Hollywood
Asian film features in Greek festival after four years
MUMBAI: The 54th Thessaloniki International Film Festival that will commence tomorrow will screen Kim Tae-gon’s Sunshine Boys ?????in competition, thus making it the first time in four years that an Asian film has competed at the Greek festival.
The South Korean drama premiered at the Busan International Film Festival last year. It screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Osaka Asian Film Festival and Durban International Film Festival. The festival is also screening Uchida Nobuteru’s Odayaka in the Open Horizons section and, in Special Screenings, Kore-Eda Hirokazu’s Like Father, Like Son and Hong Sang-soo’s Nobody’s Daughter Haewon.
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Last year, there were six Asian films at the festival, including Abbas Kiarostami’s Japan-shot Like Someone in Love in Special Screenings and Hong’s In Another Country as the closing film. The festival which will go on till 10 November opens with Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive and closes with Alexander Payne’s Nebraska. Both films’ directors will attend the festival. Payne will also be President of the competition jury.
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.
