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Film News: Billionaire criticizes management in letter to board — Carl Ichan’s blistered the management of Lionsgate and officially notified the minimajor that he’ll launch a proxy fight to take over the board of directors.

Film News: Emerging filmmakers at the heart of event — Three years of funding from the U.K. Film Council to raise fest’s profile is over and the future is opaque.

Film News: Studio to distrib in Russia for indie — Universal Pictures Intl. (Russia) has signed a distribution deal for Russia and former Soviet territories with leading indie production shingle Leopolis.

Film News: Company takes North American rights — The Weinstein Company has picked up North American and South African rights to upcoming Michelle Yeoh starrer “Reign of Assassins.”

Film News: Gil Scott-Heron docu to screen at festival — Novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby (“An Education”) and author-musician-screenwriter Nick Cave (“The Proposition”) have been added to the 64th Edinburgh Film Festival lineup.

Film News: ‘Glee’ star to voice animated 3D musical — Summertime Entertainment’s animated 3D musical “Dorothy of Oz” has snagged Lea Michele of “Glee” to voice the lead part and provide vocals on several original musical numbers.

Film News: Theaters brace for loss of core male audience — The monthlong World Cup soccer tournament kicks off today in South Africa — and theaters in Europe can say goodbye to much of their core male audiences, who will be glued to TVs and portable devices.

Film News: Media magnate owns 5.3% of minimajor — Carl Icahn’s received a major boost from Mark Cuban in his ongoing battle with Lionsgate.

Film News: Six films set for production this summer — DreamWorks Studios has gone from a dead stop to flat-out gallop: It has six films in production this summer, all eyeing 2011 bows.

Film News: Fremaux enforces rules after ‘Burnt’ violation — The Cannes Film Festival will take a more stringent line on competition films after it emerged that Russia’s entry, Nikita Mikhalkov’s “Burnt by the Sun 2: Exodus,” had been released outside its home territory before the fest unspooled.