A select few people and some who were lucky enough to win tickets had a chance to screen the film, District 9 on Thursday night. I was not one of them. District 9 has been something I’ve been following closely for a while now, since tidbits of information about it started appearing online about the movie whose creative team was originally supposed to bring us the Halo film adaptation of the super-successful...

Gripping, satirical, and gory, District 9 was shockingly good. We saw a sneak preview of the entire film last night and have a few spoiler-free impressions to share. The audience was simply blown away by the film, whose style was very different...

SAN DIEGO — As director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and producer of the forthcoming "Hobbit" films, Peter Jackson was given a hero's welcome Friday when he made his debut at Comic-Con, the pop-culture festival...

Credit Crunch, Threat of Piracy Deter Foreign Distributors, Choking Off Crucial Source of Funds. "The success of local movies has diminished the demand for U.S. movies that don't have a cross-territorial appeal," says Bill Block, a veteran film financier who bought "The Blair Witch Project" a decade ago and went on to found QED International, a film production and foreign-sales company.

News Latest Film TV International Business Music Legit Technology...will bring together a number of international helmers and thesps to star in a series...talks with sales and finance entity QED Intl., which is handling sales on...English-language fare aimed at an international audience. The current crisis doesn...

International QED bets big on Oliver Stone's 'W.' ...Entertainment, Block is now co-chief of QED Intl., the 2-year-old financing...Mandate have moved into bigger arenas, QED occupies the same space as Myriad, Essential...

Lessons learned so far at Artisan and QED, Block says: Dont make anything...Brolin, Lionsgate, Oliver Stone, QED International, W Posted: Tue, October 07...are links to weblogs that reference QED's Bill Block Makes Big Bet on Oliver...

By John Horn, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. "What Oliver is making is a splashy, commercial picture," Block said. "This is not a static biopic. It's kinetic."

Indie production shingle QED Intl. has struck a deal to let Primary Wave Music Publishing handle the marketing and administration of its music rights.
Under the pact, Primary Wave will offer music consulting to QED, as well as handle the music publishing rights for the company's film and TV work.

"As part of this strategic agreement, ...

Sony Pictures will release Peter Jackson's upcoming sci-fi production, "District 9," which will be directed by Neill Blomkamp.

The studio has bought rights in North America, all other English-language territories, Korea, Italy, Russia and Portugal from financier and sales agent QED Intl.

While their plan to team on a bigscreen adaptation of the vidgame "Halo" is ...

While their plan to team on "Halo" remains on hold, Peter Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp are going forward this spring on "District 9," a live-action sci-fier that will mark Blomkamp's feature directing debut.

Jackson will produce through his WingNut Films production banner. Blomkamp wrote the script with partner Terri Tatchell.

KIMBERLY FOX

Fox, 35, is head of international sales at Bill Block's financing-producing outfit QED, where she's known for her tenacity and ability to make deals happen quickly. Along with handling inhouse pics ("The Hunting Party," "The Lucky Ones," "Smart People"), Fox also reps third-party projects ("The Echo," "The Girl in the Park," "Powder Blue").

Overheard: "...

QED Intl., Bill Block's year-old financing and international sales company, has secured a $50 million credit facility from Comerica Bank and British hedge fund Aramid Entertainment.

Block told Daily Variety that the coin will speed up and simplify the greenlight process at QED, which has been aiming to finance two to three pics annually in the $10 million-$35 million ...

Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena will star in "The Return," which Neil Burger will direct.

Lionsgate won out as North American distributor this week and is eyeing a December rollout. Production is set to begin in May.
Burger co-penned the screenplay with Dirk Wittenborn. Story follows three soldiers returning from Iraq who become companions ...

In all the time that Radovan Karadzic has been on the run, numerous tales about his whereabouts have emerged. After being indicted by United Nations prosecutors as a war crimes suspect 11 years ago, Mr. Karadzic, the former leader of Bosnias Serbs, has supposedly been sighted disguised as a monk, spotted in a police car escaping from pursuing soldiers ...

Richard Gere and Terrence Howard are in talks to star in "Spring Break in Bosnia," for which the Weinstein Co. has acquired North American, Australian and New Zealand distribution rights.

"The Matador" helmer Richard Shepard will direct.

Shepard wrote the comic drama, which is based on an Esquire article by Scott Anderson about the half-hearted ...

QED initially founded in February of 2006, $10 M capitalization. Bill Block, CEO; Paul Hanson, CFO; Kimberly Fox, Executive Vice President of International Sales; Elliot Ferwerda, Executive Producer, Partner.

By: Bernard Weintraub, "At The Movies". Bill Block acquired "Blair Witch Project" at Sundance for Artisan Ent. NEW YORK TIMES - AUGUST 1999, Sec E, Page 18.