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Sometime last week, a special screening of UTV Motion Pictures' A Wednesday was held in Gujarat for CM Narendra Modi. Close on the heels of that screening, the makers have decided to hold yet another screening of the same film, this time for the Mumbai Police.

Rakesh Maria, Javed Ahmed, A.N.Roy, and around 65 Senior police officers, who deal with terrorists and are part of the Anti Terrorist Squad are going to be watching the film on Monday,1st of September.

Rakesh Maria and Javed Ahmed were part of the investigation team of 1993 Mumbai blasts. A Wednesday is a fast-paced thriller based on the aftermath of bomb blasts. Anupam Kher plays a police commissioner who gets a threat call and is on a mission to stop the terrorist. Aamir Bashir and Jimmy Shergill are part of Anti Terrorist Squad in the film while Naseeruddin Shah plays the antagonist.

Speaking about the special screening director Neeraj Pandey said, "This is our way of saying thanks to the police force. The story of the film is majorly inspired by the way our police force tackle the situations. Through the film, we would like to salute all of them."

"A Wednesday deals with urban terrorism and how the police force has to handle it uniquely. We are very happy to realize that veterans of our police force want to see this film. A film like this is very relevant in today's time. We are gladly arranging a screening where heroes of our police force like A.N.Roy, Rakesh Maria and Ahmed Javed would be seeing the film" said Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO-UTV Motion Pictures.

Director Neeraj Pandey along with actors Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah are going to be present for the screening.

Articles:

Sidney, NE

Marshall, MO

"Akshay has signed a UTV film. Hopefully, we should be teaming up there," Anees Bazmee informs me, "There's no bad blood with Studio 18. It's just that things didn't work out. But I am directing another film for them, which might star Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone."

Anees is expected to take this project forward once he's through with the ongoing schedule of the Nana Patekar, Harman Baweja, Genelia starrer he's making right now.

While John has been confirmed for the main lead, Vidya is yet to sign on the dotted line. Besides, a top star [name withheld since the actor hasn't signed the film] will also appear in a pivotal role. To be produced by UTV, the film is expected to roll in mid-November this year.

De Alina Gâdoiu

Un nou eveniment se anunta in Clubul Blue Monday. Astfel, miercuri, 20 august de la ora 21:00, Brugner, DJ Dox si Bek, vor sustine un show inedit in localul de sub Pasajul Vulturul Negru. Nu vor lipsi din recital piese din repertoriul Delikt, RAN/S sau BRG. Rutinele lui DJ Dox vor completa acest show care ar putea tine chiar mai mult de doua ore, la cererea publicului.

De asemenea, iubitorii de rep vor avea ocazia sa-si achizitioneze mixtape-ul "Creuzetul", semnat RAN/S, mixat de Undoo si DJ Dox, la pretul de 15 ron.

DJ Dox si Dj Brugner sunt cunoscuti amatorilor de hip-hop pentru emisiunea Yo! la MTV, respectiv de Urban Groove la UTV.

Pretul unui bilet la acest eveniment este de 7 RON, acest putand fi cumparat de la intrarea in club.

Pentru mai multe detalii si informatii despre eveniment, contact:

Alex Ardelean

Tel: 0722 453 000 / 0744 383 000

Web: www.hiphophours.com

The company reported a growth of 154 per cent in total revenue to Rs 1,452 million from Rs 571 million.

UTV Software Communications has consolidated the financials of UTV-US, IG Interactive, UMP PLC, UTV TV Content and UTV New Media and the group's indirect subsidiaries Ignition Entertainment Limited, Indiagames Limited, UTV-Motion Pictures (Mauritius), ITNation Media and RB Entertainment and UTV's television joint ventures Smriti Irani Television Limited and Windmill Entertainment Limited.

Read more: UTV net profit up 176 per cent to Rs 251 million

When some of the Hollywood's biggest Production Houses like Sony Pictures have taken the plunge into Bollywood, UTV has gone a step ahead by co-producing one of the most awaited Hollywood Movie's this summer. Three Cheers to UTV :D

Descobri que concentramos o maior número de pesquisas científicas do país (a verificar, ainda não creio), e que também somos recorde em jornada de trabalho no país.

Na subida dos canais, passei pela TVBrasil, nem escrevi ainda sobre a frustração, e vi a última cena de um filme que mostrava um homem de costas num quintal, tomando banho de cumbuca olhando o sol e tocava uma música linda. Perguntei ao Google e ele me respondeu:

Ciranda do amor

(João da Guabiraba e Edson Vieira, cantada por Lia de Itamaracá.)

Quero saber quantas estrelas tem no céu
Quero saber quantos peixes tem no mar
Quero saber quantos raios tem o sol
Eu só desejo é a luz do seu olhar

Não sei meu amor
Não sei, eu não posso falar
Só sei meu amor
Foi na ciranda
Que aprendi a te amar"

Cinema lovers - particularly the Indian diaspora - can have another option to see their favorite Bollywood flicks, as TinselVision, a Tinsel Cinema online service, has announced Saturday that it'll release UTV's theatrical titles at www.tinselvision.com.

While the movies would include Swades, Chup Chup Ke, Life in a Metro, Taxi No. 9211, and others, they'll be available for free streaming in high definition, and on pay-per-view basis.

TinselVision says that over 90% of its audience comes from the US, UK, Canada, UAE, and India, and it has planned to launch a community companion site, ChannelMine in June. TinselVision licenses content from News Corporation's Star TV, Zoom TV, Yash Raj Films, Shemaroo, UTV, B4U Music, B4U Networks, and Zee TV, among others to be announced this month.

Related Articles: Bollywood Shows on Blu-ray
                         Pass on the popcorn

Lite roliga "panik-mail" som finns där nu. Exempel på rubriker: "Jag fattar faktiskt ingenting", "Hjälp mig referera!", "Ännu en referensfråga". Mahahaha! Klart som korvspad för mig. Eller näe, det där med referenser är skitsvårt. Backman som vi ska använda på UTV* är skitdålig. Hans anvisningar för Oxford-systemet** går stick i stäv med det jag lärt mig vid HUM. Så jag kör på HUM***. Har aldrig fått nån anmärkning på det så.

Fick dessutom mail om att min komplettering gick igenom och att den tentan nu är godkänd. Ett fult jävla F, men fortfarande ett godkänt. Känns bra. Slipper jag tänka på skitBordieu och bajsBunar nåt mer.

Resten av dan ska jag städa. Papper, böcker, kläder. ÖVERALLT! Usch.

* UTV = institutionen för Utbildningsvetenskap
** Referenssystemet där man använder fotnötter. Förlåt, fotnotar.
*** HUM = institutionen för Humaniora

Ronnie Screwvala said, "Over the last few years, we have forged some great working relationships with the leading studios in Hollywood and with top acclaimed international talent. This has led to some unique projects such as The Namesake , I think I Love My Wife and The Happening . We are now proud to announce our first independent production in the US."

The film marks the directing debut of cinematographer John Inwood, and stars Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Matthew Settle, Joey Lauren Adams and Amber Heard.

Director John Inwood stated, "It's such a privilege to be directing Suzanne Weinert's excellent script, with such an immensely talented cast! Heather, Jennifer, Amber and Matt are such a force and such a pleasure to work with. Every scene exceeds my highest expectations. I tried to follow the essential principle of directing - that more than half the job is casting well. I think we have done just that."

Ex-terminators is a dark comedy centering on Alex (Graham), a lonely accountant whose one act of rage results in her being sentenced to court ordered therapy.

Going by press reports, it was hard to judge whether M Night Shyamalan (MNS) was in India -- after a gap of nine-and-a-half years -- to pick up his Padma Shri award or to promote his new movie, The Happening, which will be distributed by UTV in India and is scheduled for a Friday, 13 June release (read the details of that business report here).

The India-born, US-based Shyamalan has almost never shown an affinity for India but that didn't stop a mostly adoring press from flocking to his press conference at Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel. Here's a sample of questions and answers:

1. His favourite Indian actor:

MNS:  "What's that guy's name, we were talking about him at lunch, Shah Rukh Khan, yeah."

2. On his favourite Indian movies:

MNS: [He's seen a total of three] "What was the name of that movie, Kabhi something... [UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala, co-producer of Night's upcoming film, helpfully supplied Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham]... right, that one; that was kind of cool. And I remember there was an old one, it was supposed to be very salacious at the time, wait, Shivam something? [Satyam Sivam Sundaram, supplied the ever helpful Screwvala]... right, that one, right there, that was smokin', that one. I don't remember the name of the third one -- wait, Devdas, there you go."

3. On what he thinks of Indian cinema, based on his three-film viewing experience:

MNS: "I think it is a very powerful art form. I am just starting to learn about it, I find it very powerful -- the very heightened vocabulary, the close ups, the loud music, it all adds up to a very powerful form. At first you giggle when you watch it, but then you get acclimated to that vocabulary, and you begin to feel the same sort of heightened emotions."

4. On winning the Padma Shri:

MNS:  "Honestly at first I didn't get what it was. I've been getting calls for awards, asking me to come to Sri Lanka, Singapore.. but I can't go to all the events due to work, family. So when my office got the call about the Padma Shri, my staff was like, ‘Oh, you've won an award.' But when there were too many congratulatory calls, I was like, ‘what happened?' It was only after my family and friends from India told me about the Padma Shri that I looked it up to find more details about it."

So, was Night Shyamalan savaged by the press? Doff your hat to the power of PR, the morning's stories were full of such glowing descriptions as 'consummate performer' (Rediff.com), 'the man behind gargantuan films' (Times of India) and 'India's best known Hollywood director' (Khabrein.info).

Read some complete Shyamalan interviews here, here and here.

FILM................................................ GROSS

1 21................................................... $15,100,000

2 Leatherheads.................................. $13,485,030 3

Nim's Island................................... $13,300,000

4 Horton Hears A Who..................... $9,100,000

5 Ruins, The..................................... $7,840,000

6 Superhero Movie........................... $5,405,000

7 Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns ..... $3,510,000

8 Drillbit Taylor................................. $3,495,000

9 Shutter............................................ $2,875,000

10 10,000 B.C................................... $2,775,000

PROJECTS ANNOUNCED

• Spyglass Entertainment has jumped into "Leap Year," preemptively buying the romantic comedy pitch from the writing team of Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont ("Made of Honor") in a deal worth seven figures. Project is being produced Spyglass toppers Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum and president Jonathan Glickman along with Benderspink's Chris Bender and J.C. Spink. Benderspink's Jake Weiner will exec produce. No logline was given.

• Luminaria Films has launched production on the feature "Spoken Word" with Kuno Becker, Ruben Blades, Miguel Sandoval and Persia White starring. Blades is taking a leave of absence from his post as minister of tourism in Panama, where he's served for the past four years. "Spoken Word" is directed by Victor Nunez, whose credits include "Coastlines," "Ulee's Gold" and "Ruby in Paradise." Pic's produced by Karen Koch ("Adaptation") and Bill Conway ("Miami Vice") for their newly launched Luminaria Films. Screenplay, by Conway and Joe Ray Sandoval, is based on Sandoval's poetry as a San Francisco spoken-word artist returning to New Mexico to be with his dying father, only to find he loses his "voice" as he is sucked back in to the dysfunctional life of drugs and violence he left behind

• In its first major material deal made since Mary Parent took over as head of MGM’s worldwide motion picture group, the studio ponied up for “The Matarese Circle,” a 1979 book by Robert Ludlum. Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media will co-finance the film, and Denzel Washington is attached to star. The book sold for $3 million, with another seven-figures to be paid to screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“3:10 to Yuma,” the upcoming “Wanted”) Sources said the scribes’ quote is $1.25 million, but their WMA reps were asking $2.5 million for the writing job. Leverage was diminished, however, because the property was controlled by ICM, which repped the Ludlum estate and surprised everybody by closing the deal so quickly with MGM, before the scribe deals were worked out.

• Endgame Entertainment has picked up Robert Tannen’s spec “Hungry Rabbit Jumps” for Tobey Maguire to topline. Project is described as a dramatic thriller in the vein of David Fincher’s “The Game.” Endgame’s James Stern is producing alongside Maguire and Gordonstreet Pictures’ Ram Bergman. Endgame’s Wendy Japhet is executive producing. Mark Ross is overseeing for Maguire Entertainment.

PROJECT UPDATES

• Candice Bergen has signed on to co-star opposite Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway in the romantic comedy "Bride Wars" for Fox 2000 and New Regency. Story revolves around best friends (Hudson and Hathaway) who are pitted against each other when their wedding dates clash. They compete for venues, services and guests. Bergen will play Marion St. Claire, the queen of all wedding planners. Gary Winick will direct from a screenplay penned by June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson. Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith also wrote on the project.

ACQUISITIONS/ FESTIVAL NEWS

• Los Angeles-based Alchemy Television has teamed with Germany's Tele Munchen to handle worldwide rights outside North America on the upcoming CBS cop drama "Flashpoint." Originally developed by Canadian broadcaster CTV and produced by Pink Sky Ent. and Avamar Entertainment, "Flashpoint" turns on a elite squad trained in SWAT tactics, psychology and state-of-the-art weaponry. Series toplines Enrico Colantoni ("Veronica Mars"). Tele Munchen and Alchemy are launching the 13 episode, one-hour drama at Mip TV. Alchemy specializes in big-budget miniseries, and "Flashpoint" represents its first step into the series market and its first U.S. network show.

• Discovery Enterprises Intl., the newly created international sales arm of Discovery Communications, has taken international distribution rights on Werner Herzog's feature docu, "Encounters at the End of the World." Deal completes distrib arrangements for "Encounters," a portrait of the daily lives under extreme conditions of people in Antarctica. ThinkFilm and Image Entertainment signed on earlier this month to handle North American theatrical distribution, with Image handling DVD and digital. U.S. release is skedded for June 11.

BUSINESS NEWS

• The Weinstein Co. is launching an international TV distribution division, with an adaptation of W.E.B Griffin’s bestselling, post-9/11 espionage thriller “By Order of the President” atop its slate. The Weinsteins are in negotiations to cast the lead roles of the U.S. prez and Army major Carlos Castillo, who becomes the president’s intelligence special agent. “By Order of the President” likely will be made up of three or four 90-minute episodes, following the same format as the critically lauded Brit police procedural “Prime Suspect.” Budget will be in the region of $10 million for each episode, with lensing expected to begin by this fall. The Weinstein Co.’s new TV unit makes its debut appearance at this week’s MipTV confab in Cannes, where it will handle worldwide sales outside the U.S. and U.K. for its forthcoming BBC-HBO skein “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.” Harvey Weinstein will attend the TV market for the first time, following the London memorial for Anthony Minghella. Minghella helmed the feature-length pilot episode of “Ladies Detective Agency,” which drew 6.3 million viewers during its Easter Sunday preem in the U.K. He and co-scribe Richard Curtis were the key drivers of the project.

• News Corp. heir Lachlan Murdoch has pulled out of a A$3.3 billion ($3 billion) deal with fellow mogul James Packer to privatize Packer’s Consolidated Media Holdings. CMH is one of Down Under’s premier media groups, and owns 25% of paybox Foxtel and 25% of PBL Media, which in turn owns the Nine Network — one of Oz’s leading free webs — among other prime Oz media assets. Early Monday morning CMH shares halted trade on the Australian Stock Exchange and soon after Murdoch’s private company, Illyria, announced it wanted out of the deal. In a letter to CMH, Illyria said it was not in a position to proceed "due to material changes in the overall transaction terms."

• In its first HD video-on-demand deal in Asia, AETN Int., the overseas division of A&E Television Networks, has inked with Korea Telecom to offer a branded HD Video On Demand version of the History channel for Korea. AETN has launched HD History channels in the U.K., U.S., Scandinavia and Central Europe. “We expect to take them out throughout Asia and Latin America over the next 12 months,” Sean Cohan, senior VP international at AETN Intl., said Sunday at Cannes Mip TV mart. Airing from summer 2008, the History HD VOD service will form part of Korea Telecom MegaTV. Launched last July, the IPTV service has rapidly built 550,000 users, offering interactive and VOD TV. Deal underscores various strategies at AETN: the switch to totally HD production; embrace of VOD for its marketing and future revenue potential; the building of an ever-wider channel portfolio to service segmenting markets.

• Setting up camp in one of the world’s strongest emerging growth markets, Disney-ABC Int. TV has closed a major, multi-year licensing deal with Russian broadcaster CTC Media, Disney announced early Monday at Cannes Mip TV mart. The Mouse House has also reupped on one of its key European accords: its free-to-air output deal with Germany’s ProSieben Sat1 Group. Disney Media Networks Latin America has announced the production of local versions of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Brothers & Sisters” in Colombia. The CTC Media accord covers features — including the first two “Pirates of the Caribbean” pics — live action series, animated skeins — “Cars,” “The Incredibles” — and made-for TV movies. Disney held down a three-year licensing deal with CTC Media from 2004. This deal looks larger, however.One key for CTC is Disney’s collaboration in powering CTC’s timeslot dominant 2 p.m.-4 p.m. kids animated series block, which will now tap the likes of “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Ducktales

• Kadokawa Entertainment has secured a deal with Hong Kong library operation Celestial Pictures to handle a package of Celestial’s Shaw Bros. movies in Japan. Shaw library contains 760 classic movies made between the 1950s and 1990s, many of which have been remastered for re-release and broadcast. Deal spans distribution of horror, fantasy, action and martial arts pics across home entertainment, free- and pay-TV, video-on-demand and mobile. Celestial declined to disclose number of titles involved in the Kadokawa package. And it was unable to explain how deal would impact on relationship with King Records which has a video-only distribution agreement in Japan that remains in force. Separately, Celestial has expanded a deal with MGM Channel Central Europe covering the Shaw library’s martial arts titles on pay TV in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. New deal is a continuation of the three year partnership that originated from the success of MGM Channel Germany’s Kung Fu Classics nights. Key titles to be distributed include martial-arts renowned masterpieces such as Chang Cheh’s “The Five Venoms,” Hu King-chun’s “Come Drink With Me,” and Liu Chia-liang’s “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.” Hong Kong-based Celestial is a subsidiary of Malaysian satellite broadcaster Astro All Asia Networks.

• The Madison Square Garden Network has begun scheduling movies for the first time in its 38-year history, including "All the Right Moves," "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and the concert/biopic "Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise." MSG's entertainment strategy kicked off in October 2006 when the Garden rebranded itself, extending the sports-centered operation to a combination sports-and-entertainment network. One of the key reasons for the rebranding was the disappearance of MSG Network's summer staple: the games of the New York Yankees. The Yankees org set up its own sports regional in March 2002 called the YES Network. MSG covered the loss of the Yankees for the next four years by sharing games of the New York Mets with MSG's sibling Fox Sports Net NY. But the Mets games vanished from MSG and FSNY in March 2006, turning up on a new sports network set up by the Mets and its partners Time Warner Cable and Comcast.

• Cablevision's long-neglected Fuse cabler is looking to reinvent itself, starting with an ambitious new roster of music-themed series. Recently hired programming topper Matt Farber is set to announce the net's image makeover and programming slate at Fuse's inaugural upfront event Thursday. The gathering -- which will include a perf by Wyclef Jean -- also reps the first major coming-out party for Fuse since oversight of the net shifted last year from Rainbow Media to Madison Square Garden (and Eric Sherman took over as the channel's prexy). Not only has MSG upped Fuse's programming budget, but it will also open Fuse's first-ever West Coast offices later this year.

• Spike TV has ponied up about $12 million to buy an exclusive five-year license to all 257 half-hours of "Married ...With Children" from Sony Pictures TV, to begin airing in September. The network also revealed some additional details about its previously reported purchase of updated repeats of "Unsolved Mysteries," including the fact that there'll be 175 re-edited hours of the series in the five-year exclusive contract and that the episodes will be available on Spike.com for streaming and downloading to mobile devices. Spike also said Dennis Farina will be the new "Mysteries" host. The late Robert Stack hosted the series on NBC from 1988 to 1997, on CBS in 1998 and 1999, and on Lifetime in 2000 and 2001. The network declined to discuss dollar figures, but it will pay roughly $150,000 per episode to distributor HBO, putting the total cost at about $26 million. "Mysteries" becomes available to Spike in October.

• Michigan is the latest state to enact legislation aimed at boosting local production, with Gov. Jennifer Granholm set to sign an economic stimulus package Monday that includes an aggressive film incentive program. Granholm said Michigan's program is designed to increase the number of productions filmed on location in Michigan, attract production facilities, grow industry activities that support film production, create jobs, and train workers for those jobs. She cited other states that have used incentives including Louisiana, which has seen reported annual production rise from $7 million to almost $350 million; Connecticut's production tax credit, touted as attracting 66 feature films and $400 million in film expenditures; and New Mexico, where production spending went to from $1.5 million to $476 million. The Michigan program provides a 40% refundable or transferable tax credit for producing films in Michigan, with an added 2% for films produced in "core" communities. It also provides a 25% tax credit for film and digital media infrastructure investments. Additionally, film and digital media production companies can receive job creation tax credits issued by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority; loans from the Michigan Strategic Fund for up to $15 million per qualifying productions in Michigan; loans against film production tax incentives; and participation in the capital access program established by the Michigan Strategic Fund. The law also includes a tax credit of 50% of expenditures incurred by a production company providing on-the-job training for Michigan residents.

• FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has inked a multiyear production deal with Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) that commits both partners to invest in multimedia TV projects. The deal, announced at MipTV, is expected to generate $12 million over the next two years. The two parties previously collaborated on lifestyle skein "Kylie Kwong: My China," which followed the Australian-born Chinese chef as she toured the culinary delights of the middle kingdom . Deal will see the creation of commercially branded multiplatform content with an Asian flavor for international auds.

• Wim Wenders is hitting the road with a new name for Wenders Images, his Berlin-based shingle — Neue Road Movies, in honor of the director’s now defunct original production company. Wenders’ current project, “The Palermo Shooting,” about a jaded German photographer who moves to Sicily in order to start a new life, will be the first film under the company’s new name. Senator Film is releasing “Palermo” in Germany.

INDUSTRY MOVES

• The weekend defection of agents Nick Stevens, Sharon Sheinwold and Lisa Hallerman from UTA to Endeavor has raised questions about UTA’s viability and has focused attention on the battle among talent agencies to control the lucrative film comedy arena. Hours after co-owner Stevens and partners Sheinwold and Hallerman told UTA they would be crossing Wilshire Boulevard to go to Endeavor, both agencies were dealing with the repercussions. The short-term focus was on clients, and the long-term focus will be on how UTA gets on without the trio. Also of note will be how Endeavor absorbs three strong personalities into a partnership roster that grew to 24 just weeks ago when former UTA television partner Marc Korman arrived.

• PointRoll has hired Dea Lawrence as its regional vice president of western sales. She will be responsible for the management and expansion of PointRoll's West Coast sales team, driving revenue growth and developing/maintaining relationships with advertisers and agencies. Prior to joining PointRoll, Lawrence was vice president of sales for the Variety Online group.

• Image Entertainment has restructured in the wake of founder Marty Greenwald's exit. Bill Bromiley, formerly prexy of First Look Entertainment, has been tapped chief acquisitions officer and Rick Eiberg has been upped to exec VP of operations and chief technology officer. They join David Borshell, newly named prexy of the home entertainment indie, and Image CFO Jeff Framer as exec officers of the company. Bromiley began consulting for Image on its feature films' initiative last June and joined the company in January. Eiberg, a five-year veteran of the company, previously served as senior VP of operations. In his new post, he will oversee the company's supply chain, distribution and technology.

• International film sales company Protagonist Pictures has hired Charlotte Van Weede as head of sales.Van Weede joins Protagonist from Hanway Films where she was director of sales and distribution. Previously, Van Weede was VP of international sales at Summit Intl. and, prior to that, sales director at Intermedia Films.

• Indian entertainment conglom UTV has promoted Siddharth Kapur to CEO of UTV Motion Pictures to head all its movie operations. Kapur was previously exec VP of marketing, distribution and syndication. Alpana Mishra has been elevated to chief operating officer of production, UTV Motion Pictures and will oversee film production and development for UTV Motion Pictures. Vikas Bahl has been promoted to COO of the group's second-string film development and production label UTV Spotboy Motion Pictures. Ram Mirchandani will set up a separate film development and production arm, funded by UTV Motion Pictures, which will exclusively produce films for UMP.

TECHNOLOGY/ MULTI-PLATFORM CONTENT NEWS

• Internet TV network Babelgum has announced the first project to be funded from its $15 million Digital Studio Initiative will be “Oil Sands,” a feature-length environmental doc about the threatened Athabasca Oil Sands region in Alberta, Canada. Project will look at the tensions between the indigenous population in northern Alberta and the controversial technology attempting to harness the natural resources of the Athabasca Oil Sands region. Canada has the world’s second highest proven oil reserves after Saudi Arabia. Project will be produced by Insomnia Media Group, Emmy-award winning producer Philip Alberstat and Emmy-nominee Randy Bradshaw. Leslie Iwerks (“Recycle Story”) will helm. Budget of “Oil Sands” is believed to be in the mid six figure dollars range. Project is the first to come out of Babelgum’s fund dedicated to commissioning original content. The company uses peer-to-peer technology to deliver professionally produced content, instead of the user-generated clips of sites such as YouTube.

WEBSITES TO WATCH

http://www.ourworld.com/v11

A new start-up named FlowPlay is combining virtual worlds with casual gaming to attract tweens' attention in ourWorld. For a modest $6/month users can earn "flow" to put toward virtual items such as hairstyles, clothing and furniture. The company secured $3.7 million in financing in Feb., led by Intel Capital and Ambient Sound Investments.

http://www.mtv.com/music/iwantmymusic/

MTV and Garnier Fructis are inviting emerging artists to create a profile and upload original music videos to www.iwantmymusic.mtv.com for fans to vote on. Virtual MTV also launched the Rock Your Style Lounge at www.vmtv.com allowing fans to mingle with the finalists, who will be announced on multiple MTV platforms on April 28.

http://www.kidthing.com/

Game engine creator Tocali Games reached an agreement to develop interactive properties for Advanced Brain Technologies' web 2.0 learning platform Kidthing.

SOURCES:

www.variety.com www.cynopsis.com

the film is about two kids, a girl and a boy, who are best friends. they flee away from their parents - their destination the girl's natural father who is divorced and lives far away.

bearing many difficulties and with the mother's crying their heart out, the kids finally reach the girl's father. however, by then, the mothers too have arrived.

but the end isn't happy. the girl is not able to join her parents once again. they start bickering once again. the kids, failed at their efforts, finally give up their lives; may be that would be a lesson for their parents.

thanks for the english subtitles, i was able to appreciate the spanish film too

A few years ago, multiplexes could only be found in metros, but today, as this article from Mint reports, the wave is also touching small cities.  Companies like Adlabs, PVR, Shringar, Pyramid, Inox and Cinemax  have very ambitious expansion plans for the next years. All these groups see big opportunities in small cities, as it is there, they claim, that the number of seats available per person is lower.   These corporations are also helping create more  transparency in the film industry, and pushing for the development of digital cinema in India.

An interesting article from Variety points out the differences, and similiarities between India and China: a growing number of multiplexes, growing share of the box-office for Hollywood movies, but overall, a friendlier environment for foreign investment in India. We give a complete overview of the sector here  (including an overview of the major multiplex chains).  Also, see our posting on cinema advertising. We have also given a complete overview of Adlabs here.

Here and here are two more interesting articles by Variety: the second one about the release of the 'Simpson' movie in India last summer. Disputes between distributors and exhibitors over the sharing of profits (or losses) are common. Recently, the release of the  $ 10 m 'Akbar' (the biggest budget ever for a Bollywood film) was delayed because of these issues.

While Bindass and Bindass Movies offer entertainment and movie content for the youth, World Movies launched in February 2008 brings to the viewers a movie experience beyond conventional offerings showcasing blockbuster movies in French, Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Dutch, Russian, Thai, Japanese, Korean, German, Persian, Italian to name a few. The movies are sub-titled in English.

UTV Movies, the Hindi movie channel is set to launch later this month with over 300 movie titles in its library. The channel will showcase blockbuster movies from the UTV group, as one of Asia's biggest film studios. UTV has created movie benchmarks across the world with titles like Jodhaa Akbar, Rang De Basanti, The Namesake, Life in a …Metro and many more. UTV's English Business News channel is set to launch in March 2008.

Speaking on the alliance, UGBL executive director Shantonu Aditya said, "We are indeed proud to associate with India's leading DTH platform. The Sun Direct DTH platform has been creating waves in this space and is setting new standards of alternate distribution vehicles to the Indian consumer."

Sun Direct TV chief operating officer Tony Dsilva added, "UTV is known to produce excellent content, offering their channels on our platform will increase consumer choice and satisfaction."

Disney is also investing Rs 1.19 billion ($30 million) in UTV Global Broadcasting Ltd (UGBL) for a 15 per cent stake, sources say. This puts the enterprise value of the broadcasting business at Rs 7.93 billion.

In UTV Software, sources add, Disney will be investing Rs 8.05 billion ($203 million) which will also give the media conglomerate a presence in the motion pictures business. UTV Software Communications holds 77 per cent in UTV Motion Pictures, a listed entity in the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.

In an earlier combined deal, Disney had taken a 14.9 per cent stake in UTV while buying out kids-entertainment channel Hungama from founder-promoter Ronnie Screwvala.

UTV promoter group will invest Rs 3.9 billion ($98 million) to keep its shareholding at 32.1 per cent, similar to what Disney will have. This will be through fresh issue of warrants. The founders of UTV Software Communications now hold 30.67 per cent in the company.

Disney will have to make an open offer for a further 20 per cent which means its stake in UTV Software Communications could go up to 52.1 per cent. Indian takeover rules make open offer mandatory for companies whose holding rises above 15 per cent.

The open offer will be at Rs 860.79 per share, according to sources. UTV shares closed 

The broadcasting business will also see fresh capital infusion. UTV will invest Rs 2.40 billion ($ 60 million) for a 75 per cent stake in UGBL, sources say. The promoter group will hold the balance 10 per cent. UGBL is the parent company for its two wholly owned subsidiaries, Genx Entertainment Limited (Genx) and UTV Entertainment Television Limited (UETL).

Genx has launched two youth entertainment channels under the brand name of Bindass. UETL has recently launched World Movies channel and is soon to come out with UTV Movies, a Hindi movie channel.

The total capital infusion will be Rs 13.14 billion. This will include the investment by Disney in UTV and UGBL along with investments in UTV from promoter group.

Disney will make the investments through its subsidiary, The Walt Disney Company (South East Asia) Pte Ltd, sources say. The deal will strengthen Disney's presence in India across movies, TV content, gaming and broadcasting.

Screwvala will have the optiion of retaining management control of UTV and will continue to remain CMD for two consecutive terms of five years each.

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UGBL will have two subsidiaries - UETL and GenX. The Bindass channels are under GenX

This Hindi movies channel launch will be followed by the launch of a business channel and a music channel.

Said UTV Entertainment Television Ltd CEO Shantonu Aditya, "World Movies is a channel for an up-market audience, keeping in mind the needs of the increasingly global Indian. The channel offers contemporary, glamorous international movies from around the globe in varied genres. We launched the channel with a 65 per cent C&S availability across five metros and projecting to hit 80 per cent within a short span."

World Movies is available in C&S, Cas platforms across households in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

World Movies boasts of a movie library with Spanish titles like Machuca, Swindled; Romanian films like Reach for the sky; Polish films like Your Name is Justin in adiition to other films in Dutch, Thai, Japanese, Korean, to name just a few. These movies will come with English subtitles.