The World Digest - January 20, 2006

Festival's plans

MEXICO CITY — The third edition of the Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival will open with Terrence Malick's "The New World" and unspool 262 pictures over a two-week period, organizers said Thursday. Patron Cinemex theaters will screen 151 features and 111 shorts from Feb. 21 to March 5. Amat Escalante's "Sangre" and documentary "1973" are the only two Mexican productions in competition. Twenty features and 18 documentaries will vie for $5,000 cash prizes in their respective categories. Notable films unspooling out of competition include "Brokeback Mountain," "Breakfast on Pluto," "Match Point" and "Capote."



France TV's investment

PARIS — Public broadcaster France Televisions said Thursday that it will invest €71.5 million ($86.4 million) this year in the production of documentaries and accord the genre more primetime slots across its four national channels than ever before. Announcing the 11% hike over last year's documentary budget, France Televisions chief Patrick de Carolis said the public television service hopes to further strengthen its position as the country's top investor and broadcaster of documentaries. About 5,000 hours of documentaries will be broadcast on its France 2, France 3, France 4 and France 5 national channels this year.



Continental's Dream

MADRID — Spanish production house Continental announced Thursday the acquisition of a majority stake in Barcelona-based advertising producer Dream Team Concepts. The deal gives Continental a foothold and a business address in Spain's northeast Catalan region, enabling it to access public funds offered by the Catalan regional government for its local film industry. Dream Team will benefit by taking its first steps into the feature film production arena.