Bester News

Film News: Pippa Cross joins board of directors -- Recognizing the fact that the online world is giving shorts new platforms and auds, the U.K. Film Council announced Friday that it will plow $1.1 million into shorts programs via the New Cinema Fund.

Film News: Company raises $10.8 million -- Vertice 360, one of Spain’s biggest production-distribution houses, will put through two capital increases worth a total Euros8.6 million ($10.8 million), aimed at fueling further expansion in its film and TV activities.

Film News: Actress will co-star with Washington, Oldman -- Mila Kunis will co-star with Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman in "The Book of Eli," produced by Warner Bros.-based Alcon Entertainment and Silver Pictures.

Film News: Summit collects $7 million from opening night -- Summit Entertainment’s “Twilight” grossed more than $7 million in Thursday midnight shows — far ahead of the $2.5 million earned by “Sex and the City” in its opening midnight runs.

Film News: 'Mesrine' muscles out rivals in France -- Bondpic “Quantum of Solace” is expected to dominate biz at the European box office once again this weekend. The 007 thriller opens in Spain and is likely to deliver solid holdover biz elsewhere.

Film News: Fenton, Cowles to produce comedy film -- Wind Dancer Films has acquired the female buddy comedy spec script "BFF" from the writing team of Vanessa Parise and Robin Dunne.

Film News: Stuber, Abdy to produce comedy film -- Universal Pictures is at the altar for "Best Man-a-Thon," a comedy spec by tyro scribe Richard Rapozo.

Film News: Pair plan to rope in Westerns -- Producer Mark Canton ("300") is teaming with Pterodactyl Prods. on a pair of bigscreen projects that include a pic about iconic cowboy character and B-movie Western staple Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy.

Film News: Director to take on 'Captain Marvel' -- Warner Bros. has staked "Get Smart" director Peter Segal and his Callahan Filmworks partner Michael Ewing to a three-year first-look deal.

Film News: Studio nabs exclusive rights to Bourne novels -- Universal Pictures has made an overall deal with the estate of "The Bourne Identity" author Robert Ludlum that gives the studio exclusive rights to the Jason Bourne character and first look at other Ludlum novels.