Hollywood
3D Guild formed; initiates 3D awards
NEW DELHI: A new 3D Guild has been conceived to link professionals from all over the world who share a passion for 3D, in order to help them to work in concert, to push always further back the fascinating and sometimes surprising frontiers of 3D.
Additionally the 3D Guild has also instituted a new award to recognize and honour the best productions and other masterpieces in 3D. The 3D Guild Award will be presented every year for the best films made globally in 3D.
The award instituted by the new association 3D Guild will be given out on 17 December during the 3D Stereo MEDIA event, traditionally held in Li?ge, Belgium, since 2009.
The jury will meet in London in November to identify the first winners of the 3D Guild Award.
A decision to this effect was taken by the 3D Guild in a meeting at the American Pavilion during the Cannes International Film Festival.
The idea of creating a new association and a new award for 3D was initially proposed by the two organizers of this major internationally acclaimed event, Prof. Jacques G. Verly (University of Li?ge, School of Engineering) and Alain Gallez (Image & 3D Europe). They received full support from several key actors of 3D in Europe, and defined with them the details of the new association and award. They also consulted with the Advanced Imaging Society – formerly called the International 3D Society – to work synergistically with it, in the best interest of 3D worldwide. The new award was designed by a young Belgian designer Thien Vo.
The 3D Guild was officially founded on 8 May, as an international non-profit organization, symbolically headquartered in the Capital of Europe, Brussels. Its 11 founding members come from Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
The 3D Guild defines itself to be “an association of people for people,” devoid of any corporate influence. In the same spirit, the 3D Guild Awards will go to people, as opposed to content (even if the selection is based on the screening of content).
The initial presidency of the Guild was entrusted to Prof. Verly, and the co-presidency to Angus Cameron (Vision3, UK) and Joséphine Derobe (Stereographer, FR).
The 3D Guild will initially focus on the domains of entertainment (cinema, television, virtual/augmented reality, video games) and research, the latter cutting across all applications of 3D.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
