Like other big celebrity events, the Toronto Film Festival gives swag bags full of gifts to celebrities who attend. And like American authorities, Canadian tax officials are hovering. “Those receiving gift bags must pay tax on the fair market value of such items. It’s up to the individual to declare each and every gift on their personal income tax return. We will be conducting reviews and audits of income tax returns to ensure compliance with the tax legislation.”
Tag: 08.30.06
The Movie Festival For Those Who Love Movies
The Telluride Festival is a serious place for movies. “Sundance has swag, Cannes has yachts, Toronto stars. Telluride has class. Because it’s a holiday weekend, and because it’s virtually impossible to get to — it’s easier to get to Cannes than it is to Telluride — the people who go to Telluride are truly die-hard movie fans. Everyone is there to see movies. There is no other agenda, there are no deals. It’s a place to discover movies.”
Reversal – Music Giant Okays Free Downloads
“Universal Music Group announced Tuesday that it would license its digital catalog to a website offering free legal downloads. The two-year deal marks a significant shift in an industry long criticized for fighting, rather than harnessing, the Internet’s potential. The new website, backed by New York company SpiralFrog, hopes to make money selling advertisements that play while songs download.”
Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel Writer, 94
“Acclaimed Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, the first Arab writer honoured with the Nobel Prize in literature, died in a Cairo hospital Wednesday morning. He was 94. Regarded as one of the Middle East’s finest writers, Mahfouz rose to international fame in the 1950s with his renowned Cairo Trilogy — the novels Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street.”
Penguin Goes To China
“The British publisher announced yesterday that classics such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Oliver Twist, Crime and Punishment and Moby Dick would be translated into Mandarin and sold under its logo in the world’s fastest growing book market.”
Hear The Music, See The Commercial
The new service SpiralFrog is offering with Universal to give away music is a marked change in the traditional music industry business model. “Instead of copying Apple’s iTunes store by charging customers to buy music, SpiralFrog says it will replace the traditional cost of downloading with money made from advertising. Audiences will have to sit through a short advertisement before downloading their track of choice, a tactic used by some other media websites but thought to be a first for music.”
TicketMaster Invalidates Stolen Tickets
TicketMaster has voided thousands of tickets for Barbra Streisand’s upcoming tour. The tickets were purchased with stolen credit cards then resold over te internet. “Ten of her 19 concerts in October and November are affected, including dates in New York, Las Vegas and Chicago. Fans may be at risk if they did not buy their seats directly from Ticketmaster or venue box offices, the agency said.”
From Screen To Book (How Long Till The Napster Of Publishing?)
“The role of a 21st-century publisher is making books available offline and on. Blurb.com, a self-publishing startup, will invite 600 bloggers this week to test out its new service by creating a free bound copy of their blog. It’s a fresh shot across the bow to traditional publishers in an industry already facing disruptive changes from digital giants Google and Amazon.”
Boston Symphony Changes Crew Rules (And With Them, A Tradition)
The Boston Symphony has decided to change the work rules for its hall crew. “It is no secret that BSO management has wanted to cut overtime for the non-unionized crew for years. Cost is not the only issue, as the symphony will save no more than $250,000 by making the overtime cuts, according to a symphony official who did not want to be identified because BSO officials prefer not to speak on personnel matters. The move is also about modernizing an old-fashioned way of operating the department, the official said.”
A Great “Vile” Australian Opera?
The opera “Batavia”, with music by Richard Mills and libretto by Peter Goldsworthy has had its premiere in Sydney. But Peter McCallum, the Sydney Morning Herald’s critic described the opera as “the vilest thing I have experienced in the theatre … one felt raped by the volume, alienated by the lack of sensitivity or aptness in the musical symbols, and repelled by the unctuous sermonising.”