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
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
