Movies
TIFF 2023 Primetime programme expands spotlight on international storytellers
Mumbai: The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Primetime programme has been revealed for 2023, with nine compelling and thought-provoking series from around the world, including eight World Premieres.
“This year’s Primetime programme is bigger than ever and gives audiences the exclusive and unmatched opportunity to celebrate the best new international series together, in cinema, on the big screen,” said TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee. “TIFF audiences will be the first to see the Prime Video series Expats — Lulu Wang’s highly anticipated follow-up to The Farewell, starring Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo, a Pulitzer Prize–winning adaptation from Shawn Levy and Steven Knight, a high-octane Korean thriller, a brand new vision from the creator of Euphoria, an atypical love story between Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough, a contemporary Scandinavian tragedy, and three powerful Canadian series, all spotlighting underrepresented voices from an exciting new wave of storytellers.”
Primetime programme:
TIFF’s 2023 Primetime programme features compelling series from Canada and around the world.
Alice & Jack – Victor Levin, Juho Kuosmanen, Hong Khaou | United Kingdom
World Premiere
North American Sales Title
All the Light We Cannot See – Shawn Levy, Steven Knight | USA
World Premiere
Bad Boy – Hagar Ben-Asher, Ron Leshem, Daniel Chen, Roee Florentin, Moshe Malka, Amit Cohen, Daniel Amsel |
Israel
World Premiere
North American Sales Title
Bargain – Byun Seung-min, Jeon Woo-sung | South Korea
North American Premiere
Black Life: Untold Stories – Leslie Norville | Canada
World Premiere
Bria Mack Gets A Life – Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada
World Premiere
Estonia – Miikko Oikkonen | Finland/Sweden/Belgium/Estonia
World Premiere
North American Sales Title
Expats – Lulu Wang | USA
World Premiere
Telling Our Story – Kim O’Bomsawin | Canada
World Premiere – English Language Version
The Toronto International Film Festival takes place from 7 – 17 September.
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.
