Something Alien is hatching at Everyman….

Alien’s Associate Producer Ivor Powell, and Special Effects Supervisor Brian Johnson (TBC), together with Empire magazine’s Ian Nathan – author of new book Alien Vault –  will discuss the making of Ridley Scott’s classic space horror at a special event in Winchester on October 20^th. A talk and audience q & a will be followed by a showing of the film, a chance to see one of Hollywood’s most groundbreaking movies on the big screen.

For over thirty years, audiences have been captivated and appalled as the spaceship Nostromo is invaded and its crew stalked by a terrifying parasitic creature. Now Alien Vault and Everyman open a portal into this legendary film, tracing its path from embryonic concept to fully-fledged box office phenomenon.

Published by Aurum Press, Alien Vault is a lavish hardback book - a fully endorsed, illustrated celebration of the film featuring never-before-published set photos and concept artwork, exclusive interviews and amazing removable memorabilia such as facsimile script pages, promo posters, and ship schematics.

The book will be on sale at Everyman on the night, and Ivor, Brian and Ian will all be available to sign copies.

Ticket prices:

£11.50 – Standard Adult

£9 – Standard Senior and Standard Student

Tickets are available at: http://www.everymancinema.com/alien-vault-evening, by calling 0871 906 9060, or in person from the cinema - Everyman Winchester, Southgate Street, Winchester, SO23 9EG.

National Media Museum announces three-year Virgin Media partnership deal

The National Media Museum today announced Virgin Media as the title sponsor of the Bradford International Film Festival for the next three years.

The festival, one of the most anticipated events in the UK film calendar, will become the Bradford International Film Festival in partnership with Virgin Media following the agreement between the festival organisers, the NationalMedia Museum, and the leading multimedia provider which specialises in ultrafast broadband, television, mobile phone and home phone services.

The sponsorship covers the 18^th edition of the Bradford International Film Festival, which runs from April 19 – 29, 2012, and continues until 2014. Since 1995 the festival has been a showcase for new and classic films from around the world and has welcomed guests such as John Hurt, Malcolm McDowell, Imelda Staunton, Ken Loach, Fernando Meirelles, Jack Cardiff, Chris Morris, Michael Palin and, most recently, Terry Gilliam.

Director of the National Media Museum, Colin Philpott said: “This fantastic partnership comes at a time when the Museum is looking forward to some very exciting projects which will extend the scope and reach of our programme and collections. With Virgin Media’s expertise in multimedia technology and our dedication to inspiring people to learn about and get involved in the world of media I think it is a perfect fit for the Museum’s ambitions.”

Jeff Dodds, Executive Director of Brand & Marketing Communications at Virgin Media said: “We’re incredibly excited about working with the National Media Museum and helping to support and raise the profile of the Bradford International Film Festival.   We care passionately about the positive impact that media, whether it's watching films or using the internet, has on peoples' lives and this partnership perfectly embodies our ambitions.  For the past four years, Virgin Media Shorts has fostered the talent of up and coming film makers from all across the UK and we are particularly pleased that Bradford will now become the northern home of our short film competition.”

Head of Development at the National Media Museum, Rob Shaw, said: “This is a match made in heaven. The National Media Museum’s and Virgin Media’s values are almost identical. We both believe in being challenging, being creative and bringing media to life. We are delighted to be partnering with them and look forward to bringing our combined passion for film, television and the internet to the next three Bradford International Film Festivals and a number of other projects.”

In addition to the film festivals, the three-year deal will see Virgin Media involved in a number of other high profile new developments at the National Media Museum in Bradford, which is dedicated to inspiring people to learn about, engage with, and create media.

The company is also a corporate supporter of Life Online, the world’s first gallery to explore the technological, social and cultural impact of the internet and the worldwide web, which is due to open at the Museum in March 2012.

In October, the National Media Museum will screen shortlisted films from the Virgin Media Shorts competition, and details of further events and involvement will follow in the coming months.

The 2012 Bradford International Film Festival in partnership with Virgin Media is now open for submissions from film makers who would like their films to be considered for this major UK festival. 

Visit www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/film/bradfordinternationalfilmfestival for further details.

VARIETY ACTS AND TURNS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Release Date: 26th September 2011                  Suggested Retail Price:
£14.99

Making its first ever appearance on DVD - courtesy of social history and
nostalgia specialist, Strike Force Entertainment - is the release of VARIETY
ACTS AND TURNS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

Featuring over two and a half hours of the performances and songs sung by the
morale boasting variety acts and singers of the Second World War, this DVD gives
the opportunity to see some of the artists who helped the frontline troops and
home front civilians alike to 'Keep Smiling Through' the dark days of war.

Featuring balancing acts, strongmen and comedians, VARIETY ACTS AND TURNS OF THE
SECOND WORLD WAR also features some of the nation's favourite singers of their
time entertaining the troops in the midst of air raids, including Flanagan &
Allen, Gracie Fields, Robb Wilton, Sydney Burchall, Tommy Trinder, Peter
Sinclair, Vera Lynn, Max Wall, Joe Loss, Cyril Fletcher, Tommy Handley and
Mantovani among many more!

This release also celebrates the wartime work of ENSA - the 'Entertainments
National Service Association' which was set up in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie
Henson to provide entertainment for British armed service personnel during World
War Two.

With something for everyone, VARIETY ACTS AND TURNS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR is
another winning title from the best selling Second World War Collection from
Strike Force Entertainment.

VARIETY ACTS AND TURNS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR is available from all good
retailers, priced at £14.99.  For more information visit www.strikeforcetv.com
<http://www.strikeforcetv.com> or follow Strike Force Entertainment on
www.fbook.me/SFE <http://www.fbook.me/SFE>.

Oscar-winner assembles UCA crew for film

A Hollywood filmmaker is enlisting the help of students and alumni from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) for his latest project.

Oscar-winning director Arnold Schwartzman OBE RDI, who is a graduate of UCA Canterbury, is making a documentary about Margate - the town he grew up in.

Arnold Schwartzman said: “Margate Paradiso will be a nostalgic love letter to Margate, but it will also look to the future.

“I have a deep desire to offer a personal salute to the Margate of my youth and have collected film clips and photographs to show why it was such a popular holiday destination for 200 years and that despite the decline in tourism it can still be a town to be proud of.

“I also want to try to put down all of the horrible aspects of Margate that some people have been highlighting in recent years and help put Margate back on the map.”

Arnold gave a talk to the public talk about his plans at the Walpole Bay Hotel on Sunday 25 September 2011. The Mayor of Margate and numerous council members were in attendance.

“Inspired by Cinema Paradiso, a film by an Italian filmmaker who returned to his hometown as a successful filmmaker, I will tell the story from a cinema projection booth which is where my career in film also began,” he added.

"The town is picking up rapidly, with the Turner Contemporary gallery and the development of Dreamland and so on. So I think my planned documentary is quite timely.”

Filming for Margate Paradiso will begin early next year and will be crewed by students and graduates from UCA’s different campuses.

“I’m not looking for a cheap crew, I wanted to give something back to UCA and I think it’s a great opportunity for students and graduates to get professional experience and learn,” explained Arnold.

“My cameraman is cinematographer Davide Cinzi from UCA Farnham, whose film was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year. I love working with younger people and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Uwe Derksen, co- producer and fellow governor at UCA, said: “This project is not only inspirational to the local people of Margate but also to UCA’s students and staff who will see many of their famous alumni involved.

“It is a real pleasure and honour to work with an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker and I’m sure all of the UCA students and graduates who work on the film will be very grateful to Arnold for giving them the opportunity to learn from him and boost their showreels and CVs.”

Last week, Arnold treated the public to a free talk at UCA Farnham (22 September) as part of the university’s “An Evening With…” series.

He spoke about his 52-year career in film, television, graphics and illustration with stories about his work with The Rolling Stones, Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor. He complemented these and other anecdotes with photos and film clips of him and the Hollywood elite, including Steven Spielberg, John Travolta and George Clooney.

Margate Paradiso is due to be released Summer 2012.

Visit www.margateparadiso.com for more information.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Sony Ericsson is adding to its ever growing ecosystem of over 150 optimised titles for Xperia™ PLAY with a partnership with world renowned Square Enix®. Revealed today the partnership will bring much loved titles such as “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light™” exclusively to Android on Xperia PLAY in November 2011. More established hits from Square Enix will then follow in the coming months.

“With a unique control pad and immersive graphics that enable an enriched gaming experience, Xperia™ PLAY is bringing a unique and exciting dimension to smartphone gaming,” said Ben Cusack, Head of Mobile for Square Enix Europe. “This is just the start of what we plan to do together, but right now, we are delighted to be able to show off the full potential of our games with this innovative smartphone, bringing them to life as our creators intended.”  

“Xperia™ PLAY continues to redefine smartphone gaming. By bringing some of the world’s most popular console games to the Xperia™ PLAY we’re delivering an unrivalled smartphone gaming experience,” said Tim Harrison, Head of Content & Marketing Strategy for Sony Ericsson. “And this is still really only just the beginning - we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with new games and new experiences optimized for Xperia PLAY, ensuring that consumers have the best gaming possible experience on a smartphone, whatever games they are in to.”

Sony Ericsson continues to make Xperia™ PLAY available to more consumers in more markets around the world. The smartphone has recently gone on sale in the US on the AT&T network and on the 14^th September, the company announced that Xperia™ PLAY will launch in Japan with NTT DOCOMO in October 2011.

Check out the Sony Ericsson Product Blog and follow us on Twitter for the information on Xperia™ PLAY:

http://blogs.sonyericsson.com/products

Twitter: @XperiaGames

Harry Hill Is Back on ITV

The four-time BAFTA winning Harry Hill’s TV Burp is back with a brand new series of top-notch telly send-ups this autumn.  HARRY will rummage through our favourite TV to offer his acclaimed comic spin on the goings-on in soapland, reality TV and drama.  Just when you think you‘ve seen it all, expect to be taken completely by surprise with inspired quips and skits in another run that sees the big-collared comedian wring out laughs from the biggest shows on the box. 

With the return of talent shows The X Factor and the ever popular Strictly Come Dancing, expect a gag-packed, not to be missed, silly half hour from the multi-award-winning comic.  While we obviously can't predict what will feature in this totally topical show, it’s safe to bank on hilarious moments from the week’s TV that you probably missed first time around.

A busy time for HARRY sees him: release Harry Hill’s TV Burp: Best Bits featuring the greatest moments from previous series on November 14^th (ITV Studios Home Entertainment DVD); as well executive produce two pilots, one of which with ALISTAIR MCGOWAN called, You Cannot Be Serious!, a topical sports entertainment show for ITV1 mixing clips, sketches and impressions, and The End Of The Week As We Know It, a comedy news-review hosted by AL MURRAY (both for Avalon Television with TV Burp Execs RICHARD ALLEN-TURNER and JON THODAY); and continue to sell his successful range of Fairtrade nuts 'Harry's Nuts!' and Harry's Nuts! Crunchy Peanut Butter in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and other outlets to support farmers in Malawi and other countries (which he receives no money from).

17th Encounters Bristol International Film Festival

Bristol Encounters International Film Festival returns to Watershed and the Arnolfini this November (16^th to 20^th) to showcase the best short film and animation talent from around the world. The UK’s only gateway to the Academy Awards®, BAFTAs, Cartoon d’Or and European Film Awards. The festival will showcase 180 new films from emerging and established talent from 31 countries in competition across strands Animated and Brief Encounters.

Highlights in this year’s competitive programme include: A Gun for George, directed by, and starring Matthew Holness of Garth Marenghi fame; A new work An History of Civilisation by esteemed experimental filmmaker Andrew Kotting (Gallivant, This Filthy Earth); Luminaris by the award winning Argentinian animator Juan Pablo Zaramella; Ella, the South West Digital Short by Screen International’s Star of Tomorrow Dan Gitsham; Long Distance Information, the debut drama from Douglas Hart, previously of The Jesus and Mary Chain starring Peter Mullan (Neds); Apele Tac by upcoming German filmmaker Anca Miruna Lazarescu; Pitch Black Heist, featuring recent Venice Film Festival winning actor Michael Fassbender and cinematographer Robbie Ryan; Bertie Crisp by recent NFTS animation Graduate Francesca Adams starring Kathy Burke (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Tamsin Greig (Tamara Drewe); Tony Grisoni, screenwriter of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, presents his new short film The Pizza Miracle.

For the past 12 years Mark Cosgrove, Head of Programme at Watershed has had the challenging responsibility of selecting the Brief Encounters competition programme from the 1,800 submissions received every year. From 2012 Mark will be passing the programming baton on to work as the Artistic Director of the Festival. This opens up an exciting new opportunity for a Short Film Programmer which will be advertised by the festival shortly. Alongside the board and Managing Director, Liz Harkman, Mark will focus on the overarching creative vision for Encounters as it moves into a future of exciting technological and creative opportunities. More news on these developments to be unveiled in 2012.

Mark Cosgrove says “Programming Encounters has been a great source of inspiration and perspiration: Inspiration because it never ceases to amaze me that each year such brilliant new filmmaking talent appear, perspiration because I never want to say no to a film. From next year I will be relinquishing the perspiration but will be soaking up the inspiration as I work to develop the scope of the festival in my new capacity as Artistic Director.”

To accompany the competitive programme and to celebrate all things brief and animated the Festival hosting a series of gala events, industry symposiums, workshops, special guests, free activities, live music and much more;

Big Ideas, Big Screen with Francine Stock, presenter of Radio Four’s The Film Programme, presented in association with the Festival of Ideas;

Directors UK present a special focus on Bruce Robinson, the man behind the definitive vision of British hedonism Withnail and I, will discuss his 40 year career and his new film The Rum Diary;

Studio AKA, the animation company behind the acclaimed Lloyd’s TSB campaigns, present a studio profile of their recent work;

Laurent Million, from the International Animation Film Festival of Annecy, presents his personal playlist of animated love songs;

The National Film and Television School will be delving into the mind of a cinematographer with Brian Tufano (Trainspotting, Adulthood) and Stuart Harris;

Festival favourites Desert Island Flicks return with a champion of animation to discuss their favourite and most influential films;  BAFTA Masterclass present an intimate insight into the life and workings of a celebrated figure from the British screen.

The headline events continue with film and music fusions from the Bird Man of Alkijazz Tony Orrell and Scissor Sister’s Musical Director and Keyboard player John (JJ) Garden, who will perform an exclusive live accompaniment to a selection of silent and experimental films and animations. The Cube Cinema with be offering a slice of Bristol’s eccentric and electrifying arts scene and hosting a series of dynamic events including The Magical Misery Tour, a live VJ set inspired by cult horror classics from People Like Us.

Taking short film out of the cinema and onto the streets, the festival presents a series of unusual short film experiences free to the public, including the fabulous Vintage Movie Bus screening archive shorts, and a boutique pop up cinema on Bristol’s trendiest high-street, screening daily shorts by talent from across the city.

The full festival programme, Delegate registration and online tickets sales will be available from 4 October. For more information visit www.encounters-festival.org.uk. Join the discussion and find us on Facebook and Twitter @EncountersSFF #ENC2011

Speedy Singhs

THE CRÈME OF INTERNATIONAL TALENT DESCEND UPON THE UK TO ANNOUNCE THE CROSSOVER FILM OF 2011 ‘SPEEDY SINGHS’

Comedy Sensation Russell Peters and Screen Debutant Vinay Virmani alongside fellow

Cast and Crew Members at London Press Conference

Friday 23^rd of September, London:  Today saw some of the most lauded and iconic stars from American, Canadian and Indian cinema and entertainment take to the stage in London to promote one of the most exciting Hollywood crossover films to emerge in recent times, ‘Speedy Singhs’, releasing in the UK on Friday 30^th September 2011. International comedy sensation, Russell Peters, and rising star of cinema, Vinay Virmani, joined fellow cast and crew members including much adored comedian/actor Gurpreet “Ghuggi” Singh and co-producer Ajay Virmani as they addressed the audience and conducted a Q&A session with media in attendance.

Russell Peters entertained the media with his witty comments and perfect comic timing as he spoke about his experience of working in the film. He commented, “I always worry about what people will think of my films but I actually LOL’d (laughed out loud) when I saw this. I actually got teary eye when I saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival where it premiered. The film is shot, directed and cut extremely well.”

Indian comedy king  Gurpreet “Ghuggi” Singh added, “I have never seen or experienced anything like Speedy Singhs before with its combination of Hollywood and Bollywood. It was great to work and share a screen space with Russell.”

Debutant star Vinay Virmani has received rave reviews from journalists and critics alike for his performance as Rajveer Singh. In commenting on the mass appeal the film will have crossing cultural and generational boundaries, he said, “Everyone can relate to the film, it is something everyone, of all ages, can enjoy. Every time I look at the Speedy Singhs poster, it shows that people have come from all over to be in this film from all industries, not confided by any boundaries. To sum, Speedy Singhs is about love, life and laughter.”

Speedy Singhs tells the story of Rajveer Singh essayed by Vinay Virmani caught between two cultures and two sets of ideals. The film speaks of the sports genre underdog, but in this case, the underdog reflects issues of assimilation that immigrants deal with daily as they strive for acceptance in their new home country. The entire cast highlighted the backdrop of the script as it explores the issues of race relations, migration and cross-cultural tensions while superbly balancing both tenderness and humour for the silver screen. Vinay Virmani and Russell Peters both reflected on their own experiences growing up in suburban Canada when Vinay mentioned “there are elements in the film that are from my experience”.

Co-producer Ajay Virmani echoed this saying, “Speedy Singhs is a very simple movie made from the heart and carries a message of all the struggles families from India go through. The story is based on personal experiences, about coming of age and trying to find a balance between being Indian and Canadian.”

As a surprise treat for the audiences and to highlight the success of the film’s music, in true hearty Punjabi style, “Ghuggi” and Vinay shared a musical moment as they Bhangra’d to the hit song Ne Aaja Ve. 

Directed by Hollywood filmmaker Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’, ‘Table for Five’) and produced by First Take Entertainment and Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar’s Hari Om Entertainment, ‘Speedy Singhs’ is a gripping, cross-cultural hockey drama set in the Indo-Canadian community of suburban Toronto, Canada. Other stars in the film include Hollywood heartthrob, Rob Lowe; the demure Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, ‘10,000 BC’); and veteran of Indian cinema Anupam Kher (‘Bend it like Beckham’). A galaxy of other exciting cameos are provided by the likes of recording artist and actor Aubrey “Drake” Graham and Grammy Award winning rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Ludacris added his vocals to the cross-urban music track of the year, “Shera Di Kaum”, the promotional song for ‘Speedy Singhs’, where he also features in the video.

‘Speedy Singhs’ releases in cinemas across UK and worldwide on 30^th September 2011. 

 

PROFOUND DESIRES OF THE GODS

 [Masters of Cinema] Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition released on 24 October 2011

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SYNOPSIS:

The culmination of Imamura’s extraordinary examinations of the fringes of Japanese society throughout the 1960s, Profound Desires of the Gods was an 18-month super-production which failed to make an impression at the time of its release, but has since risen in stature to become one of the most legendary — albeit least seen — Japanese films of recent decades.

Presenting a vast chronicle of life on the remote Kurage Island, the film centres on the disgraced, superstitious, interbred Futori family and the Tokyo engineer sent to supervise the creation of a new well — an encounter which leads to both conflict and complicity in strange and powerful ways.

A tragic view of a passing epoch that teeters on the edge of grotesque farce, Imamura’s merciless gaze combines with spectacular colour ’Scope photography to create a mythic saga convulsing with earthly impulses.

The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this unforgettable work in an exclusively restored high-definition transfer, available as a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition from 24 October 2011.

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SPECIAL DUAL FORMAT EDITION

• Spectacular new HD transfer in the film’s original 2.35:1 aspect ratio

• New and improved optional English subtitle translation

• New video introduction by film scholar Tony Rayns

• Original Japanese theatrical trailer (in 1080p on Blu-ray)

• 44-PAGE BOOKLET with a new essay by Tony Rayns (to accompany his introduction); rare stills; two statements from Imamura; and a transcript of Imamura’s introduction and Q&A session at the 1994 Edinburgh International Film Festival’s screening of the film

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DETAILS:

Label: Eureka Entertainment Ltd

Catalogue No: EKA70055 (RETAIL ONLY)

Barcode: 5060000700558

RRP: £23.48

Release Date: 24 October 2011

Certificate: 15

Run Time: 173 min. approx.

Format:  2.35 :1 OAR

Genre: World Cinema

Director: Shohei IMAMURA

Year: 1968

Country:  Japan

Language: English

Subtitles: English (Optional)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON:

NEWS REPORTS FROM THE BRITISH HOME FRONT 1939-1945

Release Date: 26 September 2011           
Suggested Retail Price: £19.99

New from military and aviation DVD specialist Strike Force Entertainment, is
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON: NEWS REPORTS FROM THE BRITISH HOME FRONT 1939-1945.

Presented with iconic packaging in a triple disc and spread over eight hours,
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON is a collection of Second World War newsreels reporting
on war related activities and news events occurring on the British Home Front.

Taking an in depth look at the bombing of British cities, the evacuation of
children, gas attack and air raid precautions, land girls and rationing, the
Home Guard, Churchill and King and Queen's morale boosting visits around the
country and the changing job roles of men and women to name but a few, KEEP CALM
AND CARRY ON covers all aspects of home front life from the instigation of
National Service in 1939 to the V.E Day celebrations of 1945.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON provides an ultimate celebration of the dogged resolve of
the British to 'Keep Calm and Carry On'!

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON is available from all good retailers, priced at £19.99.
For more information visit www.strikeforcetv.com 

Creative Scotland at Toronto Film Festival

Two Creative Scotland-supported films will have their international premieres this coming week at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

As well as showcasing the best of new North American and international features, documentaries and short films, TIFF is an important industry forum and film market that plays host to a number of financing and talent development programmes.

Director Mark Cousins, The Story of Film: An Odyssey, produced by Hopscotch Films, received its premiere on Monday 12 September. The documentary, already described as ‘visually ensnaring and intellectually lithe, it’s at once a love letter to cinema, an unmissable masterclass, and a radical rewriting of movie history.’ Sukhdev Sandhu, The Telegraph [lhttp://tgr.ph/okmR93]

Screening three hours each day from Monday until Friday 16 September, The Story of Film: An Odyssey traces the entire history of film, concentrating on artistic vision (rather than business or celebrities) from the silent era to the digital age, featuring interviews with some of cinema’s outstanding talents and drawing on image makers as diverse as Buster Keaton, Satyajit Ray, Federico Fellini, Youssef Chahine and Nicholas Roeg, to name only a few.

‘A brilliant and monumental achievement for all concerned.’

Roger Graef, documentary filmmaker, praises The Story of Film

Producer John Archer, along with distributors Hanway, will look for opportunities to place The Story of Film in territories throughout the world.  The film has been backed by MEDIA2, MORE4, UKFC, BFI, FILM4 and HOPSCOTCH FILMS. For viewers unable to reach Toronto, The Story of Film will screen on Saturday evenings on More4 throughout September.

Premiering on Friday 16 September, The Awakening, directed by Nick Murphy and produced by Origin Films, and starring Rebecca Hall and Dominic West (fresh from a critical triumph in the drama Appropriate Adult) was shot in Edinburgh and Berwickshire. During shooting, the production employed a range of Scottish crew and leveraging an additional £1.15million into the Scottish economy.  Set in 1921, The Awakening belongs to a great English tradition of ghost stories that work their chills through psychology and suggestion. This feature debut is impeccably crafted and attentive to every subtle escalation in tension dictated by its twist-laden script. Murphy has directed episodes of numerous acclaimed television programs, including Primeval (08).  In 2009 he directed the BAFTA-winning war drama, Occupation. The Awakening (11) is his first feature film.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said:

‘Scotland is a creative nation with exceptional talent, renowned for producing captivating and provocative film.  Featuring exciting new Scottish productions, Toronto's Film Festival is a fantastic showcase of our talent on the international stage and an excellent platform for our emerging creative practitioners to engage with those at the top of the industry.  Supporting the promotion of our talent across the globe is key to investment in our creative sector, ensuring our world-class artists are recognised, and raising the international profile of Scotland.’ 

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development, Creative Scotland said:

‘Creative Scotland is pleased to be supporting Scottish locations, projects and producers at Toronto International Film Festival, arguably North America’s most important film festival. Projects involving Scotland’s writing, directing and producing talent are being appreciated by audiences and future films projects are being promoted to international financiers and distributors through the Market Leaders programme.’

Scotland’s independent production companies will also be represented through the Creative Scotland- supported Market Leaders programme. Managed by Initialise Films, several Scottish companies have projects to promote:

BLOOD OR WATER
Budget circa £2m
International Sales - LevelK

A neo-noir thriller about disconnected family and unwitting incest. BAFTA nominated Stephen McCole plays JAKE LEVER, a lawyer implicated in the murder of a brother he never knew he had, fighting to clear his name. Juliette Lewis, Greta Scacchi, Gary Lewis, Kate Dickie also star. Justin Molotnikov to writes & directs.

TRIP
Out to directors just now
Budget circa £1.5m
Sales: TBC

A psychological thriller set in the world of travellers and back-packing. Sheltered small town and troubled Australian teenager BRONNY runs away to London to escape her demons. But the city holds secrets more horrifying than the ones she left behind. Adapted from the novel “The Devil’s Staircase” by Helen Fitzgerald.

  

71

An action thriller set in the chaotic and murderous Belfast streets of 1971. A young British Army soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit and must endure one night in the alien killing grounds as he attempts to find his way back to safety.

This is an original screenplay by the multi award winning playwright Gregory Burke. His play Black Watch has been an international smash hit sensation and is currently on it’s second world tour.  The First Draft screenplay has recently been completed with finance from Creative Scotland, Northern Irish Screen and Warp Films. Currently considering potential directors.

Warrior Daughter

Feature film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Janet Paisley.

2,000 years ago on the Isle of Skye, a warrior is born.

Daughter of an Iron Age warrior queen, Skaaha is wild, headstrong and revered. But she is also a child, and when her mother dies in suspicious circumstances leaving the queen's rival Mara in her place, Skaaha's charmed life lies in ruins.

Her passage in to adulthood sees her endure many dangers as she learns the fighting skills, the guile and wisdom to solve the mystery of her mother's death and finds within herself the courage to confront her enemies in defence of her people.

Illuminated by the great Celtic fire festivals, Warrior Daughter is inspired by the historical Scathach, a fierce warrior woman of the first century AD and forerunner to the equally ferocious Boudicca.

Crab Apple Films is excited to have secured renowned computer games and comic book writer Rhianna Pratchett to write the screenplay.

IDENTITY THIEF

(Budget CAD$5m)

Carlyle Macpherson, a masterful Canadian ‘identity thief’ who lives and thrives in the shadows of the London underworld finds his ‘moral code’ pushed to extremes when he becomes embroiled in human smuggling and falls in love with the wife of one of the refugees he abandoned to die.

MASTER OF LIES

(Budget £4.5m)

With increasing frequency and intensity, Marr temporarily plunges into blindness. There’s no physical cause, is it the result of a moral crisis in his life? A beautiful and mysterious woman claims to know the real, lurid Marr, which he vehemently denies.  But someone has been cruising the vice dens… From that moment on, Marr’s exemplary marriage, his reputation, identity and sense of honour become besieged by obsessive sexuality and murder. Marr is forced to go in search of his other self. Is he searching for the truth or creating an intricate fiction?  Nic Roeg to direct.

BREATHE
Writers:  Steve Barker (OUTPOST, OUTPOST: BLACK SUN) & Simon Barry (THE ART OF WAR, THE FALLING)
In development with Brightlight Pictures, Vancouver & LA

Playing out against the broad cinematic canvas of the Rocky Mountains, Breathe is a thrilling, action-packed chase movie that follows a determined female police officer and her desperate attempts to get a high profile prisoner back into custody, whilst evading a well-connected crime syndicate who are ruthlessly hunting her down.

Budget: $ US 10 - 15m

ADVENTURES IN CUISINE

Writer: Nick Walker (BLACKBOX)

Director: Debbie Isitt (CONFETTI, NATIVITY!, NATIVITY! 2)

An eccentric British chef and her Italian husband operate an idyllic and transformative Italian Cooking school for misfits and the broken-hearted. When an accident forces her estranged daughter Zafina to take over the reins of her latest cookery course with her ten year old daughter Penny in tow hilarious and poignant antics ensue.

Budget: £ 2.6m

Not So Gleeful

Mark Tughan, Comic Enterprises (The Glee Clubs) writes:


"Twentieth Century Fox Entertainment chose to appropriate the name “Glee” for its popular television series, and bring it to the UK in the form of touring live shows and merchandise in addition to the TV show itself. This has damaged and continues to damage the operation and reputation of my company’s comedy and live music venues – The Glee Clubs – chiefly because of the confusion it sows in the minds of the public.

"I therefore feel I have no choice other than to take action against Fox to protect the trademarked name of my four venues (in Birmingham, Cardiff, Oxford and Nottingham). “The Glee Club” trademark was registered to my company on 20 April, 2001 and renewed on 26 June, 2009 – long before Fox first registered or used the name “Glee”. The process of starting to protect our name started in 1994 when we opened our first venue.

"There is significant and mounting evidence that there is confusion in the minds of the public; that we are somehow associated with or connected to the TV show and that we might provide an entertainment experience of that nature. This appears to be particularly acute with our newer clubs which opened in 2010, at the same time as the TV show became hugely popular. The entertainment we provide is nothing like the TV show.
Sadly the impact of the “Glee” confusion has also forced me to put on hold plans to open new Glee Clubs next year.

"I have handed the whole sorry business over to my legal counsel and we are hoping the matter can be settled amicably in respect of compensation and the safeguarding of the “Glee” name in the UK."


About Mark Tughan


Mark started Comic Enterprises Ltd. from scratch in 1994 in order to pursue a labour of love – to open the first purpose-built comedy club outside London. The Glee Club in Birmingham exceeded all expectations and by 1999 Mark had bought out his original backers. Since then three more Glee Clubs have followed, and the clubs have diversified very successfully into live music.

Before the clubs entered his life, Mark graduated from Nottingham University and between 1990 and 1993 worked in mergers and acquisitions analyst for Brown, Shipley & Co, and Hambro Magan.

It was quite a leap from there to the entertainment scene, but Mark used his business-sense and he diversified into allied fields early on. He took up a franchised dance class (Ceroc), which he rolled out across the West Midlands, before selling these to concentrate on opening the Cardiff Glee Club in 2001. Next came a ticketing/online booking business, Comedy Booking Ltd., based on his own technology.

Besides starting businesses, Mark is also a keen business backer, having built up a series of equity investments ranging in size from £25,000 to £250,000. Examples are Sprue Aegis plc, Radio Tactics, Global Email, Atlantic Foods, Tanfield Food Co, Gymbox, Oxis Energy and Connection Capital.

About The Glee Clubs


The original Glee Club opened in Birmingham in 1994, followed by Cardiff in 2001. Birmingham was refurbished and expanded to a 3-bar, 2-auditorium venue with a capacity of 750 in 2001. Oxford opened in April 2010 and Nottingham in September 2010. Turnover for the popular mid-sized comedy and music venues is currently around £4-million.

The name and reputation of The Glee Clubs is widely known and they are considered to be the leading brand of mid-sized combined comedy and music venues. They’ve played host to major comedians such as Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans, Peter Kay and Jimmy Carr. Birmingham and Cardiff have been voted “Best Venue” (by the public) in the Chortle Comedy Awards on numerous occasions. A milestone for the Cardiff Glee was the recording of Rhod Gilbert’s BBC Radio Show in 2008, following on from the hosting of ITV Wales’ stand-up show in 2007. The media regularly feature Glee Clubs in their columns – The Guardian listed them among their top ten comedy venues in 2009.

On the comedy front The Glee Clubs feature regular four-act line-ups of the finest live acts from the UK and international circuit. In addition, the clubs are popular destinations for solo touring comics. A variety of music genres also enrich the ongoing programmes, the clubs’ distinctly intimate environment ensuring a unique experience for artists (who have included Adele, Duffy, Feist and Mumford and Sons), and audience alike.
Details of current productions at The Glee Clubs can be found on the website at www.glee.co.uk.