I n T his I ssue: Canada’s F ilm M or e on B ar uc h A ntaly a F ilm F est T he M agic of I P T V THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 VOL. 27 NO. 6 $9.75 ® www.videoage.org Yeow Hui Leng, project director of Reed Exhibitions, Singapore, which is organizing the eighth annual Asia Television Forum ( ATF) , is happy that “the 2007 [ATF] is one hundred percent sold out.” However, 2008 might well prove to be a different story, due to the threat from AMAZIA, a competing market to be held just prior to the ATF. If the name doesn’t yet say much, its backers speak volumes: Reed Midem. Franz Caduc, director of New Business Development, Reed Midem ( which, along with Reed Exhibitions, is part of Reed Business Group, meaning that two divisions of the same company are now competing for the same audience) , and the man charged with responsibility for AMAZIA, A M A Z I A ’s I ntr o: A sia T V F or um ’s O wn T sunam i (Continued on Page 22) (Continued on Page 26) BY LEAH HOCHBAUMROSNER rior to the upcoming National Association of Television Program Executives ( NATPE) event, which will be held January 28-3 1 , 2008 at the traditional Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, there was talk that this time around the studios wouldn’t just skip the floor in favor of the suites — but that they’d skip out altogether. But VideoAge has learned that these reports were somewhat unfounded. Both the domestic and international divisions of Warner Bros. Television Distribution and NBC Universal Television Distribution will have booths on the convention floor. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Domestic said that: “We don’t want it to be a big deal that we’ve chosen the floor this year because who knows what next year will bring? We might be in the suites.” Similarly, a spokesman for NBC Universal Domestic TV stated that they’d “definitely” be on the floor for the 2008 event. On the other hand, some studios are indeed leaving the floor, but aren’t taking to the suites. A rep for Sony Pictures NA T P E M ar k et P ower Now to T he I ndies F ilm m ak er s F ind T heir T r ue Callings in M iam i young provocatively-dressed Colombian lady hopped tables during the Florida Media Market’s ( FMM) first-day lunch break, pitching her project – – something that sounded, at first, like the usual documentary one often hears about at media market conferences. Her pitch wasn’t clear, so many dismissed it as gobbledygook. But those who paid attention and actually asked (Continued on Page 24) (Continued on Page 20) BY DOMSERAFINI s Hollywood quivering in fear in the face of new media? Recently, The Los Angeles Timeswrote that, “Mainstream media [is in] a digital panic,” and this is, perhaps, the reason behind its rush towards million-dollar purchases of social networking websites that are easily replicable. News Corp., Fox’s parent company, for example, paid $580 million to buy the social networking website MySpace, adding it to their 1 9 other Internet-based operations. A gossip website, TMZ.com, has even become a television show produced by Telepictures and distributed by Warner. Bros. At this point one still gets the impression that entertainment professionals tend to be fearful of Web content made by amateurs ( essentially 60 percent of videos that show up on YouTube and other social T he Studios’ New Challenge: D ir ec t- toH om e M ov ie D eliv er y Martedì16Ottobre2007 www.ilsole24ore.com Supplementoal numeroodiernodelSole-24Ore-PosteItaliane Sped. inA.p. -D.l. 353/2003conv.L.46/2004,art. 1,c.1,DcbMilano Direttoreresponsabile FerrucciodeBortoli Caporedattore LauraLaPosta CINEMA RAPPORTI di Dom Serafini Hollywood, la vecchia signora dell’intrattenimento, ha timore dei nuovimedia. «Imedia tradizionali si sono fatti prendere dal panico digitale», scrive il Los Angeles Times. Ed ecco che si lanciaall’acquistodinuoviportaliaudio-videopagandoprofumatamentepermezzi facilmente replicabili. La News Corp., casa madre della Fox, ha pagato580milioni didollari per il sito di comunicazione sociale MySpace, aggiungendolo alle sue altre 19 operazioni Internet. Un sito di gossip, TMZ. com è addirittura diventato un programmatelevisivodellaTelepictures (Warner Bros.). Sembra insomma che i giganti dell’intrattenimentoabbianotimore dei video girati dai dilettanti (che rappresentano il 60% del materiale che circola su siti comeYouTube). Hollywood ha un rapporto apparentemente schizofrenico con i nuovi media. È vero che la tecnologia sta cambiando tutto, ma è anche vero che, per gli studio, cambia tutto affinchénoncambinullaper leloro tasche. Mentre da una parte si lanciano alla cieca sui media digitali, dall’altra sanno bene dove vogliono arrivare: portare i lorofilmdirettamentenelle case dei consumatori e ridurre drasticamente i costi di produzione, promozione e distribuzione. «Le nuove generazioni non conoscono i Dvd – spiega Russell J. Kagan, consulente dellemajor – equestoperchè si affidano alla banda larga». Ma finché gli studio continueranno a fare soldi con i Dvd, non li elimineranno. Quello che dà fastidio alle major è il dover dividere le entrate con un intermediario: il 60% alle catene di negozi che vendono i Dvd (senza contare il costo di fabbricazione degli stessi); il 50%all’operatore cavo e satellitare per il servizio video on demand; e il 20% alla sala cinematografica (la prima settimana, poi concede fino al 50%). «Non vogliamo dare i nostri contenuti in deposito per ottenere una semplice commissione – spiega Gary Marenzi, copresidente della Mgm – bensì desideriamo creare sinergie commerciali che ci assicurino una giusta quota. Non possiamonemmenoignorarelediverse formedi distribuzione. Ènostro dovere distribuire in modo efficiente i nostri contenuti emonetizzarli». Secondo Kagan, alle major brucia ancora il fatto di essersi fatte sfuggire, nel 1981, lo sviluppo di reti Tv per il cinema, tipoHbo: laprimaadaver capito e sfruttato l’allora nuova tecnologia satellitare. Errore che ora gli studios non vogliono replicare. Lemajornonpuntanoall’eliminazione di alcun canale di sfruttamento e tantomeno intendonoscoraggiare l’introduzione di nuove forme di fruizione dei loro film. Gli sbagli dell’industriadiscografica servono da monito. Come ha dichiarato Edgar Bronfman della Warner Music, «l’industria della musica sta crescendo, quella discografica invece no!». L’esperienzadella videocassetta è bastata: un mezzo che gli studios volevanoeliminare nel 1984 ma che poi si è rivelato un’enorme fonte di guadagni extra. Ad aprire la finestra del portaaportapergli studioè labandalarga.Diquestahannogiàbeneficiato le case di produzione cinematografiche riducendo la pirateria dei Dvd. Infatti, nel 2005, le major americane hanno subito perdite valutate a 3,7 miliardi di dollari per colpa dei film piratati in tutto il mondo. Nel 2006questa somma si èabbassata a 2,3 miliardi, grazie all’aumento del numero dei film scaricati via Internet. Tra poco costerà troppo produrre Dvd piratati al confronto del prezzo di un film scaricato legittimamente. Tre ulteriori sviluppi giocano a favore della strategia degli studio: l’assenza di costi aggiuntivi per la banda larga, il basso costo dei televisori piatti a largo schermo e le tecnologieper l’accesso immediato, tipo Vudu della Vudu, Inc. Tanto che Mark Cuban, uno dei pionieri della new economy, ha dichiarato: «ai consumatori piace guardare i film su schermi tvdi 70pollici».Mentreper evitare i tempi di scaricamento, tutte le major, eccetto la Sony Pictures, hanno negoziato con Vudu per la consegna porta a porta via broadband dei loro film. L’apparecchio di Vudu, del costo di 300 dollari, permette di visionare il film al prezzodi 6dollari sudi untelevisore, subitodopoaverloselezionato. Aggiunge Marenzi: «LaMgmsi è impegnata anche con Apple e altre piattaforme. Stiamo abbracciando tutte le forme di distribuzione digitale, siano queste streaming o per scaricamento. Siamo neutrali sulla tecnologia e agnostici sulle piattaforme». La Tv cavo ha beneficiato dei serviziTvcomeHbochegli studiostessi hannoaiutatoa far crescere, eoggigli studiosigiovano dei servizi di banda larga offerti dalla Tv cavo (assieme alle telecom e agli operatori di Wi-Fi eWi-Max). Il prezzo fisso per la banda larga è ora unproblema per gli operatori Tv cavo, tanto che unodi questi, Comcast, l’haaddirittura tolta ad alcuni suoi abbonati perché consumavano troppo. Per gli studio, il costodel trasporto di un film dai server ai consumatorièdicircauncentesimoall’ora per utente. «Per gli studio – spiega Kagan – il costo del trasporto via banda larga è paragonabileaquellodi fabbricazione dei Dvd». Per dare alle Tv cavo un contentino, gli studio stanno ora esaminando il cosiddetto "day&date", cioè l’uscita dei film simultaneamente nei cinema e per Vod. Cosa che, naturalmente, non piace ai gestori di sale cinematografiche. «Siamo in una fase di sperimentazione – continua Marenzi –. Tra alcuni mesi avremo più informazioni al riguardo. LaMgmvaluterà leopportunità offerte dal "day&date"casopercaso.Sebbene ilpotenziale ci sia, esistono aspetti negativi che potrebbero intaccare varie componenti del nostrobusiness». Continuaupagina 13 Marta Cagnola «ViaVenetoè l’approdo obbligato sulla rotta delle celebritàpiùomeno effimere del nostro tempo. Kirk Douglas assapora learie romane, sorride alla città eterna econcede autografi consimpaticabonarietà...». Recitavacosì uncinegiornale dell’Industriacortometraggi Milano, quella«Settimana Incom»cheper vent’anni, dal 1946al 1965, raccontòagli italiani l’incantodi una strada, trecentometri da PiazzaBarberini aPorta Pinciana, chedivenne il luogopiùamatodalle stelle del cinema. KirkDouglas era solounodei nomi dorati che vi si incontravanoa passeggio tutte le sere - e le notti, come raccontò FedericoFellini neLadolce vita, nel 1960.Una vitache ebbe il suoculmineproprio agli inizi degli anni Sessantae poi sparì.Manel nostro immaginarioRoma resta legata ai sogni di celluloide, forseancorapiùdiVenezia, piùdi Cannes. Per questo la FestadiRoma è indissolubilmente legata alla mondanità. Eper il suo essere "festa", enon "festival", porta il tappeto rosso inmezzoalla folla dell’Auditoriumepermette di vedere le star adistanza (quasi) di comunimortali. «Cercheremodi dimostrare che il glamournonè fine a se stesso,ma che il corpodella star spessoè il corpodel grande attore», dichiara la direttricedella sezione PremièrePieraDetassis. Come adire: nonè tuttooro quel che luccica,maqui a Roma sì. Ecosì potremo vedere seMonicaBellucci si presenterànel suoconsueto lookdimoramozzafiato oppure (per laprimavolta) bionda, come laManouchedi Ledeuxième souffle. Lei confessa: «L’effettodella chiomabionda è stato sorprendente, soprattutto sugli uomini,maè statoper unavolta emai più». La attendiamocosì come aspettiamoCateBlanchett, chehadisertatoVenezia, persinoper la cerimoniadi premiazione alla suaCoppa Volpi. Ci sarà anche la nuova prezzemolinadel grande schermo, semprepiùamatae semprepiùmagra, Keira Knightley. Semprepiù tonda, invece,HalleBerry, nonper troppi dolcimaperché in dolceattesa. Gioiedella famiglia, insomma, come quelledi FrancisFord Coppola, che si porterà a Roma tutto il parentado.Non hapauradi stare solo (anzi) l’altrograndeprotagonista della sezioneExtra, il regista piùmisteriosod’America, TerrenceMalick, quattro filmin trent’anni di carriera. Per il suo interventoha chiestochevengano approntatemisuredi sicurezza rafforzatee allontanati tutti i fotografi. I flashsi potranno scatenare sul cast diLions for lambs(di econRobert Redford, econ Meryl StreepeTomCruise) e sulle stelledi casanostra. C’èAsiaArgento, ormai internazionale, con le sue nuoveprovocazioni, stavolta investedi attriceedi figlia. C’èDiegoAbatantuono, accantoaGérardDepardieu, neL’abbuffatadiMimmo Calopresti. Epoi l’eterna e inossidabileSophiaLoren, che l’anno scorsounpo’ ci rimasemaleper ilmancato invitoeche ora simeritaun evento speciale. «Iconadi Roma», l’hadefinita il sindaco,WalterVeltroni. Cheunpo’ iconadi Roma e del suocinema èpure lui. Duevolumi di critica in bibliografia, quattro film tratti dalle sueopere letterarie, nel suopassato persino il diploma all’Istituto professionaleCineTv.Ma per sapere chi sarà il più abbagliante (di lucepropria) e il piùabbagliato (dai flash) bisogneràaspettare laprova del tappeto rosso. All’Auditoriuml’ardua sentenza. Gli Studios a un bivio. È tempo di scegliere tra la difesa del business tradizionale e l’apertura al web che consente di scavalcare le sale Hollywoodportaaporta MARCO MARELLA MAXI-INVESTIMENTI Per colmare il divario conYouTubevengonopagati acaroprezzodei siti internetdi dubbio valore economico Lemajor vogliono portare i loro film direttamente nellecase degli spettatori WEBPHOTO ParlaGoffredoBettini.«Il nostro successo ha spintoVeneziaa faremeglio»upagina 6 LanuovaDolcevita Il cartellone.Dagiovedì allaFestadiRoma 167pellicoledi cui 14 inconcorsoupagina 7 Belleesupersexy ViaVenetoritrova legrandi stelle Cate Blanchett interpreta la Regina Elisabetta nel film Elizabeth: The Golden Age Le deuxième souffle,con una ineditaMonica Bellucci platinata INR I ZZARDI ... as reported in the Italian press
V I D E O A G E • N o. 6 • N o v / D e c 2 0 0 7 Cover stories: Studios’ New Challenge: H ow b r oadb and c an elim inate the m iddlem an, r educ e p ir ac y and lower c osts T he F lor ida M edia M ar k et gets f ilm m ak er s m ov ing. I t’s what M iam i has to of f er f or now and it’s p r om ising NA T P E with f ewer U . S. studios and nada E ur op eans has to r einv ent itself — again! B ut ther e c ould b e p leasant sur p r ises! A sia T V F or um f ac es A m az ia in 20 0 8 : I t’s K ing . . . sor r y , H ong K ong v er sus Sk ull I sland . . . sor r y , Singap or e 4 . W or ld: M onac o’s Sp or tel, I ndia, China, U . S. L etter s. P lus, f am ous q uotes 8 . B ook R ev iew. Canadian liter atur e to f ilm . Y es, Canada has liter atur e and f ilm ! 1 0 . M I P CO M r ep or t. B ig Shots and B ig D eals M ak e f or a M er r y M ar k et. A ll wer e hap p y to sp end and m ak e lots of m oney 1 4 . T he A m er ic an F ilm M ar k et r ev iew is the usual m ix ed b ag — good and b ad. Still it m ak es f or a good r ead. 1 8 . A ntaly a F ilm F estiv al and M ar k et c onq uer s W est A sia b y k eep ing an ey e to E ur op e 28 . Calendar to swear and sweat b y 3 0 . M y 2¢ : T he m agic of I P T V and the lur e of elec tr onic sell- thr oughs V I D E O A G E • N o. 6 • N o v / D e c 2 0 0 7
CCT V ’s D eal W ith Sp or tsnow! CCTV Sports Promotion, the commercial arm of broadcast giant CCTV, China’s national television network, and Puerto Rico’s Sportsnow!, have reached an agreement to co-produce and distribute Who’s Who: The Rivals , a series featuring the world’s top athletes as they prepare for next year’s Summer Olympic Games, to be held in Beijing. The series will consist of 50 24 -minute episodes, and will feature exclusive interviews with the top 50 Chinese Olympic gold medal contenders, as well as the top 50 international athletes from around the globe. Each episode will focus on the top two or three athletes in each discipline, and will follow them as they prepare for the biggest event of their careers. R atings in I ndia T o B e R ef or m ed ndian advertisers and broadcasters have proposed the creation of an organization to make industry and policy recommendations in order to improve the way TV audience ratings are measured. The Advertising Agencies Association of India, Indian Broadcasters Federation and Indian Society of Advertisers have elected Zee Telefilms CEO Pradeep Guha as chairman to explore new ways to reform the TV ratings measurement system. Currently, only TAM Media Research — in a joint venture between AC Nielsen and Kantar Media Research/ IMRB — measures TV ratings in India. Its Peoplemeter TV panels are considered to be the largest globally, with 3 0,000 sample individuals polled weekly. It has not yet added direct-tohome platforms or conditional access systems measure-ment ratings. “India has a vast topography and the number of households is increasing, so we need metrics in rural places,” said Zee prez Joy Chakraborthy. “In one of the fastest growing economies of the world we have the lowest ad revenues — worth just $3 .3 billion annually. It should be much more.” Janet Fine Sp or tel Sets R ec or d PORTELMonaco, the international sports convention for television and new media executives, which was held at Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum and ended October 1 8, played host to the biggest names in international sports programming distributors, including the National Football League, NASCAR, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, ESPN and the PGA Tour, as well as European bigwigs Eurosport, the International Softball Federation and RAI Trade. In what was touted as the largest SPORTEL event ever, a total of 2,3 62 participants representing 9 75 companies from 79 counties worldwide took part in SPORTELMonaco 2007. This year’s expanded market featured 1 77 stands, kiosks and exhibits, up from 1 53 in 2006. The 1 9 th annual SPORTELMonaco will return to the Grimaldi Forum, October 20-23 , 2008. T he L az ar us A r t Show f or Char ity n the occasion of the American Film Market in Santa Monica, California, Herb Lazarus, president, International, Carsey-Werner, and his artist wife, Shelley ( pictured below) , organized an exhibition of Shelley’s paintings ( and fellow artist Della Rolle’s sculptures) at the nearby Tag Gallery. The proceeds of the art auction were donated to the Robert David Lazarus Pulmonary Support Group, which was started in 2003 by Herb and Shelley’s son, Robert, before his untimely death in 2005 at the age of 4 2. The event was well attended by industry representatives, including EMC’s Jim Marrinan, veteran distributor Alan Silverbach and Twentieth Century Fox president Mark Kaner, in addition to the trade media. NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 26 e ps x 26’ Epidem ZOT/Mikael Wahlforss Cartoon One/Gianluca Bellomo Cartoon One S.r.l. • Via Polistena 10 • 00173 Rome • Italy Tel. +39 06 45421986 • Fax +39 06 45421990 • www.cartoonone.it • info@cartoonone.it H SH Princ e Albert II w ith RAI Trade’s M assimo M igani
Cam p o B r os’ U p lif ting F ilm B rooklyn boy Joe Campo is an awardwinning film producer and the younger brother of Sal Campo, a veteran TV and film distributor. Together, they are working on Joe’s latest project, The Human Experience, an 85-minute docudrama about life’s uplifting moments from such varying points of view as lost children in Perú , homeless people in New York and leprosy victims in Ghana. “Misery is not the point,” explained Joe Campo. “Faith, love and forgiveness, is. Material things are not important to these people, because they have none. However, reliance, hope and God are very important. They don’t have happiness, but they do have joy.” The movie was produced in-house in conjunction with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal for which Joe runs a home for “young men who need a second chance.” Sal Campo is currently tasked with searching for a distributor for DVD, television and, possibly, theatrical distribution for the film. This is Joe Campo’s 1 1 th film, but the first full-length feature since his 1 9 -year stint at running the House for the Friars. Joe’s 25-year old son, Michael, wrote the script. Since the film’s overhead costs were kept low, “the money all went into the look, which gives it a high-budget feel,” commented Joe. L etter to the E ditor On Ralph Baruch … Let me say that I read your [Ralph Baruch] review [in the June 2007 issue of VideoAge]. I thought that you were very fair and could not think of how you could improve it, despite what others might have said. I worked at Viacom from 1 9 74 to 1 9 86. These years allowed me to learn my trade from many of the Viacom executives that Ralph mentioned in his book. My time there was wonderful, as the senior management from Ralph on down created a friendly family environment. We all worked exceptionally long hours, but we were treated fairly and with respect and had the opportunity to share personal time at executives’ homes and at parties, fishing NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 trips, etc. However, from my view down the hall, a short distance from his office, I noticed that Ralph was always quiet, humble and guarded, and let few people into his inner circle. This may ultimately have been his downfall. I was therefore very surprised to see this insider’s book in the twilight of his business life. I was there during part of the “Mutiny” ( 1 9 861 9 87) and it was ugly. From my perspective, Ralph tells an accurate and interesting story. He could have gone into more specific details but I think that he wanted to take the high road. In my opinion, he really was cheated out of the opportunity to be part of the management buyout orchestrated by Terry Elkes, who double-crossed him. This book had to be written because no one in senior management at Viacom stood by his side or stood up for Baruch during this corporate mutiny, which ultimately led to the Sumner Redstone takeover. I left Viacom for greener pastures at ITC during the last 1 2 months of the siege ( 1 9 87) , so I missed much of the inside action. It is interesting to note that after many skilled years of fighting for and building the Viacom brand, the only respect and business support that Baruch received was from Redstone. This was very unfair especially after Ralph made so many Viacom executives very successful and very rich. Ralph did himself a major disservice in his pre-mutiny years by being aloof and distant to his employees. In his defense, the company had grown tremendously and he could not know everyone by name, yet I still think he might have had more support had he endeared himself to more middle management executives. The only problem with the book is his very unflattering remarks about the family and the spouse of Terry Elkes. The Baruch that I knew, was very opinionated, but I would never have expected these personal attacks. This was out of character for him. It greatly disappointed me and ultimately made his attempt to take the “high road” a failure. In summary, someone had to tell the inside story of the Viacom takeover so I am glad that he provided a bit of insight into his history and his unfair departure. His impact on the cable and entertainment industry was really important, but unfortunately, due to his humble profile, he will never really get credit for his impact on the industry. Jim Marrinan, Calabasas, California F am ous Q uotes “Bring back regulations.” Dom Serafini, Intermedia, December 2002 “In turnaround, industries seek U.S. regulations.” The New York Times, September 1 6, 2007
V I D E O • A G E NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 8 Canadian Literature Into Films. Yes, Canadians Write Books and Make Movies source texts,” writes Dickinson. In other words, sometimes directors feeling the pressure to make a movie that will sell tickets, and will often alter a movie’s setting from Canada to the U.S. Margaret Laurence’s “A Jest of God,” for example, is set in a Canadian prairie town. For Rachel, Rachel , the movie version of the book, the setting was changed to a New England hamlet. While Screening Gender provides a fascinating peek into the motivations behind film adaptations of books, Dickinson’s often impenetrable prose, his proclivity for writing out long lists of unfamiliar titles, and his occasional forays into French ( whole paragraphs are sometimes in French — fine, perhaps for Canadians raised in a bilingual culture, but less fine for those who were not) O nce the initial shock wears off, and one realizes that there are indeed good Canadian authors and movies, the subject of Canadian literature being turned into films can be fully and seriously explored. When a movie is adapted from a beloved book, audiences often judge that film’s success by how faithfully it adheres to the original source. But that faithfulness ( or lack thereof ) is only one small part of a film adaptation. Directors often have many issues to contend with — including casting actors who may not closely resemble character descriptions in books, budget limitations, and changes that must be made to certain stories in order to make them more cinematic… and more palatable to would-be ticket buyers. In Screening Gender, Framing Genre: Canadian Literature into Film ( 2007, University of Toronto Press, 280 pages, U.S., $4 5) , author Peter Dickinson examines the long history of movies adapted from Canadian literature through the lens of gender studies, and discovers that filmmakers often make sweeping changes when adapting books about women, gay men or lesbians for the silver screen. Dickinson, who teaches in the Department of English at Canada’s Simon Fraser University, studied an impressively wide array of adaptations, including movies based on novels, plays, poetry and Native orature to determine why certain films are exact replicas of the books from which they originated and others are so entirely different — in scope, in plot development, in character motivations — that they seem to be completely original ideas. As Dickinson writes in his introduction to the book: “Transforming the written word into the visual language of film is necessarily an open-ended process, one that involves the quotation and intersection of a number of different ‘ texts,’ not all of which may be recognizable as originary or even literary. There are, in other words, some things that a novel can do that a film cannot, and vice versa.” In a series of bizarrely named chapters — including “Sex Maidens and Yankee Skunks: A Field Guide to Reading ‘ Canadian’ Movies,” “Critically Q ueenie, or Trans-Figuring the Prison-House of Gender: Fortune and Men’s Eyes and After” and “Ghosts In and Out of the Machine: Sighting/ Citing Lesbianism in Susan Swan’s The Wives of Bath and Lé a Pool’s Lost and Delirious ” — Dickinson love for another from a complicated case of gender dysphoria to a “presentation of teenage lesbian desire and internalized homophobia.” Additionally, the movie version of the book, which tells the tale of friendships among three female friends at a boarding school for girls in 1 9 60s Ontario, updates the setting to the present day, sidelines seemingly significant plotlines from the book such as a love affair between the school’s headmistress and a female teacher, and changes the ending from murder to suicide. Why did the makers of the film decide on such across-the-board changes? Dickinson’s not sure. But in trying to understand the reasoning behind the director’s decision, he raises interesting questions about today’s purportedly sophisticated movie audiences and how much lesbian activity moviemakers think viewers will tolerate on a big screen. Dickinson also takes time out to consider how Canada’s close proximity to what he terms “the American media behemoth” affects the country’s film production and distribution. “For megachains like Famous Players, Cineplex Odeon, and even Alliance Atlantis, which make most of their money from food concessions, and therefore need to maximize the number of bums in seats, programming locally made films is simply bad business,” he writes. He went on to say that this particular matter is made even thornier by the fact that the Canadian film industry has managed to acquire a reputation for making arthouse films with sexually enigmatic themes. “Molly Parker making love to a cadaver versus Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing up nasty Arab terrorists: the choice would seem clear to most moviegoers.” The further issue of films needing to play as well internationally as they do domestically means that “In the case of adaptation, this often means deemphasizing the gender, cultural, regional, and historical specificity of the B o o k R e v i e w takes an in-depth look at how gender roles are often switched in modern Canadian films. Sometimes these changes are made to appeal to wider audiences. For example, Shadow of the Wolf , Jacques Dorfman’s film adaptation of Yves Theriault’s “Agaguk,” retains the novel’s basic plot, but turns the protagonist, who rapes and beats a woman in the book, into a character that audiences won’t despise. Other times, the reasons for these alternations are inscrutable. For example, Lé a Pool’s Lost and Delirious , an adaptation of Susan Swan’s novel, “The Wives of Bath,” changes the reasoning behind one girl’s Dickinson examines the long history of movies adapted from Canadian literature through the lens of gender studies, and discovers that filmmakers often make sweeping changes when adapting books about women, gay men or lesbians for the silver screen. make this a hard book to get through. But true lovers of Canadian literature will revel in the author’s dissection of works by renowned Canadian authors such as Michael Ondaatje ( “The English Patient”) and Margaret Atwood ( “The Handmaid’s Tale”) . Screening Gender succeeds in explaining to readers that film treatments of books — specifically those with gay or gender-specific themes — often reveal lots in terms of the social and cultural contexts of the filmmakers. But most of all, Screening Gender reinforces the fact that the book is always better than the movie.
nce again, the annual MIPCOM market, which ended in mid-October and was held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, has been hailed by Reed Midem as its biggest TV market ever. The 23 rd edition of the event drew a total of 1 3 ,3 71 participants, a seven percent increase over last year’s market. News events trampled all over each other. Industry superstars were forced to split the spotlight and business deals blossomed, aided by the very weak U.S. dollar — and all that happened in just five days ( out of a seven-day market, that is, if one considers Mipcom Jr., the children’s program market that precedes MIPCOM, to truly be a part of it) . “This historic success for MIPCOM demonstrates the importance of content in our industry,” said Paul Johnson, director of Television at Reed Midem. “Numerous factors contributed to making the 23 rd edition break records, including the increased presence of companies in the technology, mobile and advertising sectors.” At MIPCOM, NBC-Universal announced that the NBC network in the U.S. acquired a new series based on the classic “Robinson Crusoe” masterpiece by Daniel Defoe. The show was produced by U.K.-based Power with Universal Media Studios. “One of our key strategies is to look abroad for great production partners,” said Ben Silverman, co-chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. “This was an opportunity that made perfect sense for us.” Justin Bodle, founder and CEO of Power, commented: “This deal is the first for nearly 4 0 years where a British producer has received an order directly from a U.S. network. It is exciting to be producing a network show for NBC, and to be working with Ben and his creative team.” Added Power’s Chris Philip: “Crusoewill be a valuable addition to our 2008 slate and to our library for years to come.” Disney-ABC International Television Latin America ( DAIT-LA) inked a twoyear agreement with Venezuela’s Venevision. “We are very happy that Venevision, the leading channel in Venezuela, will maximize our presence and our brand locally,” said Fernando Barbosa,” senior vp of DAIT-LA. Disney Latin America also struck a deal with Discovery Networks Latin America/ US Hispanic for shows such as Dirtand Six Degrees , which will soon air on the People+Arts network. “We trust our series will generate solid ratings for our partners at Discovery,” said Henri Ringel, vp, DAIT Latin America. In addition, DAIT closed a deal with Latin American Internet company Terra. “This is a hugely significant agreement since it reflects an important step forward,” commented DAIT-LA’s president Diego Lerner, since Terra is now offering Disney-branded and non-branded content to its TV users in Latin America. Argentina’s Telefe International and Colombia’s RCN both announced the opening of offices in Russia through which they hope to increase their presences in the territory. The offices will be run by Anastasia Korchagina, a Russian specialist who has a successful track record in Russian television. “Being in Russia will allow us a closer vision of the needs of such a competitive market,” said Alejandro Parra, director of International Business for Telefe. In addition, Canada’s largest private broadcaster, CTV, together with 1 9 Entertainment and dick clark productions, announced that they would produce and broadcast a Canadian version of Emmy Award-winning show So You Think You Can Dance . “The joy of dance is at the center of So You Think You Can Dance Canada,” said Susanne Boyce, president, Creative, Content and Channels for CTV. “But it’s also about the passion and energy of young dancers from across Canada and their dreams to excel in this art form.” Just one day prior to the start of the market, the third edition of the Telenovelas Screenings was held, and many of the telenovoleros remain pleased with the relatively new event. “We were very happy with the Screenings,” said Guadalupe D’Agostino, vice president and general manager of RCTV International. “A lot of people from Europe and Asia took the time to see our product,” added Telemundo’s Karen Barroeta. MIPCOM 2007 also offered a variety of unique events. This year’s market featured a slew of high-profile keynotes, including speeches from CBS Corp. president Les Moonves, Televisa’s Emilio Acarraga Jean, United Artists’ CEO Paula Wagner and the aforementioned Ben Silverman from NBC. “The international marketplace is vital to our survival,” said Wagner, Tom Cruise’s longtime producing partner, before a packed house in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais. Silverman concurred, saying that the global marketplace is “a huge part of our growth strategy.” In fact, before joining NBC, Silverman had a hand in bringing both The Office ( once a British comedy) and Ugly Betty( a series based on Colombia’s Betty la Fea) to U.S. audiences. “Our titles are built for the globe,” he said. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where something comes from, he told attendees. All that really matters is: “where are the best ideas? ” V I D E O • A G E NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 10 M I P C O M R E V I E W Big Shots and Big Deals Make for a Merry Market Les M oonv es deliv ers his k eynote address Telev isa’s E milio Az c arraga J ean during his k eynote sp eec h Carlo N ardello, RAI Trade’s new CE O Pow er’s p rez Chris Philip . The E nglish c omp any introduc ed new drama series Robinson Crusoe in Cannes (Continued on page 12)
A VIOLIN FOR RENAUD (DOCUMENTARY) 55’ ONE LONE MAN AT THE HEAD (DOCUMENTARY) 16’ THE CROSS AND THE MANDALA (DOCUMENTARY) 2 x 55’ GOTCHA (TV MOVIE) 90’
M I P C O M R E V I E W Moonves, who was also named MIPCOM’s Personality of the Year for his contributions to the global entertainment business, tooted CBS’s horn, saying that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has become a $2 billion treasure for the company. And, after praising CBS Paramount International TV’s president Armando Nuñ ez Jr. for the good job he does, Moonves told an audience of TV execs fearful of new platforms that: “We, the broadcasters, are the guys who feed the world what it wants to watch. They’re always going to need us.” He continued: “Wireless is useless if hitless.” During his keynote, Televisa’s top executive, Emilio Azcarraga Jean — whom Reed Midem’s Paul Johnson called “the turnaround king” for remaking Televisa into a company that boasts profits of over 50 percent and exports content all over the globe — spoke about the importance of finding and maintaining partnerships in the broadcasting arena, and stated that Televisa had recently entered into an agreement to produce a novela in Russia, and has two new ventures in Indonesia and China in the works, as well. “We have the means and we know how to exploit a property,” he said. “We’re a content provider, so we’re looking into going into different markets with established partners.” Next up for Azcarraga Jean are plans to make Televisa’s telenovelas available in English-language versions in America. “The Spanish population is exploding in the U.S.,” he said. “We believe we can be in English-speaking households in the near future.” During the traditional VideoAge breakfast meeting, editor Dom Serafini announced the all-new “Independents’ Day,” which will be held at L.A. Screenings 2008. The event will be a full day of general screenings, meals, conferences and parties, set to replicate the studios’ L.A. Screenings environment and will be held the day before the start of the studios’ own screenings. According to Serafini, “This is the only way we can make the L.A. Screenings viable for the independents. After this year’s disappointing L.A. Screenings results for many independents, it is important that the sector evolve, or it could spell the end of the indies’ participation.” NATPE has already announced its cosponsorship of the “Independents’ Day” luncheon for buyers and sellers. Brasil TV Forum is considering sponsorship of the breakfast, and the Florida Media Market will be organizing a seminar. This MIPCOM also saw a number of changes, including Disney-ABC International TV’s move from the Palais to a tent next to FremantleMedia’s. There, Disney took the opportunity to introduce its new global president, Benjamin N. Pyne. Telemundo took over Disney’s vacated spot. E! Entertainment changed its location ( this time, it occupied the area left empty by Alliance Atlantis, which seemed to have disappeared) , as well as its name — it’s now Comcast International Media Group. Canada’s CHUMTV was also put to rest. Its program catalog is now handled by CTV’s EPI, which operated from beneath the Discovery umbrella. For their part, the Italians introduced RAI Trade’s new CEO, Carlo Nardello, along with its new fare, while Mediaset announced the sale of nine of its series, and noted that special attention was paid to Teaching the Futureand The Squad, as NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 V I D E O • A G E 12 VideoAge’s break f ast meeting to announc e the “Indep endents’ Day” Disney- ABC International TV Latin Americ a’s Diego Lerner, F ernando Barbosa and H enri Ringel during a p ress c onf erenc e at the new Disney tent G lobo TV’s Rap hael Correa N etto and Amazoniasc rip tw riter G loria Perez . Abov e: a sc ene f rom the new G lobo series. well as Christmas movie What if Santa. Brazil’s Globo built up its booth to resemble a digital forest in an effort to promote its new miniseries, Amazonia, and invited the series’ author, Gloria Perez, to participate in a Q & A with the press. Germany introduced a new company, Studio 1 00, headed by industry veteran Patrick Elmendorff. Israel’s Dori Media presented Jose Escalante as Dori Media America’s new CEO. And Canada introduced an up-and-coming company, Q C Entertainment. On the seminar front, Indian TV Day was basically ignored and as for the day devoted to Green TV, CABLEready’s Gary Lico said it best: “Every time I see a green TV-tagged show, I do the ecological, sensible thing and turn the TV off.” MIPCOM also set records in terms of the number of participating companies, number of exhibitors and countries represented. Roughly 4 ,585 firms from 1 05 countries were present at the Palais, compared to 4 ,21 6 companies from 9 8 countries in 2006 — an increase of nine percent. The number of exhibiting companies rose 1 0 percent to 1 ,801 , up from 1 ,64 1 companies last year. In addition, international buyers also turned out in greater numbers, with 4 ,24 2 acquisition execs this year, up from 3,84 7 in 2006. (Continued from page 10)
V I D E O • A G E 14 NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 A F M R E V I E W In any case, in the view of Italian film executives Jef Nuyts of Intra Movies and Roberto Di Girolamo of Film Export, who were exhibiting at AFM, an Escobar movie would only work in Italy if a big name were attached. The AFM opened on Halloween, a time when U.S. children celebrate spookiness. Halloween was also the day that the Hollywood scriptwriters’ contract expired. Writers had been threatening to strike if not awarded better residuals from DVD and new technology sales, which are also called electronic sell-throughs ( downloads and VoD) . The fact that the AFM opened the same day that the contract between writers and producers expired wasn’t lost on observers who noted that, while the writers were threatening to strike over digital rights, the IFTA was warning the digital media industry to cough up more dough for content. Because of the looming strike ( somehow not felt by the industry at MIPCOM) , some international buyers rushed to the AFM with the intent of stockpiling product — even when prices were raised, the devaluation of the U.S. dollar made for good bargains. It remains to be seen if international buyers preferred their bargains at the Loews or at the nearby malls. In addition, this AFM showcased a good number of new distribution companies, such as the Woodland Hills-based Unistar, which offered an added attraction to buyers. Even though the newcomers were relegated below the lobby area of the Loews or the adjacent Le Merigot Hotel – – which was opened in 2004 to accommodate the overflow– – they still received good visibility. Wolf ’s warnings to the new media sector about assuming risks, reflected the The message from the Independent Film & Television Alliance ( IFTA) was clear: Buyers from the new technology sector have to assume some risks. This was the gist of the press conference held at the start of the IFTA-organized American Film Market ( AFM) , which takes place annually at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica, California. Explained IFTA’s executive vp and managing director of the AFM, Jonathan Wolf: “It’s not going to be like ‘ just give us your content and we’ll run it.’” To “assume some risks” is the code word for either giving a minimum guarantee or pre-buying. Lloyd Kaufman, the newly elected IFTA chairman, pointed out that when buyers from new media don’t assume some risks, they don’t have respect for content and tend to put the product acquired in the “back of the bus.” Jean M. Prewitt, IFTA’s president, focused on illegal downloads and pirated DVDs, stressing the fact that piracy also translates into the inability to buy, and therefore it is harmful not only to producers and distributors, but to buyers, as well. Even though the AFM has somewhat changed its DVD focus, and gets more of a Japanese presence, as well as larger contingents from the TV buying and indie distribution communities, one thing that, according to Wolf, won’t ever change, is the current market date. Despite the fact that the AFM follows a strong MIPCOM event in Cannes, France ( see related story on page 1 0) , there is no chance, in Wolf ’s mind, that the AFM would ever return to its original February-early March dates. But while the IFTA won’t change the AFM’s dates, with Kaufman as its chairman, the event will surely change its tone, becoming livelier, more entertaining and more attuned to the needs of smaller independent producers and distributors. As they say in the industry, he has restored the “show” in show business. In his real life, Kaufman serves as president of New York-based Troma Entertainment, a 3 3 -year-old production and distribution company that he co-founded right after graduating from Yale University. For the AFM, the strong MIPCOM showing meant the loss of some major European players, such as RaiTrade and M6DA. The reduced Italian presence in Santa Monica was also attributed to the Rome Film Fest, which ended three days before the AFM began on October 3 1 , and included a market ( called Business Street) . Turkey’s Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and Eurasia Film Market, which focused on Asia and Europe and which concluded just a few days prior to the start of the AFM, did not affect the Santa Monica showcase much. Other festivals that surrounded the AFM were the New York Film Fest, which ended October 1 4 , and the BFI London Film Fest, which went down October 1 7November 1 . Nonetheless, the AFM posted record numbers of exhibitors with 4 3 0 production/ distribution companies from 3 0 countries and 1 ,628 buyers from 65 nations. This AFM also revealed the market as a good source for new films, as well as a venue in which to spot trends — such as the one currently emerging around the life of Medellí n drug ringleader Pablo Escobar. Ever since U.S. Special Military Forces gunned him down in Colombia in 1 9 9 3 , Hollywood has been trying to make a movie out of his life. Indeed, the difficulty in producing a movie about Escobar inspired a recurring plot line for HBO series Entourage . This year’s AFM saw three Escobar projects: Killing Pablo ( Bob Yari producer, Joe Carnahan director) based on the book by Mark Bowden; Mi Hermano Pablo ( Oliver Stone, producer, with J2 Pictures) , written by Escobar’s brother, Roberto; and Escobar ( Hanibal Pictures) . However, the Yari Film Group cancelled a planned press conference for Killing Pablo reportedly because no talent was available for a film in which principal photography is scheduled to begin in January 2008. Coincidentally, at the Florida Media Market in Miami, a filmmaker who was personally affected by Escobar’s murderous streak was peddling another, similar Escobar-themed project ( see front cover story) . Market Flexes Its Muscles and Warns Digital Media Classic M edia’s Doug Sc hw albe ( lef t) and M ic hael Valaire Sc reen M edia Ventures’ Almira M alyshev , Samantha Stuart, M ic hael Dw yer Peac e Arc h’s K ev in Byles, Vic tor Rodriguez , Suz anne Barron, G arey H ow sam ( l. to r.) (Continued on page 16)
V I D E O • A G E 16 NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 A F M R E V I E W AFM 2007 Figures at a Glance • 8,343 attendees • 1,628 buyers from 65 countries • 430 companies from 30 countries exhibited • 900 screenings of over 537 films in 34 languages • 104 industry world film premieres • 371 market premieres • 16 seminars • Top Ten Buying Contingents: U.S. (316), Japan (230), France (93), Germany (82), U.K. (68), Korea (67), Italy (57), Brazil (52), Turkey (45), Canada and Australia (42 each) • Largest number of buying companies outside the U.S.: Japan (54), France (37), Germany (35), U.K. (30) In addition to the buying and selling, the movie premieres, scattered parties and general screenings in theaters around Santa Monica, the AFM is known for its seminars ( a total of 1 6) and, recently, for its association with the American Film Institute’s AFI Fest, an international film competition. The eight-day AFM, which ended November 7, attracted 8,3 4 3 participants from 65 countries ( compared to 8,208 last year) , especially from Japan, the U.S. and France. Next year’s market dates are November 5-1 2, which means it will once again take place 1 8 days after the end of MIPCOM, just like this year. fact that DVD sales – – the traditional bread-and-butter of the AFM – – are dwindling due to the popularity of downloads ( indeed, as reflected by this Issue’s front cover story about the studios’ digital strategies, the younger generation barely knows DVDs) . It seems that digital media will be the next big thing for the independents. In the U.S. alone, online movies have become a part of everyday life with 73 percent of the online population ( or 1 20 million users) watching online movies/ video streams monthly. However, if digital media represents a big business, as well as big potential for the studios ( Disney’s Bob Iger, for example, estimated that his company’s digital revenues will be about $750 million this year) , traditional business for the indies is still running in analog time, in the sense that from the moment a movie is acquired to the time it appears on international screens takes at least one year. As far as the aforementioned large Asian buying contingent, Tad Omiya of Japan’s TWA estimated the number of his competitors as being similar to last year. In addition, Omiya stated that, for his type of buying, MIPCOM is becoming more important. Indeed, according to Regent’s Gene George, a lot of AFM time is spent following up on MIPCOM sales. And even though the “A” titles are sold before production begins, the fact that the AFM has many premieres, in the opinion of George, still makes it a theatrical market. According to Screen Media Venture’s Almira Malyshev, this AFM was slow because of a strong MIPCOM. Gavin Reardon of … and Action! concurred, saying that “this AFM is very quiet, but I have no understanding of why, except that MIPCOM is getting stronger. And many attendees said that the AFM is driven by a large quantity of microbudget product, but the buyers show a lack of urgency — they all say they’re coming [to the AFM] but don’t commit to meetings.” (Continued from page 14) ...and ac tion! ’s W olf gang W ilk e, Alex ander Sc hust, Su J ing, G av in Reardon CinemaVault’s Stev e Arroyav e, Ruby Rondina, N ic k Stiliadis Pic tured abov e: IF TA’s J ean Prew itt, Lloyd K auf man, J onathan W olf Pic tured lef t: Rigel E ntertainment’s J ohn Laing and Stuart G ordon Pic tured below : the AF M ex tension at the Le M erigot hotel
V I D E O • A G E 18 NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 A N T A L Y A F I L M F E S T Turkish Movie Biz Looks to Both Asia and Europe In a Turkish film industry that has faltered until very recently, the annual Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival has always lent a glimmer of hope and a hint of glamour to the region. In the wake of changes to the business that are finally making it seem like Turkey might soon very well become a major power broker in the film biz, the atmosphere at the 4 4 th edition of Antalya, which ended October 28 and was held in the resort town of Antalya, was both festive and optimistic. The Turkish film biz in general has been showing signs of growth in recent months. Many attribute this to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, which two years ago made the decision to provide serious funding for the Turkish film industry. In the last year alone, nearly 4 0 feature films were produced and 3 4 films were released, capturing 51 .7 percent of the total Turkish box office. This is a large increase over the usual annual production of roughly 20 movies just five years ago. While the 1 7 million Turkish Lira ( U.S.$1 2.5 million) invested yearly by the Ministry of Culture may be mere peanuts compared to international standards, it’s a big boost for Turkish films, whose budgets average between $500,000 and $1 million each. As a result of this financial aid, the Turkish box office has of late been dominated by local productions. The top four films of 2006 were all Turkish in origin. They included Valley of the Wolves , which took in the equivalent of U.S.$20 million; The Class of Chaos , which made U.S.$9 .4 million; The Magician, which made U.S.$9 .3 million; and The Exam, which took in U.S.$5.7 million. Jointly organized by the Foundation of Culture and Arts in Antalya ( AKSAV) and the Foundation of Turkish Cinema and Audiovisual Culture ( TÜ RSAK) , Antalya also played host to the third edition of the International Eurasia Film Festival — which began as the international section of Antalya but quickly became a major global draw in its own right. Additionally, the Eurasia Film Market, a business offshoot of the festival, kicked off its second year at the 2007 event. A number of deals were made there, including the Jordan Movie Channel’s purchase of a package of five Turkish films and Turkey’s TRT selling programming to Hungarian and Greek TV. And while many were concerned that having a film market that leads directly into the American Film Market ( AFM) in Santa Monica, California ( see story on page 1 4 ) , it seems that Antalya’s decision to peg itself as the link between East and West, might very well be its saving grace. The festival boasted a strong turnout from the Far East — specifically from China and Hong Kong, including China Film Promotion International and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Antalya organizers even revealed that of the 70 stands at the market, 60 were from companies outside of Turkey. In total, more than 3 00 participants from 1 88 companies attended the Turkey-based event. More than 1 ,000 visitors, including producers and distributors, were also present. For this year’s event, Antalya created the Script Development Fund, a new resource with the goal of encouraging Turkish co-production initiatives. TURSAK ( the festival’s organizing committee) asked that co-producers ( at least one of whom had to have been of Turkish origin) send in applications as well as screenplay treatments to the TURSAK Foundation in order to be considered. An electoral body from the Antalya Festival then chose the top five projects and invited the producers and scriptwriters of the chosen scripts to the festival to make presentations about their work and explain why their movie should win the U.S.$20,000 pot. The winner of the International Eurasia Film Festival Script Development Award was Cem Akas for 50 Reasons All InHer Eyes . German actress Hanna Schygulla was on hand at the festival to accept a special Honor Award for her eclectic oeuvre and lifetime achievement. Schygulla has worked with pioneering directors of the New German Cinema movement, such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Wim Wenders. Eurasia also paid homage to recently passed silver screen auteurs Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni. The festival honored the directors’ impressive contributions to the film canon by showcasing some of their most famous works. Bergman’s Scenes From a Marriage and Saraband were screened for Antalya attendees, as were Antonioni classics Beyond the Clouds and Blow Up. Considered the Golden Orange Film Fest’s “international gateway to the world,” the Eurasia event opened with Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, the latest film from the Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain director, and closed with Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Kapur also accepted a special Honor Award for his contributions to the film world. Other flicks that screened both in and out of competition included Control , a biopic about Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis; Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park; and Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Continuing its focus on all things Asia, Eurasia featured 1 6 sections, including a Hong Kong corner entitled “The Dragon’s Breath.” Another segment was devoted to the booming Russian screen. At the concluding awards ceremony, held at the Glass Pyramid concert hall, which featured the music of Ilhan Ersahin & Istanbul Session, celebrated guitarist Erkan Ogur and clarinet virtuoso Barbaros Erkose, winners of both Antalya and Eurasia awards were announced. Golden Orange named Egg ( Yumurta) as Best Film. The Turkish-Greek coproduction from director Semih Kaplanoglu, which was made for U.S.$500,000, also won Best Script, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. TV Network Digiturk also recognized Egg with a special award for Best Newcomer. Fatih Akin took home the Best Director prize for his Edge of Heaven. Best Actor and Actress awards went to Murat Han and Ozgu Namal for Bliss ( Mutluluk) . When it came time for the Eurasia portion of the evening, Israel’s The Band’s Visit ( Bikur Ha-tizmoret ) was named Best Film. The Best Director prize went to Abdellatatif Kechiche for The Secret of the Grain ( La Graine et le Mulet ) . The critics awarded their statue to Under the Bombs ( Sous les Bombes ) . A new feature of this year’s Eurasia festival was a special jury prize from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema ( NETPAC) . Egg and Under the Bombs shared this award. No documentary award was given by the Eurasia jury, which consisted of actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, director John Landis, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, Russian composer Andrei Single, Turkish actress Lale Mansur and Chinese actress Hailu Q in, because they didn’t feel that any of the docs up for the award were worthy of it. From Turkey, Deniz Ziya Temeltas contributed to this story Above: Director Shekhar Kapur accepts the Honor Award. Left: The Eurasia jury
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