30/09/2005

Danny Cannon’s football film Goal is the film event of the week and one of the three European films to be released today among 8 new titles on offer.
Released on 400 prints by Buena Vista UK, the film has all the ingredients to score big in the mainstream market with unique marketing opportunities attached to it.

The $30m (€ 25m) film is produced by UK former internet entrepreneur Mike Jefferies for Milkshake Films with US producer Lawrence Bender as associate producer. Part of a football trilogy written by veteran UK scriptwriters-duo Dick Clement and Ian La Fresnais (The Commitments), the first episode focuses on the rise of 19-year old Mexican kid Santiago from simple gardener in East LA to professional football player at Newcastle United. The second film to be shot next month in Spain and London under the direction of Jaume Collet Serra, will see him play for Real Madrid, and the third one will be shot in 2006 during the World Cup in Germany.
But the biggest asset for Goal is that it is the only football film that has obtained support from the football international governing body FIFA that has allowed real stars such as Zinédine Zidane and David Beckham to have cameos and other premiership players to appear on screen next to actors Kuno Becker (the Mexican star in the film), Alessandro Nivola, Kieron O’Brien and Anna Friel. And with the FIFA stamp of approval came the support of all the major football sponsors such as Adidas and Coca Cola.
The film will be released by Buena Vista International in selected territories including France with an opening date set for October 12.

In the art-house scenery, Artificial Eye is supervising the release of Lucie Hadzihalilovic’s praised feature film debut Innocence with five prints. As usual with Artificial Eye’s titles often festival award-winning films, Innocence will rely mostly on the reviews it receives and on the word of mouth, something that worked wonderfully with Paolo Sorrentino’s Le Consequenze dell’amore (400,000£ - € 585,000 at the box office).

Another female directorial debut, Blinded by Scottish filmmaker Eleanor Yule, is coming out today under the banner of Guerilla Films, specialised in UK and Irish productions. The drama of jealousy and passion starring Peter Mullan, Jodhi May and Danish actor Anders W.Merthelsen is produced by Glasgow-based Oscar Films Ltd . Guerilla is releasing the film with three prints, one in London, one in Glasgow and one in Edinburgh.