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News stories from Jan 2006 to 2012..

  • 06 February 2006
    Film industry

Moira Shearer - Red Shoe Ballerina Dies

Moira Shearer, the ballerina and actress whose debut film, The Red Shoes, created an international sensation in 1948, has died. The wife of fellow Scot, author and campaigner Ludovik Kennedy, she was 80. Shearer died at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, said Mr Kennedy. He said that she had become weak since her birthday last month, but he did not disclose the cause of death.Shearer, born in Dunfermline, Scotland, became principal dancer at London's famous Sadler's Wells ...
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11 November 2008

Short Film Completion Fund (2009/I) Call for Entries Extended!

From Tamsin @ MayaVision: Individual producers or production companies are invited to send a rough cut of their unfinished short film (up to 15 minutes in length) to Maya Vision International, along with a completed application form. The closing date for applications has been extended...
08 January 2009

Whitby in Shorts

"WHITBY in SHORTS" - the first of our monthly short-film nights, at the Coliseum in Whitby last night [Wed. 7th January], was a resounding success. Close to a full house turned out on a cold winter's night to partake in a showcase of talent and a varied selection of films, nearly ...
28 June 2008

Edinburgh Winners: Eurostar's Somers Town, Man on a Wire, Herzog's Encounters at End of the World

Sorry for the shortage of updates recently, I've watched too many inpsiring films in the past few weeks, with not enough time to do them justice with a good enough review. And after seeing Wall-E on Thursday - towards the end of an enlightening Edinburgh - business as usual doesn't seem possib...
  • 26 January 2006
    BBC

BBC Factual Remodel Creates Management Fallout

A carve-up remodelling the BBC’s factual and learning department into nine ‘studios’, has resulted in a loss of 23 management jobs. The new structure ends of the current two-way split between specialist and documentary and contemporary factual. Studios will now group around genres with the whole factual department overseen by Keith Scholey, who becomes controller of factual production, and Liz Cleaver, who remains as controller of learning and in...
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27 November 2007

Coalition for Artists and StakeHolders creates slick industry-free music service

You have to feel sorry for the music industry. No sooner have they begun to back down over DRM, then the new bandwagon arrives - industry-free music. It didn't start with Radiohead, but that certainly pulled the issue to the foreground. Anyone who has watched Thom and the boys jamming on ...
19 June 2006

Panasonic Introduces AG-DVX100B Mini DV Camcorder

  Panasonic Broadcast has introduced the AG-DVX100B 24p/30p/60i Mini-DV Camcorder with more than two dozen enhancements. QUICK VERDICT - The good: Great sound, progressive modes, and image control; professional-calibre viewfinder and controls; wide lens; particularly well sui...
01 November 2009

Introducing a new social network for filmmakers

From ShoutFilm's Steven Waterfall: We are pleased to announce the launch of ShoutFILM, a social networking site tailored specifically for filmmakers of all ages and skill levels. Members can share their work and communicate with each other with ease. ShoutFILM is the based on social networks s...
  • 28 September 2006
    Internet

Current.TV turns a 'small profit', offers US filmmakers $100k prize

Current.tv, a pioneer of user-generated web content, unique in having an accompanying cable channel in the US has apparently turned a 'small profit' according to Derek Baine, a senior analyst with Monterey-based Kagan Research. The Al Gore backed network does not boast anywhere near the viewing figures of YouTube, but has an accompanying cable channel piped to 30 million US homes. Users of the site can vote on content to 'greenlight' for air, with ...
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01 September 2006

Peter Jackson to remake the Dambusters

New Zealand legend Peter Jackson is to produce a remake of DamBusters, based on a Royal Air Force bombing raid on a German dam in World War II, for Universal Pictures and StudioCanal. The film is partly based on The Dam Busters, a book about the raid by Paul Brickhill, and the 1955 movie m...
18 April 2006

HD-DVD Players and Films on Sale in US

  $499 and $799 players from Toshiba, as well as four movies, are now available to buy across the US at all Best Buy stores and select Sears, Wal-Mart, Costco and Tweeters in America. The first four HD disc titles are Serenity, Million Dollar Baby, The Last Samurai and Phantom of th...
04 November 2008

Nos Enfants Nous Accuseront : New doc puts food under spotlight

The documentary Nos Enfants Nous Accuseront (Our Children Will Accuse Us) is released in France this Friday looking at the effect of agro-chemicals on the environment and human health, noting that young people today will be "the first generation in a very long time to be less healthy tha...
  • 28 March 2007
    Miscellany

Stunt Man Films Himself Skiing Down Underground Escalator

 
A man who filmed himself skiing down a London Underground escalator is being investigated by police. The 60-second film, which has been viewed by more than 100,000 people on the internet, shows the man hurtling down the 100 metre (300ft) escalator at Angel station in North London at a speed of more than 30mph. In the footage, shot from a camera in the man's helmet, passengers can be seen strolling past as he fixes...
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26 September 2006

Cory Doctorow's speech on copyright and successful media internet business models

"no one woke up this morning looking for a way to do less with their music or movies" Cory Doctorow has long been a tireless champion of emerging business models and shifts in copyright for creatives on the Internet. His argument is simple - a business strategy which turns...
21 February 2006

MacLibel Doc UK Opens Well

The McLibel documentary from Franny Armstrong's Spanner Films had a good UK opening weekend at London's Wardour Street Odeon. The producers report a good press and a lot of screening enquiries coming in from cinemas all over the UK. The DVD version is also released now. Fearless Franny Armstrong ...
05 June 2010

Nozstock Festival's Cinetent Final Call for Entries closes soon

from Nozstock festival team NOZSTOCK FESTIVAL'S CINETENT IS CALLING FOR SUBMISSIONS... Deadline: 11 June 2010 Nozstock’s resident cinetent showcases a collection of eclectic short films varying  through documentaries, live-action narrative tales, music videos, animations and experimental wor...
  • 06 July 2006
    BBC

BBC’s Comedy And Film Units Combine Forces

  BBC Comedy is joining forces with the Corporation's film department to develop a slate of comedy feature films utilising the best of UK writers, performers and producers. David Thompson, head of BBC Films, and Kenton Allen, creative head of Comedy Talent and Comedy North will lead the development initiative, along with head of comedy Jon Plowman. The initiative will explore the potential to develop existing brands such as Funland.   Allen said: ...
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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 s...
06 July 2006

Lottery Consultation Boosts Film Council Funding

  Responses to the government's National Lottery Consultation mean that the UK Film Council is to receive a funding boost. Consultation was carried out in the first three months of this year by an on-line questionnaire, accessed through Regional Screen Agencies.   The se...
06 November 2006

Leeds Film Festival adds extra screenings to meet demand

Giving in to popular demand, Leeds Film Festival is giving some of the favourites of the festival a second screening on the 12 November. Films including Japanese animation Paprikia, and Czech comedy favourite Wrong Side Up  will screen at the Leeds City Art Gallery or Vue at the Light ...
  • 05 February 2006
    BBC

BBC Manchester Move Firms Up

  The BBC is narrowing its shortlist for its new Manchester centre, where it plans to relocate key departments from London to Greater Manchester in five years time. Departments moving out from London are Children's BBC, including the TV channels CBBC and CBeebies, Children's Radio and Children's Learning; BBC Sport; BBC New Media and Reasearch & Developpment and radio stations Five Live and Five Live Sports Extra.The BBC has announced a shortlist of two sites...
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13 May 2006

Duncraig Castle Dobsons go to Hollywood

  The story of the Dobsons family from the English midlands who gave up the rat race and bought a Scottish Castle to make into a dream home is to be turned into a Hollywood movie. American film giant Buena Vista is to finance a film showing their ill-fated attempt at communal living in a...
19 October 2006

Propeller TV is looking for short films!

Propeller is the only ‘not for profit’ UK TV channel dedicated to showcasing short films and promoting new film and tv talent to the UK and Europe on SKY TV.  It is screened on SKY CHANNEL 195 and on the Eurobird satellite link and is looking for short films (horror, experim...
17 April 2006

Britains Pioneer Colour Filmmaker Exposed

  Following the enormous international success of the BBC/ bfi collaboration on The Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon, the BBC and the bfi are launching a new co-production, this time following in the footsteps of British pioneer colour cinematographer Claude Friese-Greene.   The...
  • 18 July 2006
    Internet

Yahoo Enlists Film Students to Announce Redesign

  Yahoo's new home page has gone live in the U.S., and the company has enlisted several film school students to spread the word. The new, dynamic site has been in a preview phase since May. It is more customizable and interactive than the previous version, utilizing technologies like AJAX to refresh content on the fly, which Yahoo hopes will keep users on the page longer.   To spread the word about the site's redesign, Yahoo and its agency, S...
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16 July 2006

Sony Encourage Films on PSP

  Sony has announced plans to boost the popularity of movies on their PSP system with the launch of The Memory Stick Entertainment Pack, incorporating 1GB and 2GB memory stick Duo options. The pack, which will also work with select Sony cameras and phones, will also include a DVD. ...
02 August 2006

Canon Launches World's Smallest HDV Camcorder

  Pocket-Sized & Packed With High Tech Features  Until now, the concept of putting true 1080 HD (high definition) video recording capability in your pocket was purely science fiction. Get ready for the future. Canon's newest HV10 HDV camcorder delivers high definiti...
12 February 2010

Preparation for VI Edition of ASTERFEST in Macedonia

from Sofija Trenchovska at AsterFest: The new, sixth edition of our newest festival in the Macedonian country, as well as in the region and beyond, is dedicated to the professional film (documentary and fiction) culture and emphasizing its affirmation, popularization and valorization towards t...
  • 14 April 2006
    Film industry

Film Shorts International # 2

 Film Shorts International today includes: Italy's drive to boost quality Screens – Ireland's Producer on the Move – UK releases two Berlin award winners – Portugal's Indiefest Attracts Buyers – Hungary's “Certain Regard” Director Shoots his Trilogy 3rd – France Spinosa film on Erotomania - Netribution: Good News for Creative People   Italy €3m will be distributed to all cinemas th...
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20 August 2007

Black Filmmaker Int Film Fest kicks of with Perry's Daddy's Little Girls

The Black Film Maker International Film Festival (BIFF) will be launched on 6th September at City Hall. A week of screenings from 7th – 14th September in London, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) – Pall Mall and Odeon West End – Leicester Square will show over 50 ...
16 August 2006

Filmmaker Fund Plans For Rapid Growth

  Aiming For £100M Asset Pot A film finance fund is expecting pace of business in the film industry to accelerate as filmmakers recover from the loss of UK tax breaks two years ago. Pacific Continental Film Opportunities Fund, launched in 2005, is to embark on a marketing camp...
05 June 2010

Salon des Refusés: only screens films that have been rejected by other festivals

from Salon Des Refusés  Salon des Refusés is a new opportunity for filmmakers frustrated by rejection from festivals. Taking place for the first time at Cinephelia West in London this September, Salon des Refusés has a simple philosophy: we only screens films that have been rejected by other fe...
  • 03 March 2007
    Latest

Roundup: Black Friday, the Development Fund, FESPACO, Adobe and Apple

I'm in the final throws of pulling together a new book so haven't time to post properly, but here's a round up of some of the latest stories.. The big story in the UK is the sudden closure of the GAAP tax schemes, which Martin Churchill of Tax Efficient Review claims could cost the industry some £2bn. While the Treasury argues the scheme was being exploited, the sudden closure without consultation or warning brings back echoes of the careless conf...
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13 January 2009

British film 2009 preview

The ever excellent BBC Film Network (when will it join iPlayer fullscreen flashness?!) has recommendations (republished below) of some of the British films to look out for this year, including Lone Sherfig's Sundance buzzed An Education, Richard Curtis' Radio Caroline biopic The Boat tha...
18 December 2006

Top TV Producers Selected For Talent Initiative

  The BBC has decided to invest £130,000 in the training of the next generation of series producers. Fourteen new producers will benefit from the training. The BBC has extended its partnership with Glasgow-based TRC (formerly The Research Centre) by jointly creating a new year-long...
11 June 2006

Asian Festival of First Films is Open For Submissions

  Asian First Film Festival is an annual film and documentary festival, now in its second year, to celebrate excellence for first-time Producers, Directors, Cinematographers, Writers, Actors and Documentary makers from the Asian Diaspora.   The Festival Directorate invite...
  • 26 October 2006
    Internet

Watch Aliens Attack Asia!

Watch Aliens Attack Asia at last using 21st century film distribution methods THE ALIEN INVASION Digital Launch is a 21st century film distribution platform that will involve the free distribution and screening of Singapore's 1st and only Golden Horse Awards (The Chinese Oscar) nominated short film on all available major digital mediums, by capitalizing on the available technological infrastructure and proliferation of digital devices worldwide. The a...
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25 May 2008

Turner winner McQueen picks up Camera D'Or, as The Class takes Palme

British artist Steve McQueen's film debut, Hunger, detailing the hunger strike and death of IRA prisoner Bobby Sands, has picked up the Camera D'Or at Cannes, for best debut work. French docu-drama, The Class, looking at life in a Parisian school - has taken the Palme D'Or. Hunger also pic...
19 March 2006

New Tax Regime - Help or Hinder UK Film?

The opening scenes could be straight from a trashy TV episode of Bad Girls rather than from a traditional Bollywood showpiece. In Provoked, Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World, exacts gruesome revenge on her abusive husband and then languishes in a cold, grey English prison. Provoked is Bolly...
22 June 2006

'Music Piracy Reaching Epidemic Proportions'

  Counterfeiting and piracy is reaching epidemic proportions because of the internet and auction sites such as eBay, it has been revealed. The internet is now at the heart of piracy involving illegally copied software, music and films and for disposing of fake goods through eBay and othe...