BOYEGA – DAKOTA – LARSON VIE FOR BAFTA AWARD

Star Wars: The Force Awakens star John Boyega, Fifty Shades Of Grey actor Dakota Johnson & Brie Larson, who is an awards favorite for Room are among those nominated for the EE Rising Star Award, which will be presented at the BAFTA Film Awards. The other nominees for the award are Taron Egerton, who starred in Kingsman: The Secret Service and appeared alongside Tom Hardy in London set gangster movie Legend, Bel Powley, who was nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards for coming – of – age drama The Diary 0f A Teenage Girl. Past winners of the award include Tom Hardy, James McAvoy, Kristen Stewart & Will Poulter. Jack O’Connell won the award last year following his performance in Yann Demange’s directorial debut 71. The jury that selected the nominees included Mike Newell, Olivia Colman, Jonathan Ross, Nina Gold, Lucy Bevan, Gabrielle Tana & James King.

YOUNG FRENCH CINEMA PROGRAM. ALL SET FOR 2ND EDITION

US & Canadian auds will get a snapshot of Gaul’s rising filmmakers & talent during the 2nd edition of the Young French Cinema Program, an initiative put together by French promo org Unifrance Films, the French embassy & Telefilm Canada. The lineup of the upcoming Young French Cinema Program includes Jean – Charles Hue’s Eat Your Bones, which world premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Ossama Mohammed & Wiam Simav Bedirxan’s Silvered Water, which premiered in Cannes’ Special Screenings, Antoine Barraud’s Berlin premiering Portrait Of The Artist & Alix Delaporte The Last Hammer Blow, which bowed at Venice. The program will also play an indie Quebecois film, Chorus, directed by François Delisle. The selected movies, most of which have premiered in one of the top North American festivals in 2015, will screen at US & Canadian theaters, universities & non – profit orgs.

CRITIC GUOAN TO PRESENT US – CHINA FILM SUMMIT

Dick Cook Studios & Chinese state owned enterprise CITIC Guoan are to present a new China – US Motion Picture Summit, to be held in China in Mar, 2016. The event is backed by China Media Culture Promotion Association & Beijing Film Academy, with Winston Baker, which organizes its own Film Finance Forum series, as conference producer. It will be held on 25th Mar, 2016 in Grand Epoch City, a new destination near Beijing that includes a replica of the Great Wall of China. “The summit will bring together top executives, award winning filmmakers, writers, technology leaders, & corporate delegates to address industry trends & strategies for success between Chinese & US entertainment businesses,” organizers said. Speakers have not yet been announced.

YAHOO SHUTTERS VIDEO SERVICE NAMELY YAHOO SCREEN

Yahoo has shut down Yahoo Screen, the video hub the beleaguered company launched over 2 years ago to unite its many original & syndicated programming under one roof. Yahoo Screen was home to everything from the recent streaming of an overseas NFL game to licensed clips of Saturday Night Live to the slate of original series launched last year including former NBC comedy Community, from Sony Pictures Television. The ambitious originals initiative led to Yahoo declaring a $42 million write down late last year. The plan now is to move the video properties from Yahoo Screen to the company’s many digital magazines, where like minded content can sit side by side. Streamed concerts from Yahoo Screen’s Live Nation channel, for instance, can now be surrounded with content from Yahoo Music.

DOWNTOWN ABBEY & SHERLOCK: The ABOMINLE BRIDE RULE OVER FESTIVE PERIOD

The festive finale of period drama Downton Abbey attracted a consolidated audience of almost 11 million in UK, where it aired on 25th Dec, 2015 on commercial channel ITV. The 2 hour episode drew an initial audience totaling 6.9 million, which gave it a 29.6% share. It has since added 4 million time shifted viewers. The Victorian era special edition of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, which aired on New Year’s Day on BBC, attracted the biggest live audience of the festive period with 8.4 million viewers. Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, starring Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman, took a 34.7% share.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS TOPS UK 2015 BOX OFFICE

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has become UK’s biggest movie released in 2015, with a box office total of £97.4 million ($143 million). J.J. Abrams’ film overtook the previous UK 2015 box office king, Spectre, in just 16 days of business, and has now outperformed UK’s 2nd biggest film of all time, Avatar. Spectre has taken $137 million, while 2009’s Avatar took $138 million. The all time box office champion in UK remains 2012’s Skyfall with $151 million. In US, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is also the 2nd biggest film of all time. On Sunday, Disney reported a domestic box office for the movie totaling $740 million, which has only been surpassed Stateside by Avatar on $761 million. Globally, Star Wars: The Force Awakens ranks as the 6th highest grossing film in history, having earned $1.5 billion worldwide.

BERGER TO CHAIR BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE

Josh Berger, the president & managing director of Warner Bros. Entertainment UK, Ireland & Spain, has been appointed as chair of the British Film Institute. Berger, who has served as a BFI Governor since 2011, will take over as chair in Feb, 2016 when Greg Dyke steps down. Berger will serve a 4 year term. “I look forward to working with BFI chief executive Amanda Nevill and her team to build on the great work that Greg Dyke has done as BFI chair over the last 7 years,” Berger said. “Our goal is to ensure that BFI continues protecting & promoting UK’s thriving film culture, and supporting & nurturing the ideas & talent that make up our world class British film industry, of which we are all so rightly proud.”

HOLLYWOOD RULES FRENCH BOX OFFICE IN 2015

Propelled by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Minions & Jurassic World, the same Box Office juggernauts that are pushing European box office to record (Germany) or standout (UK & Spain) 2015 results, Hollywood punched its best results this decade in France, with US movies taking a 54.5% market share for 2015, France’s CNC state film / TV board announced Thursday. Results comes after 4 years when, save for 2013, the biggest box office narrative has been the rise of the French blockbuster in France, exemplified by The Intouchables & Bad (Serial) Weddings. In 2015, it was Hollywood’s & Star Wars: The Force Awakens year, however, though Minions, the French could point out, was animated in France and the characters the creation of France’s Pierre Coffin. Total tix sold in France, 206 million (about $1.5 billion at current dollar conversion rates), was 1.4% down on 2014, but above the 199.6 million average for the last 10 years.

CHOMET MOVES INTO PRODUCTION ON THE THOUSAND MILES

4 time Academy Award nominated Sylvain Chomet, the multi – talented French writer – helmer – animator -composer, is moving into production on The Thousand Miles, his anticipated return to feature animation direction after 2003 debut The Triplets of Belleville 2010’s The Illusionist. Having completed a lengthy development process, Chomet and his animation team will initiate character design & story boarding later this month, followed by production animation with actors. The Thousand Miles is slated for a 2017 release. With dialogue playing an uncharacteristically larger part of the Chomet’s 3rd animation feature, after mere garbled utterance in his 1st & 2nd, The Thousand Miles also marks Chomet’s effective English language debut.

5 FILMS HEADLINE UNIFRANCE RENDEZ – VOUS & FIVE FEATURING PIERRE

Niney, Boss’s Daughter, a Wild Bunch market premiere & Irreplaceable, on Le Pacte’s books, will all screen at the 18th UniFrance Rendez -Vous with French Cinema, the biggest national film market in the world. Other potential highlights, of new films screening, take in Indie Sales’ Dofus – Book 1: Julith, Bac’s The Great Game, Films Distribution’s Good Luck Sam, a EuropaCorp drama, Stop Me Here, Elle Driver’s Jailbirds, Pathe’s Come What May & The Other Angle’s The Roommates Party.”Running 14th Jan, 2016 to 18th Jan, 2016 in Paris, the Rendez – Vous will also highlight the state & direction of France’s movie export industry, the biggest in the world after US in its sales agents numbers and, with UK. depending on the definition of what constitutes a UK film, in theatrical gross & companies revenues.

REALITISM ACQUIRES CASABLANCAS – THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMAN

Realitism Film is on board to produce Hubert Woroniecki’s Casablancas – The Man Who Loved Women, a hybrid documentary feature portraying the glamorous & the colorful life of John Casablancas, the New York born creator of Elite modeling agency. Budgeted at $800,000 and sold by Films Distribution, the docu is narrated by Casablancas based on an interview which he gave to Woroniecki 2 years before passing in 2013. The doc weaves exclusive archive stills from Casablancas’ life, footage from TV interviews & animation. Casablancas launched the careers of such supermodels as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista & Kate Moss. Through the Elite agency, Casablancas turned these models into pop culture icons. Diane Jassem, Christine Ponelle & Grégory Bernard are producing at Paris based Realitism Film, the shingle behind Rodolphe Marconi’s Lagerfeld Confidentiel which played in Berlin in 2007 & Quentin Dupieux’s movies such as Wrong Cops & Realité.

NETFLIX ACQUIRES JE SUIS CHARLIE

Giving far wider potential play to an insider’s documentary on an event & group of artists that moved the world, Paris based Pyramide International has licensed docu – feature tribute Je Suis Charlie to Netflix. Directed by father – son team Daniel Leconte & Emmanuel Leconte, the former a close friend of the French cartoonists & helmer of a 2008 Charlie Hebdo docu -feature, It’s Hard To be Loved By Jerks. Je suis Charlie will be made available in US, Canada, UK & Australia / New Zealand on 6 Jan, 2016, the eve of the 1st anniversary of the attack on Charlie Hebdo’s office in Paris, which left 12 dead. Move comes as Pyramide International, a premier European arthouse sales company, is pushing out early pre – sales on 2 other key titles: Mikhael Hers’ This Summer Feeling & Lea Fehrer’s Les Ogres. This Summer Feeling & Les Ogres both screen at Paris’ UniFrance Rendez – Vous with French Cinema, unspooling 14th Jan, 2016 to 18th Jan, 2016.

MORRICONE TO BE FETED BY LOS ANGELES ITALIA FILM FASHION & ART FESTIVAL

Ennio Morricone will be feted by the 11th Los Angeles – Italia Film Fashion & Art Festival, the annual pre – Oscars event comprising movies & music and celebrating showbiz ties between Italy & Hollywood, which will run 21st Feb, 2016 to 27th Feb, 2016 at Hollywood & Highland Center. The venerable Italian composer, whose long list of credits includes scores for Once Upon A Time In The West, Bugsby & The Mission received an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2007. He is also a Golden Globes nominee this year for composing the original score for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight and is also considered a possible contender for additional accolades, including a possible Oscar nomination. Morricone is also a candidate for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

QUO VADO BREAKS OPENING RECORD

Italian laffer Quo Vado, featuring local comic sensation Checco Zalone has scored a record breaking Euros 22.2 million ($24.2 million) in its opening weekend at the Italian box office, a haul on a par with the total take – to – date in Italy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens after more than 3 weeks. Quo Vado, about a Southern Italian slacker hellbent on holding on to his parasitic Government job even when he is transferred out of spite to the North Pole, has pulverised all Italian 1st frame box office results since its 1st Jan, 2016 release via Medusa on more than 1,200 screens, occupying roughly one 3rd of the country’s screen space. Pic directed by Gennaro Nunziante pulled a boffo more than Euros 18,000 ($19,600) screen average.

ITALY INCREASES RESOURES FOR FILM & TV PRODUCTION RESOURSES

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini is kicking off the year on a positive note for the country’s film & TV industries by raising available resources for film & TV production incentives by 21% to Euros 140 million ($153 million) in 2016. Italy’s parliament has just approved a national budget comprising measures to beef up the country’s production tax credits which have been key to luring Hollywood shoots, including Paramount’s Zoolander 2, and MGM & Paramount’s Ben Hur remake, to Rome’s storied Cinecittà Studios in 2015. Both pics were entirely shot in Italy. “We are boosting a fiscal mechanism that is generating a huge increase in international productions in Italy,” the Italo culture Czar boasted in a statement.

LEONE FILM GROUP INKS MULTIMILLION 3 YEAR DEAL

Italy’s Leone Film Group, the company originally founded by spaghetti western master Sergio Leone, has inked a multimillion dollar 3 year pay TV deal with Murdoch owned Sky for Italy, which marks a further sign of its rise to prominence in Italy’s film distribution arena. Deal, which covers 39 upcoming 1st run feature films, will cover the Jul, 2016 -Jun, 2019 period. The value is tied to the box office performance of the titles. No other financial details were disclosed. The deal with Sky marks Leone Group’s key alliance with the country’s top pay TV provider, a crucial component of the local distribution cycle. “After our recent deals with RAI, Medusa & Netflix, this deal with Sky Italia is ulterior confirmation of the excellent work Leone Film Group is doing,” boasted managing director Andrea Leone in a statement.

NETFLIX TO BE LAUNCH IN RUSSIA IN JAN 2016

Streaming platform Netflix is preparing to launch in Russia in Jan, 2016 according to a report in Russian newspaper Izvestia. Initially the service will be available via set – top boxes & smart TV sets. “We hope that there will be more licensed content in Russia, and with the advent of Netflix people will start to get used to the consumer subscription model,” LG Electronics smart TV manager Vitaliy Svistunov said. Netflix plans to complete its global expansion by the end of Jan, 2016. In Europe, its progress has been completed in stages. In 2012, it became available in UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries, and the following year it expanded to the Netherlands. In 2014, it launched in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg & Switzerland, and last year, it added Spain, Italy & Portugal. Joris Evers, Netflix’s head of communications for Europe, told Variety, “We aim to largely complete our global expansion by the end of this year,” but would not specify exactly when the service would launch in Russia.

VIACOM FORMS JOINT VENTURE WITH LEGACY

Viacom Internation Media Networks, which operates Viacom channels such as MTV & Nickelodeon around the world, has restructured its television business in Russia. VIMN has entered into a new partnership with Legacy Media so that the business complies with the amended Russian Mass Media Law, which has already taken effect on 1st Jan, 2016. The law sets the maximum foreign stake in Russian mass media companies at 20%. A new joint venture between VIMN & Legacy will operate the 12 pay TV channels in Russia that were previously owned & operated by VIMN alone. “Since entering the Russian market in 1998, VIMN’s local operations have grown strongly with all 4 of its core global brands, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Comedy (Comedy Central) & Paramount Channel, now firmly established,” VIMN said in a statement. “VIMN & Legacy Media are committed to providing Russian TV viewers with the best in children’s, comedy, music & general entertainment programming & film, and will continue to build on the strong recent performance of these brands.

LA JAULA DE ORO’S DIEGO OQUEMADA – DIEZ PREPS OPERATION ATLAS

Director of Guatemala US road movie thriller La Jaula De Oro (The Golden Dream), a standout Latin American debut, Spain born Mexican Diego Quemada – Diez is readying political thriller Operation Atlas as he launches an Academy Award campaign for his 1st feature. Winner of a Cannes Un Certain Talent Award, La Jaula De Oro (The Golden Dream) tracks 3 teens, one a young Tzxotzil native, from Guatemala across the length of Mexico as they dodge migration cops, clash with gangs & travel on train tops to a white knuckle climax on US, Mexico border. After immigration, Operation Atlas takes another hot button issue: Civil resistance to multinational corporation development projects backed by local governments – hydroelectric dams, massive deforestation & varied fossil – fuel programs (oil, mining, fracking et al), which is a recurrent narrative throughout Latin America.

NEW SHINGLE PACTS WITH ITALY’S INDIGO FILM

Maze Pictures, the new independent film label set up by prominent German producers Philipp Kreuzer & Jörg Schulze, has joined forces with Italy’s Indigo Film to co – produce high -concept Italo skein “Due Di Noi (Two of Us) written & directed by Ivan Cotroneo. “Due Di Noi (Two of Us) is an ensemble 25 minute, 12 episode series in which each character is played by 2 actors with distinctly different physical traits who represent different masks people wear on the workplace, at home, and in social situations. Cotroneo is known internationally for Italo pubcaster RAI’s hit show Crazy For Love, featuring Bollywood style musical numbers, sold widely including to Huace Media International for China, and also for groundbreaking Italian cross – platform sitcom An Imperfect Mom, optioned by ABC for US.

SPAIN’S BOX OFFICE SURGED 8% In 2015

Total box office gross in Spain soared in 2015 vs. 2014 by 8.4% to €571 million ($625.8 million), per Rentrak Spain. Reason: the same winning combination which looks set to spell all – time records or standout total Box Office trawls for 2015 in France, UK & Germany: Hollywood juggernaut perfs from the likes of Star Wars – The Force Awakens, Minions & Jurassic World plus a national comedy phenomena or 2. In Spain’s case, latter is repped by Spanish Affair 2. Produced by Lazona & Weather Films AIE, a tax vehicle, for Telecinco Cinema, the film production arm broadcast group Mediaset España, it has topped 2015 as Spain’s highest – grossing movie of the year, pushing Minions into No. 2 spot with its €31 million ($34.0 million) cume, and counting.

SPECTRE PUNCHED BARNSTORMING RESULT IN UK – France – GERMANY

In Spain, underscoring the status of world’s biggest tyke – driven family entertainment as must see events, Inside Out also made the top 5, giving UPI Spain 3 Top 5 Box Office berths & Disney 2. Spanish cinema couldn’t equal its market share of 25% in 2014, its biggest since 1977. But at 19%, its slice of Spain’s total box office pie was still the 2nd best on Rentrak records, dating back to 1997, per Arturo Guillen, Rentrak VP, Europe, Middle East & Africa. Total 2015 admissions in Spain came in at 94 million, 6.7% up vs. 2014. After 4 years of crisis lacerated successive decline from 2009, Spain’s 2015 Box Office gross, the 4th worst this century, is still way down on its all -time record of €691.6 million ($757.9 million by current currency conversion), posted in 2004, driven by rampant multiplexing from 1990’s onwards and a bullish economy.

SPAIN GETS NEW INDUSTRY SKEWED PUBLIC INCENTIVE SYSTEM

In the 1st potentially game – changing regulatory overhaul since 1994, Spain’s interim Government has unveiled a new subsidy system that looks likely to facilitate public financing for a small score – or – more of movie projects which has snagged private – sector finance: TV funding, distribution P&A or international sales deals. At least in domestic market terms, new system, which was rushed onto the statue books before 20th Dec, 2015 general elections, catches the Spanish film industry on a roll having posted market shares of 25% in 2014 and, boosted by Telecinco Cinema co – produced Spanish Affair 2, 19% through mid – Dec, 2015, per producers’ association Fapae. Now the new system has sparked fierce debate among the production sector as to whether it is a boon or a bane.

WANDA IN FINAL TALKS TO BUY MAJORITY STAKE

Chinese entertainment giant Wanda Group is in final negotiations to buy a majority stake in Legendary Entertainment, the Hollywood studio run by Thomas Tull that has built a substantial, multi – genre content operation from a base of fantasy & gamer franchises, according to an individual familiar with the situation. Talks to complete the deal have not concluded but the Chinese company would buy out the stake of 2 other investors in a deal that values the company between $3 billion & $4 billion, said the individual, who declined to be named when speaking about confidential talks. The deal would give the Chinese conglomerate, which owns Wanda Cinemas, AMC Entertainment and vast real estate holdings, another major foothold in US, beyond AMC, the No. 2 theater chain in North America. The deal would leave Legendary founder & CEO Thomas Tull in charge of the company and with a substantial minority ownership interest, the source added.