Coppernob Communications announced at the end of the week that they have launched a film portal to rival the long-term dominance of the Internet Movie Database.

Cnmovies.com (http://www.cnmovies.com) is a comprehensive database combining the work of three long-established and authoritative reference books: Halliwell's Film & Video Guide, Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies (edited by John Walker) and The Complete Index to World Film (edited by Alan Goble).

The database lists some 321,000 movies with more than 145,000 alternative titles, information on cinema history, film techniques and 'movie talk', studios and production companies. There is also a guide to award winners, and an a-z of actors, producers, directors, writers and all the key personnel involved behind the scenes in moviemaking.

The new site also features 215,000 reference sources and a large picture gallery containing more than 250,000 screenshots and carries previews and reviews of independent and major studio releases, daily news (film industry and Hollywood gossip), plus features and interviews with filmmakers.