BRITISH HIT SINGLES & ALBUMS - No. 1 MUSIC QUIZ

CiRCLE announces a joint venture with Sony BMG Music
Entertainment as the developer of its first ever interactive DVD: ‘British Hit Singles &Albums No.1 Music Quiz’. The title draws from the massive database at Guinness World Records which is used to create the world’s best-selling pop reference book:‘British Hit Singles & Albums’.

Hosted by comedian Steve Furst (Little Britain, Orange mobile phone adverts), the
interactive quiz gives players the opportunity to find out just how much they really
know about the best pop music of the last 50 years. The family-friendly content
features over 1200 questions based on original music videos, pictures, audio clips
and general knowledge - and over ten question categories such as ‘Who Am I’, ‘Body
Language’ (charades) and ‘Hitting the Headlines’.

‘No. 1 Music Quiz’ provides a compelling challenge for pop music fans and is
predicted to be a Christmas bestseller, following in the footsteps of Circle’s 2005
chart-topping ‘Now That’s What I Call a Music Quiz’ (Virgin / Universal / EMI).
Commenting on the venture, Jeremy Heath-Smith, CEO of CiRCLE says: “It’s been a
real pleasure working with Sony BMG and Guinness World Records to develop this
high-profile brand on iDVD; the resulting product is original, very entertaining and
some of our best work on the format to date. The fact that Sony BMG selected
CiRCLE to develop its first interactive music quiz is testimony to the quality of our
games and we are delighted to add this title to our development portfolio.”

David Roberts, Managing Editor of Guinness World Records Book of British Hit
Singles & Albums adds: “Fans of the book of British Hit Singles & Albums have
pressed us for some time about a quiz based on the book. I think they are in for a
real treat when they see the fantastic end product produced by Circle and Sony
BMG.”

The game’s presenter, comedian Steve Furst finally comments: 'The No.1 Music
Quiz is a genuinely challenging all-round family game. Anyone who has ANY love of
music, will absolutely adore this'.

The No. 1 Music Quiz will be released via Sony/BMG on November 6th, RRP £19.99.

All Creatures Great and Small

UNIVERSAL PLAYBACK is delighted to announce that the entire fourth series of the BBC TV classic All Creatures Great and Small will be released for the first time as one DVD collection. Available as a three disc set on 26th December, its recommended retail price is just £24.99.

Based on the bestselling novels by James Herriot, the BBC adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small was first broadcast in 1978 and went on to become a huge hit both domestically and internationally.

Beginning in 1937, the story revolves around the trials and tribulations faced by newly qualified vet James Herriot (Christopher Timothy) when he joins a veterinary practice in the picturesque Yorkshire village of Darrowby.

Herriot finds he still has much to learn if the country folk are ever to accept an outsider as a vet on par with Siegfried Farnon (Robert Hardy), who established the Darrowby practice.

Nevertheless with courage, humour and a little luck, Herriot eventually earns the trust of the locals and experiences the joys and heartaches that go with caring for all creatures great and small.

Series Four continues the story of James, his wife Helen (now played by Lynda Bellingham) and his volatile but warm-hearted partner, Siegfried.

The setting is now the early Fifties, and the Dales are still suffering from the bleak austerity that gripped the nation after World War II.

Now that Siegfried’s wayward brother Tristan (Peter Davison) has landed a high-ranking position as an artificial insemination expert in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Darrowby practice is struggling to cope.

To bring in more business, Siegfried and James decide to recruit a highly qualified young Scottish vet named Calum (John McGlynn), who arrives by motorcycle with a badger in tow…..

Episodes:

One of Life’s Little Miracles; Barks and Bites; The Bull with the Bowler Hat; The Pig Man Cometh; Hail Caesar!; Only One Woof; Ace, King, Queen, Jack; The Healing Touch; City Slicker; For Richer, For Poorer.

Product Information:

Release date: 26th December 2006
Running Time: tbc
Certificate: PG
No. of Discs: 3
No. of Episodes: 10

[adult swim]

Turner Broadcasting System is responding to the huge demand for its US adult comedy animation strand [adult swim] by launching a broadband service www.adultswim.co.uk in the UK and Ireland so even more people can get to access its brilliant and unique style of ‘guerilla animation’. A launch event for the site is taking place as part of RESFEST UK on 15th November at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in Shoreditch. The whitewashed walls, that allow the hottest of Shoreditch’s current venues to double as an impromptu art gallery and bar, will feature [adult swim] inspired art work commissioned for the launch party which will stay until mid December; you have been warned.

[adult swim] has also officially named itself the unofficial media partner of RESFEST www.resfest.co.uk, the unique festival dedicated to the very best digital arts innovation including film, music, art, design, fashion, culture and technology. As the festival, originally founded in San Francisco, reaches its 10th anniversary this year it is embarking on a global celebration which includes a week in London at the NFT (14-19 November).

Turner has already successfully licensed the television content of [adult swim] in the UK to men’s entertainment channel Bravo but the subscription only broadband service is provided by digital rights specialists Premium TV on behalf of Turner. Twelve shows are available to view online including: Aqua Teen Hunger Force; Robot Chicken; Venture Brothers; Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law; Sealab 2021 and Space Ghost. Each month the site is refreshed with four new full length episodes scheduled on a weekly basis.

The site provides over 15 hours of full length videos which can be viewed at any time and as many times as subscribers wish during the period they have paid for. The real advantage for fans of these shows is that they can now watch full length versions of some of their favourite episodes which they’ve been unable to do in the past.

In addition to the shows, nine games are available to play online and the content will be refreshed with two new games added on a regular basis. Featured games include Stagger from 12oz Mouse; Mooninite Marauders from Aqua Teen Hunger Force; Head Kicker II from The Brak Show; Jailbird from Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law; Attack of the Feverheads from Sealab 2022 and Rough Justice from The Venture Bros.

There is a £10 discount on the annual subscription package as part of a special launch offer and for a limited time period subscribers can pay just £9.99 instead of the usual price of £19.99. Subscribers can also pay for shorter time periods; 24 hours subscription costs 99p or a month’s subscription costs £1.99. All payments can be done via credit card and direct debit for annual subscription.

Alan Musa, [adult swim] VP commented: ‘[adult swim] is delighted to launch its broadband service as part of such a unique festival as RESFEST. This can only help build on the huge popularity it is already enjoying in the UK.’

[adult swim], Turner Broadcasting System’s US smash hit dedicated to edgy animation, is now available in the UK on TV and online. ]adult swim[ features non-conformist programming aimed at adults 18-34 including a broad mix of humour and unconventional animation. A late night TV block offering original and acquired animated comedy and action launched on Bravo earlier this year and a brand new UK broadband site www.adultswim.co.uk created by Turner Broadcasting went live earlier this month. [adult swim] is designed to appeal to young people who like their entertainment creative, cult and aren’t afraid to seek it out whether it’s on television or the internet.

In the UK From 7th July to 30th September [adult swim] was watched by 4 million people.

[adult swim] launched in the US in 2001.

Top actor and designer to receive DMU honorary degrees

A respected actor and a well-known fashion designer are to receive honorary degrees from De Montfort University (DMU).

Charles Dance and Karen Millen will both be made Doctor of Arts during DMU's graduations which will take place from Tuesday 7 November to Thursday 9 November.

Mr Dance is best-known for his role in the Jewel in the Crown and recently starred in the BBC's acclaimed adaptation of Bleak House. He is also an accomplished film director and made the successful movie Ladies in Lavender, which starred Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.

Originally from Worcestershire, he was a student at Leicester Art School which eventually became De Montfort University.

Karen Millen's fashion empire began when she started making white shirts at home.

Professor Philip Tasker, Vice-Chancellor of De Montfort University, said: "We are proud of our students' achievements and their academic success and that we are awarding honorary degrees to individuals who are highly distinguished in their different fields and who are a source of inspiration to our students.

"Charles Dance has enjoyed a distinguished career in film and television and Karen Millen has created a successful career in the competitive world of fashion.

CGI - A Christmas Carol

The much-loved tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, his old business partner Jacob Marley and well-known characters such as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim is updated and retold for a new generation of children and families in A Christmas Carol released by BKN Home Entertainment on 20 November 2006.

Using stunning CGI animation BKN’s A Christmas Carol offers up a wholly original and innovative take on Charles Dickens’ timeless Christmas classic. The DVD will be presented in unique “snow-storm” packaging making it the perfect Christmas gift.

The plot is familiar to most, although this new release introduces an all animal cast. Ebenezer Scrooge is a crusty old skunk, miserly with his money and not imbued with the spirit of Christmas – there is no goodwill to all men from Scrooge, merely the curse of “Bah humbug!”.

On Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of his old business partner who comes with a dire warning – that he will be doomed unless he heeds the advice of three further ghosts who will be visiting him that night.

Before Christmas Day dawns, Scrooge meets the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future and he finally learns the meaning of peace and goodwill to all men.

This heart-warming tale is one for the whole family during the festive season.

Title: A Christmas Carol Release Date: 20 November 2006 SRP: £12.99

Unlimited Online PC Backup

Carbonite Launches Unlimited Online PC Backup For Half The Price of BT’s Digital Vault

* Simple, set-and-forget service backs up everything for less than £3 per month
* Service is 50% cheaper than BT’s Digital Vault, with no storage limits
* Strong encryption for total privacy and security
* Leading consumer backup service in the US.

Carbonite, the leading online backup service in the US,launches its Online PCBackup™ service with unlimited storage in the UK. Carbonite offers a simple backup solution for £30 per year versus BT’s £59.88 per year.

Conscious of security and privacy concerns, Carbonite double-encrypts files before they leave the user’s PC, employing techniques similar to those used by banks, the military and e-commerce sites.

Carbonite found that most people do not back up their PCs regularly. In fact, in their surveys they found that only 3% of all PCs were backed up daily. A few other surprising facts emerged from Carbonite’s market research:

* Users do not know how much backup space they need. When asked to specify how much data they had on their PCs, more than two thirds of users said “I have no idea.”
* More than half of users did not know the difference between a gigabyte and a megabyte.

“These findings help to explain why backup services that are sold by the gigabyte have not been successful in the market,” says Friend. “It is hard to sell a service when the customers don’t know how much they need and don’t understand the metrics used.”

Although hard drive crashes and human error are by far the most common causes of data loss, viruses are still a major cause, even if the user has anti-virus software installed.

Carbonite is available online through Carbonite’s web site or through online retailers such as Amazon.com or Download.com. Carbonite is widely available through retail stores in the US and is expected to launch through UK retail channels by early 2007.

To install Carbonite Online PCBackup, users can simply download a free trial at www.carbonite.com. No credit card is required for the 15-day trial period.

International Consumer Electronics Show 2007

DEFINING TOMORROW'S TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft's Bill Gates, CEA's Gary Shapiro, Dell's Michael Dell,
Motorola's Ed Zander and Disney's Robert Iger to deliver keynotes at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, USA January 8-11

The very latest technology from 2,700 global companies will be unveiled and on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, 8-11 January 2007. This year the show will also be celebrating its 40th anniversary.
The world's largest consumer electronics tradeshow, the 2007 International CES - run by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) - will showcase consumer technologies from wireless, electronic gaming, digital imaging, home entertainment, digital audio and video, mobile electronics, broadband, content media, home networking and information technologies. Covering over 30 product and technology areas, the 2007 International CES will be spread over more than 1.6 million net square feet of exhibition space at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, the Sands Expo & Convention Centre/The Venetian and the Las Vegas Hilton. Last year's event attracted more than 150,000 attendees.

Some of the biggest names in the industry will be attending and delegates will be able to listen to keynote addresses given by Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., Ed Zander, chairman of the board and CEO of Motorola Inc., Robert Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Co, Michael Dell, chairman of Dell and Gary Shapiro president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

"We have an amazing and unprecedented lineup to kick off the 2007 International CES with industry greats Bill Gates, Ed Zander, Bob Iger and Michael Dell," said CEA's Gary Shapiro. "These four industry visionaries will present their views of where the industry - particularly digital content and entertainment - is heading from their unique positions as heads of some of the world's most influential companies."

Building on the success of last year's Innovation Plus area based at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, the International CES has added The Venetian as the 'must see' destination for 2007. The Sands area showcases the majority of the CES TechZones, conference sessions, international pavilions and much more. Attached to the Sands, The Venetian is the new home for keynote addresses and high-performance audio & home theatre exhibits.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the pre-eminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $121 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

Nation on Film

“Nation on Film, the fully-funded Open University series made up of professional and amateur movie footage, returns to TV screens with six new episodes beginning with ‘Kearton’s Wildlife’ at 8pm on BBC Four on Friday November 3.

“Each film is narrated by one of Britain’s favourite actors, Sir David Jason, and following a specific theme or topic, uses a wide variety of film sources from amateur to professional, regional to national cinematic, to illustrate historical themes and give them an engaging new perspective.”

The Indy Film Co-op

Share,Network...Make Films:

Our intent is purely to provide a basis and portal for discussion, education and promotion for Independent Cinema nationally and internationally. The Co-op members have created an atmosphere where filmmakers can make contacts, develop relationships, exchange ideas and take advantage of networking opportunities. Our goal is to create an organization that truly supports the goals of its members.

What We Offer:

The loan of production and post production equipment, film screenings, online magazine and forum, screenplay contests, resource base download...including complete lists of Hollywood contacts...and all at no charge

What We Will Be Doing:

The Co-op will be launching a HD streaming video service featuring solely works of its members. This will provide exposure and the opportunity for revenue for the Co-op's members.

Join now at: http://www.indyfilmco-op.org

Haunting Hamlet Shot For Halloween

Halloween 2006 heralds ghostly goings on as a supernatural thriller version of Shakespeare’s seminal work, Hamlet (http://www.hamletmovie.co.uk), completes filming in time for a January 2007 release. Focusing on the character of the ghost as a psychopathic spirit behind all the killings, the feature film is directed by Alexander Fodor and produced by music industry-based Paul Allan-Slade, starring Wilson Belchambers in the eponymous role.

Shot throughout summer 2006 at the Gate Studio in London and on location in Southend on Sea, Hamlet has now reached rush edit stage and is going into sound treatment and musical composition.

Paul Allan-Slade, producer, says: “Hamlet is a ghost story and yet, incredibly, no one has ever told it as one. In Fodor’s Hamlet, emphasis is put on the nightmarish ether of the play, setting it in a surrealistic no-man’s land. The members of the court are painted as scheming, back stabbing and vicious personas.”

Paul continues: “This is a court put together by the maniacal Hamlet the elder (the ghost) and it is an environment that, even after his death, he controls by using children as his mediums to contact the physical world. This could only be done with film, where atmospheric music and sound effects create the subconscious messages to the viewers.”

Rather than following schoolbook definitions of the characters, Fodor’s versions have a contemporary twist. The traditionally weak Ophelia is now dominated by her elder sister, Polonia (normally a male comic role), who supplies her with addictive drugs to cement that control. Hamlet’s father, the ghost (normally an heroic victim), is now an evil psychopath, manipulating his own son to gain brutal revenge on his murderer, Claudius, without any concern for the eventual fate of his own son.

Lydia Piechowiak, who plays Polonia, says: “It’s not often you get to play the part of a doddering old man and even less likely that you get to play him as a scheming Machiavellian femme fatale. On the first day of shooting, I got to seduce a woman I was about to strangle, and then lie shot through the eye in a pool of blood. Nice.”

Character variants aside, not one single line of dialogue has been added or changed. The difference is in the delivery, with the emphasis on ensuring that an audience which may have never heard a single line of Shakespeare is able to accept it as an alternative accent of English.

Paul explains: “Take, for example, the Denmark prison scene, which can be viewed on the excerpts page of the movie’s website. In it you will see what appears to be an improvisational workshop with the actors speaking to the camera, which is in itself a character. In fact, it’s all texted Shakesperian English. But gone are the elitist parameters which ostracise the general public.”

Fodor’s Hamlet, from production house Zed Resistor (http://www.zedresistor.com), will be the forty-second film/television version of the popular ghostly tale. The five most recent Shakesperian releases have collectively grossed over $100,000,000 USD*

Clips from the production may be viewed at: http://www.hamletmovie.co.uk

*Source: www.the-numbers.com

3D-CGI Film "Haptics"

Future Thought Breaks New Ground with "Haptics"

One of the best-kept secrets in animation won’t be secret now that the sci-fi satire “Haptics” has screened at the Hollywood Film Festival and won the Hollywood Discovery Awards for the Best Animated Short Production. That event has shone a spotlight on Future Thought Productions, a five-year-old animation studio whose creativity has earned it a stellar list of clients and production partners. Future Thought has created animation for The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., MTV and Nickelodeon, yet company founder Jay Zaveri notes, “We also have been growing beneath the radar, and creating original content like ‘Haptics.’ We’ve been building a library of animated shorts that can play on mobile phones, the web, or as interstitial entertainment for theaters and TV. We believe the animation business will become increasingly cross-platform, and that there are great opportunities for those who can create content that is media-agnostic.”

“Haptics” reflects Future Thought’s commitment to extending its high-quality library. This edgy, 5-minute film depicts characters that live in a time when machines are efficient, reality is virtual, and ‘the human touch’ is out of reach. The studio uses the latest software from Softimage, often the tool of choice for feature filmmakers. The striking look of “Haptics” and its bold subject matter are undoubtedly reasons why it has already won the animation prize at the Florida Independents’ Film Festival in Tampa and now the Best Animated Short Production at the prestigious Hollywood Film Festival.

Future Thought is no stranger to honors, having won awards for animation at the Chicago Film Festival, the Ottawa International Film Festival, and at Promax and BDA in Asia. Its core team of animators work in Mumbai, India, and the reach of its productions is global. Future Thought was one of the first studios in the world to use Macromedia’s Flash software for television animation, and that expertise can be seen in Disney’s “The Buzz On Maggie” and in Warner’s “Coconut Fred’s Fruit Salad Island.” The studio has also demonstrated its 3D-CGI skills for the past two years with OzieBoo!, a series of character-animated shorts that airs in 40 countries.

Steve Kasper, Future Thought’s Director of Business Development, indicates that “Future thought has demonstrated a great amount of creative ability and has added value to every production in which we have been involved. This has led us to feel confident that we have the resources to create our own content.”

Future Thought CEO Jay Zaveri knows that maintaining a multi-skilled team of animators enables the company to develop original pieces in either 2D Flash or 3D-CGI –- targeting different media platforms as appropriate. Strong management and sound relationships with television, web and mobile companies have made Future Thought a pioneer in cross-platform animated content. “We already have a library of 3,000 animated videos that we distribute to mobile devices through fifteen operators on three continents,” he explains. “As operator technology gets standardized, we believe that the next generation of mobile and handheld devices will be exciting streaming content, little bite-sized humor and animation that provide instant gratification and entertainment.”

Whether “Haptics” will be coming to a mobile device near you anytime soon is an open question. But Future Thought isn’t waiting for opportunities to come to it – this company is determined to create its opportunities. Future Thought is already at work on a family-friendly 3D-CGI short to follow “Haptics,” and will announce details in the near future.

“Haptics” was screened at the Tampa Theatre in Florida and the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood, it can also be viewed online at: www.atomfilms.com/af/content/haptics

IT’S A BUGA!

YourKindaTV Launches Annual Awards For The User-Generated Generation

Britain’s newest broadcaster launches its web based TV channel next week (November 6) with the search to find the best mobile and video clips on the planet.

Entries for the British User Generated Awards 2007 – the first ever annual awards ceremony for user generated video - will take place on February 4, celebrating the rise of citizen journalism and user generated content as a major creative and leisure past-time today.

The organiser behind The BUGAS is YourKindaTV.com, a new UK based TV website which features a range of different entertainment and news features, illustrated by clips sent in by its viewers.

The categories for the inaugural BUGAS 2007 include:

* Best Comedy Clip
* Best Mockumentary
* Best Candid Clip
* Best Live Music Clip
* Best Local News Report
* Most Dangerous Stunt
* Best User Generated Advert
* Most Original Clip

Five entries will be shortlisted in each category and then put to the public vote. The closing date for entries is January 4. The finalists will be announced on January 11 when voting will begin.

The winners will be announced at an awards bash in London on Sunday, February 4 2007.

For further details on how to enter visit www.YourKindaTV.com/BUGAS2007

YourKindaTV anchorman Simon Jones said: “The BUGAS are the perfect antidote to all those boring film and TV awards programmes which usually feature the same old shows and the same old faces. The media today is well and truly in the hands of us, the people – and so are The BUGAS, which are there for everyone and anyone who wants to have their 15 minutes, or more, of fame.”

Irreverent, outrageous and a tad controversial, YourKindaTV features a daily five to seven minute studio production of topical banter, reckless opinion and other totally off the wall features which examine life from every possible perspective.

Jointly hosted by vlog anchors Simon Jones and Layla Anna-Lee, the show provides coverage and opinion of the day’s events, together with quirky video features which have been sent in by the public.

The features are structured so that they can be easily submitted by viewers and are accompanied by an online forum where users can discuss an issue.

The show segments include:

News Headlines: a run down of the interesting headlines of the day

Gossip and chat: discussion on the most relevant topic of the day /week

Feature 1: changing schedule, user submitted or random

Sport: results round-up, gossip and opinion

Feature 2: changing weekly schedule including Tuesdays: Location report; Thursdays: Therapy and Fridays: Leisure and entertainment

Chat: including events and interviews

The producer of the daily show is YourKindaTV co-founder Michael Oxley.

Your KindaTV - Vlog Anchors

Simon Jones

Simon first began performing at Northwood School in Middlesex and went on to achieve qualifications in Drama, Theatre Studies and Performing Arts at the University of Suffolk. Following in the footsteps of Shane Richie and Brian Connelly, Simon had his first taste of live TV as a Bluecoat presenter on Pontins Television. After three seasons of Pontins, Simon took off to Lanzarote where he learnt the art of live cabaret in his job as nightclub host in one of the island’s most prestigious resorts. On his return to the UK, Simon and a old friend from his Bluecoat days came together to form a harmony duo "Dot Combo," and went on to perform in clubs and holiday resorts in England and Wales.

Layla Anna-Lee

Before joining YKTV, Layla presented Second Sight, a live Sky TV show in which she interviewed and tested medium clairvoyants. Trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Layla is also an experienced dancer, which, when combined with her Brazilian blood, means this girl loves hitting the Brazilian style samba bars around London to Lambada the night away. A self-confessed horror film addict, Layla recently starred as the lead in the horror flick, Hacked Off and likes nothing more than chilling out with friends and scaring herself rigid watching horror classics. Layla's other passion is Urban Exploration, an off-beat hobby where people enter and photograph abandoned buildings. She is currently mapping out an old Asylum that a group of her and her friends explore.

Umrao Jaan

UMRAO JAAN
A J. P. DUTTA FILM

IN UK CINEMAS FROM 3rd NOVEMBER 2006

Continuing with its promise to bring the best of Indian Cinema to an international platform, Adlabs Films Ltd brings you Umrao Jaan, an adaptation of Mirza Ruswa’s critically acclaimed novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1904). Veteran director J.P. Dutta has reinvented Umrao Jaan, propelling this 150-year-old masterpiece onto the big screen.

Umrao Jaan stars an ensemble of high profile artists including ex-Miss World Aishwarya Rai, New Age icon Abhishek Bachchan, woman of substance Shabana Azmi and man-of-the-world Suniel Shetty, and is already one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated films, raising the bar of adaptations. The music is composed by music maestro Anu Malik and the critically acclaimed Javed Akhtar pens the lyrics, which have been inspired by the splendour of the film to bring the musical score to a new height of melodic genius.

Umrao Jaan unveils the injustices faced by women and advocates their emancipation. Set in late 19th century India, the film tells the story of Umrao Jaan (Aishwarya Rai), a courtesan and poetess who was kidnapped as a child and sold into the country’s prevalent culture of courtesanship. Umrao becomes popular amongst Lucknow’s elite, including a nawab, a childhood friend and a dacoit with whom she attempts an escape from her brothel.

The subject matter of the film reflects modern India’s social climate, where trafficking of young girls is still prevalent. As such and in conjunction with the film’s release, the India Times is currently running an online charity auction of the film costumes with proceeds going to a girl child foundation that rehabilitates children of women from the ‘red light’ districts of India.

Pranab Kapadia, UK Head for Adlabs believes “With our ongoing commitment to bringing quality films to the UK, Umrao Jaan is one of our most prestigious projects, primarily because of its star cast and the story premise. Given the nation’s growing receptiveness to international cinema, we believe this film’s content, cinematic grandeur and stellar cast will captivate a wide UK audience.”

Producer-director J P Dutta believes that Umrao Jaan is not only “the tale of an extraordinary woman, but truly the story of every woman. I am delighted that Adlabs has taken the initiative to ensure Umrao Jaan has a far-reaching audience.”

SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN & THE BIONIC WOMAN

THE ENTIRE SECOND SEASON OF THESE TWO SMASH HIT SERIES

TO BE RELEASED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON DVD

SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN & THE BIONIC WOMAN


"Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive . . . Gentlemen, we can rebuild him . . . we have the technology. . ."



This autumn The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman will be reunited courtesy of Universal Playback. The entire second season of both series will be released for the very first time on DVD on 23rd October at a recommended retail price of just £34.99.

The thrilling adventures of The Six Million Dollar Man - aka Colonel Steve Austin (Lee Majors), a NASA test pilot who survives a near fatal shuttle crash and is reconstructed at a cost of $6,000,000 - launched a wave of small screen superheroes in the mid-1970s. Beginning as a series of 90-minute movies in 1973, by 1975 it had become one of TV's biggest hits, turning Majors into an international star and launching a multitude of merchandise – from action figures to clothing - in its wake. It also introduced many pop culture elements, such as the show’s opening catch phrase and the slow-motion action sequences.

In 1975, a bionic woman arrived as love interest for Major Austin in the shape of ex tennis pro Jaime Sommers (played by Lindsay Wagner). Sommers was eventually killed off but her character proved so popular that she ended up with her own show. The Bionic Woman debuted in January 1976 and was an immediate hit (it actually topped the ratings in the UK) with Wagner going on to win an Emmy Award for her performance.

Now thanks to Playback, fans old and new can once again enjoy these two classic slices of ‘70s nostalgia.

The Six Million Dollar Man - Season 2 (No. of discs: 6; No. of episodes: 21; Cert: ‘PG’; Running Time: 17hrs 42mins approx, Cat No: 8243285)

When astronaut and Air Force Colonel Steve Austin (Lee Majors) is almost killed in a horrific plane crash, the US Government decides to rebuild him with experimental cybernetic parts which give him superhuman strength, speed, agility and the ability to see considerable distances. To pay the Government back the $6,000,000 it cost to rebuild him, Austin becomes a secret operative for the Office of Scientific Investigation (OSI), using his superpowers to investigate crime, espionage, space aliens and fight injustice wherever it is found.

In season two, Steve meets a glamorous blonde (played by his then real-life wife and Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcett) and is also astonished to learn from boss Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson) that a second, seven million-dollar bionic man is to be created. Later in the series, Steve becomes engaged to former girlfriend, Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner). But while the two are skydiving, Jaime has a near fatal accident. To help save her life, Steve pleads with Oscar to let Rudy operate on her…..

Episodes:
Nuclear Alert The Cross-Country Kidnap
The Pioneers Lost Love
Pilot Error The Last Kamikaze
The Pal-Mir Escort Return of the Robot Maker

The Seven Million Dollar Man Taneha

Straight on 'til Morning Look Alike

The Midas Touch The E.S.P. Spy

The Deadly Replay The Bionic Woman (1 & 2)

Act of Piracy Outrage in Balinderry

Stranger in Broken Fork Steve Austin, Fugitive

The Peeping Blonde


The Bionic Woman - Season 2 (No. of discs: 6; No. of episodes: 22; Cert: ‘PG’; Running Time:17hrs 32mins approx Cat No:8243291)

After fully recovering from her near fatal bout of bionic rejection, Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner), the first female cyborg, is assigned to spy missions of her own.

Outfitted with bionic legs, a bionic arm and a bionic ear, Jaime now leads a double life as a schoolteacher and an undercover OSI operative.

The second season finds her involved in many more weird and wonderful missions in which she is forced to become a female wrestler, don a nun’s habit and become the private tutor to a young prince


Episodes:

In This Corner, Jaime Sommers Doomsday Is Tomorrow (1 & 2)

Assault on the Princess Deadly Ringer (1 & 2)

Road to Nashville Jaime and the King

Kill Oscar (1, 2 & 3) Beyond the Call

Black Magic The DeJon Caper

Sister Jaime The Night Demon

The Vega Influence Iron Ships and Dead Men

Jaime's Shield (1 & 2) Once A Thief

Biofeedback

The Battle of the Somme

Digitally re-mastered Battle of the Somme film premieres with full orchestral accompaniment for the first time since the First World War

A digitally re-mastered version of the iconic First World War film, The Battle of the Somme, is to be screened with full orchestral accompaniment for the first time since the film’s original release in 1916. To mark the 90th anniversary of the battle, the Imperial War Museum is holding a special gala screening of the film, sponsored by The History Channel, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 22 October with a new orchestral accompaniment composed by Laura Rossi and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra.


The Battle of the Somme, fought from 1 July - 18 November 1916, was the first British offensive of the First World War to which cameramen were given access, in order to film the front line action as it took place. Two official War Office cameramen, Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell, were attached to the British Expeditionary Forces and returned to London just ten days after the start of the battle with 8,000 feet of film. The resulting 80-minute film, The Battle of the Somme, was released in picture houses across the UK in August 1916, while the battle was still being fought. It made an enormous impression on the public and was seen by at least half the population. Audiences were greatly impressed by the film's realism, as well as being traumatised by the candid and unprecedented images of British wounded and dead. The Battle of the Somme also had considerable international impact, being shown to great acclaim throughout Europe, the Americas and in countries of the former British Empire.

The version of the film, which will premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, has been re-mastered by the digital specialists Dragon D I, a process that has restored remarkable detail to the image and the film now has the depth and clarity of the version which so impressed audiences in 1916. With the support of the Eric Anker-Petersen Charity, the Imperial War Museum was able to commission Laura Rossi to write a new score to accompany the re-mastered version of the film. This score will be performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, providing the audience with the opportunity to experience the film as it would have been seen in 1916 - at full length, on a large screen and with a live musical accompaniment. Members of Geoffrey Malins’ family, including his granddaughter, will be among the audience at this unique event.

Richard Melman, The History Channel's Director, said, ‘we are delighted to be sponsoring the presentation of this impressive and unique film and to be working in partnership with the IWM. Our viewers will also welcome the chance to see the movie next year on The History Channel.’

Laura Rossi has written extensively for film and television, including the critically acclaimed ‘Silent Shakespeare’ for the British Film Institute. Laura’s great uncle, Fred Ainge, was a stretcher-bearer attached to the 29th Division on the 1 July, and in preparation for composing the new score she visited the Somme Battlefields, using his diary account to locate the areas in which he served. She was previously commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to write a score for the Battle of the Ancre and the Advance of the Tanks (1917), the second of the official films of the Battle of the Somme which covers the autumn and winter stages of the campaign. Laura has also written music for ITV, Fox Searchlight, Carlton TV, HTV, Quintessence films and many new scores for BFI silent films.

In recognition of the film's importance as a documentary record, The Battle of the Somme has recently been inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. A ceremony marking this achievement - the first British ‘document’ to be so recognised - will take place before the screening.

The Battle of the Somme gala screening is one of a series of events organised by the Imperial War Museum this autumn to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. For a full programme of events visit www.iwm.org.uk/thesomme


Battle of the Somme

Sunday 22 October 2006, 7:30 pm

Queen Elizabeth Hall

Tickets: £20.00, £17.50, £15.00, £9.00

Booking Fee: £1.50 Members: 75p

Concessions: 50% off (limited availability)

Box Office 08703 800 400

www.rfh.org.uk

Kong: Return To The Jungle

The greatest of all the apes – Kong – returns to small screens once more in the all-new feature-length outing Kong: Return To The Jungle. This stunning, CGI-animated adventure is coming to DVD on 13 November 2006, courtesy of BKN Home Entertainment.

The outsize gorilla, recreated from combining the DNA of the original Kong with a human, is able to mind-link with his “brother” Jason, making him even more powerful than his predecessor.

Kong lives on Kong Island together with an assortment of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. To protect its inhabitants from hunters and poachers the location of the Island is known to few in the civilized world. But a sinister hunter and a scientist with a prosthetic hand and a grudge against Kong are on their trail and capture Kong and the other island creatures – including Kong’s deadly enemy, a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex – to take to a futuristic zoo in New York.

Once there the animals escape and cause havoc in the city. Amid non-stop action it’s down to Jason and Kong to save the remarkable animals and return them to their island home.


Title: Kong: Return To The Jungle Release Date: 13 November 2006 SRP: £9.99

EACH Autograph Auction

Hosted by Diss Friends coinciding with the group’s 10th anniversary and generously supported by Durrants

SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2006
Eye Community Centre, Nr Diss, UK.
Viewing from 10.00am; Auction starts 1.00pm

EVERYONE WELCOME ~ UNIQUE XMAS GIFTS FREE ENTRY ~ REFRESHMENTS ~ BAR

Special celebrity appearance by TV's Bad Girls actress Helen Fraser. Helen will be signing photographs for a donation to EACH.

SIGNED ITEMS INCLUDE:

* KYLIE MINOGUE CD
*
MICK JAGGER t-shirt
*
BAD GIRLS script
*
CORONATION STREET coat worn in series
*
YOKO ONO framed “Imagine Peace” poster
*
THE ARCHERS script
*
NORWICH CITY framed shirt + football
*
OLIVIER PANIS F1 Racing Suit
*
IAN BOTHAM shirt
*
DARCY BUSSELL pair of ballet shoes
*
WILL GREENWOOD shorts
*
JENSON BUTTON baseball cap
*
JUDY GARLAND signature
*
AS TIME GOES BY script
*
MANCHESTER UTD football
*
THE ROLLING STONES
(only item with a reserve price)


All 5 signatures - including Brian Jones
Framed & mounted with a special US single cover ‘Paint it Black’

Signed photos of:
Brigitte Bardot, John Travolta, Keira Knightly, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Prince Albert of Monaco, Brian May, Bill Wyman, Davina McCall, Pete Best (former Beatle), Ant & Dec and many, many more.

No ticket is required but register here for the day and get a free bacon roll for lunch - your bidding number and roll will be waiting for you!

For full information go to:

http://www.each.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231&Itemid=249

BAFTA Video Games Awards

PC World to sponsor BAFTA Video Games Awards 2006

PC World is proud to announce its support for the new British Academy Video Games Awards 2006 which are now poised to become the global benchmark for excellence in video games. PC World will be sponsoring two very prestigious awards:

‘Best Game’ – the coveted award for the year’s best game. Past nominees include: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; Half Life 2 and Halo.

‘Action & Adventure’ – the award for games that are predominantly action, adventure or a combination of the two genres. Past eligible titles have included Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; Mortal Combat: Deadly Alliance; Oblivion and Goldeneye.

Tom Guy, software & games trading manager, PC World said “We are delighted that BAFTA is now recognising the importance of video games in the entertainment industry. Over the last ten years the world of video games entertainment has changed a great deal. The quality and creativity of games has increased enormously, players can experience superior entertainment that both engages and excites them. These awards enable us to show our support for the UK gaming industry and in particular gives recognition to the artistic, creative and technical talent that is helping to driving this exciting market forward.”

PC World stocks a full range of games on all formats and games consoles that appeal to all gamers’ tastes from action packed adventure, strategy and simulation through to sports and much more.

Art or Pornography?

Destricted – is it Art or Pornography?

LOVEFiLM lets you decide…

Destricted is the first release in the series of short film compilations by internationally acclaimed artists and directors such as British artist Sam Taylor Wood and renowned director Larry Clark. Explicit in content, they reveal the diverse attitudes by which we represent ourselves sexually…but the big question is, ‘is it art or pornography?’ These films are now available to download exclusively at LOVEFiLM.com - so it’s up to you to decide.

Formed in 2004, Destricted is a platform for all forms of uncensored artistic expression. The films explore the fine line where art and pornography intersect; and whether it is art disguised as pornography or pornography disguised as art, the result is a collection of sexy, challenging and sometimes humorous scenarios – a definite ‘must see’.

Destricted is available to download at LOVEFiLM.com for £19.99.

Glass Book Online Serial

PENGUIN FIRST!

Sales of books on websites like Amazon have been very successful but accommodating the format of books to the world of the Internet has been more difficult. You can get e-books but they seem a pale shadow of 'real' books. This attempt by Penguin to merge on-line serialisation with an actual book sounds intriguing and the book itself is a grand tribute to the Victorian Age of romance and technology.

2006’s most exclusive and unique reading experience. A sumptuous Victorian adventure fit for the digital age.

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

G W. DAHLQUIST


Published in weekly instalments (limited edition) from 4th September –

6th October 2006 at:

http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Ecommerce/ShoppingCartChange?item=0140912223

The adventure to end all adventures begins and ends with a book...

Be part of 2006’s most exclusive and unique reading experience. A sumptuous Victorian adventure fit for the digital age.

Ten instalments sent direct from Penguin straight to your home over ten weeks. Ten thrilling chapters in handsome perfect bound editions limited to just 5,000 individual subscribers.

THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAMEATERS is an utterly compulsive gothic adventure story, set in a fictitious Victorian city, and featuring a host of wicked and outlandish characters, including Miss Celestial Temple, a feisty heiress; Cardinal Chang, a deadly assassin and Dr Svenson, guardian to a louche and syphilitic prince.

When Miss Temple – recently arrived in the city from distant shores – suddenly finds her engagement broken off without suitable explanation by her fianc? Roger Bascombe, she is given a choice: turn away from polite society or turn adventuress and discover the reason for her rejection.

Deciding to secretly follow her former lover, Miss Temple finds herself a trespasser at a masked ball. There, strange and unspeakable acts involving electricity and books of blue glass (not to mention a murder) take place and Miss Temple almost loses both her virtue and her life.

Horrified that the man to whom she was betrothed could be mixed up in such diabolical affairs, Miss Temple is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. She is joined in this endeavour by a foreign surgeon and a disfigured assassin known as Cardinal Chang – both with their own reasons to make trouble for those in league with Roger Bascombe.

Together, Miss Temple and her accomplices unearth a dastardly plot to take over the world. They discover corruption, murder, bribery and blackmail at the highest levels, and thwart the plans of a beautiful but deadly Contessa. And at the heart of an adventure encompassing airship flights, rooftop battles, carriage abductions and murder most foul are the sinister glass books of the title – books offering up visions of fantasy and horror that engulf the reader’s mind.

The cliff-hanger chapter endings of The Glass Books are reminiscent of the great adventure novels of Wilkie Collins and Robert Louis Stevenson, and led Penguin to the decision to revive the lost art of the weekly serial. Viking will offer the novel in weekly instalments pre-publication to a strictly limited number of subscribers.

Purchase will be soley via http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Ecommerce/ShoppingCartChange?item=0140912223 or the dedicated website www.glassbooks.co.uk. The instalments, in a beautifully designed and collectible magazine format, will be sent to subscribers on a weekly basis prior to the publication of the book in hardback on 25th January 2007. A limited number of these instalments are available to reviewers.

The Victorian heyday of the serial saw 100,000 people following the fate of Little Nell in Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop, and instalments of Great Expectations outsold the Times newspaper. We hope that publishing this remarkable book in a time-honoured way will lead twenty-first century readers to follow the exploits of Miss Temple and her allies as breathlessly as Dickens’ Victorian fans did his novels.

THE AUTHOR:

GW Dahlquist fell asleep when trapped by a snowstorm, and The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters came to him in his dreams. This is his first novel. We intend to celebrate publication of the hardback in January with a lavish masked ball. We hope that G W Dahlquist will attend, but strangely, he has not been seen for some time...

SUPERMAN BATTLES HIS WAY TO AT-BRISTOL IN 3D

Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience to open on 9 September 2006
Superman has landed again, but this time, bigger and better!

From 9 September the IMAX Theatre-At-Bristol will be showing the IMAX 3D version of Superman Returns on its giant screen! It will be the first time that the superhero can be seen in 3D by moviegoers in the South West.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring this film to movie fans in Bristol" says Simon Jones, IMAX Manager. "There are only a limited number of copies of the IMAX version of Superman Returns in the world and the team has worked extremely hard since its launch to negotiate for it to be screened here in At-Bristol."

Superman Returns was launched in regular cinema throughout the UK in July but this is the first time the film can be seen in IMAX 3D outside of London and Manchester.

"There is a massive difference between seeing the film in the regular cinema and getting the full IMAX experience" says Simon.

"The giant screen is designed to make you feel that you are being drawn into the action and when you add the 3D sequences it really is the ultimate movie experience. This is the most talked about cinematic experience of the year, if you have already seen this film in the regular cinema and enjoyed it, then you have to see it in IMAX 3D. If you haven't seen the film already then this really is a must!" Simon adds.

"The scenes that have been converted into IMAX 3D look, sound and feel absolutely amazing," adds Bryan Singer, Director of Superman Returns. "The magic of IMAX 3D will envelop audiences in this story, enabling them to feel the emotion, drama and suspense in a completely new and unique way."

The film is the world's first live-action Hollywood feature to be converted to IMAX format and contain selected scenes in 3D. Four separate sequences of the film, approximately 20 minutes, have been transformed into IMAX 3D. Scenes were selected that make the most of the 3D effects, and they will transport moviegoers into the film to experience the action, drama and wonder of the world of Superman as never before.

IMAX 3D moments include Superman saving citizens from imminent disaster and a majestic flying sequence where audiences will feel as though they are soaring right beside the super hero himself. Special on-screen cues will alert moviegoers when to put the 3D glasses on and take them off.

To be able to cope with the switch between regular 2D and the 3D sequences some technical adjustments are going to have to be made to the system and the IMAX Theatre will be closed for three days to allow for this.

"This is not something that we really wanted to do but live action 3D really is the way forward and so we have made the decision that this is a necessary step to take." Says Simon.

IMAX Theatre-At-Bristol will be closed to the public on 6, 7 and 8 September 2006 for the upgrade.

For information on tickets and showtimes, please call 0845 345 1235 or visit At-Bristol's website at http://www.at-bristol.org.uk/IMAX/default.htm.

Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most beloved superheroes.

While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.

Norwich Animation festival

Norwich journeys beyond animation with its boldest festival yet, from 18 - 21 October

Expanded, refreshed and emboldened, Norwich International Animation Festival returns for 2006 with a trailblazing programme which ventures further still from ‘traditional’ film festival territory to embrace live art, generative work and artists’ film, eroding yet further the myth that animation is about cartoons alone.

This year’s festival theme, ‘Re-vision’, looks at reappropriation – the found, twisted and mashed-up in animation and the wider moving image. Highlights include retrospectives of leading animation directors Igor Kovalyov, Priit Parn and Koji Yamamura, a wide-ranging tribute to auteur Walerian Borowczyk, featuring rarely-screened films alongside special events with the Brothers Quay, Andrzej Klimowski and others, and a unique one-day symposium with filmmakers Bill Morrison ('Decasia'), Frank Mouris ('Frank Film') and Robert Bradbrook ('Home Road Movies'); generative artists Leonardo Solaas and Marius Watz; and leading theorist Steve Reinke.

To take over where film screenings finish, the new Lounge strand features live performance each night, with AV pioneers The Light Surgeons, German film artist Jürgen Reble and sound artist Thomas Köner and more - and installation work including Leonardo Solaas' Dreamlines, Ben Rivers' House and The Harrachov Exchange shows throughout the festival.

More information available at www.niaf.org.uk

Himalaya Film Festival Tokyo 2006

Tokyo - The Himalaya Film Festival Executive Committee, in collaboration with NHK (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation), is pleased to announce that it will organize the first Himalaya Film Festival in Tokyo this summer from August 14 till 22.

The HFFT 2006 will offer the public an excellent and unique opportunity to take a closer look at the Himalayan region as it really is, including present-day Northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Tibet, and to rethink about the global environmental problems and human diversity through the region. 'We have to look beyond the common stereotypes,' says Director Dr Glenn Mitrasing. In addition to screening sixteen authentic, award winning, documentaries that cover topics ranging from intrepid climbing expeditions to cultural festivals and events unique to the region, to pressing environmental issues, the festival aims to promote discussion of some of the issues examined in the films. In conjunction with the festival, a symposium entitled how to Deal With Global Warming Issues, Starting From the Himalayas- to be broadcasted on NHK - will be held on August 12th 2006.

The Himalaya Film Festival, which is just beginning to branch out to several cities around the world, is the only international film festival that documents the Himalayan region. It officially started in 2003 in Amsterdam and was organized by the Himalaya Archief Nederland (Himalayan Archive Foundation), a Dutch NGO(More info at: www.himalaya-archief.nl). "We firmly believe that the Himalaya Film Festival Tokyo 2006 project will help foster people's understanding about the Himalayan region, the human-nature relationship and environmental issues," say the executive committee members including Mrs. Junko Tabei, the first woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest. 2006 will be a Himalaya-first year·in Japan.

The structure of the festival is as follows:

Host: Himalaya Film Festival Executive Committee
(NHK International / Himalaya Archief Nederland)
Co-host: NHK
Festival site: NHK Fureai Hall
Fee: Advanced Ticket: 1000 yen/Day Ticket: 1100 yen

Official site: www.himalaya-tokyo.net
International site: www.himalayafilmfestival.nl

Programs:
1) Screening international 16 documentary films on the Himalayan region
2) Holding a related symposium: How to Deal With Global Warming Issues, Starting From
the Himalayas (This symposium will be broadcasted on NHK:
NHK BS Forum August 12, 2006/6pm-7pm)

I Tunes global jukebox goes visual

I Tunes global jukebox goes visual with short movies

Global online personal jukebox Apple I Tunes begins its pioneering USA pilot project in short movie downloads with Sheffield Hallam University UK directed Point Annihilation.

Point Annihilation –‘ Surf, Sex and Tattoos’ – a coming of age story about a young New Zealand surfer, is one of only fifteen films chosen by I Tunes from thousands of potential movies. The thirty-minute narrative explores the surfer’s embracing of traditional Maori myth and culture. It is a collaboration between writer/director Virginia Health and editor Steve Sprung, both tutors from Sheffield Hallam University’s Northern Media School, and Weta Digital and Park Road Post (aka The Film Unit) - companies owned by internationally renowned Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.

Virginia Heath, director of Point Annihilation and senior academic at Sheffield Hallam said: “Point Annihilation was selected from heavy competition to be one of the first short films downloadable on I Tunes. I’m very proud as only two movies have been chosen from the UK to help pilot this project.

“The massive support and sponsorship by Peter Jackson’s companies gave me access to the highest quality technical expertise and creative talent in post production which helped give the film a highly polished finish. It was fantastic to see the film screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005. However, without the support of Shorts International, the film’s distributor, and their passion for promoting short films as quality content, we wouldn’t have made it to I Tunes.

“I’m excited that people around the world will be able to view this rites of passage story, set in New Zealand, exploring a dynamic encounter between European and Maori culture and beliefs.”

Point Annihilation is a story about a young surfer’s passion for a Maori woman tattooist, rumoured to be the sea goddess of death, who takes him on a dangerous, erotic journey of initiation into life through surf, sex and ritual Maori tattoo.

The movie is currently only available for download in the USA as I Tunes begin their pilot project, however is expected to roll out in Europe in the near future.

Sheffield Hallam University has helped inspire many other blockbuster cinema movies, including most recently top ten thriller Hard Candy. Hard Candy took more than two million pounds in its first two weeks and was directed by graduate David Slade.

In the USA you can download Point Annihilation from I Tunes Music store under short films. The trailer can be viewed around the world at www.myspace.com/85875193 - it is number two of three.

REDEMPTION FILMS TO LAUNCH BROADBAND CHANNELS

Nigel Wingrove’s Redemption Films is set to expand with the launch of six subscription online broadband-on-demand tv channels.

Salvation TV, launched this month (July) showcases Redemption Films’ unique catalogue of gothic, horror, sleaze and vampire films. The website address is www.salvationtv.com. Movies on the channel include Sacred Flash, Black Magic Rites & the secret orgies of the 14th Century, I am the Ripper, Nude for Satan, Les Demoniaques and Requiem for a Vampire.

The second channel Nihilista TV will launch on August 14th, and will feature extreme and underground culture, with concerts, interviews, music and filmed inserts. An eponymous sister free sheet to the channel will also launch in August, distributed through clubs, bars and shops.

The channels will each have their own website and will feature nine hours of non repeat material including films, news, and incidental material daily. The programme schedules will be updated regularly each month. Subscription to each channel will be £10 per month.

Commenting on the new venture Wingrove says: “We are entering a very exciting phase of Redemption Film’s history. The channels now give us a chance to showcase our unique output globally.”

Redemption Films is working with start up channel expert Stephen McCreath and Atlantic Television, internet broadcasters using a new and unique multicast broadband system.

The new system allows television to be broadcast over the internet in a one-to-many mode (multicast) as opposed to the traditional need to create a unique stream for each view one-to-one (unicast). With this multicast system, a single TV feed is taken from a playout, recoded into the multicast format and distributed to ISP’s over existing infrastructure so that tens of thousands of internet viewers can receive the same broadcast at the same time. Buffering is eliminated using broadcasting at 400kbits per second. With a 1Mb broadband connection, a full screen service is provided using Window Media 9 Software.

The channels will be cross promoted via Wingrove’s other business ventures on the Redemption website and through is DVD and CD releases in the UK and US where they are distributed by Image Entertainment.

MILANO FILM FESTIVAL 2006

Eleventh edition
15-24 September 2006
Piccolo Teatro

"A new start, towards something different, unexplored, unexpected. A festival for people that don't have any preconceptions, that are eager to be surprised."

Eleventh edition

The submission deadline has passed, the selection is in progress. A thorough search through film schools, producers, distributors and independent festivals resulted in the submission of more than 2000 films from more than 90 countries: from Mexico to Palestine, from South Africa to Finland, from India to Chiapas.
The eleventh edition is a chance to start anew: the Festival will be a meeting point for film lovers, for not-festival-goers, for children, for music enthusiasts, for professionals, for students, for people that believe that films can portray important aspects of the world.

At the eve of a new decade, Milano Film Festival focuses its attention and energies on its various parts that are blended together to create a unique all-round event.

The Festival

For eleven years Milano Film Festival has attracted films and filmmakers from all over the world. It is independent - from the interests of major distributors, from institutional politics, from money, from fashion, from critics. But it is also dependent - on the filmmakers' creativity and talent, on the expertise, the experience and the skills of the people that organize it, on the work and commitment of hundreds of volunteers, on the curiosity and willingness to take risks of the selection committee. This Festival scouted and promoted emerging talents, for whom the Festival has often been a springboard to international success. For ten days, this festival transforms places and people that pass through them.

Overview of the 2005 edition:

* 85,000 visitors
* 80 journalists with accreditation card
* 1,200 film professionals involved in the Borsa Democratica del Cinema
* 495 films screened
* 130 filmmakers attending the festival
* 250 international guests - directors, producers, actors and film enthusiasts

First information on the competitions and out-of-competition sections

Short film competition and Feature film competition
The competitions are open to short and feature films of any genre and running time, on any format and in any language, provided that they were produced after January 1st, 2005. They won't be divided into sections and will be screened in their original language with English and Italian subtitles. Filmmakers are invited to present their films to the festival audience.

Colpe di Stato
A collection of documentaries that depict crimes, injustice and slaughters under the banner of freedom, security and religion. These screenings mark an interesting but disturbing journey around the world.

Histoire(s) du cinéma - Cinema according to Jean-Luc Godard
Through the quotes scattered in the Histoire(s) du cinéma, a video by Jean-Luc Godard in which the filmmaker traces the history of filmmaking, this season aims to show this entire work for the first time in Milan and to highlight different central films from which this flow of images moves.
In collaboration with Fondazione Cineteca Italiana - Spazio Oberdan.

motion&picture against poverty
The UN campaign for the 8 Millennium Development Goals relies on alternative means of communication, including films.
The motion&picture against poverty section, which is currently under construction, was first launched during the festival's 2005 edition to create a film season dedicated to human rights and to different issues linked with the development goals. This section is particularly focused on countries that produce films despite economic, political and social hindrances.

Incontri italiani
This section features young Italian filmmakers, screenings and meetings to help directors get together, exchange ideas and projects and create new collaborations.

Focus animazione
A search through different styles, traditional techniques and cutting-edge technologies.

Salon des refusés
A section managed by non-selected directors - democratic, open to all the films submitted to the festival.


Borsa Democratica del Cinema

After the success of the first edition and the positive feedback from exhibitors, professionals and visitors, the 2nd edition of the Borsa Democratica del Cinema will run from 21st to 24th September at the Fondazione Antonio Mazzotta.
Directors, screenwriters, actors and set designers, producers and distributors, film schools, institutions and young independent filmmakers will gather to present ideas and projects and analyse the current situation of the film industry. The aim is to perform a change by creating new cultural, professional and business relationships.
For further information: expo@milanofilmfestival.it.


Holiday project - Filmmakers' House

The Filmmakers' House is a project developed to offer alternative hospitality to filmmakers, professionals and film lovers that will attend the festival in Milan - a facility set up as a solution to the lack of low-cost accommodation in Milan, to become a meeting point and a common area.
For further information: holidays@milanofilmfestival.it.

Accreditation and discounts

Milano Film Festival has launched an accreditation campaign that offers discounts to different typologies of applicants: students, film professionals, journalists, people aged over 65.
For further information: info@milanofilmfestival.it.


Festival organization

Milano Film Festival is organized by esterni - an association of young people that have organized cultural events for eleven years. Through public spaces such as squares, tunnels, parks, disused factories and building sites, esterni boosts culture and social interaction.

Main aim of the association is the implementation of the cultural role of public spaces by means of big events such as Milano Film Festival, the Sciopero Nazionale dei Telespettatori (National TV Viewers' Strike) and the Salone dell'Arredo Urbano (Street Furniture Fair).

For further information on esterni and its events: media@esterni.org, www.esterni.org

Chichester Film Festival

The Seaward 15th Chichester Film Festival will continue its commitment to showing the best new and yet-to-be-released films from around the world. The Festival’s Opening Gala is Pedro Almodovar’s Volver starring Penelope Cruz, and the Closing Gala will be Jeremy Brock’s Driving Lessons starring Julie Walters, Laura Linney and Rupert Grint.

Alongside the many premieres, previews and treasures from the archives we will be hosting retrospectives

John Miller, Dame Judi Dench’s biographer, will be giving a talk to launch this season on Thursday 24 August.

The season includes: Mrs Brown, Chocolat, The Shipping News, Iris, Shakespeare in Love, Ladies in Lavender, The Cherry Orchard (2 versions), Macbeth,
Ghosts, Last of the Blonde Bombshells, A Fine Romance and Saigon, Year of the Cat.
The Seaward 15

The published programme will be available out at the end of July and on
the website www.chichetercinema.org

16 Days – 70 Films – One Cinema
Over 35 Premieres and Previews
ADRIFT (US/Germany) Hans Horn
ANTIBODIES (Germany) Christian Alvet
ATOMISED (Germany) Oskar Roehler
DARK HORSE (Denmark) D. Kári
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (USA) D. Frankel
DRIVING LESSONS (UK) J. Brock
EROS (China/USA/Italy) W. Kar-Wai / S. Soderbergh / M. Antonioni
50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS (New Zealand) S. Main
THE GREAT ECSTASY OF ROBERT CARMICHAEL (UK) T. Clay
HALF LIFE: Journey to Chernobyl (UK) P. Grabsky
HAPPY ENDINGS (USA) Don Ross
HOTEL HARABATI (France) B. Vauvin
INNOCENT VOICES (Mexico) L. Mandoki
INTO GREAT SILENCE (Germany) P. Groening
THE JOURNEY (India) J. Pullappally
KEANE (USA) LH. Kerrigan
KEKEXILI: MOUNTAIN PATROL (China) L. Chuan
KRISANA (Fallen) (Germany / Latvia) F. Keleman
LADY IN THE WATER (USA) M. Night Shyamalan
MAN PUSH CART (USA) R. Bahrani
MARIO’S WAR (Italy) A. Capuano
MASJÄVLAR (Sweden) M. Blom
MÜETTER (Alsace / Germany) D. Lienhard
PLAY (Chile) A. Scherson
QUINCEAÑERA (USA) W. Westmoreland
A SCANNER DARKLY (USA) R. Linklater
SHANGHAI DREAMS (China) W. Xiaoshuai
SHUT UP! (France) F. Verbel
SNOWCAKE (UK / Canada) M. Evans
TEXAS (Italy) F. Paravidino
TO DIE IN SAN HILARIO (Spain) L. Mana
TOWARDS SUNSET (Iran) I. Emami
TWELVE AND HOLDING (USA) M. Cuesta
UNVEILED (Germany) A. Maccarone
VOLVER (Spain) P. Almodovar
THE WEST WITTERING AFFAIR (UK) D. Scheinmann

FINAL CUT DVD

With its high-profile celebrity stars, improvised storyline and edgy ‘mock-doc’ style, Final Cut, the dark drama from the creative team behind The Krays, is one of the most bizarre and distinctive British films of the late ‘90s. It will be released on DVD courtesy of Infinity on 25 September 2006.

Made in 1998, Final Cut stars two of the most successful British actors working in
movies today: Oscar nominee Jude Law (Alfie, The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold
Mountain) and Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, King Arthur, The Proposition). It also
features Law’s ex-wife, actress and fashion entrepreneur Sadie Frost (Shopping,
Coppola’s Dracula).

In Final Cut, the cast play characters named after themselves and the action takes
place at the funeral wake of successful writer Jude – played by Jude Law - as the
mourners gather to watch a film he’d been secretly working on for the past two years.
What they see is shocking: Jude has been filming his so-called friends’ most intimate
and depraved behaviour: stealing from each other, abusing their spouses, sleeping
with hookers, cross-dressing and worse. Husbands turn against wives and friends
against friends as the true nature of their lives and relationships is revealed. But
Jude’s biggest revelation is yet to come.

Final Cut is devised, directed and produced by Dominic Anciano and Ray Burdis,
the creative team behind such films as The Krays, Love, Honour & Obey, The
Reflecting Skin and the TV series Operation Good Guys. It was nominated for a
Golden Hitchcock award at the 1999 Dinard British Film Festival.

Extras include: Director’s Commentary, cast interviews.
Title: Final Cut Release Date: 25 September 2006 RRP: £15.99

‘this mischievous little jape…exerts a certain
fascination’
Time Out

A FUNNY BUSINESS

An in depth look at the day to day life of The Comedy Club

10.30pm - Thursday, 3rd August 2006 on BBC3

Every year with the approach of August, virtually everyone’s thoughts turn to The Edinburgh Festival. It is the time of year when Comedy steps into the limelight and takes over the stage. When comedians from around the world put on shows in the hope of fame and fortune and that ever elusive Television deal. But what goes on behind the scenes? Who are the people responsible for giving the Comedians that first boost up the ladder of success?

It is no coincidence that A Funny Business has been programmed for transmission for Thursday, 3rd August, the start of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe…

Commissioned by Ben Gale at BBC3, and Produced by Award-winning Dai4 Films, A Funny Business is a ‘fly on the wall’ documentary that looks at the sometimes chaotic, sometimes confrontational – but never dull - day to day management of one of the UK’s leading entertainment businesses. This one-hour documentary is a unique opportunity to see for the first time what it really takes to stay afloat in one of the world’s most cutthroat and fickle industries.

Without a good management team behind them, Comedians will often vanish from the Comedy Circuit within months of their first appearance - passed over by a public who are always searching for the next new laugh. As the programme unfolds it becomes obvious that there is much more to comedy than just a good punch line. With bookings across the UK and abroad, The Comedy Club manage their clients’ diaries and make sure, with very few exceptions, that they are in the right place at the right time, whether that involves entertaining the passengers of a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, launching a new comedy club in Prague or just making the punters laugh at one of the many comedy venues around the country. For The Comedy Club owner, Ian Franklin – a former entertainer himself – running the Company has become a way of life far more than just a nine to five job. With a great team behind him, Ian works constantly for the betterment of his clients, realising that their livelihoods are his responsibility. But when things go wrong they can go disastrously wrong and that’s when his skills as a diplomat and problem solver become indispensable.

This year The Comedy Club celebrates a decade as one of the leading lights of the Comedy Industry. No mean feat in an industry where companies and performers appear and disappear with the speed of a magician’s rabbit. Dai4 Films shadowed Ian, his staff and his clients for four months in order to achieve as realistic a view as possible of the energy and drive that Ian and everyone involved in Company invest in bringing tears of laughter to the eyes of audiences everywhere.

A FUNNY BUSINESS IS TRANSMITTED AS PART OF BBC3’S DOCUMENTARY SERIES WELCOME TO OUR WORLD.

www.hahaheehee.com

BBC New Music Shorts

A new filmmaking initiative from the BBC

21 July 2006. A new filmmaking initiative called BBC New Music Shorts was launched today. BBC Electric Proms, BBC Film Network and BBC New Talent are offering a challenge to new filmmakers to develop original and creative ideas around music filmmaking as part of the programme for this Autumn?s BBC Electric Proms festival.

The BBC enjoys unparalleled links with new film talent, and has partnered with the UK?s leading independent record labels - Warp Records, Ninja Tune, Domino and 679 Recordings - who have provided six tracks from their latest releases to offer filmmakers the chance to make films inspired by them. From 17 July, budding filmmakers are invited to log on to www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork and submit innovative ideas for new music shorts.

The BBC New Music Shorts team will commission the best and provide a budget of up to £5,000 to fund production of each short. Each piece will be produced by Warp Films and the films will be premiered at the forthcoming BBC Electric Proms festival and online at Film Network, the BBC?s interactive showcase for new British filmmakers.

BBC Electric Proms is taking place at the Roundhouse, and a selection of other North London venues from 25 ? 29 October 2006. A mix of headline acts will front the performances at BBC Electric Proms on the main stage each night, alongside upcoming artists and acoustic sets in other parts of The Roundhouse. The film strand will complement the programme of events taking place including screenings, masterclasses and other musical and visual installations.

So, what are the BBC New Music Shorts team looking for? Ideas can be for films in any genre ? documentary, animation, drama, experimental or even a straight promo ? and run any length from one to ten minutes. The challenge is to create a film that captures the music in an original way, to create a ?new music moment? in the spirit of the BBC Electric Proms.

BBC Electric Proms Festival Director Lorna Clarke said, ?BBC Electric Proms is about encompassing all elements of the musical and cultural mix. The BBC has been a long term supporter of new filmmakers and the BBC New Music Shorts programme will develop and build on that heritage.?

BBC Electric Proms will be broadcast across a number of BBC television and radio networks including BBC Two, BBC Three, Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, 1Xtra, 6 Music, BBC Asian Network and BBC World Service. There will be extensive online coverage, and digital television viewers will be able to enjoy performances on demand at the push of the red button.

PREMIER LEAGUE BACKS NEW CARTOON ON CBBC

The FA Premier League has agreed an exclusive deal to work with animation property ‘The Likeaballs’, a new cartoon that has kicked off on the CBBC Channel.

The cartoon is aimed at five to nine-year-olds, and involves a team of football-shaped aliens, the Likeaballs, who do battle with their adversaries, the Dislikeaballs. The 10 minute episodes show the Likeaballs using positive attitudes such as teamwork and fair play to get through a series of challenging situations.

This is the first time that the FAPL has agreed any association with a children’s TV property. The Likeaballs is a 26-part series currently being broadcast on CBBC every day at 4pm.

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, said: "Although the Premier League is involved in a number of football-based community initiatives that are aimed at young people, we have never come across a property with the kind of potential that ‘The Likeaballs’ has to communicate with children on a level like this.

“The Likeaballs has the right kind of attitude and is able to get across positive messages in a fun and interesting way that youngsters can understand and relate to.

“I am delighted that we have found this innovative new way to use football in a positive fashion.”

Likeaballs creator Jim Quick added: "All of us down here at Likeaballs' Headquarters are very excited that the Premier League has decided that the Likeaballs represent the same values and principles that the FAPL hold. Together we will deliver the motto of the Likeaballs..."Let the Fun and Games Begin"’.

Likeaballs has also appointed 4KIDS International to be their global distribution partner.

The Likeaballs is broadcast every day on the CBBC at 4pm. There are 26 episodes running at 10 minutes each.

For more on the cartoon series, visit: www.likeaballs.co.uk

A Home Of Your Own DVD

The hilarious ‘silent’ comedy A Home Of Your Own is finally available on DVD,
digitally restored and previously unavailable, it features fabulous performances
from some of the legends of British comedy.

A young couple: Richard Briers (The Good Life) and Bridget Armstrong begin
the process of building their dream home. From selecting the site, to the day –
several years and children later - when the couple finally move in, this mad-cap
comedy follows the trials and tribulations caused by the incompetent labourers
called in to help them.

The cast of builders ensure that slapstick comedy is never far away. Ronnie
Barker (The Two Ronnies, Porridge) plays the put upon cement mixer, with one
of his greatest scenes fondly remembered at his BAFTA tribute in 2004. Peter
Butterworth (Carry On…) plays the short-sited and hapless carpenter, and
Bernard Cribbins (Carry On Spying) is the equally incompetent stonemason.
This noisy but wordless comedy leads to broken windows, sections of the road
being repeatedly dug up, and countless cups of tea being made in this satirical,
but light-hearted look at the British building trade.
Bonus material: Interview with the producer Bob Kellett
Title: A Home Of Your Own
RRP: £9.99
Catalogue No.: DC10024
Release Date: 7 August 2006

“As a performer Ronnie Barker made
comedy look effortlessly funny, as
meticulous as he was talented”
BBC online

Wienerworld Releases

Wienerworld is delighted to announce the release of Howard Jones – Live At Salt Lake City, Latin Quarter – Live At Full House Rock Show and The Steve Morse Band Live all available from 28th August.

Howard Jones – Live At Salt Lake City
In 1983 Howard Jones - now considered to be one of the true godfathers of electronic music - released his first single New Song. Quite unexpectedly and unbelievably for a debut single it went to #3 in the charts. Howard’s follow up single What Is Love? proved that it had been no fluke as it rocketed to #2. No surprise then that when his first album Human’s Lib was released: it blasted its way straight to the very top of the charts and went platinum.

Latin Quarter – Live At Full House Rock Show
A mix of music styles spanning reggae, rock, dance and new wave and a mix of band members – Latin Quarter have always been a band that was like a melting pot of different cultures. But they never mixed their message; their powerful and significant lyrics, covering issues such as unemployment and racism, clearly highlighting their social conscience and political convictions whilst never failing to entertain.

The Steve Morse Band Live
Since forming the Dixie Dregs in 1975 Steve Morse has graced many bands with his guitar skills. Rated as one of the finest guitar players in the world he even replaced the awesome Joe Satriani on guitar whilst touring with Deep Purple. He also played alongside other greats such as Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Joe Perry.

FELLINI DVD BOX SET

Infinity Arthouse is delighted to announce the release of a stunning six-disc box set from cinematic maestro Federico Fellini. The set will be released on 14 August 2006 and features three key works, Orchestra Rehearsal, And The Ship Sails On, Ginger and Fred along with a whole host of extras, from one of cinema’s most creative and influential forces who directed such groundbreaking films as La Dolce Vita and Amarcord.

Orchestra Rehearsal is a biting musical satire from the master. In this sly social and political allegory, an orchestra assembles for a rehearsal under the inquisitive lenses of a TV crew. The wonderful music by Oscar®-winner Nino Rota (The Godfather I & II, The Leopard, Fellini’s La Dolce Vita), earned the film the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon award for best score.

“A little masterpiece…a lovely little jeud’esprit” Daily Telegraph

Ginger and Fred is Fellini’s award winning take on the world of small time show business. It skewers the medium Fellini loved to hate with a behind-the-scenes view of a variety show broadcast. Two former dancers from the 1940s, Ginger (Giulietta Masina) and Fred (Marcello Mastroianni – La Dolce Vita), who imitated the dance routines of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, reunite after retiring for over 20 years. It was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and received great critical acclaim on its theatrical release.

“Irresistibly charming” Time Out

And The Ship Sails On is a quirky imaginative fable, following a 1914 ocean voyage to scatter the ashes of a world famous opera singer (Janet Suzman). The ship’s passengers include aristocrats, diplomats and a band of opera singers. These egocentric passengers indulge their follies and fancies both vocally and romantically, but their gilded world is about to receive a chill blast of reality. This is a majestic masterpiece made even more so by its haunting musical score featuring Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss, Schubert and Debussy.

“Some simply stunning moments of surreal beauty and impish humour” Radio Times


Title: Fellini Box Set Release Date: 14 August 2006

RRP: £39.99 Language: Italian with English Subtitles

DVD Extras


Orchestra Rehearsal

Fellini’s Autobiography

Fellininiana Part 2: 10th Anniversary Of The Death Of Fellini

La Felliniana - Frederico In The City (Frederico In Citta)

La Felliniana - Powder Of Rimini (Polvere Di Rimini)

La Felliniana - That Train To Rome (Quel Treno Per Roma)

La Felliniana - Target The Director (Tirate Sul Regista)

La Felliniana - The Line Of The Shadow (La Linea D'ombra)

Ginger and Fred

La Felliniana: The Final Walk

La Felliniana: Silence

Marcello Mastrioianni: A Self Portrait (black and white)

And The Ship Sails On

La Felliniana: A Star Is Born

La Felliniana: A Genius at Work

Federico Fellini: A Self Portrait (black and white)

Murder, She Wrote Season 3 on DVD

COMPLETE THIRD SEASON OF ‘MURDER, SHE

WROTE’ TO BE RELEASED AS 6-DISC BOXSET

JESSICA FLETCHER (Angela Lansbury) continues her investigations in Season 3 of ‘Murder She Wrote’ which is released as a 6-disc DVD boxset by Universal Playback on July 31st.

‘Murder She Wrote’ is the longest running, most watched tv detective series of all time and was nominated for a staggering 44 Emmy Awards with Lansbury winning 4 Golden Globes for her role.

It is so popular that its still airing on BBC1 and UK Gold which is a considerable achievement for a series that was originally launched in 1984! Season 3 was the most successful of all, helped no doubt by the appearance of guest stars such as George Clooney, Courtney Cox and Tom Selleck.

Jessica Fletcher is a former English teacher and famed mystery writer who has a gift for solving mysteries. It seems murder follows her around whether it be to the houses of her friends and family or to her hometown of Cabot Cove in Maine.

The boxset has over 17 hours of content including a bonus crossover episode with Magnum P1 and a ‘Great 80’s Flashback’ retrospective bonus feature.


Episode Listing:

Death Stalks the Big Top: Part 1

Death Stalks the Big Top: Part 2

Unfinished Business

One White Rose for Death

Corned Beef & Carnage

Dead Man's Gold

Deadline for Murder

Magnum on Ice

Obituary for a Dead Anchor

Stage Struck

Night of the Headless Horseman

The Corpse Flew First Class

Episode Listing cntd

Crossed Up

Murder in a Minor Key

The Bottom Line Is Murder

Death Takes a Dive

Simon Says, Color Me Dead

No Laughing Murder

No Accounting for Murder

The Cemetery Vote

The Days Dwindle Down


Murder, She Spoke Product Information:

Release date: July 31st 2006

Running Time: 17 hours 11 mins

Certificate: 12

No. of Discs: 6

No. of Episodes: 22

FLAMENCO FLIRTS AT CAMBRIDGE

Optimist Film's British comedy drama, Flirting with Flamenco, has been selected for screening at this years 26th Cambridge Film Festival, marking the second year running that a movie produced by Cambridge graduate Neville Raschid backed by the Emerging Talent Film Partnership, has been chosen.

Flirting with Flamenco's appearance follows that of the company's first title, Lost Dogs back in 2005, and debuts at the festival several months prior to its autumn release across regional digital theatres throughout the UK.

The film centres around 'plain Jane' Sylvia, a women chronically lacking in self-confidence splitting her life between her family and the call centre she works at for the monstrous Bowker and his executive assistant Karen.

Sylvia's life changes suddenly after spotting the gorgeous Pablo strutting his stuff at a Flamenco demo and passion in Perivale blossoms. The film's main case includes; Jeremy Edwards - Hollyoaks, Tom Watt - East Enders, Elize du Toit - Hollyoaks and Holly Davidson - Casualty.

Neville Raschid, Optimist Films director, commented: "Being invited to screen a movie for the second time running by one of the country's best and most respected film festivals is amazing - a true testament to all those involved."

Bloodspell Locks Horns with Cars and Shrek

Indie Fantasy Epic Movie Bloodspell Locks Horns with Cars and Shrek

Running the gauntlet of its Hollywood hi-tech rivals, Scottish indie
overlord Strange Company launches the first part of 'Bloodspell', a
computer-animated action-adventure fantasy film, produced over three
years on a budget of less than GBP £5,000.

Free to download and view on its website (http://www.bloodspell.com )
from July 2006, the feature-length Bloodspell tells the story of a world
where some people carry magic blood in their veins: when their blood is
spilled, its magical power is released. The movie follows the adventures
of Jered, a monk of the magic-hating Church of the Angels, as he
discovers he is one of the ‘blooded’ and has to flee for his life into a
bizarre magical underworld.

Strange Company, producer of ‘machinima’ films which manipulate 3D game
software to create original animated stories, shot Bloodspell using the
visual technology of the computer game 'Neverwinter Nights'
(http://nwn.bioware.com ). By using the game's existing graphics instead
of the time-consuming frame by frame rendering techniques of movie
powerhouses like Pixar and Dreamworks, and by calling on a largely
volunteer work force, Strange Company produced its epic for a tiny
fraction of any Hollywood budget.

Science fiction author Cory Doctorow says of Bloodspell: "There's some
damned fine storytelling here. The Strange Company folks are at the
forefront of using the machinima medium for feature-length drama."

Convinced that big budget commercial films mask uninspiring stories with
flashy visuals, artistic director Hugh Hancock comments: “What we lack
in slick polish we make up for in originality and passion.”

Bloodspell is released under a ‘creative commons’
(http://creativecommons.org ) licence which allows completely free
access to and circulation of the film, reflecting its grass-roots
origins.

The first part of Bloodspell and all subsequent episodes can be
downloaded free at http://www.bloodspell.com

‘Northern Exposure’ Season 4 on DVD

EMMY AWARD WINNING CULT TV CLASSIC

TO BE RELEASED AS 6-DISC DVD BOX SET

Season 4 of the quirky and ever-popular comedy drama ‘Northern Exposure’ is to be released by Universal Playback as a 6-disc DVD boxset on July 31. The first series was launched in 1990 and quickly attracted a large fan base before going on to become one of America’s most popular tv programmes.

Season 4 sees the return of Dr Joel Fleishman (Rob Morrow) and the offbeat citizens of Cicely, Alaska, and guest stars include Anthony Edwards from ER, Patrick Warburton from Seinfeld and 80’s pop legend Adam Ant.

Across all Seasons, ‘Northern Exposure’ was nominated for 16 Emmy Awards, winning seven of them, and the Season 4 boxset contains over 18 hours of programming, plus additional bonus material.

Joel Fleishman is fresh out of medical school and fresh out of luck. Failing to read the fine print in his scholarship conditions, he finds he has no choice but to move to the remote and somewhat eccentric town of Cicely in the wilds of Alaska.

Once there, he is welcomed with open arms by all 215 people who live in the town and as he contends with the daily lives and rituals of these trusting although not-so-normal folk, Joel starts to realise that Cicely’s quieter way of life is probably more civilized than the hustle and bustle of Manhattan where he grew up.

He soon starts to build an eclectic circle of friends which includes wealthy former astronaut Maurice Minnifield, feisty pilot Maggie O’Connell, mayor and bar owner Holling Vincoeur, intellectual ex-con and radio presenter Chris Stevens, store owner Ruth-Anne Miller and film buff Ed Chigliak

Episode Listing:

Northwest Passages

Midnight Sun…

Nothing’s Perfect

Heroes

Blowing Bubbles

On Your Own

Thanksgiving

The Bad Seed

Do The Right Thing

Crime And Punishment

Revelations

Survival Of The Species

Duets

Grosse Pointe 48230

Learning Curve

Ill Wind

Love’s Labour Mislaid

Northern Lights

Family Feud

Homesick

The Big Feast

Kaddish For Uncle Manny

Mud And Blood

Sleeping With The Enemy

Old Tree

Product Information:

Release date: July 31st 2006

Running Time: 18 hours 20mins

Certificate: 15

No. of Discs: 6

No. of Episodes: 25

Talent Circle Super Shorts

Blue Star Mobile and Star Wars Director to Co-sponsor Inaugural Mobile Award

Leading mobile film content creation company, Production TLMH Ltd. (TLMH) has
announced that Blue Star Mobile Group PLC and legendary Hollywood director,
Irvin Kershner are supporting a pioneering mobile film award.

The two, in association with TLMH, are sponsoring the Talent Circle Super Shorts
Mobile Award. The award is given to a film made for screening on handheld
devices such as iPods, mobile phones and PSP's. All films must be a minimum of
20 seconds and a maximum of 60 seconds in length.

Tony Klinger, Chief Executive, Production TLMH Ltd., said:
"TLMH is proud to be a sponsor of Talent Circle in association with our partners
Blue Star. The addition of Irvin Kershner is the icing on this very rich and
special cake! Such a stellar combination reflects the growing prevalence of
content creators in the mobile entertainment market and the creative industry at
large."

Tony Klinger, Irvin Kershner and a representative from Blue Star Mobile will
form the judging panel for the Mobile Award. Irvin Kershner has also been
appointed as overall Festival Patron. The Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
director said:

"Talent Circle's Super Shorts Film Festival is a great contribution to the
development of film Today, audiences do not see enough of new and creative film
making in the form of short films and only witness the feature length films that
come largely from Hollywood. This festival gives young film makers a chance to
exhibit their ideas and projects to the public and gives audiences a chance to
see new and refreshing films from the undiscovered future filmmakers."

TLMH is enabling audiences to view the short-listed films online and then text-
vote their favourite films. Users will receive a mobile video download as a
reward for voting.

Owen Purcell, Production Director, Blue Star Mobile Group PLC said:
"Mobile is set to become a significant addition to the meteoric growth of user-
generated entertainment channels. Super Shorts provides users with the ability
to show off their creativity and should unearth some major new talents in the
world of entertainment.

About Talent Circle Super Shorts Film Festival
www.supershorts.org.uk