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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: True-life tale spotlights the Ascension Eagles — Big Talk Pictures, the Brit shingle behind Edgar Wright pics “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” has optioned a true-life story of Blighty’s best cheerleading squad, the Ascension Eagles.

Film News: German shingle teams with Russian, Ukrainian companies — Bavaria Pictures is teaming up for the first time with co-production partners from Russia and the Ukraine on a big-screen feature about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant catastrophe.

Film News: Teodora, L’Elysee, Frenetic buy film — Gallic arthouse shingle Les Films du Losange has made a raft of sales across Europe on Romain Goupil’s dramedy “Hands Up.”

Film News: U.K. company adds ‘Tom Jones,’ ‘Hughie’ to slate — U.K. shingle CrossDay Productions is set to ramp up its development slate after selling a quarter of its equity to non-film biz company HNWI.

Film News: Actor joins with studio to adapt Shaw novel — Dustin Hoffman is joining forces with U.K.’s Ealing Studios Intl. to star in the shingle’s $35 million adaptation of Irwin Shaw’s 1975 book “Nightwork.”

Film News: Shingle kicks off Ember Films — L.A.-based production, sales and distribution shingle Inferno Entertainment has launched a specialty pic sales label, Ember Films.

Film News: Shingle behind “Locker” harvests fruits of Oscar win in future slate — Nicholas Chartier, you’ve just won the Oscar. What are you going to do next?

Film News: Pair seal three-year deal for film and TV projects — Antonio Banderas’ Green Moon shingle has inked with Spanish media-tech giant Vertice 360 to co-produce one-to-two English-language films or TV projects a year over the next three years.

Film News: 3D action-adventure pic will be shot in China — His shingle is producing in partnership with China Film Group and Beijing Galloping Horse Film & TV.