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'Creation' to open Toronto fest

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:59:12 EST

Film News: Jon Amiel's biopic on Dawin kicks off event -- "Creation," helmer Jon Amiel’s biopic about Charles Darwin, will open the 34th Toronto International Film Festival, it was announced this morning (July 14), along with four galas and 18 special presentations.

ABC reality tops Monday ratings

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:46:49 EST

TV News: Audiences love 'Bachelorette,' 'Newlyweds' -- A two-hour edition of “The Bachelorette” and the finale of “Here Come the Newlyweds” were enough to give ABC a win Monday night over a CBS lineup filled with repeats of four popular laffers and “CSI: Miami.”

Brand returns to VMA hosting duties

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:08:34 EST

Award Central News: MTV awards show set for Sept. 13 -- MTV says Russell Brand will host the Video Music Awards for the second year in a row.

Chinese box office set for 40% rise

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:03:22 EST

International News: Theaters bring in $336 million in first six months -- China's box office continues to defy the global economic downturn with more than 80 films screened in mainland cinemas bringing in $336 million (2.3 billion yuan) in receipts in the first six months of the year.

Telemundo buys RTVE's 'Times'

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:41:50 EST

Americas: Duo to partner on Latin American distribution -- NBC U's Hispanic net Telemundo has acquired U.S. rights to Spanish serial drama "Amar en tiempos revueltos" (To Love in Difficult Times).

BBC, U.K. government cross swords

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:22:54 EST

International News: Minister attacks broadcaster's leadership -- The battle to force the BBC to share its license fee has intensified as Blighty's new media minister accused the corp. of "wrong-headed" leadership over the issue.

Zinkia rights issue hit by downturn

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:58:59 EST

Business News: Company drops share price to attract investors -- Spanish toon house Zinkia Entertainment will initiate a public listing Wednesday on Spain's MAB Alternative Stock Market for Growth Companies.

BBC Worldwide profits fall 27%

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:32:05 EST

Business News: Earnings hit by collapse of Woolworth's -- Profits at BBC Worldwide have slumped by 27% as the downturn hits the corp.'s commercial arm.

Georgia joins film archive body

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:15:10 EST

International News: National film center aims to attract funding -- Curators of Georgia's film heritage are hoping to boost prospects of preserving and restoring the country's early movies after its national film center became an associate member of international film archive federation FIAF.

Sarajevo bows CineLink prize

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:37:47 EST

International News: Award to benefit pics in post-production -- The Sarajevo Film Festival has launched a prize worth $110,000 for its industry sidebar CineLink Work in Progress, which runs during its 15th edition in August.

Handphone (Haendeupon)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:00:52 EST

Film Reviews: Even by Asian standards, few people are more attached to their cell phones than South Koreans.

Jason Winer wins Fox TV deal

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST

TV News: 'Modern' director signs multi-year pact -- 20th Century Fox TV has sealed a new multiyear overall deal with Jason Winer, the helmer behind ABC's upcoming comedy "Modern Family."

Showtime sets 'Live Nude Comedy'

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST

Los Angeles: Series mixes standup comedy and burlesque -- Showtime has slated a six-episode run for "Live Nude Comedy," a half-hour mix of standup comedy and modern-day burlesque.

Brevity for Levity

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST

Exclusives: Merger combines four units into one -- Levity Prods., the shingle behind Comedy Central's upcoming "The Jeff Dunham Show," has merged under the same roof with Levity Management, producer Triage Entertainment and branded entertainment firm Medium.

Columbia catches Barnum pitch

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:40:00 EST

Los Angeles: Untitled film will cover showman's early years -- Columbia Pictures has acquired an untitled pitch from original "Moneyball" scribe Stan Chervin on the life of P.T. Barnum.

New VH1 program gets 'Loud'

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST

Los Angeles: Live concert series to air on 'Fridays' -- VH1 is set to launch four episodes of "Live and Loud Fridays," a series that captures performances from rock bands in concert around the country.

'Entourage' premieres in L.A.

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:34:47 EST

Gotham: HBO execs, show's stars party at Paramount -- HBO execs say "Entourage" is more about friendship than Hollywood. And with the cabler's skein entering its sixth season, Thursday's launch party at Par felt like a gathering of old friends.

'Potter' premieres in New York

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:11:55 EST

Gotham: Stars, execs celebrate Warner Bros. pic's release -- While fans were screaming outside the Ziegfeld Theater Thursday during the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" premiere, the pic's stars and execs were celebrating inside.

Paris fest deposits award at 'Bank'

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:32:21 EST

Europe: 'Maid' receives audience honor -- Kazakh helmer George Ovashvili's directorial debut, "The Other Bank," nabbed the jury award at the 7th Paris Cinema Film Festival on Monday.

Here Media to rep 'Toe to Toe'

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:30:57 EST

Sundance News: Pic competed at Sundance this year -- Sundance competition pic "Toe to Toe" will be repped for overseas sales by Here Media, via its Regent Worldwide Sales arm.

Gotham to reveal Shuster's 'Secret'

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:24:00 EST

Comic Book Biz: Group gets rights to Superman co-creator bio -- Days after the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerome Siegel were rebuffed in a lawsuit against Warner Bros. (Daily Variety, July 9), co-creator Joe Shuster is at the center of a film deal.

Vices: A Love Story

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:47:11 EST

Legit Reviews: A minor miracle of on-the-fly craftsmanship from a creative team and performers mostly culled from Broadway and Off Broadway.

Prima Donna

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:45:19 EST

Legit Reviews: "Prima Donna" has rich orchestral textures, but too many of them sound borrowed.

Memory of Love (Chong lai)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:49:28 EST

Film Reviews: Wang Chao heads for more intimate waters with the offbeat yuppie melodrama "Memory of Love."

Michael & Michael Have Issues

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:31:20 EST

TV Front Reviews: Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter play twisted versions of themselves in a new comedy series.

Giallo

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:13:09 EST

Film Reviews: This serial-killer story plays like a work for hire that no one had much fun working on.

Bananas!*

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:07:53 EST

Film Reviews: Helmer Fredrik Gertten offers a front-row seat to a landmark “Erin Brockovich”-style trial.