CHICAS PRODUCTIONS: Production

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.

Showing posts with label Production. Show all posts

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 ...

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

More info:
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Thank you for your time,
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Don't hesitate contacting us,
Have a great day ☼
Chicas Team ❤
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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

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

Los Angeles Sees Moderate Production Gains in Features...

Gains in feature film production offset a decline in TV shooting to lift overall third-quarter location shooting in Los Angeles by 9.5% to 11,792 permitted days, according to the FilmL.A. permitting agency.

The hike in activity may appear to undercut the contentions that the state of California needs to do more to put the brakes on runaway production, so FilmL.A. president Paul Audley issued a statement aimed at providing context for the latest statistics.

"Any increase in local production is cause for celebration, as long as we don't lose sight of the big picture," said Audley. "California has yet to match and overcome out of state competition for this business. For feature film production to be where it once was and should be in L.A., production would need to increase by 125%. Until Sacramento acts to level the playing field, we won't see the kind of growth and prosperity that California families are counting on."

The 19.5% jump in features — concentrated in small-budget projects such as Zach Braff's Kickstarter-funded "Wish I Was Here" — was enough to overcome a 3.4% slide in the mainstay TV production category, according to statistics released Tuesday by FilmL.A.

Feature production totaled 1,959 days during the quarter, a continuing sign of moderate recovery in a segment that's been hit hard by runaway production as the category improved its 5-year quarterly average by 14.6%. Still, FilmL.A. noted that the activity lags far behind the record setting numbers of 1996.

The report was issued with momentum gaining to improve the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program, which is far smaller than rival incentive programs in other states with a $100 million annual limit in credits and exclusion of features with budgets over $75 million. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently appointed Tom Sherak as film czar to address the runaway issue and several state legislators have announced plans to increase the scope of the incentive program.

"I've made the industry a priority for my administration because it generates 500,000 jobs," Garcetti said in statement Tuesday. "This isn't about the stars we see on the screen but about carpenters, caterers, and electricians and the stores they shop in."

State-qualified feature projects generated 107 days of shooting between July and September, or 5.5% of the category's quarterly total and included "Best Man," "Jersey Boys," "Kitchen Sink," "OT Beach" and "Ride."

Other features shot in Los Angeles during the quarter included "Life After Beth," "Reversal," "Stretch" and "Whiplash."

FilmL.A. president Paul Audley asserted that — when compared with five-year averages — the numbers also show that Los Angeles has continued to see erosion in features and TV dramas, which generate the highest level of economic activity, as other states lure away production via incentives that are far richer than California's.

"We are seeing increases but they are in the low-economic area," he added. "We're not seeing tentpole films shot here. It's great that we are getting micro-budget projects, but those use small casts and crews."

The television production category totaled 4,091 days during the third quarter as TV dramas gained 6.5% to 983 days — but have dropped 25.5% below the five-year average.

Reality TV was down 14.3% 1,353 days; sitcoms slid 15% to 517 and web-based TV production fell 15.6% to 357.

State-qualified TV projects generated 182 days, or 18.5% of all TV drama activity including "Lost Angels," "Major Crimes," "Rizzoli & Isles" and "Teen Wolf."

The commercials category jumped 17.7% to 1,925 days for its strongest showing so far this year. Production in this category has increased notably in recent years.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a two-year $200 million extension of the tax credit program last fall. Those funds will be doled out in June, 2014 and June, 2015.

Only 31 of the 380 projects that applied for the state tax credits were selected in June. That number has increased to 34, with thriller "Nightcrawler" receiving a $2.3 million allocation from the California Film Tax Credit program after moving off the waiting list.

August's cancellation of "Bunheads" freed up credits for seven other California projects, including "Sam and the White Tiger," "Perfect Heist," "Xoxo" and "Straight Outta Compto

Thank you Variety

Italy Renews Production Tax Incentives, Including for Foreign Films...

Bill is considered a crucial lifeline for Italo industry and key to luring foreign shoots

The incentives — which give local producers a 20% tax break, outside investors a 40% tax shelter, and foreign productions a 25% tax credit — have been in place since 2009, and had been previously approved through 2013.
But in recent months foreign producers started seeing them as a risky proposition because the country's cash-strapped government initially indicated the tax breaks would be frozen and also not renewed again. This fear has caused an estimated thirty million dollars in lost business over the past few months.
Bowing to an Italo industry uproar, the decree called Valore Cultura (Culture Value) has now cleared its final hurdle with an overwhelming majority in the Lower House. It provides a total of Euros 110 million ($150 million) in production incentives over the next three years. Most of the coin is for film, but 20 million Euros have been designated for TV productions, marking the extension of the Italo incentives to TV.
"It was a life of death situation, so we are very relieved," said Riccardo Tozzi (pictured), prexy of Italo motion picture association ANICA, in a statement. "Now we have to build on this new dialogue to make cultural industry a driver for this country."
Italo tax incentives offer a 25% deduction for international productions capped at $7 million, payable through an Italian executive producer.
Woody Allen's "To Rome With Love," produced by Letty Aronson with financing from Italy's Medusa, Amber Entertainment's "Romeo and Juliet," helmed by Carlo Carlei, and "Third Person" by Paul Haggis, produced by Belgium's Corsan, are among foreign titles that have tapped into the generous Italo incentives.

In separate Italo industry news , Andrea Occhipinti, head of prominent Italo indie shingle Lucky Red, has been appointed head of the country's distributors org. a sub-section of ANICA. Occhipinti has pledged to step up efforts against the country's rampant piracy plague.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

Santa Barbara Offers California’s First Production Rebate Program...

In an attempt to attract production to the region, the county of Santa Barbara is offering an incentive program that it says is the first of its kind in California.

The Santa Barbara County Film Commission will provide a cash rebate for films, TV shows, unscripted series, commercials and still photography shot in the country, which was the home of California's first film studio in 1910.

Production companies qualify by booking a set number of room nights, as determined by the type of production, in certain areas including Montecito, Santa Barbara, Los Olivos and Solvang. For example, a feature film must book 200 room nights, while a reality show needs 50 room nights to qualify. Permit fees will qualify for reimbursement along with 50% of California Highway Patrol or police costs.

Total funding for the program is $50,000 for the fiscal year, and eligibility is determined on a first come, first served basis until available resources are depleted for the year. For more information, visit FilmSantaBarbara.

Thank you Variety

Hispanic Hollywood': Florida's $296 Million Push to Lure Filmmakers...

With Spanish-language productions from Telemundo and Univision driving its entertainment business, the Sunshine State is hoping to bring in more film productions a l America Movil Scores Olympics Rights in Latin America

The opening sequence of Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers paints the city of St. Petersburg, Fla., where the film was shot, as a buffet of beer, bare breasts and general bacchanalia. But that's just not so, says St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commissioner Jennifer Parramore: "We get a few spring breakers, but this is really a family destination."

In fact, when Spring Breakers went scouting for a location for its climactic bikini shootout, finding a neighborhood accustomed to such chaos wasn't easy. "We had to settle on a residential neighborhood," says the film's location manager, Sherrill Smith. "We shot for 24 hours on Good Friday and didn't wind up doing any actual gunfire until around 2 or 3 in the morning. People in the neighborhood knew it was coming, but they had already settled into their beds."

Undaunted by late-night gunfire, Florida has budgeted $296 million since 2010 to attract movies such as Spring Breakers. But since the state's 20 percent production tax credit is limited to expenditures of up to $8 million per project, the biggest film productions tend to spend only a few weeks in the Sunshine State. "We only get pieces of them because, unlike some states, we do have a cap," admits Florida Film Commissioner Shari Kerrigan.

Television is the real driver of Florida's entertainment business. USA's long-running spy show Burn Notice, A&E's cop drama The Glades and Starz's period mob drama Magic City all film on location there. Miami will double for San Diego in USA Network's one-hour drama series Graceland, set to debut in the summer. And NBCU will begin shooting an as-yet-untitled pilot in South Florida in May.
And that's only a fraction of Florida's TV business. Spanish-language programming represents the bulk of television work in the state. "We call Miami 'Hispanic Hollywood,' " says Telemundo Media president Emilio Romano. "It's the gateway to Latin America. All the stars from the Spanish-speaking world love coming here."

Miami-Dade County film and entertainment commissioner Sandy Lighterman agrees. "Spanish-language is absolutely key to our market," she says. "Telemundo currently has three telenovelas shooting full time. They will have four by May. This is largely year-round work, so Spanish-language programming has been extremely lucrative for the county."
STORY: Telemundo Creates Children's Version of 'The Voice'
In May, the network will expand beyond its news and telenovela base to debut a high-profile American Idol-style talent show for children called La Voz Kids.
Telemundo rival Univision does most of its production in Doral, Fla., even though its corporate headquarters are in New York. The network is partnering with ABC to launch Fusion this year; the 24-hour English-language news network in Miami will be geared toward attracting a growing Hispanic-American audience. It is expected to produce 400 cable jobs and will require the construction of a 150,000-square-foot studio. "We really believe South Florida is the news and entertainment capital of the world for Latin America," says Univision Networks president Cesar Conde.
Unlike Hollywood, where diversity remains an issue, Miami has no problem integrating Spanish-language and English-language talent. "The vast majority of my staff is Latino," says Chris Sloan, founder of the Miami-based production company 2C Media, which produces Animal Planet's Swamp Wars and Travel Channel's Airport 24/7: Miami, among other cable shows. "NBC invested so aggressively in Telemundo that it really helped bring in top talent from all over the world. The crews cross-pollinate back and forth with English-language productions very easily. Miami has become a sophisticated place and a world city -- not some backwater like it was back in the day."

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

--------------------------------------------------------> Submit to: Show contact info
In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A.

www.chicas-productions.com
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Film London Creates Department for Artists Looking to Make Movies...

The U.K. government-backed agency appoints current production and talent development tsar Maggie Ellis to run the newly formed unit.

LONDON – Film London, the British capital's movie agency familiar to Hollywood's location decision makers, is setting up a dedicated department for artists looking to make movies.

Berlin 2013: U.K.'s Production Film Market Renews Aussie Partnership (Exclusive)
The U.K. government-backed agency has tasked current head of production and talent development Maggie Ellis with the job of overseeing the newly created department.
STORY: BFI to Decide on U.K. Applications for TV Production Tax Credits
Ellis is named head of Artists' Moving Image and will aim to build on the growth in artists turning to film.
Funded by Arts Council England (ACE), Film London launched its Artists' Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) in 2005 to provide British capital-based artists working in the moving image access to funding, guidance, development opportunities and promotional and exhibition platforms.
The present set up runs the successful Film London Jarman Award, an annual prize which awards $16,000 (£10,000) and a broadcast commission alongside FLAMIN Productions, the commissioning fund behind the multi award-winning Two Years At Sea directed by Ben Rivers and West Hinder by Elizabeth Price, who won last year's Turner Prize, the U.K.'s highest profile art nod.
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: "Over the past seven years we have seen extraordinary growth and development in this sector. This is of course down to the talent of the artists and the work, but in part it is also a result of the work of FLAMIN, which has been integral in supporting and nurturing many of those individuals in this area of work. Maggie has been a guiding force in that work and her appointment as Head of Artists' Moving Image will ensure she is in a position to drive it further."
Ellis said: "When we started this work at Film London we were one of very few voices championing artists' moving image practice. Artists' films are now being released theatrically in cinemas as well as being screened in galleries and across other platforms, commanding large audiences. This work is gaining in profile and momentum – a fact demonstrated last year when three of the four artists nominated for the Turner Prize were moving image artists. We have seen an exciting blurring of boundaries over the past few years, due in no small part to Film London's and ACE's commitment to artist film-makers."
Film London will appoint a new head of talent development and production in the coming months with Ellis continuing to oversee all of the agency's production activity including Film London Microwave and its shorts and training programs.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

Kazakh film biz steppes out...

Kazakh film biz steppes out
Revamped studios, emerging talent lure Western filmmakers
By WILL TIZARD

'Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe'

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN -- In the place where Sergei Eisenstein once created agitprop for Stalin to help inspire the Russian effort to beat back the Nazis, Kazakhfilm studios has put $7 million into "Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe," an epic historic saga of a small band of traditional herdsmen fending off hordes of invading Mongols. The pic's scrappy characters make for a fitting metaphor for a country that until recently was the butt of Borat jokes, but is now engaged in a monumental effort to make an international name for itself, not just as a shooting locale but as a source of directorial talent.
The newly renovated collection of soundstages, labs and post facilities has a prime location in the former capital of Almaty, and is at the forefront of a charge to rebuild Central Asian filmmaking.

Kazakhstan's Oscar foreign-lingo submission this year, "Myn Bala" is a sweeping adventure tale whose global rights were picked up by Jeff Rayman's 108 Media. The company has since sold video and DVD rights to Germany, France, the Netherlands, the Middle East and the U.K., and plans on a theatrical run in the U.S. with Paladin Films in the fourth quarter.

The film's glossy production values haven't just set a new standard for local pics -- they also serve as a calling card for the formerly Soviet-run Kazakhfilm.

The studios' sales director, Ilyas Akhmet, calls the ambitious pic's $2 million local take "an unbelievable success" and adds that a 2013 production date is slated for the studio's next major project, U.S. helmer Chuck Russell's 3D adaptation of "1001 Arabian Nights," starring Liam Hemsworth.

Rayman believes "Myn Bala" will do solid arthouse business in North America, similar to the $5 million minted by another steppes-set historical epic, "Mongol," in 2007. (That film nabbed a foreign-language Oscar nom.)

"The film's landscape is stunning," he says, adding that its epic visual nature and grandeur should travel well.

The deep roots of this nomadic society, where yurts are still common outside the city and many still know the folk songs that have helped pass long, freezing winter nights for generations, were never successfully severed by decades of Soviet efforts to industrialize the areas. Although the Russians built dozens of prison camps here and considered Kazakhstan essentially an extension of Siberia, the natives' fierce independence often caused their old overlords to throw up their hands -- and sometimes run for cover.

That same determination and resourcefulness are key to rebuilding the film sector, say international bizzers. Kazakh horse wranglers are in demand abroad for training actors to ride, while Kazakhfilm has spent the past year creating the country's first CGI-animated fantasy, "The Book of Legends: Mysterious Forest." (Still the years of Russian domination have had consequences. The young cast of "Myn Bala" had no trouble galloping through canyons, performing their own swashbuckling stunts and working all day in dust, snow and baking heat. But they needed help learning Kazakh. Youth here speak mainly Russian these days.)

Anna Katchko, a Moscow-based producer for the first German-Kazakh co-production in recent memory, "Harmony Lessons," says the crop of new local talent is promising. She helped organize the first showcase of young directors at last year's Eurasia fest, Kazakhstan's biggest annual film event, and this year's edition in September drew even more new features.

Festival scouts such as South Korea's Lee Yong-kwan say they've been following the Kazakh film renaissance for some time, and are now running focuses on the region, which fascinates foreign auds with a diversity of filmic styles and strength of storytelling.

The Berlinale's Nikolaj Nikitin predicts that soon, to Europeans, Kazakhs will be partners, saying they offer film perspectives no one else has.

Golden Globe award reps also came calling this year to court Kazakh filmmakers, encouraging new auteurs to submit pics and offering to hold press conferences abroad for those who make the cut.

The country's policy of outreach dates from its active cooperation with the U.S. in tracking and securing enriched nuclear fuel left behind by the Soviets not long after the first days of its independence in 1991. The outbound focus now means that budding Kazakh filmmakers, along with all other university students, are funded by the state to study abroad as long as they agree to return and work in their native land for three years.

Many are fast absorbing Western production and marketing savvy, and talk of film "branding" and franchises as often as they do story and character.

Others are intent on following their own hoofbeats, willing to bypass the development-to-distrib support that Kazakhfilm can offer those it favors.

Helmer-scribe Adilkhan Yerzhanov, whose topical film "Constructors" follows the story of canny young Kazakhs forced to steal building materials in order to save their land from the maw of corrupt local officials, is content to work independently. His low-budget feature debut has already won foreign fest programmers' interest.

But whether going big or going it alone, Kazakh filmmakers clearly aren't put off by struggle. That quality, more than any one filmmaking asset, may just get them to their goal -- no matter how long and winding the road.

Thank you Variety

L.A. feature film shoots plunge in third quarter...

After two consecutive quarters of growth, feature film shoots on the streets of Los Angeles plunged in the third quarter.

On-location filming fell 21% in the three-month period ending Sept. 30, generating only 1,640 production days compared with the same period a year ago, according to a report from FilmL.A. Inc., the nonprofit group that handles film permits for the city. (One production day represents a crew's permission to film a single location in a 24-hour period.)

The slide in feature activity marks a stark turnaround from the first and second quarters, when film production rose 16% and 9%, respectively. The data apply to film shoots on streets and noncertified sound stages, as opposed to shooting on studio lots.

Film industry officials attributed the decrease to the ongoing rivalry from other states and foreign countries luring business away from Hollywood and the fact that fewer feature projects qualified for California's film and television tax credit program this year.

So far in 2012, only 22 feature projects have been approved for the state film tax credit, which is allocated in June. The state, which awards $100 million a year via a lottery, approved 40 projects in 2011. State lawmakers recently approved legislation to extend funding for California's film tax credit through mid-2017.

"We applaud the recent two-year extension of California's film incentive program, and support expanding the program to stop the production outflow and attract a more diverse slate of high-value productions,'' FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said in a statement.

State film tax credits were awarded to several locally produced TV shows, including "Body of Proof" and "Rizzoli and Isles."

Nonetheless, those shows accounted for a tiny share of overall TV location filming in the third quarter. The television category had a weak quarter, slipping 1.4% to 4,245 production days, led by a 20.5% drop in reality TV and a 18.5% decline in TV dramas. Broadcast networks increasingly have been eyeing New York and other states for their new dramas.
On the other hand, sitcoms and and TV webisodes continue to show rapid growth in Los Angeles. Sitcom production jumped 48% in the quarter while TV webisodes surged by 149%, FilmL.A. said.

"The television landscape is changing in Los Angeles, and economically, the sector has taken a turn for the worse,'' Audley said. "Many of the new TV projects we're coordinating permits for have low spending and employment impacts. More needs to be done, policy-wise, to help return sought-after TV drama projects to Los Angeles."

Commercial activity in the L.A. area decreased 5.3% to 1,635 days in the quarter afer posting big gains in the first half of the year.

Thank you Los Angeles Times

Entertainment unions, groups hail state film tax credit extension...

A broad coalition of unions representing the entertainment industry hailed Governor Jerry Brown's decision to sign into law a two-year extension of California's film and television tax credit.

"We commend the legislature and Gov. Brown for recognizing that the motion picture business is an integral part of the economic and cultural powerhouse that has been California during the last 100 years," said a statement issued by a coalition of entertainment industry unions, including the Directors Guild of America, the Teamsters, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and SAG-AFTRA.

Brown approved legislation that was overwhelmingly supported by the state Assembly and the Senate. The bills provide $200 million for the state film tax credit, extending funding through 2017.

California offers a 20% to 25% credit toward qualified production costs, which employers can use to offset any business tax liability they have with the state.

Although the program is limited and not as competitive compared with what some other states offer, the bills were widely supported in the entertainment industry as a means of slowing the exodus of film and television production from California.

While the bills were expected to be approved, their support from the governor was not assured given the competition for scarce government resources. Backers originally pressed for a five year-extension, but that goal proved unrealistic.

"Unlike most other industries, ours is a highly mobile one -- film and television production can be shot anywhere," the coalition said in its statement. "Because of that reality, thousands of our members who live in California and want to work in California are dependent upon this state remaining competitive. We know firsthand that this program has created employment opportunities for them, and with that, health and pension coverage for them and their families."

The Motion Picture Assn. of America, which lobbies on behalf of the major studios, also praised the bills' passage.

"The state of California took a big step forward today, thanks to Gov. Brown and the legislature," said MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd. "The two-year extension of the state's production tax credit will keep California competitive for tens of thousands of production-related jobs. This is an important victory for California's economy, our national economy, and the hardworking men and women who comprise the film and television industry."

Thank you Los Angeles Times

L.A. feature film shoots plunge in third quarter...

After two consecutive quarters of growth, feature film shoots on the streets of Los Angeles plunged in the third quarter.

On-location filming fell 21% in the three-month period ending Sept. 30, generating only 1,640 production days compared with the same period a year ago, according to a report from FilmL.A. Inc., the nonprofit group that handles film permits for the city. (One production day represents a crew's permission to film a single location in a 24-hour period.)

The slide in feature activity marks a stark turnaround from the first and second quarters, when film production rose 16% and 9%, respectively. The data apply to film shoots on streets and noncertified sound stages, as opposed to shooting on studio lots.

PHOTOS: Hollywood back lot moments

Film industry officials attributed the decrease to the ongoing rivalry from other states and foreign countries luring business away from Hollywood and the fact that fewer feature projects qualified for California's film and television tax credit program this year.

So far in 2012, only 22 feature projects have been approved for the state film tax credit, which is allocated in June. The state, which awards $100 million a year via a lottery, approved 40 projects in 2011. State lawmakers recently approved legislation to extend funding for California's film tax credit through mid-2017.

"We applaud the recent two-year extension of California's film incentive program, and support expanding the program to stop the production outflow and attract a more diverse slate of high-value productions,'' FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said in a statement.

PHOTOS: Hollywood back lot moments

State film tax credits were awarded to several locally produced TV shows, including "Body of Proof" and "Rizzoli and Isles."

Nonetheless, those shows accounted for a tiny share of overall TV location filming in the third quarter. The television category had a weak quarter, slipping 1.4% to 4,245 production days, led by a 20.5% drop in reality TV and a 18.5% decline in TV dramas. Broadcast networks increasingly have been eyeing New York and other states for their new dramas.
On the other hand, sitcoms and and TV webisodes continue to show rapid growth in Los Angeles. Sitcom production jumped 48% in the quarter while TV webisodes surged by 149%, FilmL.A. said.

"The television landscape is changing in Los Angeles, and economically, the sector has taken a turn for the worse,'' Audley said. "Many of the new TV projects we're coordinating permits for have low spending and employment impacts. More needs to be done, policy-wise, to help return sought-after TV drama projects to Los Angeles."

Commercial activity in the L.A. area decreased 5.3% to 1,635 days in the quarter afer posting big gains in the first half of the year.

Thank you Los Angeles Times

Finnish Film Foundation taps commissioners

Finnish Film Foundation taps commissioners
Tuomainen, Valve to administer production grants

By NICK HOLDSWORTH

MOSCOW -- The Finnish Film Foundation has appointed two film commissioners, who will be responsible for administering the country's system of production grants.

Hannu Tuomainen, a director and producer, and Marjo Valve, chair of the National Council for Cinema, will take up their positions in January.

They succeed Jukka Asikainen and Kaisu Isto, whose five-year terms end in December.

Tuomainen will have special responsibility for supporting international minority co-productions. His production credits include "Niko Niko & the Way to the Stars," "One-Way Ticket to Mombasa" and "Tommy and the Wildcat."

Valve comes to the foundation from the North Karelia University of Applied Sciences, where she has worked in the Center for Creative Industries. She has industry experience as a production manager, scriptwriter and director.

Irina Krohn, head of the Finnish Film Foundation, said: "I am very pleased with the current success of Finnish film. The domestic market share exceeds expectations and shows strong indication that this year we will reach a new record for domestic admissions. At the same time Finnish film is also getting more international. The current situation, to which Jukka Asikainen and Kaisu Isto have contributed, gives new film commissioners Marjo Valve and Hannu Tuomainen a solid base to continue the success story of Finnish film."

Latest figures show Finnish films have sold more than 1.7 million tickets in the first nine months of the year -- the best result for the past 12 years.

Local films made up 29% of the 6.1 million admissions this year, the foundation said. Cinema attendance for the first nine months was up 13% year on year.

In the most recent funding round in September, the foundation made grants worth $4.2 million to support 15 productions; the figure include $860,000 for development, scriptwriting and marketing support.

Thank you Variety

Sunday, November 17, 2013

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

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

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

Turkey’s Economic Boom Fuels Film Expansion..

Colombia Takes Lead in Latin Incentives Surge...

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Los Angeles Sees Moderate Production Gains in Features...

Italy Renews Production Tax Incentives, Including for Foreign Films...

Santa Barbara Offers California’s First Production Rebate Program...

Friday, April 5, 2013

Hispanic Hollywood': Florida's $296 Million Push to Lure Filmmakers...

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Film London Creates Department for Artists Looking to Make Movies...

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Kazakh film biz steppes out...

Saturday, October 13, 2012

L.A. feature film shoots plunge in third quarter...

Entertainment unions, groups hail state film tax credit extension...

Friday, October 12, 2012

L.A. feature film shoots plunge in third quarter...

Finnish Film Foundation taps commissioners