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The Cinematograph - 2 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

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Due to many recent cinematic developments this issue reaches you later than usual. Among

many items, this edition brings you news on several movie productions shooting across Malta.

Because of this increased moviemaking activity, the June edition carries a movie-related cover

(details below and last page) rather than a usually featured historic cinema façade.

This issue also introduces two new features: a Review section and Cinema Jobs & Training

Opportunities. Check out new publications (one of them free) on historic movie theatres in

Scotland and Wisconsin.

If you would like to submit an item to this magazine, alert us of cinematic events, publications

or developments, or if you have comments/suggestions regarding the contents or style of The

Cinematograph, I will be glad to hear from you. Contact {editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org}

Fasten your seatbelt for the blockbuster season…

Marc Zimmermann

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[Malta] During the 14th National Cinema Day Maltese cinemas will charge just €3 for any

film at any show on 4 July. {MZ}

[Malta] The Malta Cine Circle will hold an Awards Show for its 2009 National Film

Competition at the ST. JAMES CAVALIER CINEMA (Valletta) on 3 July. {www.sjcav.org}

[Malta] Renzo Piano's designs for the Opera House site/ruins (see also Historic Cinema News

below), the new Parliament building and City Gate can be viewed at an exhibition at the

Museum of Archaeology (Republic St., Valletta) from 28 June to 31 July. {Times of Malta}

[USA] The Chicago Outdoor Film Festival will screen seven classic films (incl. Psycho, US

1960) under the stars in Chicago (IL) between 14 July and 25 August. For details, go to {www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/special_events/mose/chicago_outdoor_film.html}

[Germany] The FilmFest München will entertain audiences and award the 'White Elephant'

[that trophy name might merit some reconsideration, ed.] for outstanding audio-visual

programs for children and young people from 26 June to 4 July. For more information, go to

{http://filmfest-muenchen.de}

[Brazil] Fantaspoa, the 5th International Fantastic Film Festival will

entertain audiences in Porto Alegre on 3-19 July. For details, check

out {www.fantaspoa.com}

If you would like to promote your own event through The Cinematograph (screening,

conference, tour etc.), please contact {editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org}

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[UK����Cinemas] Spotlight on Scotland's Cinemas [booklet by

Historic Scotland, out now] presents the history, architecture and

future of historic cinemas across Scotland (including their protection

through listing), featuring venues such as the HIPPODROME in

Bo'ness, Scotland's oldest survivor, opened 1912 and recently fully

refurbished. The well-illustrated publication is the result of a thematic

study carried out on significant cinema buildings throughout 2007-

2008 in conjunction with the Cinema Theatre Association. To

download the free 32-page booklet, go to {www.historic-

scotland.gov.uk/cinemas.pdf}

The Cinematograph - 3 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

[USA����Cinemas] Historic Movie Theatres of Wisconsin [book by

Konrad Schiecke, out 13 May] presents 'Nineteenth Century Opera

Houses through 1950s Playhouses, Town by Town'. Check out

{www.mcfarlandpub.com}

If you have written or come across a cinema- or film-related

article/book, do let me know; I will be happy to make readers aware

of it. Contact {editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org}

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This new, regular feature will bring you reviews of mainly new

publications, including books (primarily on cinema architecture and

cinemagoing) and magazines (on the subjects of film and conservation). To submit a

publication for review in The Cinematograph, or send in a review of your own, contact

{editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org}

FILMSTAR [UK] [£3.99] {www.blackfishpublishing.com}

Stats: New monthly UK film magazine (avg. 180 colour pages)

Review: This brand new movie magazine was launched by the people behind Sci-Fi movie

mag Death Ray (see #008). Is it shaping up to be the 'smartest, sharpest title out there' that

it aims to be? Filmstar is keen to cover popcorn and brainy movies, new and old alike, and it

appears that issue one has taken steps in the right direction.

A substantial review section places emphasis on current and upcoming big-screen releases,

just how it should be in a cinema magazine (the DVD section is comparatively small). It is

complemented by sizeable interviews that aim to go deeper. Several features solidly present

the past (John Wayne), present (horror) and future (3D). Among the usual suspects are

sections on soundtracks and books (both too brief), and a segment

on TV, including an informative glance at the major US networks,

their series' trends and prospects. The absent games reviews are

certainly not missed.

Among the magazine's innovations are a good-sized, recurring

retrospective focussing on a specific year in cinema (an idea carried

over from Death Ray; in this issue: 1976) and a small but welcome

addition to some of the items on upcoming movies titled 'Secret

Fears', which counterbalances the combination of can't-wait

expectations and studio-generated hype with a healthy dose of what-

could-actually-go-wrong.

Filmstar carries only 10% adverts (compared to almost twice that in

the two main UK competitors), which are mostly related to the

subject (i.e. films, games, comics) and that are pleasantly free from

dial-4-sex entries.

At £3.99 the cover price is equivalent to that of Empire and Total Film; annual subscription

costs £40 (12 issues, UK), £71 (Europe; this can actually work out cheaper if bought over the

counter), or a substantial £107 for the rest of the world. With the proliferation of online news

and reviews, most printed movie magazines will have to reduce their overseas subscription to

more competitive rates if they want to reach larger audiences abroad.

Overall, this is a magazine well worth checking out (and comparing to others) that will

hopefully be able to distinguish itself further from the competition rather than being sucked

closer to mainstream formulas. Features on the integral part of cinemagoing (cultural and

social aspects, cinemas, architecture, staff profiles) would add value to Filmstar and set it

apart from its competitors. Issue 2 has just hit the newsstands (on 25 June).

Verdict: ***** ☺ A promising start with some new ideas � Not very dissimilar to competitors

(yet?) {issue No.1 reviewed by Marc Zimmermann}

Filmstar No.1

The Cinematograph - 4 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

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[Malta] After seven decades of decay and indecision, things are finally moving quickly for

Valletta's ROYAL OPERA site (former theatre and cinema, see also #027). Star architect Renzo

Piano has revised his original plans following

the government's decision not to erect the new

Parliament building on this site but on the

adjacent empty lot (the dismal Freedom

Square) instead, stating that the OPERA site

was "deemed too small" after a multitude of

locals and foreigners had objected to the

resulting loss of a historic monument and a

follow-up theatre. The new plans propose the

preservation of the surviving stonework and

the erection of a new light, semi-transparent,

retractable façade, creating a 1,200-seat open-air theatre. (For details of the proposal see also

Events above.) {Times of Malta}

[Malta] The capital's CITY LIGHTS, a single-screen cinema on St. John Street, is set to close as

a 'blue-movie' venue to become a bingo hall. Planning application PA02987/08, which also

includes structural alterations, has just been granted permission. {MZ}

[Malta] Demolition of the PILOT cinema (Il-Kbira Street, Māarr) has recently been approved

following a somewhat patchy planning history.

After demolition had been halted in 1997, the

building's new owner filed application

PA/03464/05 seeking "to demolish the existing

cinema and to construct basement garages,

overlying residential units and penthouses" in

June 2005. Permission was refused in

September 2007 (due to the proposed ground

floor use and the new building's

elevation/height). The resubmitted application

(October 2007) was also recommended for

refusal (January 2008) but was finally granted

(April 2009) since the "reason for refusal was addressed". Demolition works are set to begin in

July. {MZ}

[UK] Glasgow's B-listed COLISEUM, which had been lying empty for several years, was sadly

gutted in a fire on 25 May. Demolition works

started immediately to eliminate any threat of

collapse (allegedly homeless Glaswegians had

previously taken shelter in the old cinema).

The building (designed by Frank Matcham)

opened in 1905 as a theatre (seating 2,900),

operated as a dedicated cinema from 1925

onwards, converted to Cinerama in 1963,

closed in 1980, was listed 1986, and ran as a

bingo hall from 1987 to 2003. Considering that

cinema's worldwide still struggle to receive

recognition through protection, the loss of this

significant, listed building is even more

regrettable. Further images and details on {www.scottishcinemas.org.uk/glasgow/coliseum/index.html}

Gutted PILOT interior with abandoned cars 2009 © MZ

OPERA HOUSE conversion model 2009 © Times of Malta

Fire-gutted & part-demolished COLISEUM 2009 © MZ

The Cinematograph - 5 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

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[Ireland] The IRISH FILM INSTITUTE has announced expansion

and redevelopment works for its cinema in Dublin (opened

1992). It is uniquely located within the converted Old Quaker

Meeting House, featuring two screens (260+104 seats). A third

screen will be added, seating 60 patrons in "a luxurious

boutique atmosphere". It will be equipped with digital

projection technology plus equipment to screen a range of

other formats (incl. 16mm) to allow better access to material

from the Irish Film Archive and emerging Irish filmmakers. The

increased capacity will allow the IFI to significantly broaden its

arthouse programme and to add to its programme of special

events. It will also raise its competitiveness in the face of

Dublin's second arthouse cinema, the 4-screen LIGHT HOUSE,

which opened in May last year (see #019). The IFI's existing public areas will be renovated

and modernised, including its washroom facilities, film shop, box office and bar/restaurant

area. Furthermore, a "significant development" of the Irish Film Archive I set to improve the

public's access to its collection. {www.irishfilm.ie}

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[Malta] The first Indian production to come to Malta, the movie Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya,

wrapped its 10-day shoot on the islands in late May. The Kollywood movie (i.e. Tamil-

language, see Nickelodeon Dictionary below) is written, produced and directed by Gautham

Vasudev Menon who is known for his action films. Two of the six song-and-dance sequences

for the film were shot by the 26-strong Indian

crew, assisted by ten locals, around Valletta,

Mdina, Vittoriosa (see right and cover), Gozo

and Comino, creating an estimated €90,000 in

revenue.

The romantic comedy follows a Christian

heroine (played by popular Indian actress

Trisha (see cover) and a Hindu hero. It is

scored by composer A.R. Rahman (Oscar-

winner for Slumdog Millionaire). According to

the Chennai Times of India there is "fierce

competition among Kollywood directors to

shoot in never-seen-before locations" with Mr.

Vasudev Menon being the first director from

South India to film in Malta. He believes that others are likely to follow suit and plans to return

in December to shoot an entire action film on the islands, complete with water chases. Vinnai

Thaandi Varuvaaya is scheduled for release in India in September; a limited international

release will follow, possibility including Maltese screens. {Fiona Galea Debono, ToM}

[Malta] The filming of a naval battle segment for the Japanese historical drama TV series

Clouds above the Slope (sic, Engl. working title) wrapped in early June at the water tanks of

Malta's Mediterranean Film Studios (MFS). Depicting the Russo-Japanese war of 1904/05, the

scenes shot in Malta involved explosions and a fire on a warship, which starts sinking as sailors

engulfed in flames fall into the rough sea in a re-enactment of the Battle of Tsushima.

Starting in January, a local engineering company and 40 craftsmen had built two life-size,

timber-clad ship sections and a 600m2 metal structure with hydraulic pistons to simulate the

sinking of the ship. When the last scene was shot on the evening of 4 June, the fire that was

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya shooting in Vittoriosa (Malta), May 2009 © MZ

IFI lobby 2007 © MZ

The Cinematograph - 6 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

planned to break out on one of the ship sections

got unexpectedly out of hand. The blaze, which

destroyed most of the wooden set and

damaged some equipment, however, gave the

director better shots than he had hoped for,

turning out "grander than we expected"

(Cornelia Azzopardi-Schellmann, MFS Manager).

The scene, which used propane gas fire, was

supervised by fire engines and stand-by

medical staff. No one was injured in the incident

that required the intervention of three fire

tenders to control the blaze.

The 13-day shoot (with a budget of €2m) was

spread over a three-week period. The film is a production of NHK, Japan's national public

broadcasting organisation. {Matthew Xuereb, ToM}

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This section brings you those terms from the world of

cinema and TV that are less familiar or that have faded

from memory. If you have a word in mind that you'd like

to submit for closer inspection, send your suggestion to

{editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org}

[Bollywood] Bollywood is the popular, informal term for

the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (India),

blending Bombay (Mumbai's former name) and Hollywood. Bollywood refers only to Hindi

cinema and not to the whole of Indian cinema. The Hindi film industry is India's largest movie

producer. The term Bollywood was first used in the 1970s, when India overtook America in

terms of movie output, but it is unconfirmed who first coined it. The first silent feature made

was Raja Harishchandra (1913). By the 1930s, the industry was producing over 200 films

annually.

In the past, the Hindi film industry has produced movies with a universal audience appeal,

mainly in an attempt to maximise box office receipts. Bollywood films are typically opulent

musicals, frequently employing formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers and angry

parents, love triangles, family ties, sacrifice, corrupt politicians, kidnappers, conniving villains,

courtesans with hearts of gold, long-lost relatives and siblings separated by fate, dramatic

reversals of fortune, and convenient coincidences. They typically contain songs and dances,

romance and melodrama, comedy and action (incl. super-human heroes) within one masala

film (named after the spice mix), a three-hour extravaganza. While most actors are excellent

dancers, the popular songs are usually recorded by professional playback singers instead. The

hero or heroine will often perform with a group of supporting dancers. Many song-and-dance

routines in Indian films feature instantaneous shifts of location and/or changes of costume

between verses of a song. The main characters' dance/song segments are often staged in

beautiful natural surroundings or architecturally grand settings.

Bollywood films are multi-million dollar productions. Sequences shot overseas have proved a

real box office draw, so Mumbai film crews are increasingly filming around the world, most

recently and for the first time in Malta (see photo and Movie News above). In 2002 Bollywood

movies sold 3.6bn tickets and generated a total revenue (incl. DVDs and TV) of US$1.3bn

(compared to Hollywood: 2.6bn tickets and US$51bn respectively). Bollywood films are

particularly popular in the former Soviet Union, with a large following also in North America,

the UK, Germany, France and Scandinavia. {www.wikipedia.org}

Clouds above the Slope set on fire © Times of Malta

The Cinematograph - 7 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

[Kollywood] Kollywood is the colloquial term for the Tamil-language film industry based in

Chennai (previously named Madras, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu), a blend of

Kodambakkam (a very successful Tamil movie released in 2005) and Hollywood. Movies have

been produced in Chennai since 1916 (Keechaka Vaadham). By the end of the 1930s several

studios had been set up in Chennai and the industry was booming to the extent that the State

of Madras introduced an entertainment tax.

Tamil cinema has had a profound effect on the

filmmaking industries of India, with Chennai

becoming the capital of South Indian (Tamil)

filmmaking, as well as of other languages and

Sri Lankan cinema, in the 1940s. Kollywood is

well known for its talented film composers,

including two of India's most famous,

Ilaiyaraaja and A.R. Rahman (Slumdog

Millionaire).

Tamil films are among India's most popular,

along with Bollywood movies. They have a wide

overseas distribution, including Japan, South

Africa, Canada, the UK and USA.

Approximately over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. In 2005 estimated

box office takings reached US$52m. Interestingly, the Tamil Nadu government has made

provisions for an entertainment tax exemption for movies having pure Tamil words in the title.

Tamil Nadu features approximately 2,800 cinemas with a particular concentration in Salem and

Chennai. {www.wikipedia.org}

[Mollywood] Mollywood refers to the Malayalam-language filmmaking industry in the Indian

state of Kerala (pop. 40m). The term blends Malayalam and Hollywood. Mollywood forms a

significant component of Indian cinema in terms of artistic merit. Malayalam movies typically

portray social or familial issues and as a result are often considered more realistic than

Bollywood movies. The first Kerala cinema was established in 1907 (featuring a manual

projector), the first electrical one, JOSE ELECTRICAL BIOSCOPE, followed in 1913. Initially only

Tamil, Hindi and English films were screened throughout the state, with Tamil movies

dominating due to the cultural similarities between the two states. The first Malayalam film

(Vigathakumaran) was released in 1928. {www.wikipedia.org}

[Tollywood] Tollywood refers to the cinema industry in the Telugu-language state of Andhra

Pradesh. Based in the city of Hyderabad, it is one of India's largest filmmaking industries. The

term blends Telugu and Hollywood. The Telugu film industry originated in 1912 with the

production of Bhisma Pratighna. Tollywood holds several Guinness records, including the

largest film studio in the world and the record for an actor to appear in the largest number of

films in a single language (750), held by actor Brahmanandam. The state of Andhra Pradesh

also has the highest number of cinemas in India (3,700), of which 200 are in Hyderabad alone.

Currently, on average 150 Telugu films are released each year {www.wikipedia.org}

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[Ireland] Reelmagic is a practical filmmaking course for young people aged 9 to 14 (incl.

storyboarding, scriptwriting, directing and editing) running at the IRISH FILM INSTITUTE in July.

For details, go to {www.irishfilm.ie/educ/index10_07.asp}

[UK] The new movie mag Filmstar (see Review above) is looking for staff writer(s). Send a

CV and work samples (incl. a recent 250-word DVD review and a 600-word review of a recent

film) to Meg Jones at {meg@blackfishpublishing.com}

Funkstylerz (UK) performing a dance scene for Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya in Vittoriosa (Malta), May '09 © MZ

The Cinematograph - 8 - ©©©© Cinema Heritage Group

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Director Gautham Menon and actress Trisha during filming

of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya in Vittoriosa (Malta), May 2009

© Marc Zimmermann

For film details see Movie News above.

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###000333333 will be out in mid-July.

including:

Exclusive movie cover

Local Maltese film production goes 'into space'

The Cinema Architecture Compendium resumes

New publications on historic cinemas

Virtual cinema tours & much more…

The CCCIIINNNEEEMMMAAA HHHEEERRRIIITTTAAAGGGEEE GGGRRROOOUUUPPP (CHG, estd. 2006) is a non-profit organisation bringing cinema

enthusiasts and industry experts together to encourage joint efforts in the recording,

preservation and dissemination of cinemagoing history. We pursue the following MAIN GOALS:

[1] Carry out, circulate and encourage RESEARCH on historic cinemas

[2] Secure the protection and PRESERVATION of highly significant surviving cinemas

[3] Establish and maintain EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES relating to cinemas and film

[4] Promote DEVELOPMENTS in the cinema industry, including exhibition and filmmaking

SUBJECT: Historic cinemas, multiplexes, cinemagoing history and developments worldwide.

FOCUS: Malta, Ireland and global trends.

TTTHHHEEE CCCIIINNNEEEMMMAAATTTOOOGGGRRRAAAPPPHHH (launched in Nov. 2006) is the monthly digital magazine of the Cinema

Heritage Group. It is currently available via e-mail (in PDF format) through free subscription.

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Website

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Membership/Subscription & Queries

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ���� info@cinemaheritagegroup.org

Submissions & Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ���� editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org

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SUBMISSIONS & FEEDBACK: Submissions and comments are always welcome at editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org

COPYRIGHT: Publication of any passages from The Cinematograph requires prior approval and a © reference: Cinema

Heritage Group. If you wish to use any images from this magazine, please contact editor@cinemaheritagegroup.org

SOURCES: Contributors are typically credited with their {Full Name}, while dailies & periodicals are credited in {Italics}.

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