Hollywood
Mikey McCleary bags best composer award for ‘Margarita, With a Straw’ at AFA
NEW DELHI: Although India dominated the Asian Film Awards nominations with three Indian films shortlisted for seven awards, it managed to walk away with just one award: Mikey McCleary got the best composer award for Margarita, With a Straw.
Korean talent received rounds of applause at a lavish ceremony in Macau, but the biggest prizes at the Awards went to the Chinese.
The Best film went to Lou Ye’s Blind Massage, while Ann Hui was named as best director for The Golden Era.
The biggest cheers of the evening, however, went to the veteran Korean director Im Kwon-taek, who collected a lifetime achievement award.
The event had been transferred from Hong Kong to Macau last year for the first time, and it is the second year the awards have been organized and presented as a joint effort by three film festivals — Hong Kong, Busan and Tokyo.
A total of 42 Asian films competed for 14 categories.
From India, Haider had four nominations: Best Film, Best Director Vishal Bhardwaj, Best Supporting Actress Tabu, and Best Production Design.
Kalki Koechlin was also nominated for her performance in Margarita, With a Straw.
Court, which got the best National Film Award this year was nominated for director Chaitanya Tamhane’s screenplay.
Im Kwon-taek is the longest-working director in South Korea, and has directed 102 films since 1962. His latest film Revivre screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival earlier this month.
Past recipients of the AFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award include Amitabh Bachchan, Ann Hui and Raymond Chow.
Im Kwon-taek (born May 2, 1936) is one of South Korea’s most renowned film directors. As of spring 2013, he has directed 101 films.
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.
