Luc Besson launches Blue

Film News: Company to produce 'advertainment' -- Helmer-producer Luc Besson is teaming up with advertising exec Christophe Lambert to launch Blue, Gaul’s first shingle devoted to “advertainment” — a blend of entertainment and advertising.

Footsie holds on after rough night in Asia

The FTSE 100 Index held firm today despite another tumultuous session for markets in Asia.

Dwight Caines upped at Sony

Film News: Exec now oversees all digital marketing -- Dwight Caines has been upped to prexy of worldwide digital marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

TVNZ VOD pacts for ABC shows

Business News: Disney-owned channel pacts with Ondemand -- The Asia Pacific arm of Disney-ABC Intl. Television has inked a deal with Kiwi pubcaster TVNZ to provide its skeins on its fledgling online delivery service TVNZ Ondemand.

Entertainment One gets credit

Business News: Company to receive $150 million -- Despite a global credit squeeze, Canada's Entertainment One has just received a four-year $150 million senior credit facility with a group of financial institutions led by JP Morgan. The facility leaves the Toronto-based distrib and producer poised for further growth. The other banks in the syndicate include Bank of America, Barclays and Toronto Dominion Bank.

Summit taps Kirkpatrick for post

Business News: Exec named president of worldwide marketing -- Summit Entertainment has tapped veteran exec Nancy Kirkpatrick prexy of worldwide marketing.

Peace stands behind 'The Line'

Business News: Group acquires rights to Canadian TV drama -- Peace Arch Entertainment Group has acquired distribution rights to upcoming TV series "The Line."

Schulman retiring as WB counsel

Business News: Legal guru had been with studio for 25 years -- John Schulman, Warner Bros. Entertainment general counsel and the reigning dean of studio legal eagles, is retiring after a 25-year career at the studio.

Entertainment League enters game

Business News: Former NBA exec start sports production unit -- The ranks of companies in Los Angeles focusing on sports production and marketing have added another player: Entertainment League Prods.

ITV's Paul Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

ITV's Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

PorchLight on for Sparky/Grimply piic

Film News: Companies team up for CGI 'Brothers' -- Singapore's Sparky Animation has pacted with Santa Monica-based PorchLight Entertainment and Scotland's Grimply Films to co-produce $22 million, CGI movie "The Grimpley Brothers."

Cheech Marin flies with 'Angel'

Film News: Actor to direct and star in comedy for HighRoad -- Cheech Marin will direct and star in the dramedy "Angel of Oxnard" for HighRoad Entertainment.

Women set Democratic fund-raiser

Business News: Voices taps David, Short, Garner to perform -- More then 50 women in the entertainment industry have organized an event to raise money for eight Democratic U.S. Senate candidates on Sept. 27, with a lineup of performances by Martin Short, Jennifer Garner and Larry David, among others.

Obama organizers campaign for cash

Business News: Hollywood donors race to raise money -- With the presidential race in a dead heat, Hollywood donors feverishly made last-minute calls to raise money for what could be Barack Obama’s final entertainment industry fund-raiser before the general election.

Susan Lyne named Gilt Groupe CEO

Business News: Former Martha Stewart chief to run online retailer -- Susan Lyne, former chief of ABC Entertainment and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is bailing on the media sector in favor of running an online luxury goods retailer.

Historic Buildings' Modern Makeovers

Across Asia, developers are mixing old and modern. Singapore leads the charge with the renovation of neoclassical National Museum, and a luxury hotel around Tanah Merah.

Stone named a.d. of Tisch School

Film News: Director to advise on direction of campus -- Oliver Stone has been named the artistic director of NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia.

Financial crisis 'far from over', says UK bank chief

The financial crisis is far from over but will take only a moderate toll on fast-growing emerging economies in Asia and elsewhere as they continue to boom in the years ahead, the chief executive of British bank Standard Chartered said today.

ASPA kudo gets double the entries

Film News: Organizers receive more than 180 films -- Selectors for the sophomore Asia Pacific Screen Awards will have to wade through twice as many candidates as the first kudosfest.

Vivendi off to 'Tennessee'

Film News: Film unit grabs rights to Aaron Woodley film -- Vivendi Entertainment has grabbed all U.S. rights to "Tennessee, " the latest pic from "Monster's Ball" producer Lee Daniels.

Reliance nabs major stake in Willow

Business News: Online business specializes in cricket -- In a further sign of its global ambitions, Indian media conglom Reliance Big Entertainment has acquired a majority stake in California-based Willow TV, which claims to be the world’s leading website for live streaming of cricket events.

'Watchmen' fate goes to federal judge

Business News: Fox, WB forego jury trial on legal tussle -- Fox and Warner Bros. have decided to forgo a jury trial in their legal tussle over which studio has distribution rights to "Watchmen" and agreed instead to let a federal judge decide in two weeks whether Fox can block release of the pic.

ATAS pacts with Alan Perris

Business News: COO signs new multi-year deal with org -- Academy of Television Arts and Sciences chief operating officer Alan Perris has sealed a new multi-year deal with the org.

Journalists' woes trickle down to PR

Business News: Economic crisis hits both writers and praisers -- Misery love company, and if journalism plays a significant role in your professional orbit, there’s going to be plenty of it to go around.

Brad Grey stays put at Paramount

Business News: CEO to remain with studio through 2014 -- Despite a bleak economy and an uncertain media landscape, Viacom is very certain that Brad Grey is the man to run Paramount Pictures.

Family fare does well in down market

Business News: In tough economy, original DVD titles chug along -- As the DVD market plateaus and ever more releases vie for space on store shelves, the direct-to-video kidvid sector is proving resilient in tough economic times.

Home Entertainment Leader Report

Business News: The execs who guide the studios' made-for-DVD units -- Home Entertainment Leader Report: The execs who guide the studios' made-for-DVD units

Vidgames enter brave new open world

Business News: Wii, online gaming, sandbox games point to future -- Eight-year-old Rafael Solano can see the future -- or at least his future. Not content with the ease of use of his Nintendo Wii, he imagines a game system that features "controllers you could actually interact with that could go, like, on your knees or something, and on your arms.

RDF USA boosts Gellert to VP

Business News: Executive to report to Chris Coelen -- RDF USA continues to expand its ranks, tapping Lauren Gellert to serve as senior VP.

Homevid biz weathering the storm

Business News: Stability is the new growth in nontheatrical sector -- Contrary to claims made by some pundits back in the downturn of 2001, the homevid business isn't necessarily recession-proof.
But with numerous estimates for 2008 revenues down only 3%-6% from the nearly $23 billion generated in 2007, peddling discs has gone a lot better than, say, selling Detroit-made SUVs or condos in Miami.

Marketing the end of the world

Business News: Creatively marketing 'Day the Earth Stood Still' -- How do you promote the end of the world? That was the question facing 20th Century Fox as the studio pondered the marketing plan for "The Day the Earth Stood Still."