Hollywood
Argentinean animation filmmaker feted at first Animation Day at Cannes
NEW DELHI: Animation producers, filmmakers and animation lovers shared news around their work while attending a panel discussion and a screening of their best films from Montreal International Animation Film Festival 2015 at the first Animation Day at the Cannes Film Festival.
The event was held at the Horyou Village located at the grounds of Le Grand Hotel Cannes.
Among the films screened were The Best Short Film Winner Aubade directed by Mauro Carraro (Switzerland), Castillo y el Armado, directed by Pedro Harres (Brazil) and Last Dance on the Main by Aristofanis Soulikias.
The Animation Day concluded with a reception to Maria Veronica Ramirez (Argentina), who had won the Best Feature Film Award for Anima Bueno Aires at MIAFF 2015 last month.
Argentinean delegates were present in large numbers at the reception.
MIAFF Director Laurie Gordon announced the creation of the Ryan Larkin Foundation, one of the festival’s initiatives, which was accompanied by the screening of a short clip from her film Spare Change.
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.
