Industry news (Screen International)

Altiplano sells to US
Meridiana Films secures US distribution deal for lyrical tragedy Altiplano.
San Fu Maltha slate headed up by Westerling, Nadra, Portable Life
Prolific producer/distributor San Fu Maltha, whose Amphibious 3D is a hot seller for Celsius at EFM, has revealed details of his packed production slate.
Fabrega, Suwichakornpong and Rubio scoop 2010 Tiger Awards
The International Film Festival Rotterdam reveals the winners of this year’s Tiger Awards for first and second time directors.
Dutch funds join forces to support film from developing nations
The Hubert Bals and Jan Vrijman funds join forces to support independent film-makers in developing economies.
Pia Marais, Anocha Suwichakornpong take CineMart prizes
Awards winners announced as Rotterdam’s co-production market draws to a close.
Introducing the market
They will also learn about the perils of post-production. By the time their five-day stint in Rotterdam ends, the 65 participants will have a thorough grounding in the art of navigating a film market.
CineMart highlights
Geoffrey Macnab highlights some handpicked projects at the co-production market. This year’s CineMart presents 33 projects from 24 countries, selected from more than 400 entries.
Goldcrest takes worldwide sales on A Woman Goes To The Doctor
The financing, production and sales company will handle sales on Reinout Oerleman’s Dutch hit.
Fortissimo takes sales rights to Sundance winner WINTER'S BONE
The sales outfit takes worldwide sales rights on Debra Granik’s second feature ahead of next week’s Berlin Film Festival.
SPC snaps up US rights WINTER IN WARTIME
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all US rights to the shortlisted Dutch film WINTER IN WARTIME from High Point Films.
Ido Abram leaves Binger Filmlab
Ido Abram, the director for training and development centre Binger Filmlab, is leaving to join Eye, the new national film agency for the Netherlands.
Rotterdam's CineMart reveals selections for 27th edition
CineMart, the Rotterdam film festival’s international co-production market, has selected 33 projects for its 27th edition, which will run January 31 to February 3.
Last Train Home takes top prize at IDFA
Lixin Fan’s Last Train Home carried off the main prize at the 22 nd International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which closed on Saturday (November 28).
Twosome takes Hubert Bals award at busy Film Bazaar
Siddharth Sinha’s Hindi-language drama Twosome picked up the Hubert Bals award for most promising feature film project at the close of a busy three days of networking and project meetings at India’s Film Bazaar (Nov 24-26).
Hubert Bals Fund supports 27 projects with $571, 357
The Hubert Bals Fund, part of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), is handing out $571, 357 (€385,000) to 27 film projects this autumn.
Park Chan-ok's Paju to open 39th Rotterdam film festival
The International Film Festival Rotterdam has announced that Park Chan-ok’s second feature, Paju , will open the 39th edition on January 27.
War Games opens International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
The 22nd International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), opens today (November 19 ) with the world premiere of War Games And The Man Who Stopped Them by Polish director Dariusz Jablonski.
Rotterdam film festival reveals nominees for 2010 Tiger Awards
The 39th International Film Festival Rotterdam has announced that Ben Russell’s Let Each One Go Where He May, Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Mundane History and Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio’s To the Sea have been selected for the VPRO Tiger Awards Competition 2010.
High Point Films closes further sales on Koolhoven's Winter In Wartime
Following its recent success at the International Rome Film Festival, where it won a Silver Marc’Aurelio, it has now sold into Family Films for France and Atlas for Germany. It is understood more deals are pending.
Dutch film body merger confirmed
Plans to create a single nation film agency for the Dutch industry have been confirmed by Ronald Plasterk, the Dutch minister for Education, Culture and Sport.
Holland Film calls for clearer Oscar rules
Holland Film, the national film body, has called for the rules for the foreign-language Oscar to be clarifed after the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences disqualified Jean van de Velde’s The Silent Army.
Dutch film industry set for major shake-up
Ronald Plasterk, the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, is expected to announce plans for a major shake-up of Dutch film with the launch of a single national film agency.
Caviar lines up first English-language feature Missoura
Belgium, LA and Amsterdam-based production company Caviar Films, whose My Queen Karo recently received its world premiere in Toronto, has lined up its first English-language feature Missoura.
Belgium picks Goeningen’s The Misfortunates for foreign-language Oscar
Felix van Groeningen’s The Misfortunates has been selected by Belgium as its submission for the foreign-language film Oscar.
Rotterdam film festival reveals Africa focus for next edition
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has announced a major new focus for its next edition, Forget Africa.
Jean van de Velde speaks out over Oscar row
The furore over the Dutch Oscar entry The Silent Army has been fuelled after the film’s director Jean van de Velde hit back at producers criticising its selection.
The Silent Army Selected as Dutch Oscar Submission
Jean van de Velde’s The Silent Army has been named as the Netherlands’ best foreign language submission for the 2010 Academy Awards.
Keeping The Edge - Interview with Fortissimo's Michael Werner
The Fortissimo Films chief — now steering the company alone after his partner Wouter Barendrecht died earlier this year — tells Liz Shackleton how he and his team are adjusting their strategy in a tough international sales market
NOTHING PERSONAL review
A surprisingly tight debut from Dutch-based Polish director Urszula Antoniak.
Dutch court blocks users from The Pirate Bay
A Dutch court has ruled that access to controversial file-sharing site Pirate Bay will be cut off in the Netherlands. It will be banned for a two month trial.
Xiaolu Guo's She, A Chinese takes Locarno's Golden Leopard
This year’s Golden Leopard in Locarno was awarded to Chinese novelist-filmmaker Xiaolu Guo for the UK-German-French co-production She, A Chinese.
Hubert Bals Fund Plus gives $280,000 to Dutch co-productions
The Hubert Bals Fund Plus, an initiative led by the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Netherlands Film Fund, has award $279, 818 (€200,000) to Dutch co-productions.
SFC awards funds to co-production projects
The Seoul Film Commission has announced the six winners of its first international co-production grant, which awards up to $15,600 in development funding to projects that will partly shoot in Seoul.
Netherlands Film Festival appoints new director
In a move that has been warmly received in Dutch film circles, Willemien van Aalst has been appointed as the new director of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF).