Film Production
EU Film Festival workshop inspires with storytelling insights on day three
Mumbai: Day three of the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) brought a powerful blend of cinematic storytelling and creativity, captivating audiences in New Delhi. The workshop ‘Character Building in Cinematic Worlds’, led by Lithuanian-American filmmaker Tomas Vengris and Indian novelist-screenwriter Alina Gufran, offered invaluable guidance to aspiring filmmakers, drawing an enthusiastic crowd and inspiring fresh perspectives on narrative creation.
Organised in collaboration with Unbox Cultural Futures, the workshop focused on character development and narrative depth, essential skills for young, independent creatives. Vengris shared his approach to the theme of identity crisis, a common thread in his films, rooted in his upbringing between Lithuania and the U.S. “When someone struggles with a project, it becomes a huge learning curve. Everything is new and challenging. You finish that project, feel like you’ve got it figured out, and then with the next one, it’s like starting from scratch. That sense of constant reinvention is what makes it so thrilling,” he remarked.
Gufran, known for drawing from her own experiences in her work, discussed themes like the immigrant experience, interfaith dynamics, and belonging. These personal insights, she explained, shape her storytelling and provide a window through which she explores complex identities.
The workshop saw participation from emerging filmmakers, young creatives, and film students, all eager to deepen their storytelling craft.
Alongside the workshop, Day 3 featured screenings of three acclaimed films: “The Man Without Guilt from Slovenia”, directed by Ivan Gergolet; “Dangerous Men from Poland”, directed by Maciej Kawalski; and “Baan from Portugal”, directed by Leonor Teles. Each film resonated deeply with the Delhi audience, receiving warm applause and appreciation.
The 29th European Union Film Festival will continue in New Delhi until 16 November 2024, showcasing a diverse lineup of films from across Europe.
Film Production
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs under new chief executive
The entertainment giant’s freshly installed boss inherits a restructuring already in motion, with marketing and corporate roles bearing the brunt
CALIFORNIA: Walt Disney is preparing to slash up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the entertainment giant’s freshly installed chief executive moves swiftly to trim fat and tighten the ship.
The cuts, less than 1 per cent of Disney’s global workforce of 231,000, will fall hardest on marketing and corporate roles. The planning, notably, began before D’Amaro formally took the top job in March, suggesting the new boss inherited a restructuring already in motion rather than one of his own making.
Driving the push is Asad Ayaz, Disney’s newly appointed chief marketing officer, who in January assumed command of a unified, company-wide marketing operation spanning film, television and streaming. His consolidation drive has been given a suitably cinematic internal name: Project Imagine.
The move is modest by Disney’s recent standards. Between 2023 and 2025, under former chief executive Bob Iger, the company eliminated roughly 8,000 positions across several brutal rounds of cuts, saving $7.5 billion, comfortably exceeding its own targets. As recently as June 2025, several hundred more jobs were axed across Disney Entertainment, hitting film and television marketing, publicity, casting, development and corporate finance.
Disney’s structural headaches are well-documented: shrinking streaming margins, a weakened box office, and fierce competition from Amazon and YouTube gnawing at its flanks. The company is merging its Disney+ and Hulu teams into a single app, has brought in consultants from Bain & Co to guide its broader cost strategy, and is betting heavily on digital growth.
The wider entertainment industry offers little comfort. Sony Pictures, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have all taken the knife to their workforces in recent years, and further cuts loom if Paramount’s acquisition of Warner goes through.
For D’Amaro, the message is clear: there will be no honeymoon period. The magic kingdom still has some cost-cutting spells left to cast.
