Hollywood
Mauritanian ‘Timbuktu’ sweeps Cesar Awards; Sean Penn gets honorary award
NEW DELHI: Abderrahmane Sissako’s foreign-language Oscar-nominated Timbuktu swept the 40th Cesar Awards in France with seven awards including the Best film and director prizes.
The film also received awards for original screenplay (Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall), cinematography (Sofian el Fani), editing (Nadia Ben Rachid), sound (Philippe Welsh, Roman Dymn, and Thierry Delor), and music (Amin Bouhafa).
Timbuktu was curiously overlooked at Cannes where it world premiered in competition. Although the movie is considered to be the first Mauritanian film in the running for a foreign-language Oscar, it was financed in France, produced at Sylvie Pialat’s Paris-based Les Films du Worso and distributed/sold by Jean-Labadie’s Le Pacte.
Kristen Stewart was chosen supporting actress for her performance as Juliette Binoche’s assistant in Clouds of Sils Maria, becoming the first American actress to win a Cesar trophy.
Xavier Dolan’s French-Canadian Mommy won best foreign film and the best actor and actress wins went to Comedie Francaise-trained Pierre Niney for his performance in Jalil Lespert’s film on the famed French designer Yves Saint Laurent and Adele Haenel for her role in Love at First Fight.
Another picture on the designer by Bertrand Bonello, Saint Laurent, won best costumes award for Anais Romand.
Love at First Fight, an unusual romantic comedy that takes place in an Army boot camp, also won best directorial debut for Cailley and male newcomer for Kevin Azais. The film also marks the first film of its producer, Pierre Guyard at Nord-Ouest. The film has been sold to all major territories and will be distributed in the United States by Strand Releasing.
Up-and-coming thespian Reda Kateb, who previously starred in Zero Dark Thirty and Lost River, won best supporting actor for his performance as an intern in a Paris hospital in Hippocrate.
Eric Lartigau’s dramedy blockbuster La Famille Belier, the most mainstream contender of this year’s race, earned its star Louane Emera a best newcomer award. La Famille Belier is still playing in theaters and has so far totaled more than 6 million admissions.
Well-known American actor and director Sean Penn was presented an honorary Cesar award.
Other awards were: Adapted Screenplay – Cyril Gely, Volker Schlondorff, Diplomacy; Set Decoration – Thierry Flamand for ‘The Beauty and the Beast’; Animated Film – Minuscule and Documentary – Salt of the Earth, Wim Wenders.
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.
