Hollywood
Wim Wenders to get Golden Bear at Berlinale
NEW DELHI: Renowned German filmmaker Wim Wenders will be presented the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement award and the Homage Section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival will be dedicated to him.
The award ceremony on 12 February 2015 will include a screening of Der amerikanische Freund (The American Friend, 1977). It was Wenders’ international breakthrough film. “We were so impressed by the brilliance of the recently completed digital restoration that we decided to premiere it as part of the award ceremony for the Honorary Golden Bear,” Festival director Dieter Kosslick said.
In addition, the Deutsche Kinemathek has teamed up with Berlinale Talents for a special event entitled ‘Wings of Time: A Conversation with Wim Wenders’ the evening before the honourary award gala. The director will hold a discussion in English with Rainer Rother, artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, is honouring Wenders in March 2015 with a comprehensive retrospective that will include many of the films shown in the Homage programme.
In another nod to the Homage and the honorary award, the ZDF broadcasting group has scheduled a 2015 Wim Wenders retrospective, with the first series of films airing in February on ZDF, as well as on 3sat and ARTE.
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.
