HOLLYWOOD BEWARE

Indian movies are being taken more seriously internationally than ever before, and are carving out a wider non-Indian audience. “The fact that Hindi films are appearing more often on the UK and US charts and the regular stage shows have made the world sit up and take notice.” – Times of India 06/30/00

“HAVE SUBTITLES, WILL TRAVEL”

“Every summer, the major Hollywood studios unleash their biggest, loudest and most expensive and star-studded films into a world of vacationing families and entertainment-hungry teenagers. Have sequel, will travel. But off to the side, clustered together, are a growing number of smaller, less heralded movies – independent features, foreign films, this year’s quirky Shakespeare adaptations – that somehow find themselves battling it out in the nation’s theaters with the big Hollywood quarterbacks. Have subtitles, will travel.” – New York Times 06/30/00

HIS OWN MOST DRAMATIC CREATION

Theatre promoter Garth Drabinsky is back, determined to start producing again in Canada, even though he’s charged with a variety of malfeasance in the US. “All of this has been an incredibly emotionally draining experience – a real roller coaster ride – and certainly not something I planned or relish,” he said in a phone interview Thursday. “And I am determined to be completely cleared of every allegation.” – Chicago Sun-Times

VIRTUAL LENDING

If digital e-books do one day move from the curious to the commonplace, what will become of libraries? “For instance, is it possible to “lend” a digital book? Will Internet piracy and digital libraries prompt publishing houses to move to radical new business models such as subscription-based online reading rooms or advertising-sponsored e-books?” A new Australian Copyright Amendment currently before the Senate would allow libraries to distribute copyrighted books without paying royalties to authors. Authors, of course, are opposed. – Sydney Morning Herald

MUSIC BLOCKADE

A young Cuban band was supposed to play in the Montreal and Toronto Jazz Festivals this week. But when the Halifax musician who organized the tour tried to wire money for plane tickets to Havana, the bank accidentally sent the funds through its New York office, where the money was seized. “American law demands any funds going to Cuba must be held by the Office of Foreign Assets. The bank tried to correct the error, but it was too late to pay for the airline tickets.” – CBC

MUSIC BLOCKADE

A young Cuban band was supposed to play in the Montreal and Toronto Jazz Festivals this week. But when the Halifax musician who organized the tour tried to wire money for plane tickets to Havana, the bank accidentally sent the funds through its New York office, where the money was seized. “American law demands any funds going to Cuba must be held by the Office of Foreign Assets. The bank tried to correct the error, but it was too late to pay for the airline tickets.” – CBC