Scandinavia's largest pay-TV channel, TV1000, made its feature film debut last night at the Festival Palais in Cannes, as a co-producer of Danish director Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves, screening in competition.
Owned by Sweden's Kinnevik, the world's 47th largest media group, TV1000 is involved in 10 Scandinavian features, as part of CEO Ignas Scheynius' offensive to secure high-profile product for the estimated 300,000 subscribers. "When I started as vp of programming in 1994, we were smaller and had to try harder. To get access to foreign product, we created the so-called 'second pay-TV window'," and to present Scandinavian Cinema, we went directly to the producers," Scheynius recalled.
TV1000's first co-production deal for three features, with Sweden's Cinema Art and producer Christer Abrahamsen, included Peter Dalle's local chartbuster, Yrrol. The channel is also involved in Kjeld Sundvall's Jägarna (The Hunters), a market bestseller. "We are looking for films with a Scandinavian focus, providing 5%-10% top finance, and we intend to enter between seven-ten projects annually," explained Scheynius, who was previously head of acquisitions with Swedish pubcaster SVT. TV1000's efforts have paid off in the competition with the former Scandinavian market leader, FilmNet. Last year the channel aired 65% of 210 new releases in the area, most of them exclusively, with no 'second pay-TV window' permitted.
Some 72% of the films on Sweden's Top 50 were programmed by the station, now adding in-house productions to the schedule, including Real World Stockholm, from the MTV format. Kinnevik also controls, among others, pan-Scandinavian TV3 and is a part-owner of Sweden's TV 4.Jorn Rossing Jensen
Silver's Decade dawns as USindie enters the fray
A fox is loose in the "independent" chicken coup and his name is Joel Silver, one of the most successful producers in motion pictures history who has entered the independent arena with the launch of Decade Entertainment (See page 1). While Silver is in no way considering abandoning his career of producing huge event movies, 10 of which have grossed over US$100 million, with Executive Decision set to make it 11, he is looking to build his own library in much the same way as he has managed to exploit his Tales From the Crypt series. "I know how to make movies," Silver said. "I can create product."
Silver sees no problems in the budgets of the Decade slate being slightly more restrictive than he is used to. "Most of the cost is in the writing. If the script says 'a tornado blows through' or 'a dinosaur walks by' it's going to cost money. You write with this in mind. I won't be building any sets either. The cost of construction is staggering."
The producer remains committed to producing event movies. His 28th feature will be Father's Day, with Ivan Reitman set to direct Robin Williams and Billy Crystal, and a fourth instalment of Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson is on the cards). The only film in Silver's career not to make money was the Coen brothers Hudsucker Proxy. "With Fargo they have done what I wanted to do with Hudsucker. I carry a note from Joel and Ethan which says 'IOU one Fugitive.' " Asked to tip the next Hollywood star to follow in the steps of Schwarzenegger, Willis and Stallone, Silver tips Brad Pitt, and feels the time is right, after Executive Decision, for Kurt Russell. "When Escape From LA opens, I hope he will be seen as a big ticket item." CP
Dream Entertainment has acquired Joe Brewster's mesmerising psychological drama The Keeper starring Giancarlo Esposito, Regina Taylor and French Cesar winner Issaach de Bonkole. The film screens 15 May (Palais C, 3.30)
San Francisco-based multimedia company Visualiner has unveiled four projects at Cannes, said its president Elana K. Pyle. The projects are Robert Rothbard's romantic action drama Capital Murder, the black comedy Mother's Day, the sci-fi love story Walking After Midnight, and the action-drama Terror in the Heartland.
Jack Scalia, Christopher Plumer and Robert Vaughn have joined the all-star cast of TSC's An American Affair. Vancouver-based TSC has already sold all rights to Germany, Brazil and Poland for the US$3 million drama.
Judge Reinhold and Carol Alt are set to star in North American Releasing's action adventure Hostage Train, which started principal photography on 1 May on location in Prague. Michael Sarrazin co-stars with Robert Lee directing. Republic is distributing the film in the US.
Robert Jan Westdijk has committed to two new projects. First, an episode in the three-part feature Amsterdam Tales. Second, a feature project, Siberia, to be co-produced by Clea de Koning, and rolled by independently-raised finance, Westdijk said. The low-budget Siberia is also set in Amsterdam.
Paul Cox is back: the premiere screening of his latest work, an amusing if bitter-centred film called Lust & Revenge, attracted a full house on Saturday night and drew applause - not unique in a market screening but not common-place and most gratifying for the filmmaker, who sat in the back row. The film's sales agent, Jeannine Sewell, confirmed solid interest in the film, with the first two sales made the day after the screening.
