Category: media

“Hammered by accusations that she is attempting to censor Canada’s artistic community, Heritage Minister Josée Verner has said she will ask the entertainment industry to help craft guidelines to govern what material no longer qualifies for tax credits. Representatives of the industry have rejected that offer.”

“In courting young fans, some studios — and their licensing partners in particular — are becoming so aggressive in their marketing of PG-13 titles to children of all ages that the Federal Trade Commission, as well as an advertising watchdog concern and one children’s advocacy organization, have all taken notice.”

“British customers will be able to buy films from Apple’s iTunes website, in a move that is expected breathe new life into the digital download market. From today, Britons will be able to download new release films from iTunes for £10.99 – about £1 more expensive than buying a DVD version on Amazon.”

“Trace the whereabouts of Britain’s most celebrated film-makers and it is striking how few of them have been working at home. Of course, producers don’t just look for the perfect locations for their movies. They want tax breaks, easy funding, affordable labour and the best studio facilities. But is Britain providing them with the conditions they need to make their movies?”

From DJ Spooky’s “Terra Nova,” a multimedia performance piece that uses the sound of melting ice in the Antarctic, to Peter Hudson’s “Homouroboros,” a carousel-like spinning zoetrope with ape-like creatures, 01SJ’s installations and performances allow many artists to realize their sometimes kooky, often inspired visions through the latest technological advancements.

A massive blaze that destroyed part of the back lot at Universal Studios was accidentally ignited by workers using a blowtorch on the roof of a movie set building facade, fire officials said.

“Just when radio cries out for creative revival, it is instead slipping into a disgruntled decline. Today, hardly anyone turns on the radio expecting to be lured into intimate obsessions with voices that return each night, baring their souls and insisting on a relationship with the listener.”

“A dramatically expanded state tax credit for film and television productions has made New York a more appealing shooting locale than ever, bringing a wave of projects into the city this summer. Barring an actors strike, local soundstages expect to have more demand than they can fill in the coming months.”

“A massive fire broke out at Universal Studios film and TV studio on Sunday, engulfing one soundstage and burning a New York City street set. A total of 300 firefighters from several Los Angeles-area fire departments were battling the blaze.”

A 4-1/2 hour biopic of a labor hero in which virtually nothing happens; a thriller seemingly deliberately devoid of thrills – this year’s Cannes Film Festival seems to have been given over to self-important filmmakers who have forgotten the importance of their audience, says Peter Howell.