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
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.
