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Mars' Yildirim and Rieder talk Turkey growth
30 June 2013 11:42 AM, PDT
The Turkish exhibitor, honoured at CineEurope last week, aims to reach 1000 screens by 2016.
Muzaffer Yildirim [pictured] of Turkish exhibitor Mars Entertainment Group was honoured last week as CineEurope’s International Exhibitor of the Year.
It’s hard to argue with the choice — the company’s growth is unparalleled among exhibitors around the world. It started with 8 screens in 2001 and now has 503 screens in 59 multiplexes, set to grow to 600 screens by the end of the year. It is the largest exhibitor in Turkey, which is a booming growth market. The goal is 1000 screens by the end of 2016. Yildirim says simply: “There is so much potential in Turkey.”
It’s not just about numbers of screens, as Mars has also revolutionized the quality of cinemas in Turkey, offering bigger seat size, trailer displays in lobbies and toilets and event cinema offerings including live 3D football.
When the company started, Yildirim told Screen, “existing cinema seats were uncomfortable, foyers were dark »
- wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
John Travolta reveals directing plans
29 June 2013 8:59 AM, PDT
Actor talks about working with De Niro for Killing Season.
When asked if he wanted to direct in the future, John Travolta confessed that he doesn’t fancy directing a feature but said he might direct a short based on his 1997 book Propeller One-Way Night Coach.
“The only movie I’ll probably end up directing is a short based on a little book I wrote about a boy who flew across the Us when the propeller airliners were turning into jet airliners. It’s an adventure about hte people he meets on airplanes,” he said.
“It’s a semi-autobiographical story, and I’d like my son to play me and my wife to play his mother, and maybe I will play the captain or something,” said Travolta, who is a certified pilot who owns several planes. “If I’m going to direct, that will be what I would direct.”
The actor was speaking today at a press »
- wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
Travolta reveals possible directing plans in Karlovy Vary
29 June 2013 8:59 AM, PDT
Actor talks about working with De Niro for Killing Season.
When asked if he wanted to direct in the future, John Travolta confessed that he doesn’t fancy directing a feature but said he might direct a short based on his 1997 book Propeller One-Way Night Coach. “The only movie I’ll probably end up directing is a short based on a little book I wrote about a boy who flew across the Us when the propeller airliners were turning into jet airliners. It’s an adventure about hte people he meets on airplanes,” he said.
“It’s a semi-autobiographical story, and I’d like my son to play me and my wife to play his mother, and maybe I will play the captain or something,” said Travolta, who is a certified pilot who owns several planes. “If I’m going to direct, that will be what I would direct.”
The actor was speaking today at a press »
- wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
Terence Stamp joins Burton's Big Eyes
29 June 2013 8:05 AM, PDT
Terence Stamp has joined the cast of Tim Burton’s next film Big Eyes, The Weinstein Company confirmed.
The film is about painter Margaret Keane and her husband Walter, who took credit for his wife’s work. Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams play the couple; the cast also includes Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman and Danny Huston. Stamp will play art critic John Canaday.
Burton is producing the film with Lynette Howell for Electric City Entertainment, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Alexander and Karaszewski wrote the screenplay.
Stamp stars in Unfinished Song (international title Song For Marion), currently on release in the Us for TWC. »
- wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
BFI launches $8.5m programming fund
28 June 2013 10:23 AM, PDT
The British Film Institute (BFI) has launched a Programming Development Fund, worth up to $2.1m (£1.4m) a year to 2017.
The new fund is for programmers and exhibitors to bring specialised and independent British films to audiences across the UK.
The Programming Development Fund is linked to the BFI’s UK Audience Network, set to launch this autumn, which will see a range of partners across the country work together to bring diverse film experiences to as many people as possible.
As set out in its Film Forever five-year plan, the BFI aims to increase the size, diversity and geographic spread of audiences viewing specialised and independent British films.
Tim Cagney, deputy CEO of the BFI said: “We want audiences to develop a lifelong relationship with film and we passionately believe that everyone in the UK should be able to enjoy the very best in British and world cinema, no matter where they live.
“This fund will »
- michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
A World Not Ours wins top Edinburgh prize
28 June 2013 9:18 AM, PDT
Mahdi Fleifel’s refugee documentary wins Best Film in the International Competition. Experimental doc Leviathan wins Best British Feature.Scroll down for full list of winners
The winners have been announced at the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The ceremony, held at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse this afternoon, saw the award for Best Film in the International Competition presented to Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (Lebanon/UAE/Denmark/UK).
The jury also gave a special mention to Elias Giannakakis’ Joy.
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho chaired the International Feature Film Competition Jury, which also included actress Natalie Dormer and film critic Siobhan Synnot.
The jury citation read: “The International Jury loved this film’s warm regard for the people at the heart of the film. A difficult subject was handled with confidence and humour.”
Fleifel said: “I have lived, studied and worked in the UK for 13 years, but I’ve never managed to screen any of »
- michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
FrightFest unveils biggest line-up
28 June 2013 7:00 AM, PDT
The 14th edition of London-based genre festival to screen record 51 films across August Bank Holiday weekend (Aug 22-26) with ten world premieres; UK premieres include Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are [pictured].
Film4 FrightFest has announced its biggest ever lineup for its upcoming 14th edition, taking place at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square from Aug 22-26.
In total, this year’s edition will screen 51 films across three screens, while the new FrightFest Xtra strand will allow fans to catch up with sold-out performances of the festival’s most popular films. Eleven countries are represented from five continents with a record-breaking 33 UK or European premieres and ten world premieres.
Alongside the previously announced opening film The Dead 2: India, other world premieres at this year’s FrightFest include Blair Erickson’s Banshee Chapter (produced by Zachary Quinto), Kit Ryan’s Dementamania, Cody Calahan’s Antisocial and Juanra Fernández’s For Elisa.
European premieres »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Film4 FrightFest unveils biggest ever lineup
28 June 2013 7:00 AM, PDT
14th edition of London-based genre festival to screen record 51 films across August Bank Holiday weekend (Aug 22-26) with ten world premieres; UK premieres include Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are [pictured].
Film4 FrightFest has announced its biggest ever lineup for its upcoming 14th edition, taking place at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square from Aug 22-26.
In total, this year’s edition will screen 51 films across three screens, while the new FrightFest Xtra strand will allow fans to catch up with sold-out performances of the festival’s most popular films. Eleven countries are represented from five continents with a record-breaking 33 UK or European premieres and ten world premieres.
Alongside the previously announced opening film The Dead 2: India, other world premieres at this year’s FrightFest include Blair Erickson’s Banshee Chapter (produced by Zachary Quinto), Kit Ryan’s Dementamania, Cody Calahan’s Antisocial and Juanra Fernández’s For Elisa.
European premieres »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Film4 Somerset House talks include David Gordon Green
28 June 2013 3:55 AM, PDT
Nat Faxon and Jim Rash to talk about The Way Way Back.
The talks programme of Film4 Summer Screen, Behind The Screen At Somerset House, will include speakers such as Prince Avalanche director David Gordon Green and The Way Way Back writers and directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.
Other talks will include Charlie Lyne talking about teen movies; Jasper Sharp talking about the supernatural gothic in Japanese cinema; Craig McCay introducing his film Cameraman: The Life And Times of Jack Cardiff.
The Film4 Shorts programme will include Jonah and Flytopia.
The series runs Aug 8-21 and is sponsored by American Express. »
- wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
Grand Piano to open Sitges
28 June 2013 3:32 AM, PDT
Grand Piano, a thriller starring Elijah Wood, will open this year’s Sitges Festival in October
Spain’s Sitges Festival (October 11-20) has unveiled a selection of titles for its 46th edition.
Grand Piano, the new film by Eugenio Mira (Agnosia) with an international cast led by Elijah Wood, John Cusack and Alex Winter, will open the festival.
A production by Adrián Guerra and Rodrigo Cortés (Buried), the real-time thriller tells the story of a retired piano player who finally goes back to work under threat of death by a mysterious killer if he misses one note.
The festival has also named other titles in its official section including Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives; Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive; Roman Coppola’s A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swann III and Ari Folman’s The Congress.
“When things work out there is no need for dramatic changes”, Sitges festival director Angel Sala told Screen »
- jsardafr@hotmail.com (Juan Sarda)
Swipe takes Figgis’ Suspension of Disbelief for UK
28 June 2013 2:57 AM, PDT
Exclusive: Swipe Films has boarded Mike Figgis’ erotic thriller, Suspension of Disbelief, as UK theatrical distributor.
The film stars Sebastian Koch (The Lives of Others), Lotte Verbeek (The Borgias), Emilia Fox, Julian Sands, Kenneth Cranham and Frances De la Tour.
For production details visit
The feature will have its UK premiere at London’s East End Film Festival on July 6. Swipe will release it in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on July 19. To promote the film, Figgis will conduct a series of Q&As across the country
Blurring lines between fiction and reality, the story is about a literature professor who becomes implicated in the murder of a mysterious young French woman.
The film had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival.
Content Media is the international sales agent on the film. Producers are Vito di Rosa of Sosho and Mike Figgis of Red Mullet. The film was »
- michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
Wacken heavy metal film to shoot
28 June 2013 2:45 AM, PDT
Wacken Open Air, one of the world’s biggest heavy metal music festivals, is to be filmed for a 3D feature-length documentary.
Wacken 3D – Louder Than Hell will shoot from July 22 to August 5, encompassing the festival set in the German countryside that takes place from August 1-3.
For production details visit
Wacken 3D – Louder Than Hell
The documentary will be directed by Nobert Heitker and shot by producer and director of photography Tomas Erhart instereoscopic 3D using 18 cameras.
Heitker has previously directed music films and commercials and won numerous awards including two Echos for films with the bands Rammstein and Die Ärzte.
Almost 75,000 heavy metal fans from around the world have booked tickets for this year’s sold out event.
The film will include backstage footage, stories of festival goers and on-stage performances from the line-up of bands.
Producers are Tomas Erhart / Jumpseat 3D plus Germany and Stefan Schubert of Wüste Film.
The production »
- michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
Audrey Tautou cancels Karlovy Vary trip
28 June 2013 2:24 AM, PDT
French actress Audrey Tautou has cancelled her planned appearance at tonight’s opening of the 48th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The Amelie star was due to walk the red carpet at the festival in the Czech Republic and introduce her new film, Mood Indigo.
But the festival has announced that Tautou would not be attending. No further explanation for her absence was detailed.
The festival premiere of Mood Indigo will be introduced only by the film’s director Michel Gondry.
Festival director Jiří Bartoška said: “We are very sorry Audrey Tautou’s planned visit will not take place, especially because of her previous connection with the Karlovy Vary festival through her film Amélie,” said the »
- michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
A24 acquires The Rover
27 June 2013 5:38 PM, PDT
David Michôd’s latest film [pictured] stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson.
A24 has announced it has acquired David Michôd’s The Rover for theatrical release in the Us.
Michôd’s slow-burn thriller stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, and is set in the Australian desert in a damaged and dangerous future. It was written by Michôd and based on a story conceived by Michôd and Joel Edgerton.
The deal was negotiated by A24 with UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers and FilmNation Entertainment.
A24 commented: “David Michôd is a visionary filmmaker and we are thrilled to work with him to bring The Rover to Us audiences. The movie will undoubtedly confirm his singular voice and distinctive gift for creating arresting visuals and indelible characters.”
“A24 is a perfect fit for The Rover - a young, innovative and exciting company at the cutting edge of the independent sector in the Us, they have contributed »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Paramount sets new Terminator for 2015
27 June 2013 5:26 PM, PDT
Rebooted film will be the first in a stand-alone trilogy and will be produced by Megan Ellison of Annapurna and David Ellison of Skydance.
Skydance Productions, Annapurna Pictures and Paramount Pictures have announced that they will partner on a rebooted Terminator film, to be released by Paramount on June 26, 2015.
The first in a stand-along trilogy, the film will be produced by Megan Ellison of Annapurna and David Ellison of Skydance. Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake of Skydance will executive produce.
Laeta Kalorgridis (Avatar, Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry) are attached to write the screenplay.
To date, the Terminator franchise has earned over $1bn at the worldwide box office. »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Gyllenhaal to star in Honourable Woman
27 June 2013 5:01 PM, PDT
Actress to play lead role in drama series set against an international political backdrop.
Maggie Gyllenhaal is to play the lead role in Hugo Blick’s drama series The Honourable Woman for BBC Two and Sundance Channel.
Shooting starts in July in London on the thriller set against an international political backdrop written and directed by BAFTA award winner Blick. The Honourable Woman is set in the UK, the Middle East and America, and will film on location.
It will be broadcast on BBC Two and the Sundance Channel in 2014.
Following the murder of a Palestinian business man, Nessa Stein (Gyllenhaal) and her brother Ephra find themselves placed under the scrutiny of both Whitehall and the Secret Intelligence Service. Nessa is then forced to confront the true nature of her business empire, inherited from her father who was a Zionist arms procurer.
Gyllenhaal commented: “I couldn’t put the scripts down. Nessa is such »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Gyllenhaal to star in Blick’s Honourable Woman
27 June 2013 5:01 PM, PDT
Actress to play lead role in drama series set against an international political backdrop.
Maggie Gyllenhaal is to play the lead role in Hugo Blick’s drama series The Honourable Woman for BBC Two and Sundance Channel.
Shooting starts in July in London on the thriller set against an international political backdrop written and directed by BAFTA award winner Blick. The Honourable Woman is set in the UK, the Middle East and America, and will film on location.
It will be broadcast on BBC Two and the Sundance Channel in 2014.
Following the murder of a Palestinian business man, Nessa Stein (Gyllenhaal) and her brother Ephra find themselves placed under the scrutiny of both Whitehall and the Secret Intelligence Service. Nessa is then forced to confront the true nature of her business empire, inherited from her father who was a Zionist arms procurer.
Gyllenhaal commented: “I couldn’t put the scripts down. Nessa is such »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Oscilloscope to release Off Label
27 June 2013 4:17 PM, PDT
Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher’s documentary [pictured] will be given a theatrical and digital release in August.
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher’s Off Label.
The documentary, which sees the filmmakers examine the medicine cabinets of America through stories of drug testing subjects and Big Pharma respresentatives, received its world premiere at Tribeca.
Oscilloscope will release Off Label theatrically and across all digital platforms on Aug 9.
O-Scope’s Dan Berger and David Laub commented: “Mike and Donal have created an unflinching look at an important subject, and their adept direction ensures that no matter how infuriating this information is, the film always remains touching and emotional.”
“It’s a privilege to have Off Label on such an outstanding roster, and an honor to be working with a company that consistently demonstrates their great taste, open-mindedness and support for risk-taking films,” added Palmieri & Mosher.
Off Label was produced by filmscience’s [link »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
IFC Midnight acquires +1
27 June 2013 4:01 PM, PDT
Dennis Iliadis’ supernatural thriller [pictured] premiered at this year’s SXSW.
IFC Midnight has acquired Us rights to Dennis Iliadis’ +1.
Iliadis’ supernatural thriller was written by Bill Gullo from a story by Iliadis and stars Rhys Wakefield, Logan Miller, Ashley Hinshaw and Natalie Hall.
It centres on three college friends who go to a party, only for it to be disrupted by a mysterious phenomenon.
The film world premiered at this year’s SXSW.
Jeff Deutchman, director of acquisitions & productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films, negotiated the deal with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.
Sundance Selects/IFC Films president Jonathan Sehring commented: “Dennis Iliadis has created a sexy, thrilling mind-bender that delivers on many levels. We look forward to bringing it to the widest audience possible.”
+1 was produced by Tim Perell and executive produced by Brothers Strause, Edson Williams, Thomas Nittmann and Guy Botham. »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
Tribeca unveils New Media Fund recipients
27 June 2013 3:45 PM, PDT
Six interactive non-fiction transmedia projects awarded a total of $400,000.
The Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) has announced the grant recipients for the 2013 Tfi New Media Fund.
In partnership with the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms Initiative, the six interactive non-fiction transmedia projects from around the world were awarded between $50,000 and $100,000 apiece with funding effective immediately. Total funding equalled $400,000.
The recipients will also take part in regular peer-to-peer meetings and a lab focused on interactive storytelling to help them develop their projects and build engagement with audiences.
Selected from a pool of 285 submissions, the projects selected are as follows:
Chasing the Sun
Key participants: Paul Shoebridge, Michael Simons (The Goggles)
The Yes Men are Revolting
Key participants: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, Laura Nix, Mary Notari, The Public Society, Glocal
Who is Dayani Cristal?
Key participants: Gael Garcia Bernal, Marc Silver, Lina Srivastava
This is My Backyard (Logs of War)
Key participants: Anjali Nayar, Jude Mwenda »
- ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
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company.