelina Jolie

The 23rd Haifa International Film Festival will be held 27th September - 4th October 2007, and is to close with A Mighty Heart, starring Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman. The film is an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's book, A Mighty Heart. It is a memoir of her journalist husband's kidnap and…
15 April 2010

Leigh, Kitano and Innaritu in competition as Cannes 2010 unveiled

New films from Woody Allen, Mike Leigh, Stephen Frears, Jean-Luc Goddard and Oliver Stone will premiere at the 63rd Festival de Cannes, while Ridley Scott's Robin Hood is the opening night film. Running from May 12 to May 23, the event also sees the debut of Enda 'Hunger' Walsh's tantalising colla…
07 February 2006

CGI Genius Gets Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present Gary Demos with an award honoring his technological contributions to the motion picture industry.  CGI BACKROOM BOY GARY DEMOS HONOURED BY ACADEMYWith a career spanning more than 30 years, Demos has received numerous accolades…