MGM has acquired worldwide rights, excluding a handful of European territories, to Douglas Mackinnon's debut movie, "THE FLYING SCOTSMAN," a biopic of Scottish cycling champion Graham Obree.

Recent press coverage re Heavy.com in Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Ad Week and many more...

Shochiku has taken Japanese rights to Richard Attenborough's Closing The Ring, in a deal here at the AFM with ContentFilm International.

Peter Greenaway has wrapped a seven-week shoot in Poland and Wales for his Rembrandt story Nightwatching, which is timed with the 400th anniversary of the painter's birth.

ContentFilm International has acquired worldwide rights to and will co-finance the new action horror film OUTPOST, to be produced by Black Camel Pictures and Matador Pictures, to be directed by Steve Barker.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North America, Australia/New Zealand and India film rights to famed director Paul Verhoeven’s “Black Book,” which is also the Dutch entry for the 2006 Academy Awards. 

Bottom line: Old-fashioned epic wartime adventure.

VENICE, Italy -- Paul Verhoeven's World War II drama "Black Book" is an ambitious throwback to the days of rousing all-action wartime pictures in which an intrepid loner risks everything to fight a clearly defined enemy. It succeeds on almost all fronts. The epic film is a high-octane adventure rooted in fact with a raft of arresting characters, big action sequences and twists and turns galore as a group of Dutch resistance fighters combat the Nazis not knowing they have a traitor at their core.

The prodigal son of Dutch cinema comes home from Hollywood with the budget, production values and the epic nonchalance of the American Way packed in his suitcase. Black Book, Paul Verhoeven’s first European film for more than 20 years, is not a particularly original piece of cinema but it is rollicking, big-budget historical entertainment of the sort that the old continent so rarely gets right these days (the liberatory applause that wrapped its press screening in Venice was mainly pride that Europe can still do this kind of thing). The brash, Hollywood treatment of the Dutch World War Two Resistance theme sometimes stretches the historical record - but then this was never supposed to be a subtle exercise.

Zwartboek, Directed by Paul Verhoeven (The Netherlands) The Queen, Directed by Stephen Frears (U.K.)

Seasoned theatergoers will not be surprised that the brilliant young actress who spun naked across the London stage in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida" in the 1960s is still not averse to taking risks.

Hollywood-honed tech smarts and European character sensibilities mesh entertainingly in pacy WWII resistance thriller "Black Book," helmer Paul Verhoeven's first feature in his native Netherlands for more than 20 years.

VENICE, Italy — Dutch prison guards humiliate suspected collaborators jailed after Holland's liberation from the Nazis in director Paul Verhoeven's "Black Book," which premiered Friday at the Venice Film Festival.

Paul Verhoeven’s long-awaited Black Book has been named as the official Netherlands entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.

The 63rd Venice Film Festival (August 30-Sep 9) has unveiled an eclectic line-up, with directors such as Stephen Frears, Darren Aronofsky, Emilio Estevez, Emanuele Crialese and Alfonso Cuaron vying for the Golden Lion.

Jeremy Brock's coming-of-age story Driving Lessons was the clear festival favourite winning kudos from critics and audiences alike, plus a Best Actress nod to Julie Walters for her spirited turn as an aging actress.

The special jury prize went to debut helmer Jeremy Brock, for the Brit's "Driving Lessons.

Sony Classics has picked up the North America distribution rights to "Driving Lessons," which features Oscar-overdue Julie Walters giving a 100 m.p.h. performance.

Sony Pictures Classics has picked up North American rights to "Driving Lessons," the pic that marks the directing debut of "Mrs. Brown"-scribe Jeremy Brock.

UK-based ContentFilm has taken on international rights for I'm Reed Fish, which premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival.

CANNES -- Neve Campbell has joined the cast of Richard Attenborough's "Closing the Ring," alongside Shirley MacLaine and Mischa Barton.

A Content Film Intl. presentation of a RubberTreePlant production. Produced by Julia Chasman. Executive producers, Edward R. Pressman, Alessandro Camon. Co-producer, Alexandra Ferguson. Directed, written by Jeremy Brock.

With: Julie Walters, Rupert Grint, Laura Linney, Nicholas Farrell, Michelle Duncan, Jim Norton, Tamsin Egerton.

What Oscar hopefuls might emerge this week at the Tribeca Film Festival? Last year Harvey Weinstein acquired "Transamerica" in New York and took Felicity Huffman across America to the Kodak Theater. Now there's a new diva vehicle in the fest lineup ....

Another interesting pairing, courtesy of the programmers at the Tribeca Film Festival, Brian Kirk's Middletown and Jeremy Brock's Driving Lessons both look at religion and clergy in the lives of ordinary people in the U.K. But that's about all they have in common with each other, aside from both being directorial debuts.

Fireworks International - now part of ContentFilm - has a new director of international sales in time for MipTV next week, as well as a new film about human trafficking.

Director Richard Attenborough started production Monday in Belfast on Closing The Ring, an epic love story that stars Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Brenda Fricker, and Pete Postlethwaite. Jo Gilbert is producing with Attenborough, with Martin Katz co-producing.

Read the rave reviews as TYFS opens in the US

Distributor Tartan Films has acquired all UK and Ireland rights to Driving Lessons, starring Julie Walters, Rupert Grint, and Laura Linney...

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING reviewed by New York Times

Driving Lessons, directed and written by Jeremy Brock (U.K.) - International Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival.

Fireworks International is bringing to MIPTV the new one-hour drama series Whistler, produced by Blueprint Entertainment and Boardwatch Productions for broadcast on The N and CTV later this year.

Fireworks International, now part of the UK's ContentFilm, has picked up the overseas TV rights to a sporty new US/Canadian drama coproduction set in the world of winter sports.

Fireworks International is launching Canada production house Shaftesbury Films' oddball half-hour comedy series The Jane Show at MipTV.

Country music star Dolly Parton is to perform at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles next month.

Fred Schepisi is set to direct his long-mooted Vietnam War drama "Last Man" this summer, with ContentFilm handling worldwide sales.

Greg Phillips, president, Fireworks International is also concerned that, “British independent Producers have a major problem inherent in the way British broadcasters run their schedules and their businesses – and that is that no one will commission a long running, multi-episode drama in the way that the Americans – and to a certain extent the Australians – do”

Felicity Huffman in TRANSAMERICA nominated for Best Actress Oscar

Dolly Parton's 'Travelin' Thru' from TRANSAMERICA nominated for Music (Song) Oscar

Mountain is leading the field with eight nominations… Felicity Huffman nominated for Best Actress Oscar

Launching a new Canadian-produced scripted comedy here in Vegas, Greg Phillips

Felicity Huffman wins a Globe for her role in Transamerica

Felicity Huffman wins the 63^rd Golden Globe for her role in Transamerica