Hollywood
Mikey McCleary bags best composer award for ‘Margarita, With a Straw’ at AFA
NEW DELHI: Although India dominated the Asian Film Awards nominations with three Indian films shortlisted for seven awards, it managed to walk away with just one award: Mikey McCleary got the best composer award for Margarita, With a Straw.
Korean talent received rounds of applause at a lavish ceremony in Macau, but the biggest prizes at the Awards went to the Chinese.
The Best film went to Lou Ye’s Blind Massage, while Ann Hui was named as best director for The Golden Era.
The biggest cheers of the evening, however, went to the veteran Korean director Im Kwon-taek, who collected a lifetime achievement award.
The event had been transferred from Hong Kong to Macau last year for the first time, and it is the second year the awards have been organized and presented as a joint effort by three film festivals — Hong Kong, Busan and Tokyo.
A total of 42 Asian films competed for 14 categories.
From India, Haider had four nominations: Best Film, Best Director Vishal Bhardwaj, Best Supporting Actress Tabu, and Best Production Design.
Kalki Koechlin was also nominated for her performance in Margarita, With a Straw.
Court, which got the best National Film Award this year was nominated for director Chaitanya Tamhane’s screenplay.
Im Kwon-taek is the longest-working director in South Korea, and has directed 102 films since 1962. His latest film Revivre screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival earlier this month.
Past recipients of the AFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award include Amitabh Bachchan, Ann Hui and Raymond Chow.
Im Kwon-taek (born May 2, 1936) is one of South Korea’s most renowned film directors. As of spring 2013, he has directed 101 films.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
