Universal Pictures promoted Suzanne Cole to executive vice president of media.

Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne signed a first look deal with Warner Bros. They will maintain the offices in New York and in West Hollywood for New Line Cinema.

Circle of Confusion has brought Britton Rizzio in as a literary manager.

Focus Features promoted Jane Evans to executive vice president of physical production.

RAI’s former head of drama, Agostino Sacca has been reinstated to his position.

Peace Arch and ContentFilm will merge their U.S. home entertainment units in July. Both companies will retain ownership of their existing catalogs.

Overture Films has a two year first look deal with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Cooper’s Town Productions.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has a first look deal with Charles Roven's Atlas Entertainment.

Under the new law, Gallic copyright owners or rights collection societies representing them will monitor P2P sites and feed Internet addresses to the new body. This organization will notify repeat unauthorized downloaders of movies and music, first by email and then by letter. As well as barring offenders from the Internet, it will also prevent them from signing up with another ISP.

Budapest based HBO Central Europe promoted Stefan Dakovski to head of HBO Adria. He will be responsible for HBO operations in Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. Two new country managers have also been appointed: Zagred based Marin Kariz for HBO Croatia and Serbia, and Prague based Martin Cepek for HBO Czech and Slovakia.

ThinkFilm is experiencing some financial problems and the company is trying to keep its filmmakers and creditors at bay. The financial problem has created a bitter relationship between ThinkFilm and some of its filmmakers who are feeling a high level of resentment over the money flow issues. Although there are no specific court proceedings at this time and every case is unique, there are several producers who believe litigation will be their last best option.

Italy's main film industry organizations say they will boycott the Venice, Rome and Turin film festivals to protest the new Silvio Berlusconi government's decision to scrap eagerly awaited film production tax incentives. The tax breaks, approved late last year by the center left government headed by Romano Prodi but not yet in effect, would have provided some 25% of a film's budget up to 5 million Euros ($7.7 million), with foreign production companies filming in Italy also eligible.

Profits increased by half at Eros International, fueled by growing worldwide theatrical business and TV syndication for Bollywood movies. In the year to March, the company saw revenues climb by 70% to $113 million. It recorded pre tax profits of $45.5 million, compared to $30.9 million the previous year. Earnings per share grew at a slower 12% to 33.5 cents.

Producer Vin Di Bona is ramping up his graphic novel plans forming Invisible Hand Studios and inking a deal with Devil's Due Publishing to launch the first properties. The new company will develop titles that could be turned into full length features or TV shows.

U.K. distribution company Contender Films hired Theresa Roberts as head of publicity and Rebecca Mortimer as head of marketing.

Oliver Schundler has resigned as head of Bavaria Media Television, taking the position of managing director of Zodiak Television's new German operations.

The European Producers Club has elected Constantin Film head of production Martin Moszkowicz as president. He becomes the first non French topper in the EPC's fifteen year history.

Film finance firm Grosvenor Park has tapped Joseph C. Kaczorowski as partner and David Alper as principal and chief operating officer.

Wong Kar Wai will chair the jury at the eleventh Shanghai International Film Festival.

Eastern European distribution group A Company has acquired all of the shares in its Eastern European Acquisition Pool subsidiary. A Company, which already owned fifty one percent of EEAP, took the twenty four percent stakes owned by Prorom Media Trade as well as Cinemania Group, which operates throughout the former Yugoslavia. Prorom and Cinemania will remain exclusive partners in EEAP’s Eastern European distribution network for Romania and the former Yugoslavian states.

Swedish drama company Yellow Bird is expanding into the German language market, setting up a joint venture in Munich with Oliver Schundler, who ankles as Bavaria Media TV topper to be managing director of the new outfit. The company will focus on feature films and TV drama for German speaking territories.

Arthouse Films has a first look deal with Fortissimo Films, where Fortissimo will represent Arthouse, Curiously Bright Entertainment, and LM Media’s projects.

Frederic Maire will leave Locarno Film Festival to take over the governing board of the Swiss Film Archive.

Gian Luigi Rondi has been tapped to replace Goffredo Bettini as President of the Rome Film Festival.

Paramount Pictures is downsizing Paramount Vantage. Vantage will continue as a production label under President Nick Meyer. The functions of Vantage's marketing, distribution and physical production departments are merging with the corresponding departments at Paramount. Megan Colligan has been named co president of domestic marketing along with Josh Greenstein. Georgia Kacandes will head the combined physical production department as executive vice president of physical production.

Hilary Swank and producer Molly Smith have launched production company 2S Films. 2S has signed a two year first look pact with Alcon Entertainment.

United Artists hired Christa Zofcin as head of business affairs.

Liberation Entertainment hired Rob Williams as vice president of acquisitions and theatrical distribution.

ThinkFilm hired Mark Urman as president, after Jeff Sackman left the company.

The Film Department hired Inc Pagliuca as vice president of business affairs.

EuropaCorp hired Marie Laure Montironi and Pascal Degove as international sales directors.

New Regency named Hutch Parker chairman alongside Bob Harper.

Hanway Films hired Sofia Neves as director of worldwide sales and distribution.

Norwegian Films Institute hired Bjarte Ytre Arne as head of promotion.

Miramax Films ended its fourteen year Canadian distribution relationship with Canadian distribution company Alliance Films.

Salt has a reciprocal first look deal with Alcove Entertainment.

Lionsgate and Eros International joined force to distribute Lionsgate's films in the South Asian market.

Omega Entertainment hired Trevor Wright to serve as president of its North American operations.

Walden Media hired Amanda Morgan Palmer as senior vice president development and production.

Paramount Vantage hired Shyama Friedenson as senior vice president international marketing.

Australian director Gillian Armstrong has been named jury president for the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival.

Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures are closing.

Sedic International has a production deal with Celluloid Dreams.

Screen Capital International and the William Morris Agency created the film financing company Incentive Filmed Entertainment.

Paramount Pictures International will open a Spanish company with a deal they made with producer Andres Vicente Gomez and his A.Zeta Banner.

Fox Filmed Entertainment is launching Fox International Prods. to produce and acquire local language films. Sanford Panitch will transfer from his position as president of New Regency to run the new company, which will house all of Fox's existing and future productions under one umbrella.

Reliance Big Entertainment signed a string of development deals with companies such as Nicolas Cage's Saturn Productions, Jim Carrey's JC 23 Entertainment, George Clooney's Smokehouse Productions, Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures, Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment, and Jay Roach's Everyman Pictures.

20th Century Fox TV and Fox Broadcasting Co. have formed Fox Inkubation, a joint venture designed to discover new animation talent and develop animated projects outside of the traditional model.

Cerenzie-Peters Productions has started a genre division and will partner with Ghostrider Entertainment to co finance a slate of ten horror films in the next three years. Eric Thompson from Doomsday Twin Productions will head the new horror division.

The Weinstein Co. signed a five years contract with STAR, the top rated English movie channel in India, Malaysia and Singapore.

Nina Refseth is stepping into her position as CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute.

The Norwegian Film Fund, Norwegian Film Development and the Norwegian Film Institute are becoming one entity, keeping the name of the Norwegian Film Institute.

Cannes Official Selection will be announced on April 23, 2008.

Nordisk and Trust Films have merged their international sales companies under a new brand, TrustNordisk.

France’s technicians association reached an agreement with the Ministries of Culture and Finance and members of parliament for a 20% tax rebate on foreign shoots. Any film shoot not already receiving French subsidies from the Centre Nationale de la Cinematographie would be eligible for the rebate.

Jennifer Aniston and Kristin Hahn opened Echo Films, a company that will start with a first look deal with Universal Pictures.

Echo Bridge Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the Alliance Atlantis’ library from Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.

Rick Sands, COO at Metro Goldwyn Mayer, left the company.

Randall Baumberger was named president of Paramount Pictures.

Thorsten Schaumann leaves Bavaria Film International.

DreamWorks Animation has hired Alex Schwartz to be head of development.

Marco Mueller has returned to the Venice Film Festival as artistic director.

Alex Ben Block has been named director of programming for the American Pavilion at Festival de Cannes.

Constantin Film has extended an exclusive contract with producer Bernd Eichinger through 2014.

Lionsgate has an exclusive agreement to release DVD product from Spanish language distributor Xenon Pictures.

New Wave Entertainment hired Chuck LaBella as director of development.

Image Entertainment hired Steve Saltman as senior vice president of worldwide television to lead their new worldwide television sales division.

World Wrestling Entertainment hired Steve Barnett as vice president of production.

Metro Goldwyn Mayer hired Cale Boyter as executive vice president of production.

Warner Bros. keeps New Line production topper Toby Emmerich as president and chief operating officer.

Summit Entertainment hired T.J. Moffett as senior vice president of home entertainment marketing and Jennifer Dunlap as vice president of home entertainment marketing creative services.

Bob Osher has been named president of the digital production division of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Lee Bartlett is promoted to chief operating officer at production company ITV Global.

Michael Elson, head of film and chief operating officer, left Moving Picture Company.

Rutger Wolfson has been appointed as general director of the Rotterdam Film Festival for four years.

Universal Pictures and Dark Horse Entertainment have signed a worldwide production and distribution agreement, making Universal the studio home of Dark Horse.

Eros International has a deal with WalMart to sell Bollywood content through WalMart’s distribution network in Canada.

EuropaCorp finalized its acquisition of Roissy Films, one of Gaul's oldest international sales and production companies.

Hanway Films will handle worldwide sales for the library of New York based producer Jean Doumanian.

Miramax and Film4 have a three years deal with Ruby Films where Miramax and Film4 will co develop and co produce Ruby features. Miramax will take worldwide rights with Film4 retaining U.K. TV rights on all the films produced under the deal.

Icon has acquired Becker International.

Technicolor Digital Cinema has a deal with Hollywood’s Arclight Cinemas to provide digital projection systems at its complex.

ThinkFilm has a deal with Entertainment One to release its titles in Canada until 2010.

NBC Universal has engineered a major film package sale to News Corp.'s FX Network that comprises most of the titles on Universal's 2008 slate. The deal, for the network television window rights, includes about fifteen titles from Universal and specialty labels Rogue Pictures and Focus Features.

Yair Landau, president of its digital division at Sony Pictures Entertainment is leaving the company in April.

Warner Bros. Pictures has promoted Matt Reilly and Sarah Schechter to vice presidents of production.

Miramax Films and Film4 have a development and production deal with Alison Owen and Paul Trijbits of Ruby Films. The three year pact gives Miramax and Film4 first look to co develop and co produce Ruby features. Miramax will take worldwide rights to movies made under the partnership, with Film4 retaining U.K. TV rights.