Site for Europe's film-makers and production companies
London- Film-makers all over the world are looking for partnerships, fundings and a little bit of extra help. It's quite normal to have at least three-four partners to make one good film. A new website 'Film File Europe' is about the European film business- what's being funded, produced and distributed, who makes it work and how to find them. Read more »
France offers 20% tax breaks to Indian film producers
From January 2009 a new law that French parliament voted on the 18 th of December 2008, creating a tax-break for Foreign tv and movie productions shot in France, will enable producers from India to get back 20 % of their spendings in France from the State, says Film France. Read more »
Indian filmmaker BR Chopra dies
Mumbai: One of India's best known producer-director of popular movies, Baldev Raj Chopra, popularly called B R Chopra, died Wednesday, November 5, 2008, due to old age. Chopra celebrated his 95th birthday this year. In 2007, B R Films completed 50 years of film-making in the industry. He could be called one of the founders of what some call 'Bollywood'. Read more »
EU: Co-productions do better and earn more admissions than national films
The European Audiovisual Observatory has just published a special report on European co-productions for presentation at the Council of Europe Film Policy Forum which takes place in Krakow from 11 to 13 September 2008. This is probably one of the most comprehensive analyses of co-production performance ever attempted on a European level.
The data sample comprises more than 5 400 films with theatrical release between 2001 and 2007 in 20 selected European markets. Read more »
Hollywood legend Sydney Pollack dies
As a filmmaker his movies received 48 Oscar nominations. 12 of his actors were nominated for Oscar performances, including Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Jessica Lange, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep and Barbra Streisand. Sydney Pollack, the award-winning director of 'Tootsie' and 'Out of Africa,' has died at the age of 73 Monday, May 26, 2008, in Los Angeles. Besides, being a prolific director, Pollack acted as well as produced. He was suffering from Cancer. Read more »
Indian Film Industry: Prospects in 2009
Indian multiplex operators are slashing ticket prices in an attempt to keep admissions steady during these delicate economic times. Several leading chains are reducing prices from 20%-50% with a variety of reduced rates based on location, day of the week and the timing of shows. Most of the reductions are for weekdays with cinemas retaining their weekend pricing in most cases, reported Screen Daily recently. Read more »
The shortest ever role to win Best Actor: Oscar winning facts
What you read now will become one of your favourite topics at dinner tables and social gatherings. Do you know the name of the actor who won an Oscar for Best Actor but actually played the shortest ever role on screen? The answer is Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in Silence Of The Lambs- the shortest ever role to win Best Actor. Hopkins spent only 16 (and a bit) minutes on screen for his award-winning performance. There are more interesting numbers from the history of Oscars. Read more »
'London Dreams' is first film under India UK Film treaty
London, Oct 21 (IANS) Indian and British filmmakers are expected to co-produce 10 new movies over the next two years as a bilateral film treaty kicks in, officials said Tuesday.”London Dreams”, a film starring Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan, will be the first title under the co-production treaty that was approved by the Indian cabinet in April after months of delay. Read more »
Several Indian films could be sued for plagiarism
Seeking investment for Indian film industry is proving to be a double-edged weapon. With a growth rate of almost 17 per cent, Indian Entertainment and Media industry is flourishing. Iconic film-makers such as Warners, Sony, Universal and DreamWorks have now reached Mumbai, the film capital of India, offering tie-ups with local producers. More money, more films, more business- so far, so good. Here's the bad news; Hollywood giants will not take it kindly if Bollywood producers keep on stealing their themes, stories and screenplays right in front of their eyes. They will sue not only in Mumbai but in London and California as well, writes Kathy Robinson exclusively for iefilmi. Read more »
Amitabh Bachchan biography: A detailed account
Arguably, Amitabh Bachchan is India's biggest ever star of all times. He is big in every sense of the word, according to India EU Film Initiative. His father, Harivansh Rai, was a great Hindi poet. His mother, Teji, was a friend of Indira Gandhi when she the prime minister of India. He married a much talented as well as respected actress of her time, Jaya Bhaduri. He became a cult in the late 1970s and 1980s, after giving a number of blockbuster performances. The whole country prayed when he fell sick. Read more »