Hollywood
Satish Kaushik’s ‘Dead End’ wins $15,000 in Seoul
MUMBAI: Independent Film Week is one-of-a-kind event which brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new projects and support the future of storytelling by nurturing the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers.
Through the Project Forum, held at the Independent Film Week, creatives connect with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. This one-of-a-kind event will take place from 14-18 September 2014 at Lincoln Center supporting bold new content from a wide variety of domestic and international artists. And Satish Kaushik’s ‘Dead End’ has found place in the coveted few from entries coming from world over.
After winning HAF at Hong Kong, ‘Dead End’ has scored in Korea. The script is making its rounds in the Network of Asian Fantastic Film (NAFF) countries and has made yet another mark by winning the best script at Seoul at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Pifan).
Dev Benegal’s pitch for a dark comedy ‘Dead End’ was named as the best project at the Network of Asian Fantastic Films. The Bucheon Award is worth $15,000.
‘Dead End’ is a story of a man who is declared as dead by a shady government department and has to take extreme measures to prove that he is alive. The script is written by Dev Benegal and Sarat Rao and is to be produced by Satish Kaushik Entertainment and Benegal’s August Entertainment. Satish Kaushik will play the main lead.
Talking about the win Satish Kaushik said,” The project has been garnering positive response and now with two awards in its kitty and a cash prize win we can look at kick- starting pre production. ‘Dead End’ will see one of the most successful complex cross country funding and I’m sure it will firm up India’s position in the global cinema market. I have always believed that cinema has no language and ‘Dead End’ has proved it so. A simple village folk from India is now known to all top notches in the cinema circuit. Who could even imagine of such a scope? I had the rights to the story. Dev and I developed it and I want him to direct this project as well.”
After the win at HAF and NAFF, the script has garnered interest from world over. Kaushik has been in talks with The Weinstein Company and the legendary Karl Baumgartner’s partners. Enquiries have been trickling down from countries like Germany, France, Japan, UK, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and US to meet Kaushik and Benegal to lap up the project.
The project is up for funding and will be developed as an international venture. It will release world over as the story caters to international sensibilities and a wider audience beyond India.
The NAFF project platform is a successful market to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Pifan). Now in its Eighteenth edition the festival has not only made a mark in Korea but also on the global map. This year it hosted 27 local and Asian projects, welcoming 259 executives to 449 formal one-on-one pitch meetings.
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
