Germany and France are planning to launch a $376,000 (Euros 300,000) co-development fund from next year as part of their existing bilateral mini co-production agreement.

The news was announced at this year’s Franco-German Film Rendez-Vous in Hamburg. 300 German and French producers, distributors and film funders attended the three-day annual event which alternates between France and Germany.

Christine Berg of the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) explained that the fund should promote the “cultural and economical potential for the German and French market.”

Individual funding will be awarded up to $63,000 (Euros 50,000) and the fund would be open to a producer’s first or second feature film.

Also speaking at the event, Olivier Wotling of France’s CNC suggested that the initiative would benefit new producers and enable them to build up a network. “It is very important that one can start very early with cooperation. This dimension must be supported,” Wotling said.

The new fund would be part of the “mini-traité” agreement which was signed by the CNC and Germany’s German Federal Film Board (FFA) in May 2001 and has supported 50 Franco-German co-productions.

These include Tom Tykwer’s Perfume - The Story of a Murderer, Werner Schroeter’s Deux, Claire Denis’ 35 Rhums, and Julie Delpy’s The Countess.

It was revealed that in 2007 Germany became the second most important co-production partner for France after Belgium.

Germany participated in 10 French majority co-productions compared to 18 by Belgian companies. In 2006, Germany had been third place with involvement in six French productions behind Italy (nine) and Belgium (11).

Berg reported that a third of the 30 international co-productions supported by the DFFF so far this year are German-French co-productions with total production costs of $158m (Euros 126m), compared to $100m (Euros 80m) for the 12 German-French co-productions in 2007.

Source: Screen Daily, Martin Blaney

Orange cinema series, symbol of the Orange “Content Everywhere” strategy
For several years, Orange has committed itself to offering its customers content that is always more attractive and more exclusive by providing cutting-edge innovations in terms of content consumption. With the launch of Orange cinema series, Orange is offering cinema addicts a new way of watching films and TV series. Apart from traditional broadcasting, all programmes are available on demand and and can be watched on any screen at any time depending on the circumstances.
Quality, up-to-date films for everyone and previously unseen series
Orange cinema series includes a main “feature film” channel, called Orange cinemax, which is available in HD and groups together the best of recent films and TV series that have never before been seen in France. The offer also includes four other channels that are organised along the themes of family, action, arthouse and classics.

• Orange cinemax: all the blockbusters exclusive to Orange and in High Definition
• Orange cinehappy: cinema for all the family
• Orange cinechoc: all types of action film
• Orange cinenovo: a reference in independent cinema
• Orange cinégéant: cinema classics at your fingertips

a premium exclusive offer
Orange cinema series offers its subscribers more than 1,200 films, 1,000 hours of TV series, 200 documentaries and 300 hours of children’s series each year. To broadcast the best films and series, Orange is leading an intensive partnership policy with prestigious studios. Today many of the greatest Hollywood and French studios have signed an agreement with Orange cinema series: Warner Bros, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, HBO, Gaumont, BAC Films, Wild Side Films and Fidélité Film.
Orange cinema series subscribers will be able to watch several exclusive films from Warner Bros International TV (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ocean’s 13, I am Legend, Dark Knight…), and the new HBO TV series (True Blood, Generation Kill, John Adams, In Treatment…). They may also rediscover successful series from the Gaumont, Warner and HBO back catalogues (Six Feet Under, The Sopranos…).

And to be sure not to miss a single episode or film broadcast exclusively, all programmes shown on the five channels will be accessible on demand during 30 days after the first broadcast. Additional programs on demand including series and films will be also available so that cinema lovers will always have a good film to watch.
Orange cinema series, another form of television

The richness of the Orange cinema series offer goes beyond exclusive programming. In fact, Orange offers many innovations to subscribers that will revolutionise their experience of cinema and series. With the multi-screens approach, subscribers may watch Orange cinema series channels and programmes on-demand on five different screens (TV, PC and portable video players). Furthermore, Orange cinema series offers a catch-up service to see or re-watch programmes that have already been broadcast. In addition, subscribers will be able to pursue their journey in a film director’s world thanks to the “complementary” service that enables them to watch related programmes by theme. For example, when Rocky Balboa is broadcast, the five previous Rocky films will be available on demand as a complement.  From 2009, subscribers who have missed the beginning of a programme will be able to watch the film again thanks to the restart solution.

Users increasinly show their desire for more flexibility to be able to watch films and series wherever and whenever. To satisfy them, Orange cinema series enables them to freely transfer all video content from the five channels and on-demand programmes onto portable video players such as Archos devices and, in coming months, compatible mobile phones.

Orange cinema series, it’s happening now
TV + PC offer: €12 euros/month

• Free access to Orange cinéma séries channels available until 30 November for all Orange TV customers
• For all new subscription, the first three months are free until 14 January 2009

Mobile offer: €6 /month. Free access to Orange cinéma séries channels available until 12 January 2009

This summer is gearing up to take on a decidedly French feel in the UK.

Unifrance, France’s film export body, reports that at least 10 French films will have their British debut in the coming weeks supported by a strong presence of French talent.

On June 13, Priceless , starring Audrey Tautou and directed by Pierre Salvadori, will be released by Icon followed one week later by Elle S’Appelle Sandrine , the feature directorial debut of Sandrine Bonnaire, which ICA will release and The Secret Of The Grain , Abdellatif Kechiche’s sleeper hit which swept the Cesars earlier this year. Artificial Eye is releasing.

On June 27, Jean-Paul Salome’s Female Agents starring Sophie Marceau and Deborah Francois will debut from Revolver which handled Guillaume Canet’s Tell No One on the same date last year.

Virginie Ledoyen, Vincent Lindon, Pascal Elbe, Bernadette Lafont, Dominique Farrugia and Lorraine Levy will support London Mon Amour which releases on July 4 from Pathe UK while Cedric Klapisch will be in town for the release of his film Paris on July 25 which is being handled by Optimum.

In August, Olivier Assayas’ Summer Hours debuts from Artificial Eye as does Francois Ozon’s Angel starring Romola Garai and Lucy Russel. The latter is handled by Lionsgate.

Lionsgate is also releasing I’ve Loved You So Long from director Philippe Claudel and starring Kristin Scott Thomas on September 26. Other films including Luc Jacquet’s The Fox And The Child are also due for a summer UK release.

French films have had healthy results in the UK over the past several years and currently boast a 2% market share with an estimated 3 million tickets sold in 2007. The figures are the best ever attained by French films in Britain where they have traditionally barely reached a 1% market share.

Last year, Luc Besson’s Arthur And The Minimoys took in 1.2 million admissions while La Vie En Rose scored 325,000 and Tell No One took in 245,000. Other successes in 2007 included Julie Delpy’s 2 Days In Paris , Michel Gondry’s The Science Of Sleep , Patrice Leconte’s My Best Friend , Laurent Tirard’s Moliere , Xavier Giannoli’s Quand J’Etais Chanteur and Pascale Ferran’s Lady Chatterley .

Source: ScreenDaily

Paramount and Lucasfilms’ Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull unearthed plenty of box office gold at the weekend, grossing an estimated $143m in the international marketplace and another $126m in North America.

Though it did not break any records, Crystal Skull will, if early estimates are confirmed, end up among the industry’s all-time top ten openers domestically, internationally and globally.

Paramount put the performance down to good reviews and a response from audiences of all ages to the first Indiana Jones sequel in 19 years.

The $143m international take came from 12,000 screens in over 8,300 locations in 56 markets, said Paramount Pictures International (PPI), with the film opening in many markets on Wednesday or Thursday.

It was Paramount’s biggest international opening ever (easily beating the $102.5m start made by War of the Worlds in 2005) and the sixth biggest international opening of all time, ranking between Star Wars: Episode III and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

The long-awaited fourth installment of the Lucasfilm-produced adventure franchise – with Steven Spielberg back in the directing chair, Harrison Ford returning as the title character and Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf co-starring – topped local charts in all its major territories.

In the UK (which has a holiday on Monday) Crystal Skull grossed an estimated $21.5m over four days from 536 locations. That was 70% more than Iron Man took during its first Friday-to-Monday run in the market, said PPI.

In France, the gross was $14.1m from 781 locations, 96% more than Iron Man.

Germany produced $12.6m from 841 locations, 262% more than Iron Man; Spain delivered $11.7mn over four days from 731 locations, 128% up on Iron Man; Korea reported $10m over four days from 619 locations, 76% better than Iron Man; Australia delivered $9m from 263 locations; Russia $8.4m from 602 locations; Italy $6.5m from 625 locations; Brazil $5.7m over four days from 257 locations; and Mexico $4.5m over four days from 426 locations.

For the North American market, Paramount on Sunday (May 25) estimated a Thursday-to-Sunday gross of $126m for the PG-13-rated film, which screened in some cinemas just after midnight on Wednesday and spread to a total of 4,260 locations over the weekend.

The studio estimated the film would take another $25m on Monday, the Memorial Day holiday in the US.

That would give Crystal Skull a three-day weekend total of $101m (the tenth biggest of all time), a four-day Memorial Day weekend take of $126m (the second biggest ever, after the $139.8m achieved this time last year by Buena Vista’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End), and an overall five-day opening of $151m (the fifth biggest ever).

The $269m global opening tally (which does not include Paramount’s estimate for the Monday holiday in the US) is the fifth biggest of all time, again ranking Crystal Skull between Star Wars: Episode III and The Return of the King.

Other early estimates of North American box office takings (full estimates for the holiday weekend will not be available until Monday) put Buena Vista’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at $23m for the Friday-Sunday period, representing a steep 58% decline from the film’s chart-topping opening last weekend.

Paramount’s Iron Man appears to have held up better against Indy, dropping 37% in its fourth weekend to an estimated $20.1m for Friday-Sunday.

In the international marketplace, meanwhile, Prince Caspian opened in Japan – the only major market that did not get Crystal Skull this weekend – and grossed an estimated and chart-topping $7.7m from 324 locations, said Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International (WDSMPI).

Overall, Caspian took an estimated $18m from 3,361 screens in 13 territories over the weekend, bringing its international total to $49.1m, 11% better, said WDSMPI, than the first Narnia film at a comparable point in its roll-out. Caspian has already beaten the first film’s total takes in Russia and India.

Iron Man, international leader for the last three weekends, grossed an estimated $12.5m from 8,000 prints in almost 6,000 international locations this weekend, according to PPI, one of the Marvel film’s several distributors outside the US. That brought the film’s total international gross to $228m – $191.5m from PPI markets, $10.8m from the single market handled by Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI), and the rest from other territories and companies.

Fox International reported the same estimated gross of $12.5m, this time from 3,800 screens in 56 markets, for What Happens In Vegas. But the studio said the final weekend figure for the film – which has now reached $77.8m internationally – could be higher.

SPRI’s Made of Honor took an estimated $3.4m from 1,745 screens in 25 markets, for a total to date of $25.6m.

Speed Racer, from Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI), dropped another 58% to gross an estimated $3m (representing 611,000 admissions) from 3,400 prints in 40 territories. International total to date for the big budget family entry stands at $29.8m.

SPRI’s 21 grossed an estimated $1.8m from 1,025 screens in 37 markets, bringing its international total to $49.3m.

WBPI’s The Bucket List grossed an estimated $1.2m (98,500 admissions) this weekend from 511 screens in 23 markets, for a running international total of $75.2m.

Universal’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall grossed an estimated $800,000 from 515 dates in 9 territories, raising its international total to $23.2m.

Nim’s Island, acquired by Universal for a parcel of territories, grossed $520,000 from 494 dates in three of those territories. The film’s running total for the three Universal markets now stands at $11.1m and its total for all markets at $27m.

Universal’s Definitely, Maybe grossed $115,000 from 122 dates in 15 territories (for an international total to date of $20.7m) and the studio’s The Other Boleyn Girl took $105,000 from 105 dates in seven Universal territories (for a Universal total so far of $33.1m). The film’s overall international total now stands at $37m.

Fox International reported takes of $430,000 from 300 screens in 15 markets for Shutter (international total to date $16.5m); $266,000 from 450 screens in 9 markets for Horton Hears A Who! (total $138m); and $263,000 from 500 screens in 13 markets for Street Kings (total $30.2m).

Source: Screen Daily News

Wild Bunch has sold Radu Mihaileanu’s The Concert to The Weinstein Company.

The deal marks the third time that a French film has been pre-sold to the US for over $1mn, noted Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval.

The $21m Concert focuses on a former conductor of the Bolshoi Orchestra who was sacked during the communist era for refusing to fire the Jewish players. Still working in the orchestra’s theater as a janitor, he stumbles upon a faxed invitation for the Orchestra to play in Paris and decides to gather up his old musician buddies, go to Paris and play as the Bolshoi. It is partly based on a true story.

Maraval told Screen, “We are thrilled to be working on The Concert with the Weinsteins. They have always been the best at taking a film like this all the way to the Oscar.”

The Concert has also sold to Australia (Hopscotch), the UK (Optimum), Canada (Seville), Scandinavia (Cinema Mondo) and Japan (Comstock).

In other deals, Optimum has taken Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler , Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona , Jerome Salle’s Largo Winch , Gilles Bourdos’ Afterwards , Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo On The Cliff and the triptych Tokyo ! which Liberation has for the US.

James Toback’s Tyson has sold to Australia (Hopscotch – which also bought Emir Kusturica’s Maradona), Scandinavia (Sandro Metronome) and Germany (Kino). In France the film will have a first airing on Canal Plus and then be released theatrically by Why Not.

Russia’s Paradise picked up a trio of films: Fabrice du Welz’ Vinyan , Marco Tullio Giordana’s Sanguepazzo and Woody Allen’s upcoming project with Larry David. Also biting for Allen’s new film were Mexico (Quality), Brazil (California) and Argentina (Pachamama) among others.

Afterwards had sales in Benelux (Victory), Japan (Nikkatsu) and Spain (Tripictures). Ponyo also went to Italy (Lucky Red) and Brazil (PlayArte). Jim Caviezel sci-fi picture Outlander sold to Germany (Telepool) and Argentina (Pachamama).

Further deals include Benelux where Cineart acquired Arnaud Desplechin’s competition title A Christmas Tale and Shin-Yeon Won’s Seven Days ; Japan where Asmik Aze took Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Comstock took Largo Winch ; Germany’s Kino took The Wrestler and Telepool bought documentary Move On , Claire Denis’ White Materials , Barmak Akram’s Kabuli Kid and Abel Ferrara’s Chelsea On The Rocks .

Canada bought Sanguepazzo and Laurent Tirard’s Le Petit Nicholas – Mexico’s Quality also took the latter. In Spain, there are negotiations on Ken Loach’s upcoming film, Ponyo and the Studio Ghibli library; Wanda picked up Luc Jacquet’s The Fox And The Child completing worldwide sales on the film. Brazil’s Playarte took Rintaro’s Yona Yona Penguin .

Source: Screen Daily News

Competition

Laurent Cantet - Entre Les Murs (France)

Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Three Monkeys (Turkey-France-Italy)

Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne - Le Silence De Lorna (Belgium-France-Italy-Germany)

Arnaud Desplechin - A Christmas Story (

France)Clint Eastwood - Changeling (US)

Atom Egoyan - Adoration (

Canada)Ari Folman - Waltz With Bashir (

Israel-France-Germany )Philippe Garrel - La Frontiere De L’Aube (

France )Matteo Garrone - Gomorra (

Italy )James Gray - Two Lovers (US)

Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche, New York (US)

Eric Khoo - My Magic (

Singapore)Lucretia Martel - La Mujer Sin Cabeza (Argentina-Spain)

Brillante Mendoza - Serbis (The

Philippines)Fernando Meirelles - Blindness (Brazil)

Kornel Mondruczo - Delta (Hungary-Germany)

Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas - Linha De Passe (

Brazil)Paolo Sorrentino - Il Divo (

Italy)Pablo Trapero - Leonera (Argentina-South

Korea)Wim Wenders - The Palermo Shooting (

Germany-Italy)Jia Zhangke - 24 City (

China )Steven Soderbergh - Che (US-Spain-France) - one four-hour competion title comprised of Guerrilla and The Argentine

Out of competition

Steven Spielberg - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (US)

Mark Osborne and John Stevenson - Kung Fu Panda (US)

Ji-Woon Kim - The Good, The Bad, The Weird (South Korean)

Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Spain-US)

Special screenings

Marina Zenovich - Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (US)

Wong Kar-wai - Ashes Of Time Redux (Hong Kong-China-Taiwan)

Daniel Leconte - C’est Dur D’etre Aime Par Des Cons (France)

Marco Tullio Giordana - Sangue Pazzo (Italy-France)

Terence Davies - Of Time And The City (UK)

Midnight Screenings

Emir Kusturica - Maradona (Spain)

Jennifer Lynch - Surveillance (US)

Hong-Jin Na - The Chaser (South Korea)

Special Jury President’s screening

Alison Thompson - The Third Wave (US)

Main Jury

Sean Penn, president
Sergio Castellitto
Natalie Portman
Alfonso Cuaron
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Alexandra Maria Lara
Rachid Bouchareb
Jeanne Balibar
Marjane Satrapi

• The Orange cinéma séries will be available by subscription for all Orange TV, Internet and mobile customers
• The premium service will consist of six channels of films and TV series available to customers, while also offering the programming on-demand to the screen of their choice
• The Orange cinéma séries will also offer the world’s only service for downloading and transferring Orange cinéma séries programmes onto all portable devices, including mobile phones
• Orange will have exclusive access to new films, series and catalogues from Warner Bros. International Television and HBO, as well as exclusive access to all the new movies from Fidélité Films, and a large selection of films from the Gaumont catalogue

At the MIPTV 2008 event in Cannes, Orange is announcing the launch of Orange cinéma séries, the only service of its kind in the world to offer premium television on TV, PC and mobile. The service will be launched in France in the 4th quarter of 2008.

Orange will offer a wide range of exclusive films and new TV series, as well as titles from catalogues thanks to multi-year deals with Warner Bros. International Television, HBO, Gaumont and Fidélité Films.

France has a new local boxoffice king. “Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis,” Dany Boon’s comedy of country manners, became Gaul’s all-time ticket sales champ over the weekend, displacing previous record holder Gerard Oury’s World War II-set comedy “La Grande Vadrouille.”

As of Sunday night, “Ch’tis” had sold 17.4 million tickets since its Feb. 27 release, edging past “Vadrouille’s” 42-year-old record of 17.3 million.

The film’s distributor, Pathe, now has its sights set on breaking the boxoffice record set by “Titanic” in 1997 with 20.6 million admissions.

Boon’s second feature co-stars Kad Merad and Zoe Felix in a story about a postal worker transferred from the South of France to a small Northern town where he discovers the unusual customs of its population. “Ch’tis” will open the COL COA French film festival in Los Angeles on April 14 and director Boon is hoping to sell remake rights to Hollywood.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

It’s not yet official but it seems that the Cannes Film Festival has won the red-carpet debut for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s latest episode in the Indiana Jones series looks as if it will be a featured black-tie event at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. Sunday May 18 is the likely date, and four days prior to a global unveiling on May 22.

Source: RadioTV News

Distributors Paramount are coy because Cannes folk won’t unveil their official line up until April, and Spielberg is hunkered down finishing the movie’s final cut.

French films accounted for nearly a quarter of the international top 40 revenue last weekend, spearheaded by a whopping $32.5m opening from top film Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis.

The top 40 films generated $188.5m from 45,384 screens for the period of February 29-March 2.

Ch’Tis, released through Pathe, played on 838 screens and boasted the highest screen average of the year so far at a mammoth $38,816 per screen.

The comedy scored the all-time best opening week and weekend in the country, beating out Les Bronzes 3: Amis Pour La Vie in 2006, and reported 3,586,497 admissions over the three-day period. The film is the second feature from local comedian Dany Boon - he also wrote and directed 2006’s La Maison Du Bonheur, which took a more modest $8.4m in the territory. Ch’Tis has generated $37.4m from three territories, including previews.

Pathe enjoyed another top 10 hit with holdover title Asterix At The Olympic Games which took $6.4m from 3,039 screens for a $2,097 screen average. The family film was at number seven and fell by 37% in its sixth weekend. It has generated a robust $118.6m to date.

Meanwhile, Studio Canal’s romantic comedy Paris dropped 45% in its second weekend with a near $3m take. The film, starring Juliette Binoche, played on 515 screens in three territories for a $5,738 screen average. It has generated $9.9m to date.

New entry Taken made the top 30 this weekend with a $2.2m take on 350 screens in France. The thriller, starring Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace and directed by Pierre Morel, enjoyed a solid $6,161 screen average. It is distributed by Europa.

Two Korean titles generated $6.7m at the weekend. Showbox’s thriller The Chaser continues its strong box office stride falling just 8% at the weekend with a $4.4m take. The film played on 459 screens in its home territory for a $9,651 screen average and came in at number 15 on the chart. It has grossed nearly $20m after three weekends on release.

CJ Entertainment’s new entry Babo opened with a $2.3m take from just 268 screens at the weekend for a $8,431 screen average. The drama, directed by Kim Jung-kwon, has taken nearly $2.7m to date in its home territory, including previews.

UK-Australia co-production The Bank Job opened into the top 30 at the weekend, generating $1.9m from 324 screens for a $5,824 screen average. The action thriller catapulted to number one in the UK, beating out rival new entrants Semi-Pro and The Accidental Husband, which took $1.5m and $1.4m respectively in the territory. The Bank Job stars Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows and is directed by Roger Donaldson (The Recruit). It is released through Lionsgate.

Last weekend’s surprise big-hitter Recep Ividek fell 20% over the three-day period. The Turkish comedy generated $4.3m from just 233 screens in its home territory for a massive $18,411 screen average – the second highest of the weekend. It has taken $13.6m after two weekends on release and is distributed through Ozen Film.

Indian sensation Jodhaa Akbar is fast closing in on the $20m mark. The love story, distributed through UTV Communications fell 55% over the weekend with a $1.9m take. It played across 658 screens in 11 territories for a $2,855 screen average.

Japan’s new entry One Piece 9 enjoyed a $1.5m take from 293 screens in its home territory for a $5,374 screen average. The animation, distributed through Toei, came in at number three in the Japanese chart, beaten by opener The Golden Compass and holdover title L: Change The World.

L, distributed through Warner Bros, fell 34% over the weekend and came in at number 22 internationally with a $2.8m take. The thriller played on 607 screens for a $4,627 screen average. It has generated $29.2m after four weekends on release.

Elsewhere, Fox’s Meet The Spartans was up a massive 550% after expanding to Germany, Australia, Hong Kong and Mexico with a near $8m weekend take while Sony’s thriller Vantage Point saw a similar boost after expanding in 17 territories with an $11.7m weekend take.

Source: Screen Daily