theREPORT HEAT INDEX DONNIE YEN In addition to the actor’s four projects in the Cannes market, it was recently announced the Hong Kong superstar just landed the lead in the sequel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. 1 Percent CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and Ain’t <strong>The</strong>m Bodies Saints. Elwes says financing a film through a combination of equity, tax incentives and foreign pre-sales provides a “guaranteeable return.” Combined with the powerful allure of the movie business, that makes the film an attractive investment for the superrich. “If you’re a rich person or a private company looking to invest and you go to the bank, you’ll get 1 percent interest or less,” Elwes said. “If you are a debt investor in the independent film business, you’ll get 5 percent back. And if you’re an equity player, you’ll get 10 percent.” On Friday in Cannes, wealthy Russian-born actor and producer Arcadiy Golubovich and longtime <strong>Hollywood</strong> producer Tim O’Hair launched their new production and financing company, Primeridian Entertainment. <strong>The</strong> first film will be a biopic of famed Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh. British private equity sources, including highnet-worth individuals are the cash behind Wentworth Media & Arts, a new production group headed by former EMI chairman Eric Nicoli that also launched here Friday. <strong>The</strong> venture plans to develop, produce and fund projects with budgets of up to $15 million. <strong>The</strong> fourth and final new financing vehicle announced Friday was a joint venture between Bruno Wu’s Seven Stars Entertainment and French film mogul and producer Pierre-Ange Le Pogam (Grace of Monaco) and his company Stone Angels to form Angel Storm, which will develop and produce action-based European-Chinese co-productions. <strong>The</strong> first two projects identified are Shanghai, which will start production early next year, and Triangle. Another new face this year is Ivan Orlic of Siene Films, aPeruvian investor whose family’s fortune comes from fishing and real estate industries. Orlic is financing Pele, the $15 million to $20 million drama based on the life of the Brazilian soccer star, which Brian Grazer and Imagine are producing and Exclusive Media International is selling in Cannes. SOFIA COPPOLA <strong>The</strong> day after Gatsby got polite applause at the Palais, Bling Ring received an equally tepid response. DEV PATEL In a casting announced at Cannes, Slumdog Millionaire’s star returns to film as the star of”smarthouse” movie <strong>The</strong> Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujaton, to be directed by Matthew Brown, playing a famed Indian mathematician. Chopard CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 believe the burglary to be an inside job. Hotel employees are being questioned. At an afternoon press conference, Chopard’s international communications director Raffaella Rossiello confirms a staffer was robbed but insists the value of the pieces stolen is “far lower than the figures circulating.” Contradicting earlier reports, she says they are “not part of the collection of jewels worn by actresses during the Cannes Film Festival.” <strong>The</strong> brand, which creates the Palme d’Or trophy, is a major Suite Novotel corporate presence during the festival, having been an official sponsor for years. On Thursday night it organized its annual Trophee Chopard at the Martinez, with Colin Firth handing out awards to rising stars Blanca Suarez and Jeremy Irvine. On Friday, as news broke midday, Chopard held a lunch — also at the Martinez — with Marion Cotillard in attendance. Suite Novotel Cannes Centre is a non-glitzy, business-oriented hotel situated along the far less-touristy Boulevard Carnot, a 20-minute stroll from the Croisette. A spokesperson for the hospitality company declined comment. <strong>The</strong> theft, which followed the Thursday night premiere of teen heist movie <strong>The</strong> Bling Ring by just a few hours, had the town talking, including the biggest-name star of the film. “I promise I’m innocent,” jokes Emma Watson to THR. “I can have someone vouch for my whereabouts at the time of the robbery.” KNOW YOUR DEALMAKER Jasna Vavra Universum Film, head of theatrical entertainment With southern Europe struggling, the still-healthy German market is more important than ever for the international sales business and Vavra is one of the few German buyers who can commit to huge projects. Universum’s pre-buy of Ron Howard’s Rush was key to getting that film made and its recent buys include McG’s Three Days to Kill and Robert Rodriguez’ Machete Kills. Weinstein CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 he celebrated their turnaround, saying, “Last year was as good a year as we ever had at Miramax.” Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook, which Weinstein first trumpeted at last year’s Cannes, broke through at the box office and also took home Oscars. And as Weinstein introduced trailers and clips from TWC’s 2013 slate, it looks as if his cupboard again is bursting with potential awards contenders. <strong>The</strong>re’s <strong>The</strong> Butler, Lee Daniels’ portrait of a long-serving White House butler, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey and featuring a host of celebrity cameos, coming to theaters Aug. 16; August: Osage County, the John Wellsdirected adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prizewinning play about a dysfunctional family starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, set for a Nov. 8 release; Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman as the actress-turned-monarch, which is scheduled for an awards-qualifying run beginning Dec. 27; and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, with Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela and Naomie Harris as his wife, Winnie, produced by Anant Singh. To further sweeten the pot, TWC concluded a $6.5 million deal Thursday, picking up U.S., Canada and Spain rights to Stephen Frears’ Philomena, starring Judi Dench in the true story of an Irishwoman searching for the son she gave up for adoption. Friday night, Weinstein lavished special attention on Grace, noting it was the seventh movie he has made with Kidman, who skipped out from her jury duties for a moment to attest, “I got to know Grace very, very well, researched her and fell in love with her.” With that she headed off to a jury meeting, “hopefully,” cracked Weinstein, “to decide which movie of mine wins the Palme d’Or — I’ve certainly given [jury head] Steven [Spielberg] enough money over the years.” AP PHOTO/LIONEL CIRONNEAU THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 2
TOM SCHILLING WINNER GERMAN ACADEMY AWARDS oh BOY BEST FILM BEST DIRECTOR BEST SCRIPT BEST ACTOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR BEST MUSIC A film by JAN OLE GERSTER “a love-letter to the city of Berlin” (TWITCHFILM.COM) “a delightfully unforced comedy with a sure grasp of character and setting… brings to mind vintage Woody Allen”. (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) SCREENING TODAY | May 18th | 6:00 p.m. | Palais I Tuesday | May 20th | 11:30 a.m. | Arcades 3 <strong>CANNES</strong> OFFICE Grand Hotel Cannes, bâtiment le Goeland (ground floor), right hand side to the Grand Hotel entrance, +33 (0)4 9399 5580 HEAD OFFICE Gruenwalder Weg 28d / D-82041 Oberhaching / Phone +49 89 673469 - 828 / beta@betacinema.com / www.betacinema.com
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