reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Actors Johnny Depp and Matt Damon are the best, while Will Ferrell and Tobey Maguire are ranked the worst celebrity signers in Autograph magazine's 15th annual survey of who's cool and who's cruel to autograph collectors. Results of the annual rankings of Hollywood signers are in the December issue of Autograph (www.AutographMagazine.com), on sale now.

"It's the third consecutive year Depp has topped the list of the ten best signers. Whether at a premier, in a restaurant or on location, Depp may just be the best Hollywood autograph signer of all time," said Steve Cyrkin, Editor and Publisher of Autograph magazine.

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

New Line Cinema's The Golden Compass passed the $100 million mark in international box office gross Wednesday as the film continues its successful worldwide run since its Dec. 7 opening.

After opening #1 in 23 territories, the fantasy adventure film has continued to play well with notable performances in the United Kingdom ($26.7 million), Spain ($11.4 million), France ($10.3 million), Germany ($9.8 million), Russia ($6.8 million) and Asia ($11.3 million), including a spectacular $3.5 million in its South Korean debut (opening day and previews). The Golden Compass has yet to open in Australia and New Zealand (Dec. 26), parts of South America (Dec. 20 – Dec. 25), India (Jan. 4), and Japan (March 1).

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today the film tax credit program is attracting film productions to communities across the commonwealth, including $8.2 million in investments outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

"Due to the film tax credit program, we have been able to attract productions even to some of the most rural areas of the commonwealth," Governor Rendell said. "When is the last time McKean County was the location of a $4 million film production? This is an incredible experience and economic opportunity for our communities."

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Hero Pictures International has acquired exclusive rights to the biography "Private Lives of Albert Einstein," written by well-known science journalists Roger Highfield and Paul Carter. The book probes the elusively human side of Einstein, with the authors bringing to life a much more intimate picture of Einstein, from his struggles early on to his rise to fame, continuing to the end of his life.

Academy Award-winning writer Ron Bass (RAIN MAN), engaged to write the screenplay back in the summer 2007, has enormous enthusiasm for the project. "It's inspiring to be chosen to tell the story of Albert Einstein. This film will bring us closer to his genius, his imagination, his discoveries and to the drama and charm of his human side. I look forward to delivering my script as soon as possible after the WGA strike concludes," commented Bass.

Hero Pictures International was established in January 2006 and has secured development and production financing from a private equity investor group in Spain. Led by president Maria Rodriguez-Rabadan, the Hollywood-based company has five films in development along with the untitled life story of Albert Einstein.

Website: www.heropictures.net

reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Empire Film Group, Inc. has completed principal photography on the action-thriller "BOILERMAKER," starring Jack McGhee ("Crash"), Senta Moses ("Dodgeball") and Arie Vereen ("Sin City") in a stunning turn as the lead antagonist.

The bank-heist thriller was shot in and around Los Angeles by CRC Productions under the direction of Paul T. Murray, along with producer T.J. Castronovo and executive producers Joseph D. Amore, Mike Carazza, and Empire Home Entertainment C.E.O. Eric Parkinson. The film is slated for release to theaters in the U.S. on May 9, 2008 by Empire Film Group.

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Today's new, polarized, digital 3-D movies promise to fulfill the original dream of cinema: to bring the otherworldly and uncanny so close audiences feel they have entered the action. And, as seen by the recent successes of Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf and the re-release of Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas, audiences are responding.

"While the studios are making $100-200 million 3-D blockbusters, 'indie film' methods can be used to create high-quality polarized 3-D features in the $5-$15 million range," says Doug Schwartz, chairman of StereoVision Entertainment Inc., an independent, publicly-traded film production company dedicated solely to making low-cost, high-quality 3-D movies. "Similar to what Roger Corman accomplished at American International Pictures in the 1960s and 70s, such a low-budget 3-D production facility could serve as a fertile testing ground for new talent pushing the boundaries of this exciting new platform."

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly entered into the following series of agreements:

Said Peter Jackson, "I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. 'The Lord of the Rings' is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey."

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Hero Pictures International has acquired exclusive rights to the biography "Private Lives of Albert Einstein," written by well-known science journalists Roger Highfield and Paul Carter. The book probes the elusively human side of Einstein, with the authors bringing to life a much more intimate picture of Einstein, from his struggles early on to his rise to fame, continuing to the end of his life.

Academy Award-winning writer Ron Bass (RAIN MAN), engaged to write the screenplay back in the summer 2007, has enormous enthusiasm for the project. "It's inspiring to be chosen to tell the story of Albert Einstein. This film will bring us closer to his genius, his imagination, his discoveries and to the drama and charm of his human side. I look forward to delivering my script as soon as possible after the WGA strike concludes," commented Bass.

Read more!

reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Empire Film Group, Inc. has acquired a majority ownership stake in Truman Press, Inc., parent company of film distributor and book publisher Hannover House (www.HannoverHouse.com). The new film and DVD distribution division will be renamed Empire Home Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire Film Group, Inc.

Hannover House is a leading independent film and DVD distributor for the U.S. marketplace and also has a successful history in book publishing. The company was formed in 1993 and has accumulated a library of more than 85 film and video properties and 15 books as well as full motion picture and video production facilities.

Website: www.empirefilmgroup.com

reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

The Emmy Award-winning PBS series "Independent Lens" has launched the second annual Online Shorts Festival, a "film festival at your fingertips." Animation, comedy, drama and documentary provide an eclectic mix of stories and storytelling.

The Online Shorts Festival site features an opportunity for viewers to watch the shorts on small or large players, download films, vote for the Audience Award, read about the films and filmmakers and post their comments in Talkback. The Audience Award winner will be announced February 2008. The 11 Audience Award contenders can be viewed and downloaded at: www.pbs.org/independentlens/onlineshortsfestival/.

reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival Short Film Program comprises 83 short films representing 17 countries from 5,107 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. Submissions grew by more than 15% over last year. The 2008 Sundance Film Festival runs January 17-27 with screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.

"Since the beginning we recognized short films as a viable art form and an exciting way to discover and launch new talent," said John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. "We will continue to find innovative ways to extend the success and reach of this amazing work and build a world- wide audience for short-form films."

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reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

JWT, the largest advertising agency in the U.S., has released a short film directed by and starring Martin Scorsese for the Spanish cava producer Freixenet. "The Key to Reserva," a holiday campaign developed by JWT Spain for the sparkling wine Carta Nevada Reserva, includes commercials, print ads, posters and the Scorsese-directed short.

In the nine-and-half-minute film, Scorsese pays homage to Hitchcock, preserving one of his unfinished movies. While previous Freixenet campaigns have featured movie stars in traditional advertisements, this time the innovative idea, crafted by JWT executive creative director Alex Martínez and his team in Barcelona, focuses on the star behind the camera -- marking a new era in Freixenet's advertising.

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