Hollywood
‘The Imitation Game’ wins People’s Choice Award at TIFF
MUMBAI: Benedict Cumberbatch starrer The Imitation Game won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), marking the end of the 11-day movie marathon.
Set for a 21 November release in US, the biopic portrays Cumberbatch as mathematician Alan Turing, who led the effort to break the Enigma code during World War II and was later persecuted by the government for his homosexuality. Directed by Morten Tyldum, the movie also stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Allen Leech and Matthew Beard.
The film beat the first runner-up Learning to Drive — a dramedy about the unlikely friendship between Patricia Clarkson’s newly separated book editor and her driving instructor.
Sponsored by Grolsch and decided by TIFF audiences, The People’s Choice Award for a feature film, is the most prestigious prize of the festival. Previous winners include 12 Years a Slave, Silver Linings Playbook, The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire.
Meanwhile, the people’s choice award in the genre-driven Midnight Madness section went to New Zealand comedy maestros Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement for their vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. Maxime Giroux’s Felix and Meira took the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film and Jeffrey St. Jules won the prize for best first Canadian feature film for Bang Bang Baby.
The People’s Choice Award for documentaries went to Hajooj Kuka’s Beats of the Antonov, a film that promotes peace, love and cultural expression amid the tribal wars that have afflicted Sudan for decades.
Hollywood
Disney unifies streaming, film, TV and games under Dana Walden
Debra O’Connell to chair Disney Entertainment Television in new setup
LOS ANGELES: The Walt Disney Company is pressing play on a more tightly woven future. As audiences hop between cinema screens, streaming apps and game worlds, the media giant is stitching its storytelling arms into one coordinated machine under Dana Walden.
Set to take charge as president and chief creative officer on March 18, Walden will oversee a newly unified Disney Entertainment structure that brings together streaming, film, television and the company’s fast-expanding games and digital business. She will report directly to incoming chief executive officer Josh D’Amaro.
The thinking is simple. Whether viewers are watching on Disney+, heading to the cinema or diving into a game, Disney wants the experience to feel like chapters of the same story. Walden summed it up as strengthening the emotional thread between Disney’s characters and its audiences, wherever they choose to engage.
The leadership reshuffle reads like a carefully cast ensemble. Alan Bergman continues as chairman of Disney Entertainment, studios, steering film production, marketing and distribution while sharing oversight of direct to consumer.
Streaming gets a dual command. Joe Earley and Adam Smith step in as co-presidents of direct to consumer, jointly handling strategy and financial performance across Disney+ and Hulu. Earley will also guide content strategy, while Smith retains his role as chief product and technology officer across Disney Entertainment and ESPN.
A new chair enters the frame with Debra O’Connell taking on the role of chairman, Disney Entertainment Television. She will oversee an expansive slate that includes ABC Entertainment, National Geographic and Hulu Originals, while continuing to supervise ABC News and owned stations.
Gaming, once a side quest, is now a central storyline. Sean Shoptaw, executive vice president, games and digital entertainment, moves into the Disney Entertainment fold. His remit includes partnerships such as the collaboration with Epic Games, aimed at building a Disney universe linked to Fortnite.
Elsewhere, John Landgraf remains chairman of FX, reporting to Walden, while Asad Ayaz continues as chief marketing and brand officer, reporting to both D’Amaro and Walden.
The message behind the reshuffle is clear. Disney is no longer thinking in silos of screens but in stories that travel. And with Walden at the creative helm, the company is betting that a single, seamless narrative can keep audiences hooked, whether they are watching, scrolling or playing.
