CHICAS PRODUCTIONS: November 2013

Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. It was once so rich that Concorde used to fly from Caracas to Paris. But in the last three years its economy has collapsed. Hunger has gripped the nation for years. Now, it’s killing people and animals that are dying of starvation. The Venezuelan government knows, but won’t admit it!!! Four in five Venezuelans live in poverty. People queue for hours to buy food. Much of the time they go without. People are also dying from a lack of medicines. Inflation is at 82,766% and there are warnings it could exceed one million per cent by the end of this year. Venezuelans are trying to get out. The UN says 2.3 million people have fled the country - 7% of the population.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Great Caterer/Chef recommendation in L.A. and N.Y.

Hi everybody,

Hope you are enjoying your sunny sunday.

I wanted to rec a good friend that i have not seen for so long and I just ran into her yesterday.

Colleen Stewart is a great private Chef and Film Caterer that have been working in L.A. and N.Y. for several years now.

She is very film friendly and will do her best to adapt to your budget.

She is a cutting edge artist, her food is 100% organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and can be holistic oriented.

Colleen Stewart, chef, owner, and operator of On Location Catering since 1984, is a prolific caterer with an impeccable reputation in Hollywood. Stewart specializes in healthy and delicious Californian cuisine with an Asian flair and always offers a vegetarian option. She is equally comfortable catering huge productions as well as the most intimate events.

Her contact info is:

Colleen Stewart

On Location Catering

310-346-8000 cell

colleenastewart@aol.com

colleen@onlocationcatering.com

www.onlocationcatering.com

EDUCATION

Kent State University, Ohio – Music

Food Training – Josephine Pujol, Chef to Orson Wells

Trained in Spanish and Argentinean Cooking

Trained with Robie Sierra Farm to Table California Asian Fusion

Optimum Health Institute – Organic, Raw and Macro Biotic Food We Care Spa Palm Springs Ca, Juicing and food combining

CLIENT LIST

David La Chapelle Private Chef... for Shoots, LA, CA

Ashlee Simpson, Mariah Carey, Carmen Electra, Nicky Hilton, Dennis Hopper, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, Thora Birch, Kelly Clarkston, Macy Gray, Britney Spears, Muhammad Ali, Dave Navarro, Pam Anderson, Elton John, Steven Tyler, Jamie Foxx, Zach Braff, Ben Affleck, Mila Jovovich, Christina Aguilera, Owen Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Rize Documentary, Hillary Swank, Vince Vaughn, Lindsay Lohan ...

FCC eases rules on foreign ownership of TV and radio stations ..

FCC eases rules on foreign ownership of TV and radio stations ...

The Federal Communications Commission wants to encourage more foreign ownership of television and radio stations.

Currently, there is a 25% cap on a foreign company or individual when it comes to owning a stake in a broadcast property. While the cap is not being loosened per se, the FCC said on Thursday that if an investment exceeded 25%, it could still be approved.

"The ruling potentially removes obstacles to new capital investment, which will support small business, minority, and female broadcast ownership, and spur innovation," the FCC said in announcing that it was clarifying its foreign ownership policy.

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV

The agency said the tweak "does not alter the FCC's obligation to protect the public interest, including national security, localism and media diversity, in case-by-case reviews of each transition."

The move is one of the first signed off on by new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who was sworn in last week.

"The infusion of additional foreign capital has the potential to enhance the ability of broadcasters to use their spectrum to serve the needs and interests of their communities," Wheeler said.

However, he stressed that the agency is not going to "rubber stamp" every proposal that comes in.

The National Assn. of Broadcasters, a lobbying arm for the television industry, said it applauded the FCC's action.

"Today's vote provides broadcasters greater access to capital that will allow local stations to continue our indispensable role as the primary purveyor of news, entertainment and lifeline information to the American people," the NAB said.

Among the media companies urging for an easing of the foreign ownership cap were CBS Corp., Hearst Television Inc., Walt Disney Co. and Univision Communications Inc. They were part of a recently formed organization called the Coalition of Broadcast Investment.

An FCC spokeswoman was unable to provide any details on the current levels of foreign ownership of broadcast properties.

Thank you Los Angles Times

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Film Subsidies Safe as Europe Backs Co-Production Friendly Regulations...

New regulations will allow for more state funding of cross-border productions and increased support for distribution costs.
Producers across Europe are rejoicing following new regulations, published Thursday (Nov. 14) by the European Commission, that will allow for greater state subsidies for European co-productions, multimedia projects and film distribution across Europe.

AFM: Why Germany Still MattersState Cash, Co-Productions Boost Ukrainian Film Output Private Film Fund Launches in Russia to Finance Co-ProductionsThe new Cinema Communication, which replaces rules set down in 2001, will allow producers of multi-territory co-productions to tap cross-border subsidies for up to 60 percent of the film's budget, up from 50 percent previously. State support for cinema distribution has also gotten the rubber stamp of approval from the Commission and co-productions can receive up to 60 percent of EU distribution costs from state coffers. So-called "difficult works" including short films, documentaries and films from first- or second-time directors, will be excluded from these upper limits.

In another concession to co-producers and the realities of making cross-border productions, the Commission clarified the rules regarding support for post-production, stating that, in principle, state aid "must not be reserved for specific parts of the production value chain" but that producers should be free to choose how and where they spend state film subsidies. This means a European country can not, for example, force a producer to do post production in their territory as a condition for receiving state subsidies.

The one glaring omission amongst the new regulations is subsidies for video games.

The Commission ruled that it had insufficient experience and data regarding European states' support of the local gaming industries to properly determine whether video games can be considered culture under EU law in the way that cinema is and thus allow similar forms of state subsidies for games.

STORY: European Commission Begins Final Consultation on Film Subsidies

"Although games represent a fast-growing sector, not all games necessarily qualify as audio-visual works or cultural products," the Commission said. "It would therefore be premature to integrate this sector...state aid measures supporting games will therefore continue to be assessed by the Commission on a case-by-case basis."

The new regulations were welcomed by national film industries across Europe. The British government and the British Film Institute said in a joint statement that in the U.K. alone, the film sector provides some 117,000 jobs and contributes over $7.3 billion (￡4.6 billion) to the national GDP annually.

"The UK film industry makes a valuable cultural contribution and is an important part of our diverse and dynamic economy," said Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. "Through the film tax relief we have been able to support this highly skilled, innovative and creative sector and the European Commission's Cinema Communication will mean we can continue to provide that support."

In total, European governments spend around $2.8 billion (€2.1 billion) a year in various forms of direct cash support for European productions and a further $1.3 billion (€1 billion) in the form of targeted tax incentives.

Details of the new film regulations can be found on the European Commission website.

Thank you Variety

E.U. Commission Re-ups And Expands Film Subsidies...

The E.U. has renewed its Communication Cinema policy comprising regulations for film subsidies

PARIS— European industry players have gotten their happy ending: The European Commission has finally reupped film subsidies and preserved territorial obligations following 18 months of intense lobbying from film boards and guilds.

Regrouped under the Communication Cinema policy, the regulations were first created in 2011 to level out state aids across Europe and prevent the subsidy race between countries.

The new policy still allows producers to raise up to 50% of their film budgets via subsidies, and it now considers eligible spendings related to script-writing, development, film distribution and film promotion (including film festivals). The previous text was only taking production costs into account.

"Aid to production alone risks stimulating the supply of audiovisual content without ensuring that the resulting audiovisual work is properly distributed and promoted," stated the E.U.. "It is therefore appropriate that aid may cover all aspects of film creation, from story concept to delivery to the audience. "

Another positive change, the aid is upped to 60% of the budgets for pan-European co-productions. Meanwhile, producers of smaller-budgeted films will be able to raise up to 80% of their budgets via subsidies.

A major victory for European industryites, the E.U. Commission opted to maintain territorial spending obligations – capped at 80% of the production budget — after initially claiming its intention to bent restrictions on the origin of goods, services or workers used by a production.

Member states will be able to require that producers spend the equivalent of 160% of the aid in their territory.

Led by France, the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, E.U. states inject an estimated 3 billion Euros ($4 million) per year in film support, including $2.7 billion in grants and soft loans, and $1.3 billion in tax incentives. Film productions draw approximately $2.7 billion per year in state aid.

The stakes were high for the Euro film industry : At present, Europe's tax rebate programs generate an estimated $939 million every year ; and 80% of that amount is injected in European films, according to Patrick Lamassoure at Film France Commission.

While the E.U. acknowledged the fact that vidgames "may represent one of the fastest-growing form of mass media in the coming years," it didn't include them in the Communication Cinema policy.

"Not all games necessarily qualify as audiovisual works or cultural products. Therefore, the rules designed for film production cannot apply automatically to games," stated the E.U. Commission, adding that games which serve a cultural or educational purpose may be eligible to receive E.U. fundings.

Thank you Variety

Comcast to Enable Movie Purchasing in Early EST Window...

Comcast is expanding from renting to selling movies from major studios by the end of the year, sources confirmed.

The nation's largest cable operator will join digital streaming platforms such as Apple's iTunes and Vudu in allowing users to purchase films in an evolving new window leading into the traditional home-video window, known as "early EST" or as studios recently agreed to call high-definition copies, "Digital HD."

Comcast declined to comment, as did reps from several studios. News was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.

Early EST is not to be confused with the controversial premium VOD, which involves movies bowing in tandem with or shortly after the beginning of the theatrical window. Early EST comes after hotels and airlines get films, or several weeks before the traditional three-month separation between theatrical debut and home video.

More and more big movies have launched in that window including "The Heat," "Iron Man 3," "The Great Gatsby" and "Star Trek Into Darkness." Titles are available for approximately $15.

With the major studios recently agreeing to adopt the Digital HD brand for all HD movies available in the early EST window, the addition of a broadly available distributor like Comcast provides yet another shot in the arm for driving the value of ownership to U.S. consumers. While rental transactions outnumber movie purchases, the latter category is of huge importance to the studios because they have a much higher profit margin than the former.

Comcast intends to make movie ownership available through its Xfinity TV platform, which allows access to a huge trove of rental titles regardless of whether they are being accessed on TV, mobile or PC to authenticated subscribers. A cloud-based locker would be built into the Xfinity platform where the content could be accessed.

Comcast has more than 20 million cable subscribers in the U.S. The MSO reported a loss of 129,000 subs in the third quarter.

Currently, Comcast offers its subscribers 36,000 titles through its set-top VOD service and 270,000 videos online. About 70% of digital video subscribers use VOD monthly.

Comcast is currently in talks with Netflix to add the streaming video service to its cable boxes and new X1 product. X1 is a cloud-based service, introduced last year, that Comcast hopes will attract new customers with its user-friendly interface, better search functionality and enhanced DVR.

Overall, Comcast's third-quarter net profit slipped 18% to $1.73 billion, while revenue declined 2.4% to $16.15 billion.

Thank you Variety

Hollywood Backs Antipiracy Curriculum for Elementary Schools...

When it comes to learning about the evils of Internet piracy, Hollywood studios and the major music labels want kids to start young.

A nonprofit group called the Center for Copyright Information has commissioned a school curriculum to teach elementary-age children about the value of copyrights.

The Los Angeles Times reports the nonprofit is backed by the MPAA, the RIAA and others.
The curriculum, still in draft stage, includes lesson plans, videos and activities for teachers and parents to help educate students about the "importance of being creative and protecting creativity."

Some critics say the curriculum would promote a biased agenda. Others contend it would use up valuable classroom time when public schools are already struggling to teach the basics.

Thank you Variety

AFM: Hype, Hope and Business as Usual with China as Part of the New Normal...

Deals steady, rather than spectacular. Money flowing into co-prods and property too
AFM Adjusts to Life After Focus Features Int'lThe Great Wall of Chinese money has not exactly washed away the American Film Market this week. Rather, it has seeped into every conversation and every deal permutation.

Chinese companies are attending the AFM in record numbers, according to market organizers. Certainly every restaurant and every Loews elevator seems to be 50% occupied by mainland Chinese.
But instead of making a quick grab for any title that moved, the Chinese are becoming more discerning and more multi-faceted.

"Everyone is here, that's certainly true. A lot of top producers have been in town with all the U.S.-China events this week, but so far the buying action has been nothing unusual," said Leslie Chen, IM Global China executive.

Trade may pick up by Monday, when more deals are expected to close. The deal of reference for several players may be the expected sale of Lionsgate's Johnny Depp project "Mortdecai."

Not only is Depp a big draw for Chinese audiences, Lionsgate has strong China connections and has the option to co-distribute in China if it does not get the price and terms it seeks. However, Lionsgate sources say they expect to complete a "Mortdecai" sales deal by the end of the market.

"Chinese buyers are now talking more about the quality of the project than the number of distribution slots," said Gary Hamilton, CEO of production-sales group Arclight Films. "It is really important to them that this is a global project, rather than something niche. The first three questions they ask are: `Who is in it?' `Who is distributing in the States' and `What's the budget?'"

David U. Lee of independent Chinese distributor Leeding Media says that the boost to the market that some sellers anticipated from last year's change to the import quotas — from 20 to 34 — has now peaked.

"The last market was overhyped. Prices are now flat or up only slightly, the big acceleration may be over," said Lee. "Actually the increase in quotas has made our (independently sourced) films less competitive. That's because we now have 14 more studio-level pictures per year coming into the country against us."

A slowdown or reality check may be a welcome change as the Chinese distribution scene is still very far from being a free market — there's the quota restrictions on the number of revenue-sharing films that can be imported, censorship that is liberalizing only slowly and direct government intervention in the releasing calendar designed to favor local films.

Still, the Chinese theatrical market has become simply too big to ignore. By the end of September, box office had equalled last year's 12-month total of $2.7 billion, putting it on course for a full year total worth $3.2 billion.

"In one significant way things are changing. Many of the Chinese firms here at AFM seem as interested in co-production as they do in outright acquisition," said Ying Ye, Hamilton's partner in Arclight's specialty Asian label, Easternlight. "We have licensed our John Cusack movie `Reclaim' but we will do `Priority Run' as a co-production. It is in pre-production with Donnie Yen set and a U.S. actor yet to be cast."

The Chinese partner is likely to have a say in who gets cast. Arclight/Easternlight already have Nicolas Cage actioner "Outcast" and thriller "The Nest 3D," which is in development, structured as Chinese co-ventures.

Still other insiders point out that filmmaking and buying is only part of the reason the Chinese are in L.A. "It's the money business, not the movie business," says one. "Many Chinese still have strong reasons to want to get money offshore and out of China."
Michael J. Werner, chairman of Fortissimo Films, said, "What are the Chinese buying? Properties in Beverly Hills."

After the show-stopping announcements by Chinese property and film group Wanda — last year it paid $2.3 billion for North American theater chain AMC, and in September this year called up a dozen Hollywood A-listers to celebrate its new studio facility-cum-yacht brokerage — China has become a more frequent port of call for U.S. movie companies.

"Actually we don't expect much buying here at AFM, all the big sales companies now will travel to China and speak directly to the distributors," said another source.

That's true of Lionsgate, Arclight and IM Global, which now all have China offices. They will be joined by Universal Pictures, which this week also announced it would set up permanently in Beijing.

Thank you Variety

French Film Exports Reach a 10-Year Record With $282 Million in 2012...

Will Caviar and Champagne Lure Auds to Luxe French Multiplex? Powered by Gaumont's "The Intouchables" (pictured above), EuropaCorp's "Taken 2″ and Wild Bunch's Oscar-winning "The Artist," French film sales scored €211.3 million ($282.2 million) in 2012, a 34.9% year-on hike and a 10-year record.

Figures were compiled by the National Film Board (CNC), in collaboration with the ADEF (Assn. of French Sales Agents) and IFCIC.

While film sales surged, the overseas box office of French pics also skyrocketed by 93.8% to 144.1 million admissions, of which 70.6% were garnered by the top five movies.

Yet, while "Intouchables" and "The Artist" sold a combined 45 million tickets in 2012, a flurry of other French-language films – notably Wild Bunch's "Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia," EuropaCorp's toon "Monster in Paris" and Les Films du Losange's "Amour" — sold 20 million theater admissions. "Taken 2," meanwhile, attracted 47.3 million moviegoers outside France.

Nine pics fared particularly well, selling between half a million and 1 million admissions. These included Pathe's "Houba! On the Trail of the Marsupilami" and "What's in a Name," SND's "Service Entrance," Studiocanal's "La Delicatesse" and Wild Bunch's "Rust and Bone."
French sales companies thrived with both homegrown and foreign films in 2012. Indeed, revs from foreign pics sales climbed 17.1% to $118.6 million, while deals on Gallic movies rose 43.1% to $248.4 million.

Sales to North America climbed 35.2% to $80 million, repping 28.6% of worldwide deals.
Western Europe remained the No. 1 territory for French films concentrating 42.8% of 2012's worldwide sales revenue, rising 36.8% to $121.3 million. Gallic pics proved particularly attractive to Teuton distribs. Sales to Germany increased by 72.3% to $46.3 million. Even in Italy, sales doubled to $12 million in 2012.

Revenue from Central and Eastern Europe rose 40.9% to $30.7 million, while sales to Asia also increased to $20 million, a 27.6% year-rise.

Hitting such a modern high point in 2012, it will be difficult for so many stars to align again in 2013. French sales outfits have been hit by the collapse of Southern European markets and declining minimum guarantees across most international territories.

So far, Gaumont's tightly budgeted comedy "Paulette," about a retiree-turned-drug dealer, and Other Angle's "On the Other Side of the Tracks," a buddy laffer toplining Omar Sy, are the top two highest-grossing French-language films released overseas in 2013.

This year's list of best-selling French-language movies include Guillaume Gallienne's "Me, Myself and Mum" (Gaumont), Jalil Lespert's "Yves Saint Laurent" (SND) and Abdellatif Kechiche's "Blue Is the Warmest Color" (Wild Bunch).

Thank you Variety

Biz Honors Vets With Jobs Outreach...

Heads Keep Rolling in Hollywood With Veterans Day at hand, it's useful to remember that the entertainment industry and the nation's armed forces long have had a fruitful partnership. Notable servicemen such as Frank Capra and Clark Gable have shot educational films for the War Dept., and celebrities including Bob Hope, Judy Garland and Humphrey Bogart performed for the troops with the USO. But today's Hollywood is also uniting with the military in a different way — one that focuses less on entertaining active enlistees than on finding jobs for vets transitioning out of the service.

For instance, the Writers Guild Foundation hosts a veterans writing workshop, while Veterans in Film & Television uses its sizable directory and impressive speaker series in Los Angeles and New York to connect the biz with the veterans.

Since 2010, the Writers Guild Foundation has enlisted screenwriters including Peter Casey, David Isaacs and Ken Levine to mentor vets interested in pursuing careers as film and TV writers. More than 60 vets and 25 professional writers converge every April for a writing retreat. Local vets have the opportunity to attend monthly workshops in Los Angeles for small group training sessions.

Kevin Ott, the WGF's director of communications, said participants are taught to channel frustration, pain or joy while writing. Because those emotions are often tied with military service for vets, the experience can be cathartic. "There's a recognized and marked need for more diversity in Hollywood output, and one of those voices is veteran voice," though not all of those vets need to have seen action, Ott said. "We don't look for vets to tell some sort of monolithic story of survival in combat. Not every story has to be (`The Epic of) Gilgamesh.'"

One program participant, Brian Anthony, has gone on to writing jobs on Lifetime's "Army Wives" and NBC's now-canceled "Ironside." He has returned to the WGF workshop as a mentor.

Meanwhile, having amassed more than 1,500 members since early 2012, Veterans in Film & Television uses its directory to connect vets with the biz. It recently joined forces with Easter Seals, a nonprofit that assists people with disabilities, to create career opportunities for veterans in film and TV.

"I think it'd be great if the industry could better understand what veterans bring to the table," said VFT co-founder Mike Dowling, who participated in WGF's writing program in 2011. "We didn't come to this industry so we could just work on military films and productions. We're creative artists, just like all the other actors and directors and writers in this industry; we just happened to have served."

Another initiative, the U.S. Veterans' Artists Alliance, works with all branches of the arts. Since 2004, the program has produced, exhibited and helped fund arts projects as well as theater and film productions. Its current inhouse play "Tracers," boasts an all-vet cast. USVAA is also working to recognize, through a presidential proclamation, Nov. 1 as Veterans in the Arts and Humanities Day.

Thank you Variety

U.K., South Korea Sign Cultural Agreement...

Mainland Chinese opportunities have led to a filmmaking exodus, but the territory is thriving as a shooting destination.
Mainland China's industry is hogging the limelight, but Hong Kong is the most efficient gateway into the booming market north of the border, industryites from the territory said Thursday during an AFM panel discussion.

Michael Bay Hails Hong Kong Despite 'Scary' 'Transformers' AttackHong Kong Directors Guild Boss Calls 'Transformers 4' Incident 'Ridiculous'Michael Mann's 'Cyber' Film Shoot Moves to Hong KongThe number of local productions in Hong Kong has fallen as directors and producers turn their attention to the world's second-largest film market in China.

STORY: Michael Bay Hails Hong Kong Despite 'Scary' 'Transformers' Attack

Independent filmmaker Maria Lo Orzel spoke of how almost all Hong Kong filmmakers are working with China.

"Going from 300 to 50 films a year shows that most of the local filmmakers have moved north, but they will mostly come to Hong Kong to help start their projects.

"We cannot survive without China," she told the gathering.

Film productions from Hong Kong can take advantage of CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement), which affords them special status.

Hong Kong also is proving itself to be a popular location. Recent projects that shot there include Transformers: Age of Extinction, Cyber, Pacific Rim and Fast & Furious 6.

STORY: Michael Mann's 'Cyber' Film Shoot Moves to Hong Kong

Against this backdrop, it is hardly surprising that one of the most eagerly listened to figures on the panel was Zhou Tiedong, president of China Film Promotion International.

"Hong Kong has been acting as a major production force -- Hong Kong filmmakers made the only Chinese genre that can travel internationally: the kung fu movie. It is a better way to go through Hong Kong filmmakers," said Zhou.

He said a ratings system would probably happen in China, but only if the market wants it. "The audience is always right," he joked.

Panelist Jeffrey Chan, COO of Bona Film Group, said Hong Kong still has plenty to offer that China does not.

"I rarely find people who don't like Hong Kong; it's a base camp. It's efficient, it's quick to set up a company, it was under British rule so it has common law. The Chinese yuan is not an internationally convertible currency," he said.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

Turkey’s Economic Boom Fuels Film Expansion..

Budgets rise as producers tap more coin from new sources

Turkey's booming economy is spilling over into the local film industry, boosting budgets and exports.

Still, Turkey's film sector has plenty of room for improvement, especially compared with its terrific TV trade.

With the country in turbo mode, Turkish film and TV producers over the past decade have been tapping into more coin, from both private investors and government subsidies, which are regulated by a 2004 law. This law is being modified to provide more incentives, including breaks for foreign productions, which get a refund of the country's 18% VAT tax when they shoot in Turkey.

What's driving the Turkish film industry is the strong and stable local market share.

Homegrown fare in 2012, the most recent year for which figures are available, accounted for a whopping 46.6% of the total box office.

The Turkish box office champ in 2012 was turbans-and-testosterone epic "Fetih 1453," helmed by Faruk Aksoy, about the capture of Constantinople in the 15th century by the Ottoman Turks, toplining local hunk Ibrahim Celikkol as a heroic Turkish martyr.

Produced by Aksoy Film Prods., "Fetih" pulled $31 million, more than 10% of the nation's $234 million total box office last year, and has traveled widely.

But Abdurrahman Celik, an adviser to the Turkish culture ministry, cautions that only five Turkish pics last year reached 1 million admissions at the local box office, considered the benchmark for a successful pic.

This year, "The Butterfly's Dream," which is directed by poet, playwright, and actor Yilmaz Erdogan, has scored $10 million-plus domestically, which is especially impressive considering it's a much more delicate narrative than "Fetih." Budgeted at $15 million and already exported quite widely, "Dream" is a World War II-set romancer about two young poets forced to work in a coal mine and who fall in love with the same young woman from a wealthy family.

The film is also Turkey's entry into the foreign-language film Oscar race.

FilmNation sales exececutive Tara Erer, who is Turkish, notes that there are two main genres of films that are made in the country: drama and comedy, both of which are "very culture and language-specific," which makes it more difficult for them to travel.

A notable exception is director Mahsun Kirmizigul's Hollywood-style auctioner "Five Minarets in New York" (aka "Act of Vengeance") with Danny Glover and Gina Gershon, about two Turkish agents sent to New York City to capture a notorious terrorist. The 2010 pic, reportedly budgeted at $20 million, pulled in more than $40 million, about half from domestic auds and the rest internationally, including the U.S.

Germany, which has a large Turkish population, is the main territory for the exports, and also the country with which Turkey has the closest cinematic ties creatively.

According to distributor Pamir Demirtas, whose Pinema mainly brings Hollywood product to Turkey but would love to see local exports rise, luring more foreign productions "could encourage local producers and investors to think bigger."

The government is also paying attention, as Celik assures "we are planning to give direct support to foreign productions soon."

Still, the current lack of incentives has not prevented several high-profile Hollywood pics, including "Argo," "Taken 2" and "Skyfall," from shooting in Turkey. Expected next on Turkish shores is Russell Crowe's directorial debut, "The Water Diviner.

Thank you Variety

Save BC Film: Vancouver Lobby Helps Local Biz...

Despite the dire conditions, Vancouver's biz has actually picked up a bit

For decades Vancouver's hefty incentives have made the city a major shooting destination, especially for U.S. TV series. And lately the British Columbia metropolis has attracted a slew of vfx and animation companies, which have set up shop there to take advantage of tax breaks and the growing pool of local talent.

But not long ago it seemed that Vancouver was facing a significant production slowdown. Some companies closed, or, like Rockstar Games, left in pursuit of better incentives elsewhere. Execs were looking to places like Ontario, where vidgame developers can get up to a 40% tax credit compared to B.C's 17.5%.

The province offers a 33% credit just on labor costs — while Ontario and Quebec offer a 25% tax credit on all production costs. Further, the harmonized sales tax, which combines the 7% provincial sales tax (PST) with the 5% goods and services sales tax (GST) levied by federal government, has been phased out, so the provincial portion is no longer refundable to productions.

Facing such threats, the industry banded together under Save BC Film to lobby the government for changes prior to the provincial elections.

"Literally thousands were out of work," says Peter Leitch, chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Assn. of British Columbia. "With the Liberal government re-elected, the credits remained at the same level. The industry was bracing for the worst."

But despite the dire conditions, Vancouver's biz has actually picked up a bit. Current numbers show that production is largely unchanged from last year's levels, according to Richard Brownsey, CEO of Creative BC, a new agency that amalgamates the B.C. Film Commission and B.C. Film + Media. And 30 new productions are filming or about to start.

Recent news of Pixar Canada shuttering its Vancouver studio set off shock waves, but insiders believe this was less due to incentives and more a corporate Disney decision related to the delay of two Pixar films and the need to shift work back to Pixar's headquarters. Says Nerd Corps Entertainment CEO Asaph Fipke: "Look, (parent company Disney) has ILM and Pixar here, so (why not move one) when they can still get the tax credit?"

Overall, the vfx/animation/post sector seems to be showing stability. Companies like MPC, Zoic, Scanline VFX, Image Engine, Atomic Cartoons, Bardel Animation, DHX Media, Gener8 and Nerd Corps are hiring. Given that Fipke's company is about to engage 50 more workers, over the next few months, reaching a staff of 400, he's confident predicting growth for TV animation. Gener8 CEO Rory Armes, whose company specializes in 2D-to-3D conversion, is looking to hire 80 people and is competing with other studios to get the talent.

Small fluctuations in tax credits are inconsequential for digital production, believes Fipke, insisting that when you net them out, the difference between those offered by B.C., Ontario and Quebec isn't very big. "The PST is maybe a little bit of an issue," admits Fipke, "but not enough for us to jump up and move the operation somewhere else."

Thank you Variety

Colombia Takes Lead in Latin Incentives Surge...

Producers are being pulled south by nation's tax breaks

When producer Mike Medavoy was pondering where to shoot "The 33," the feature centered on the 2010 mining accident in Chile that left 33 men trapped underground for 69 days while the world followed their plight on TV and social media, he faced several choices. One was to shoot the film entirely where it took place: Chile.

Another was to split the shooting between Chile and Colombia; Chile offers no tax incentives, while the Colombian government recently passed a law that lets producers save up to 40% on production and post-production services and an additional 20% on lodging, transportation and meals if they hire local production service companies.

For producer Robert Katz of Half Circle, the banner producing "The 33," the decision was a no-brainer. He says the movie will save a significant chunk of change by shooting partly in Colombia. In addition to the government incentives, he says, "rates in Colombia are very competitive for crews, as are other costs. It's much less expensive to shoot there than in the U.S., and even Chile, and it makes all the difference on whether you can make the movie or not."

"The 33" is now in pre-production, and shooting is slated to start Nov. 25, with production almost evenly split between the two South American countries. Patricia Riggen will direct an ensemble cast that includes Antonio Banderas.

As different jurisdictions vie for a slice of the worldwide production pie, some territories are outdoing each other in the race to attract film producers. Led by Colombia, Latin America has introduced some of the most aggressive programs.

And in Colombia, those efforts have paid off, according to Joe Chianese, exec VP of Entertainment Partners, the production payroll firm that also advises producers on state and national incentive programs and calculates comparative budgets based on shooting locations. "The incentive is barely a year old, and I've gotten maybe two dozen phone calls from people looking at Colombia," says Chianese. "The country has a perception issue dating from the '80s drug-lord culture, but the film commission has done a good job of changing those perceptions."

Chianese notes that other parts of Latin America — helped by more favorable exchange rates, growing economies and improving public safety — have also emerged as major shooting destinations. This includes Brazil, the largest Latin territory. And in the Caribbean, where Puerto Rico has long lured productions from the U.S. mainland with tax breaks and scenery, the Dominican Republic has also thrown its hat in the ring, bolstered by a newly built soundstage complex courtesy of U.K.-based Pinewood Studios.

On the other hand, Mexico, which also offers incentives, is today afflicted by drug wars the way Colombia was a decade ago. Despite scoring some recent gets, such as the Matt Damon starrer "Elysium," "the country is truly suffering from a safety issue," Chianese says.

"A lot of the kinds of movies that used to go to Mexico are now coming here," says Colombian film commissioner Silvia Echeverri. "We had to pass through the same history." Her office supports the year-old incentive program with tours inviting producers from the U.S. and elsewhere to visit Colombia and learn first-hand what resources are available, including production service companies, crews and locations.

But there are also limits to Colombia's incentives and resources. Consultant Jason Resnick, whose clients include film distributors and Colombia's Proimagenes film promotion agency, notes that the new incentive applies to features but not to TV series. "Colombia has a robust TV industry," he says. "If the incentive applied to television, all the local TV production companies would start applying for it."

Another shortcoming: Colombia has no large, sophisticated soundstages that could house major feature productions.

"We don't have huge studio areas needed for big films," commissioner Echeverri acknowledges. "But if a film is not huge we can offer TV production space in Bogota. But we mainly offer our crews and locations."

Thank you Variety

AFM: Recent Box-Office Bombs Make Buyers Nervous...

Some are expecting a distinctly chilly American Film Market thanks to several films that recently have bombed or underperformed at the international box office (duds include Bill Condon's The Fifth Estate and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, while Ron Howard's Rush hasn't lived up to expectations), leaving buyers rightly nervous.

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And just as foreign distributors prepared over the weekend for their journey to Los Angeles for AFM, which gets underway Wednesday and runs through Nov. 13, the big-budget film adaptation Ender's Game continued to do lackluster business offshore (it's faring better in North America).
To boot, international sales agents continue to fight over the same stars, making it difficult to close deals on projects at script stage. "In a way, we're reaping what we've sown," says The Solution Entertainment Group's Lisa Wilson. "There is a handful of actors and actresses whom we've made valuable, and we're all making the same offers to the same people."

Added another top sales agent: "I would say buyers are cautious and slightly disappointed. You hope that a lot of projects come in at the last minute, but it's not going to happen to the level everyone expected."

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Nevertheless, there are still enough high-profile projects to get buyers in the door. Good Universe's Elton John biopic Rocketman is generating sizeable interest, and the pop icon himself may make an appearance at AFM to personally plug the project. Another buzzed-about title is Voltage Pictures' Adam Sandler comedy The Cobbler.

Buyer Dylan Wiley, senior vp/general manager of Entertainment One Films U.S., says the continued advantage of coming in early on a project is that the finished film market is so competitive. "Distributors are willing to accept some execution and timing for more reasonably priced product purchased in advance at AFM and other film markets," he says.

In addition to touting new wares, sales agents will use AFM to update foreign distributors on projects they've already invested in, including Johnny Depp action-comedy Mortdecai, which David Koepp began shooting last month for Lionsgate and OddLot Entertainment. Lionsgate International is selling the film overseas. Radiant Films' Madame Bovary, starring Mia Wasikowska, also began shooting in recent days.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

Korean Film Industry: Censorship Rising?

With a conservative gov't in place, bizzers fear the return of the scissors \

The modern South Korean film industry was born in the mid-'90s when the Busan festival helped push back the cloud of censorship that had prevailed for 10 years after the end of military rule.

Since then, Korean directors have reveled in their freedom to shock, tantalize and blindside their audiences — whether coming from Kim Ki-duk's sado-masochistically bizarre "The Isle" and fairly explicit sex in Park Chul-soo's "The Green Chair," to hints of cannibalism in Kim Jee-woon's "I Saw the Devil," or the unremitting but always stylish ultra-violence of Na Hong-jin's "The Chaser" and "The Yellow Sea." Choi Min-sik eating a live octopus in Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" is still a high point for some genre fans.

Yet there's growing concern that censorship is on the increase since the arrival in February of President Park Geun-hye's deeply conservative government.

Some see the Korea Media Ratings Board as having already become tougher. They cite the near-banning of Kim's "Moebius" as an example. The director, whose stock-in-trade is provocation, only had the film cleared for commercial release after two appeals and the removal of two minutes of footage.

Yet, a single problem film does not necessarily mark a trend. "The new government is less than one year old. Most current films were greenlighted before that," says "Late Autumn" producer Lee Joo-ick. "Maybe there will be more impact in the future. But we are not China."

Others fear that the government will not need to act explicitly and that self-censorship will do much of its work.

Some suggest that politically themed contemporary films are not going to be greenlit and that criticism of the government is becoming harder. For this they look no further than "Project Cheonan Ship," a documentary by Baek Seung-woo, which premiered in May's Jeonju festival. It offers alternative explanations for the 2010 sinking of warship Cheonan, in which 46 sailors died and which the South Korean government says was caused by a North Korean torpedo.

Bereaved families attempted to bar the film with court injunctions, but "Cheonan" made it into limited release in September, only to have the Megabox theater chain remove the film after two days. The exhibitor cited warnings that its cinemas were going to be picketed by conservative groups. Skeptics say with the heads of many big Korean conglomerates in jail, business is simply unwilling to stick its neck out.

Thank you Variety

Thailand Bringing Film Industry Roadshow to Los Angeles...

The country's deputy prime minister and leading industry reps will host a symposium, business forum and networking party shortly before AFM gets underway.

Thailand is set to bring its first-ever film and animation industry roadshow to Los Angeles in the days leading up to the American Film Market.

Thailand's Oscar Submission 'Countdown' to Get U.S. Release

Stephen Chow Developing Film With Thai Studio GTH
The three-day event, aimed at promoting greater creative and business ties between the Thai and U.S. screen industries,1. It will be hosted by Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, along with leading representatives from the Thai industry.
STORY: Thailand's Oscar Submission 'Countdown' to Get U.S. Release
Twenty Thai companies involved in film production, distribution, visual effects and animation will take part in the event in L.A. The three-day program will include a symposium, tours of Hollywood studios, company showcases and business matching sessions.
Participating film companies from Thailand include, the National Federation of Thai Film Associations, Amfine Production, Five Star Production, Kantana Post Production, Klongchai Pictures, M Pictures, M Thirty Nine, Right Content, Studio Aromdi, Sahamongkol Film International. The Thai animation companies making the trip to L.A. are Anya Animation, Creative Bean Studio, Imagimax, Lunch Box Studio, The Monk Studios, G Motif, Teapot Studio, Tomogram Studio, Vithita Animation, Yggdrazil Group.
The program will culminate with a costume Halloween party held at the JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot Hotel, hosted by Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya of Thailand. During the party there will be a screening of new and classic Thai horror films, including Countdown, the smash hit Pee-Mak, Long Weekend, The House, Shutter, 3AM 3D, Art of the Devil I & II, Dorm, Alone, Heaven & Hell, I Miss You, The Coffin, 9-9-81, Ghost Day.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Wednesday, November 6, 2013