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News stories from Jan 2006 to 2012..

  • 11 October 2008
    Festivals

Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival is now calling for entries

The Festival is now accepting submissions its next edition which will take place at the end of April 2009. The Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival, a unique short film festival, is looking for innovative and exciting films (shot on Super 8 or Single 8) from across the globe of any genre. Online submission for the 2009 festival are now open, as usual no entry fees !!  For more info www.cambridge-super8.org The Cambridge Super 8 Group is ded…
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12 January 2009

India gets first Globe on night of international success

One of India's best loved film composers, AR Rahman, picked up the country's first Golden Globe, on a night which saw Danny Boyle's Mumbai-set Slumdog Millionaire take home four awards, including Best film, Best screenplay and Best director. In an evening of international success, Kate Winslett c…
08 July 2008

International Comedy Film Festival 2008 : Torquay

This was submitted by Chris using the open content submission - and if you click to read more, includes an 'Eat My Shorts' comedy film contest with the winners screened at the Groovy Movie Picturehouse - the world's first (and only?) solar powered cinema. This September (25-28th) will see…
19 March 2006

Capital Deprived Teens Shoot Tartan Big Apple

Teenage filmmakers from two of Edinburgh's most deprived estates are set to take part in an arts project that will have them filming in New York during Tartan Week this April, when Americans with Scottish roots celebrate with parades and public events. The seven-strong band of 15 to 17-y…
  • 19 February 2006
    Film industry

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 nearly $288,000 and features the Bollywood staple of music and dance, releasing across India this weekend. This is the first time cinemas in Indian cities have shown a commercial f…
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19 February 2015

Site back, upgraded

Netribution 1 was great in that it was all HTML and a bit of CSS – 15 years on not a single page has ever been hacked and most of them are still there. Netribution 2.0 launched in 2006 on a CMS and unless CMSs get regularly upgraded they eventually get hacked or break. This just happened here, so…
27 February 2006

Cyprus Claims First Internet TV Service

Cyprus claims to be the first country in the world to have its own television channel on the internet, launched at a fraction of the cost of a conventional terrestrial or satellite   Cyprus ITV is a 24-hour television channel available anywhere in the world over a broadband connection. The onl…
04 November 2009

iFeatures microbudget scheme now open for submissions

From South West Screen's Chris Moll; South West Screen and BBC Films have launched iFeatures, a new digital film initiative, open to writers, directors and producers from across the UK. Headed up by Chris Moll who was behind last year's Digital Departures scheme ('Of Time and The City', 'Kicks' a…
  • 23 June 2006
    Production

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 and wrestles with her faith and the issues that face women in the modern world. Jacobs, who is playing the lead role and co-directing the film with television director and aw…
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27 September 2007

It's official: Summer of British film is most popular since 1967

The wettest British summer since records began in 1914 appears to have helped British cinema going reach it's highest admissions in 40 years, up some 25% over an average year, and up 44% on 2000. 50.8m visits were made in June to August, according to the Film Distributors Association, w…
06 June 2011

2011 Short Form Script Contest

from Runadun We have officially released the 2011 Runadun Movie Production (RMP) Short Form Script Contest.  This contest will focus on finding a talented writer who can script a new short form screenplay for D. R. Hirschberg to direct and produce with Runadun Movie Production (RMP). Are you a…
24 April 2007

First Bolly, then Nolly, and now Hillywood

I'm just emerging from the cocoon of work on a new book, so I'm a few weeks late on this story from the BBC- but fascinating nevertheless: Nyagatare is a rural and dusty town in the east of Rwanda. But this month it played host to the bright lights of Rwandan film talent. As…
  • 26 January 2006
    Copyrights

Documentary Maker Accuses US Ratings Board of Film Piracy

Could it be that America's leader in the global fight against movie piracy is a pirate too? That's what documentary director Kirby Dick alleges. He says the Motion Picture Association of America made a bootleg copy of This Film Is Not Yet Rated, his angry broadside against the organization's film rating system. The MPAA has admitted it duplicated the documentary without the filmmaker's permission. But the Hollywood trade organization said it did not break copyright law, insi…
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28 March 2006

Charley the Cat is UK's No. 1 Public Info Film

  A scruffy ginger cat that warned millions of children about the dangers of strangers and matches has been voted the nation's favourite public information film. Dozens of memorable films created by the Government's Central Office of Information (COI) are being dusted off as part o…
26 May 2009

Arts Beyond the Classroom brings parents and children together to explore art and blog about it

It's easy to talk about the digital revolution and the benefits of giving everyone a free and open platform for self-expression if the only people who use the best of the webs tools are contained to one social or economic group. I've previously trained people how to publish online and use CMSs, but…
21 January 2006

Liverpool - UK Screen Boom City

Liverpool's film and television industry continues to boomNew figures show 2005 was busiest year on record 38 percent increase in production enquiries compared to 2004 LIVERPOOL'S film and TV industry continues to boom as the city moves closer to becoming European Capital of Culture 2008.New f…
  • 13 May 2006
    Festivals

Kodak Supports Emerging Filmmakers at Cannes

  Kodak is supporting emerging talent by hosting a week-long program designed to provide creative and business opportunities for the next generation of filmmakers. The Kodak Emerging Filmmaker Program is highlighted by the Ninth Annual Emerging Filmmaker Showcase comprised of films from award-winning new talent.   The screening takes place on May 18 at the Hotel Gray d'Albion at 6 p.m. Additional activities include sessions with industry profession…
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17 June 2007

Michael Moore: "I think ideas, information and art should be shared"

As Sicko gears up for release in the US on June 29 to strong reviews from the left and right, it has already hit the BitTorrent sites in a high quality version, getting more rave reviews from the blogsphere, and even Michael Moore's approval. The director says in the video below that his moti…
16 January 2008

Edinburgh International Film Festival submissions deadline

Submitted by Edinburgh International Film Fest: Submissions are open for the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival . Shorts, features, animation, documentary and music video that will be no older than 12 months by June 2008 are eligible. You can download the relevant forms and re…
14 April 2009

New government anti-piracy campaign finally takes the post-Cluetrain carrot

Communicating the message that films are generally very expensive to make, and that widespread piracy will directly affect the number and quality of films produced and released, should have been a straight forward pitch. However after years of, literally, demonising piracy as the sponsor of terrori…
  • 06 July 2006
    Finance

Slingshot Aims to Produce Next Generation of Brit Indie Films

  An all-digital independent film production and distribution company, Slingshot,  has been formed to offer British film-makers an environment in which to make innovative and critically acclaimed pictures that might not otherwise make it to the big screen.   The new company, Slingshot, has been founded by Arvind Ethan David, Rachel Connors and Thomas Hoegh. Based in the Ealing Studios, the company will finance, produce, distribute and market a dive…
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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…
09 October 2006

Disney Co-Chair recognises 'piracy is a business model'

"Pirates compete the same way we do - through quality, price and availability." Giving the Keynote address at Mipcom, Disney co-chair Anne Sweeney has broken with studio convention and recognised piracy as a business model to compete with, as opposed to simply an illegal threat to be battled. Swee…
18 May 2006

Cannes Market - What’s New This Year

  There's a stronger showing from EU member countries with a 100% increase in the Cannes Market this year. Market Director Jerôme Paillard also reports a 25% surge from Asia and the market website is now a year-round tool for doing film business. The market is open until 27th May…
  • 08 June 2006
    Scripts and Development

Armando Iannucci Takes On Hollywood For Laughs

  Comedy producer Armando Iannucci plans to take on Hollywood in the comedy film business and has joined forces with BBC Films to do it. Iannucci, tha man behind TV projects like The Thick Of It and Alan Partridge, will head a special comedy lab to develop low-budget comedy ideas for feature films, working closely with BBC Films chief David Thompson.   The new development comes as comedy pictures in Hollywood have had to be axed by studios because they…
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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.  …
21 June 2006

Missing Doctor Who Episodes Animated Back To Life

  Dusting off their old episodes of the original Doctor Who series for DVD release, the BBC discovered that more than 100 episodes had somehow vanished from the archives. Cosgrove Hall, the Manchester-based animation house was then called in to recreate two lost instalments using animation…
28 April 2007

The Reactable: Music meets light meets table

Bjorks' recent show at California's Coachella festival is described in BoingBoing (again) where she used the Reactable, 'a multi-user electronic music instrument with a tabletop tangible user interface' which has to be seen to be believed. Basically a hi-level synthesizer with an…
  • 03 April 2006
    Community projects

Map of Movies Made in Wales Could Boost Tourism

 The magic of the movies is set to create a million pound bonanza for North Wales. Tourism bosses have created a map showing the locations of films and television programmes shot in North Wales. The aim is to cash in on the phenomenal interest in the movie and television industries by attracting an extra 30,000 visitors to the region every year.   The map, pinpointing 30 locations, has been commissioned by Tourism Partnership North Wales who are confident th…
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02 February 2009

The Digital Future of Storytelling - Free Martijn de Waal Lecture

Has anyone seen the new interactive narrative uses of YouTube Flash format? A promising development, and one that may come up in the latest free lecture from Bridging the Gap.. Friday  6th February 2009 14.00-17.00pm Main Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh College of Art, 74 Lau…
04 September 2008

The Adders 2008 - The All Youth Academy Awards, call for entries

Alex Campbell writes in about a promising new film festival and awards run by, and for, young people (which means people under 19, apparently): "The Adders 2008 is the future for British film-making. It allows young film-makers work to be showcased to a wider audience and for industry p…
30 May 2006

Syndicate Films Launches £1.7m Production Fund

  Syndicate Films, UK production and distribution company has launched a £1.7m production fund under the UK's Enterprise Investment Scheme. The funds raised will be used to produce and distribute up to three thriller/horror genre films. These genres as they are consistently in…
  • 23 July 2006
    Festivals

Angel Film Festival Announces Short Films Lineup

  Summer of Free Films With Your Sunday Pint In Islington The Angel Film Festival has announced its shortlist for its upcoming four Sundays of showings. Fifty short films have been selected from 600 submissions, to be shown in three pubs across Islington. The final 50 comprise an eclectic mix of genres and methods, ranging from up-and-coming film-makers, making their film festival debuts to veterans of the short film scene.   All showings will be inf…
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27 April 2006

Scottish Screen Signals New Directions

  Scottish Screen, the first "one door" screen agency in the UK, is signalling a change in direction, away from funding features for cinema and towards marketing and promotion of locations and skills and digital content.   The agency's budget from the Scottish Ex…
09 October 2008

London Film Festival: Benicio Del Toro to give Screen Talk

From the LFF press release: BENICIO DEL TORO SCREEN TALK IS ANNOUNCED   AND MORE TICKETS GO ON SALE FOR THE LONDON FILM FESTIVAL     The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival is delighted to announce an addition to the 2008 programme, as a new w…
04 June 2006

UK Government Inquiry into DRM calls for full disclosure

"once someone has purchased a great deal of protected music for an iPod then if their next player is not manufactured by Apple this music could become inaccessible to them."   The All Party Internet Group's public inquiry into Digital Rights Management (the software…
  • 06 January 2012
    Production

John Henshaw joins cast of Rochdale Pioneers, about birth of Co-op movement

Submitted by the Co-operative Group (with edits) It started with 28 men in Rochdale in 1844. Now there are over a billion members of co-operatives worldwide - with combined turnover each year in the UK alone of £33bn. A new film from the British Youth Film Academy, funded by the Co-Operative Group will tell how it all began. Filmed in the Greater Manchester area as part of The Co-operative’s activities to highlight this year as the International Year of Co-operatives, the 5…
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31 May 2006

Stars Sign Up For Cathy Come Home Anniversary Drama

  Actors Colin Firth and Robert Carlyle will star in a BBC drama marking the 40th anniversary of Ken Loach's film Cathy Come Home.  Nighty Night's Julia Davis and Anne-Marie Duff of Shameless also star. The drama will present the stories of several characters who find thems…
23 September 2007

Compass of Resistance Points to Bristol

The Compass of Resistance takes Bristol on a cinematic journey across the globe, presenting a series of encounters, dialogues, events and screenings that will allow a rare, fresh and innovative look at the notion of ‘resistance’ in international cinema. The main weekend of films a…
17 March 2006

ITV Regional Freelancer Doors Opening

Four new talent schemes have been launched by ITV as part of its three-year £9m Regional Production Fund to source fresh regional creative talent. The new schemes, overseen by editor Jane McCloskey, will allow independent, freelance and in-house producers, as well as writers and techn…