Hollywood
Japanese production house to be honoured at Locarno Filmfest
NEW DELHI: Japanese company Office Kitano will be honoured with a tribute that recognizes the most significant players on the international independent production scene.
The Locarno Festival is slated to take place from 5 – 15 August.
Founded in 1988 as a theatrical agency, Office Kitano was created to answer the need to manage the TV activities of Takeshi Kitano and a group of comic actors linked to him. In 1991 it became a production company with A Scene at the Sea, Kitano’s third feature film, and since then has produced all of the actor-director’s films.
Under its president Masayuki Mori, the company also started producing other Japanese directors, starting with Hiroshi Shimizu’s Ikinai (1998). During those same years, Shôzô Ichiyama joined forces with the company; Ichiyama had already worked with Kitano on his first feature, Violent Cop (1989) and co-produced three films by Hou Hsiao-hsien.
In 2000 the company began an inspired collaboration with JIA Zhang-ke. The first film was Platform (2000), which was followed by Unknown Pleasures (2002), The World (2004), 24 City (2008), A Touch of Sin (2013) and Mountains May Depart (2015).
In 2001 the company produced Delbaran, a film by the Iranian director Abolfazl Jalili, which was selected for Locarno’s Concorso internazionale where it won the Special Jury Prize.
In addition to producing and distributing a range of films, in 2000 Office Kitano launched Tokyo FILMeX, a film festival created to raise the profile of independent production.
Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian said, “With the decision to pay tribute to Office Kitano’s twenty years of activity, the Festival is choosing a territory and a company in which it has a particular interest. Not only because we love the Japanese actor-director’s productions but also because of the studio’s stated desire to support young Japanese filmmakers, and work with other major directors, such as JIA Zhang-ke. An award is both a recognition for the work they have done and an encouragement to continue in the path they have chosen: both are completely appropriate in the case of Office Kitano, to whom we wish a brilliant future.”
Office Kitano president Masayuki Mori and producer Shôzô Ichiyama will be at Locarno to receive the award.
Three films will be shown at the Festival to mark this tribute: Hana-bi (1997) and Dolls (2002), both directed by Takeshi Kitano, and JIA Zhang-ke’s Unknown Pleasures.
Hollywood
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs in major restructuring drive
Layoffs span ESPN, studios and tech as company pivots to growth
MUMBAI: The magic isn’t disappearing but it is being reorganised. The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to cut around 1,000 jobs as part of a sweeping restructuring effort aimed at sharpening its edge in an increasingly unpredictable entertainment landscape. The move, led by CEO Josh D’Amaro, reflects a broader internal reset as the company rethinks how it operates, allocates resources and competes in a fast-evolving industry. In a memo to employees, D’Amaro acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but framed it as a necessary step to ensure Disney remains “efficient, innovative, and responsive” to rapid shifts in consumer behaviour and technology.
The layoffs will span multiple divisions, including marketing, film and television studios, ESPN, technology teams and corporate functions. Notifications have already begun, signalling that the restructuring is not a distant plan but an active transition underway.
Importantly, the company has clarified that the cuts are not performance-driven. Instead, they form part of a wider transformation strategy aimed at building a leaner, more agile organisation, one better equipped to respond to streaming dynamics, digital disruption and evolving audience expectations.
The timing is telling. The global entertainment industry is in the middle of a structural shift, with traditional television revenues under pressure and box office returns becoming increasingly volatile. Meanwhile, streaming platforms and digital-first competitors continue to redraw the rules of engagement, forcing legacy players to rethink scale, speed and storytelling formats.
For Disney, long synonymous with blockbuster franchises and timeless storytelling, the pivot is both strategic and symbolic. The company is doubling down on technology, direct-to-consumer services and content ecosystems that align with modern viewing habits, where audiences expect immediacy, personalisation and cross-platform experiences.
Even as the restructuring unfolds, D’Amaro struck a note of optimism, reiterating Disney’s commitment to creativity and long-term growth. Support measures for affected employees are expected as part of the transition, though details remain limited.
In essence, this is less about cutting back and more about reshaping forward. As Disney redraws its organisational map, the message is clear, in today’s entertainment world, even the most magical kingdoms must evolve or risk being left behind.
