Posted March 24, 2006 Hollywood Reporter - March 23, 2006 Tax Break Seeds U.K. Movie Biz By Stuart Kemp LONDON -- Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown confirmed Wednesday his pledge to support filmmaking and filmmakers in the U.K. with a new system of tax credits starting April 1. The system devised by Brown - who delivered his budget report to a packed House of Commons - and his revenue team allows for far more films to access tax relief. It tweaks thresholds for the tax credits to kick in by bringing down the qualifying spend levels from the previously proposed 40% of budgets to 25%. Producers will be able to obtain credits on the British spend levels of their budgets from 25% upward. Industry observers said the reduction in the required minimum British spend likely will enable the U.K. to continue to attract shoots from overseas, including such high-budget Hollywood fare as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Miles Ketley, partner in Wiggin, a media and movie law firm specialist, said the announcements would "propagate a self-sustaining movie industry" in the U.K. Ketley and fellow partner Charles Moore, both former U.S. studio executives, also noted it was good news that cash spent on talent filming in the U.K. - for example, the salaries paid to stars - would count toward U.K. qualifying spend. "It's a fantastic incentive for the (Hollywood) majors to come over here to shoot," Ketley said. From April 1, for movies with budgets of £20 million ($35 million) and over, tax relief will be available on qualifying amounts to filmmakers at a net rate of 16%. It means that for a film shooting in the U.K. with a budget of £50 million ($87.4 million), the qualifying expenditure would come in at £40 million ($69.9 million), which means that the net benefit to producers would be £8 million ($14 million). For low-budget movies made for up to £20 million, the relief available stands at a net value of 20%. Both rates apply only to the U.K. spend of a film's budget. The small print in the budget report also indicates that large-budget films will receive "an enhanced deduction of 80%, with a payable cash element of 20% of surrendered losses, amounting to a benefit typically worth 16% of qualifying costs." Small-budget films will receive an enhanced tax deduction of 100%, with a payable cash element of 25%, amounting to "a benefit worth at least 20% of qualifying production costs." Film production companies will be able to access the new-look credits when the tax incentives come into effect from April 1. The details end months of speculation among industryites who were waiting for the government to finally greenlight a system that has been under scrutiny for more than 18 months. The government-backed industry body, the U.K. Film Council, said the new tax credit system should "help to consolidate its position as the most important film industry in the world after the U.S." Film Council CEO John Woodward said the budget announcement "provides the certainty the industry needs to operate" and applauded the decision to lower the minimum U.K. spend requirement. "Audiences in the U.K. and abroad love British films, and today's announcement will help to support a consistent flow of British films for the enjoyment of all," Woodward said. Producers' body PACT cautiously welcomed the budget details but noted the "narrow definition of U.K. qualifying expenditure adopted," describing it as "very unhelpful to lower budget co-productions." Said PACT director of film Tim Willis, "We will lobby hard to ensure that the technical obstacle which has been raised can be overcome."

Posted March 16, 2006 zenfilm opens new production/post production facility Contact: Merideth Melville 713.520.9361 zenfilm has moved to its new facility in the Architechtonic Lofts, located off Shepherd and Haddon Streets in Houston’s eclectic Montrose district. The new location represents another step in the company’s growth, which has remained steady since opening its doors in September 2005. zenfilm is a full service production and post facility offering film/HD production, direction, uncompressed editorial, motion graphics design and multimedia authoring. It specializes in broadcast television and all types of corporate media. Partners, W. Ross Wells and Merideth Melville have extensive commercial, advertising and entertainment production & post experience ranging from the streets of New York City to the jungles of Borneo (and all points in between). They have worked in the retail, medical, pharmaceutical, service, refinery, art, education and government industries as a team, with Wells directing and editing and Melville writing and executive producing. "zenfilm is not just a product of our partnership, but that of our loyal clients as well. We've done the big, top-heavy post house gig and were ready to break free of the politics those facilities generate and just get back to creating and producing good work", states Wells. Melville and Wells agree, "We created zenfilm as a boutique production & post production offering because of our desire to have more direct and personal creative interface with our clients. This business philosophy is impossible to practice when working within larger production/post companies. We want to spend our time making great commercials, corporate pieces and media. And let's face it, our lower overhead gives us a better competitive edge and allows us take on a greater variety of projects, which further fuels our creativity and work philosophy." “Our name was inspired by Zen philosophy, which seems to fit our corporate culture, filmmaking and approach to life in general. ‘Leap and the net will appear’ is a frequently quoted saying. And the art of being relaxed and flexible while maintaining a sense of focus and purpose defines the paradoxical qualities of yin and yang as well as the way we both like to work and live,” says Melville.

Posted March 14, 2006 J. Lo Does "Dallas" (Maybe) By Melodie Shaw The big-screen remake of Dallas is hoping to strike oil with an all-star cast. Director Robert Luketic has offered Jennifer Lopez, John Travolta, Luke Wilson and Shirley MacLaine lead roles in the upcoming picture, according to Daily Variety. While no deals are yet in place, all of the thesps are reportedly expected to sign on, meaning production on the long-gestating film could commence in October. J.Lo, who previously worked with Luketic on Monster-in-Law, would play Sue Ellen Ewing, the alcoholic and adulterous wife of J.R. Ewing, who was originally played by Linda Gray in the primetime soap, which aired from 1978-91. If Lopez accepts the role, it work mark a return to studio fare after shooting a pair of back-to-back independent films. Travolta has been offered the role of J.R., the oil baron played by Larry Hagman, whose shooting in the final episode of the 1979-80 season, "A House Divided," inspired the legendary pop culture slogan, "Who Shot J.R.?" The answer, revealed Nov. 21, 1980, in the episode "Who Done It?" generated one of the biggest television audiences in history, with 83 million viewers tuning in to learn that Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin, shot her brother-in-law in a fit of anger. Casting the part of J.R. was reportedly the biggest challenge faced by the filmmakers, and Kevin Costner and Mel Gibson were other names in consideration for the role, according to Variety. Wilson is currently in negotiations for the role of Bobby Ewing, originally played by Patrick Duffy, and MacLaine has been offered the role of Miss Ellie Ewing, the family matriarch, originally played by Barbara Bel Geddes. Meanwhile, with plans heating up for the film's production, the people of Dallas are pushing hard to have Dallas shot within their city's limits. The Dallas Film Commission has launched the "Shoot J.R. in Dallas" campaign, in the hopes of luring 20th Century Fox to make the film in Texas, as opposed to non-Lone Star sites also in consideration. "The thought of Dallas being made in Toronto is not a good idea," Mayor Laura Miller told reporters. Dallas officials estimate that the film would generate $30 million for the local economy, along with jobs and publicity. However, with film commissioners in states including Florida and Louisiana, as well as Canada, making bids to have the movie shot on their turf, the end location may ultimately be determined by budgetary concerns. In February, Dallas coproducer Michael Costigan told the Dallas Morning News that he would rather "make the whole film in Dallas." "It’s now going to come down to really making the numbers work with our studio," he said. Though the Texas legislature passed a bill last year to offer movie producers up to a $750,000 rebate for production costs, the initiative remains unfunded, while both Florida and Louisiana have programs in place offering more attractive financial incentives. But Dallas officials aren't giving up just yet. The city is hoping to generate funds from the private sector to boost incentives and has urged residents to shell out for "Shoot J.R. in Texas" merchandise, including hats, stickers and T-shirts.

Posted February 24, 2006 Copeland Muses Film Studio in Austin Tom Copeland, former director of the Texas Film Commission, has signed on as senior vice-president of film for Villa Muse Studios, a major project that will provide studio space for big-budget feature films as well as serve the music and video-game industries. Copeland said Villa Muse founder Jay Aaron Podolnick approached him about the project a decade ago, and its diversity was the key to him signing on. "It's no different if you're building a studio or working as a journeyman crew member; there are going to be good years and really bad ones," Copeland says, noting that talk of other area studio projects are sticking just to film. "My concern always was 'Can you survive the bad days?'" Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, aka former Robogeek of Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool News and former assistant to both Guillermo del Toro and Tim McCanlies, says plans are to break ground this year, have some elements online in 2007, and have the full facility in place by 2008. Could this mean a $100 million film in Austin's future? Alvarado-Dykstra, vice-president of strategic development for Villa Muse, hopes so. "We're looking to grow the upper level of the market from midrange on up," he says. Posted February 14, 2006 NEW MEXICO LIKELY FOR LONESOME DOVE PREQUEL, SCRIPTED BY BROKEBACK WRITERS 'LONESOME DOVE,' THE FINAL CHAPTER: Shooting of the six-hour CBS miniseries Comanche Moon, the last of the Lonesome Dove prequels, is expected to begin in April with Simon Wincer, director of the smash 1989 original, returning. The bad news? It will likely lens in New Mexico, according to a representative in executive producer Julie Yorn's office. The script is by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (they also wrote the Oscar-nominated Brokeback Mountain script), who'll also produce. The story follows younger Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call as they track the leader of the Comanche tribe. (Reported from Joe O'Connell, Dallas Morning News) Texas Film Composer Wins Big In Utah Fest There’s more than just Sundance and film festivals that take place each January at the slopes in Park City. There’s one specialized fest that pays tribute to film music. Composer Brian Satterwhite, who was a speaker for WIFT/Houston in 2005 (an unforgettable program, by the way) has won it again. Last year his scores won Gold Medals in two categories, documentary and short film, at the Park City Film Music Festival. Now he’s won both a Gold and a Silver at the 2006 fest. His music for "Young Mutt" received a Gold Medal for Excellence-Audience Choice Awards for Best Impact of Music in a Narrative Short Film. His Silver Medal was for Excellence in the Short Film Category for “Harmony in the Hills.” Brian, based in Austin (we’ll forgive him, his Dad is city manager for Bellaire), also composed the perfectly delicious creepy music for “Mr. Hell” the 35 mm horror film shot entirely in Houston (directed and produced by WIFT members Rob McKinnon and Jolene McMaster for Jack Rhodes Productions) that will be released on DVD in April. Currently, he’s working on the score for the IMAX film “Ride With Cowboys” due out in theaters nationwide in June. Next up? Another score for Rob and Jolene’s “Creek County”, but this time under their own banner, Pure Horror Films. For more about the music fest, go to www.parkcityfilmmusicfestival.com. Film News (Austin Chronicle) February 9, 2006 BY JOE O'CONNELL What Makes Rudin Run (to Texas)? Looks like Stop-Loss, a sure-to-be controversial war-in-Iraq tale from Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) is almost certain to film in Austin as early as May, and we can thank power player Scott Rudin, a New Yawker who seems suddenly to have a jones for Texas. That's "jones" as in Tommy Lee Jones, who is reportedly in talks to star in No Country for Old Men, the Cormac McCarthy novel adaptation that Joel and Ethan Coen are expected to direct in Texas and New Mexico, also in May. Rudin, famously known for tossing telephones at a long line of nervous assistants, is producing both projects, as well as There Will Be Blood, a look inside the oil industry loosely based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and looking likely for a Marfa shoot. All three films are jointly being produced by Paramount and Miramax with the cement being Rudin, who has a Texas history producing films by both Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson. Stop-Loss is about a soldier returned to Texas after a tour in Iraq, but then promptly called back under the Pentagon's stop-loss program of involuntarily extending military service commitments. Peirce, whose Boys shot in Dallas, got the plot idea from the experiences of her own enlisted brother. These Zombies Don't Dance Robert Rodriguez's joint project with Quentin Tarantino, Grind (shortened from Grind House), includes a zombie flick from Mr. R. called "Planet Terror" (does Robert pay homage to the once-upon-a-time late-night San Antonio monster show Project Terror?) and a slasher film from Mr. Q titled "Death Proof," according to Variety. The report also tantalizingly suggests Rodriguez will be the cinematographer for both segments. Grind is two separate hour-long films with coming attractions for imaginary exploitation films running between them. Rodriguez is not expected to begin Austin production on "Planet Terror" until next month. We're No. 2! We're No. 2! As our News section reported last week, MovieMaker Magazine likes us, it really likes us. In its current issue, the indie film mag ranks Austin second only to New York City among the best places to be a moviemaker, citing the Austin Film Society, its Austin Studios, great locations, and some Hollywood-connected local filmmakers who shall remain infamous. In the six years the list has been compiled, Austin has always been in the Top 5, taking the top spot two years ago, and the article says, "Unlike what you may heard about those laidback Texans, popularity has not led to complacency." San Antonio also gets props as one of the "cities on the rise" for a flurry of indie activity highlighted by UTSA student Pablo Veliz's recent Sundance Film Festival feature, La Tragedia de Macario. And the Rest ... Casting is under way for Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights television pilot... The release date for Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly has been pushed back again, this time from March to July, Science Fiction Weekly reports... Gary Busey starrer Hallettsville has begun shooting and is the first Texas film to use the high-definition Viper FilmStream Camera also used in Collateral. Andrew Pozza is directing and his fellow native Texans Logan Brown and Derek Nixon are producing. Line producer Damon Chang says the film lives in cyberspace at www.myspace.com/hallettsville... New York-based Rooftop Films has awarded a post-production grant to P.J. Raval and Jay Hodges' Best Kept Secret, a documentary about Trinidad, Colo., aka the sex-change capital of the world. Send tips to filmnews@austinchronicle.com. (not sure why the wrong info got posted under joe's column... THIS email was bouncing & when i switcved to yahoo... anyway, here it is. dan) Film News (Austin Chronicle) January 26, 2006 BY JOE O'CONNELL Meet the New Boss He's not the same as the old boss, but Bob Hudgins was recently retired Tom Copeland's top choice to take the reins of the Texas Film Commission. Hudgins, a Wichita Falls native, is the former deputy director of the Illinois Film Commission and an experienced locations scout. He worked locations on Austin-shot Michael in 1996 and got to know Copeland. Of particular interest to Lone Star film folk is Hudgins' key role in creating a program of financial incentives for projects shooting in Illinois. The Texas Lege approved such a program last year but without the funds to back it up. He's already been meeting with the different city film commissions around the state with an eye toward the 2007 legislative session and is urging film workers to establish strong communication with their representatives. "Farmers and ranchers have their issues, and we have our issues," he says. "We need to let those things be known." Corporate Rock Still Sux Andrew Shapter's documentary Before the Music Dies has taken a turn to the comedic, while still aptly highlighting the excesses of the corporate music world. Shapter credits Erykah Badu and her sense of humor for the change, which includes the creation of a generic pop star (à la Ashlee Simpson) from scratch. Badu also steered Shapter to a major soundtrack deal that will include Badu, Bonnie Raitt, the Roots, Dave Matthews, Calexico, and others. Look for the film to premiere at SXSW Film 06, and check out the progress on Shapter's blog at www.beforethemusicdies.com. Next up for Shapter is The Greener Side, a doc about the pursuit of happiness that will take him to Mongolia and Sardinia. Loony for Lunafest The national touring fest of short films by, for, and about women, aka Lunafest, comes to the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown at 1pm on Sunday in an event sponsored by Reel Women and the makers of Luna nutrition bars. The eight winning films showing were culled from more than 200 entries. Special guest is Suju Vijayan, who has written, directed and produced programs for Fox, A&E, Lifetime, MSNBC, Discovery, the History Channel, HGTV, and the Food Network. Her short, "Blessing," is part of the fest. Admission is $10; tickets may be purchased at www.originalalamo.com. Black Gold, Texas Tea Marfa is a likely filming spot for There Will Be Blood, a period piece based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!, which drew heavily on industry scandals during the Warren G. Harding administration but could be drawn from today's headlines. Paul Thomas Anderson is set to direct, with Daniel Day-Lewis starring. Do I sense Richard Linklater's hand in this one as well? His frequent cohort (and industry powerhouse) Scott Rudin is executive producing along with Eric Schlosser, whose book Fast Food Nation became a recently lensed Linklater feature. Look for a May shoot with some filming also possible in New Mexico. And the Rest ... Kudos to Whole Foods, Cool River Cafe, Scholz's Biergarten, People's Community Clinic, Vineyard Christian Fellowship, and Pinky's Wireless, who all donated locations for the ultra-low-budget Wake Up, Herbert, a first film from writer/director Steve Cauley that wraps this month... The Austin Film Festival's fourth annual Oscar Party is March 5 at Ranch 616 with great food and a silent auction on the bill. Tickets are $90 and available at 478-4795... The second most famous horror film shot in Central Texas is being remade this spring. What? You don't remember 1978's Piranha, which was written very much with tongue in cheek by John Sayles and filmed mostly at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos? The remake is set at Arizona's Lake Havasu, so no gigs as extras are likely for bikini-clad coeds at the school forever known as Southwest Texas State. Send tips to filmnews@austinchronicle.com. New Alamo Drafthouse Cinema The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has opened a new location in Katy, just west of Houston. The seven-screen venue is at Mason Park. For those who’ve never had the pleasure, the Alamo Drafthouse shows first-run films along with their famous programming such as Weird Wednesdays, Spaghetti Western feasts and Hong Kong Sundays. The Katy location will have a huge beer assortment on tap, and you can wine and dine while watching the movies. Their hamburgers are great. The other Houston location is at West Oaks Mall, Highway 6 at Richmond. www.drafthouse.com.