Hollywood
Iranian animation wins award at Viewster competition
NEW DELHI: The Iranian animation film ‘Dad’s Fragile Doll’ has been awarded the top prize by the world’s only online video service, Viewster, at its film festival.
The film by Ali Zare Ghanatnowi received an amount of $70,000 in the Festival on the theme of ‘Relationship Status: It’s Complicated’.
The second prize of $20,000 went to ‘Wrong’ a short by South Korea’s Taegue Lim, while the third prize of $7,500 went to German short ‘Your Place’ by Sylvia Borges and the fourth prize was given to Polish short ‘Next’ by Adam Janisch, winning $2,500.
The Viewster Online Film Festival is a cutting-edge worldwide event where television and film lovers as well as producers gather online to discover and share creative short films, features, web series and documentaries.
The expert panel of judges included famed independent film producer Ted Hope, actress Nora Tschirner and Timo Vuorensola, director of award-winning international film, Iron Sky.
The second #VOFF edition received nearly 1,000 submissions from filmmakers representing 70 countries, with 500 films ultimately accepted to compete for awards.
“When we started this festival competition, we just wanted to create a place for filmmakers to showcase their work and for film fans to discover creative international content,” said Viewster CEO Kai Henniges. “The second festival edition surpassed our expectations and we consider it a great reward that that the winners represent such different global and cultural perspectives.”
The VOFF is the ideal platform for film producers, independent or not, to showcase their work. Attracting roughly 500,000 online visitors. The second edition of VOFF was also the most social festival to date with tens of millions of interactions on festival content across social media.
“We have seen engagement like never before this year,” said Henniges. “Viewers’ response has been overwhelming and we view the success of this festival as a sign of much greater things to come.”
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.
