Hollywood
Venezuela-Mexican film gets Golden Lion at Venice International Film Fest
NEW DELHI: The Venezuela-Mexican coproduction From Afar by Lorenzo Vigas has won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, which is one of the oldest film festivals in the world.
The Jury chaired by Alfonso Cuarón and comprising Elizabeth Banks, Emmanuel Carr?re, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Diane Kruger, Francesco Munzi, Pawel Pawlikowski and Lynne Ramsey viewed all 21 films in competition.
The Festival, which was held from 2 – 12 September, had Alberto Barbera as its director and was organised by the Biennale chaired by Paolo Baratta.
Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement went to Bertrand Tavernier. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory went to Brian De Palma; Persol Tribute Visionary Talent Award to Jonathan Demme and L’oréal Paris per il Cinema Award to Valentina Corti.
The Silver Lion for Best Director went to Pablo Trapero for the film El Clan (Argentina, Spain). The Grand Jury Prize was given to Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson (US).
The Best Actress award went to Valeria Golino in the film Per Amor Vostro by Giuseppe Gaudino (Italy) and best actor to Fabrice Luchini in the film L’Hermine by Christian Vincent (France)
The Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor went to Abraham Attah in the film Beasts Of No Nation by Cary Joji Fukunaga (US) and Best Screenplay was won by Christian Vincent for the film L’Hermine by Christian Vincent (France)
The Special Jury Prize was given to Frenzy by Emin Alper (Turkey, France, Qatar), while the Lion Of The Future award went to the debut film The Childhood Of A Leader by Brady Corbet (United Kingdom, Hungary). It also got a prize of $100,000 donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer.
The Orizzonti Jury of the Festival went to Free In Deed by Jake Mahaffy (US, New Zealand) for best film, for Best Director to Brady Corbet for The Childhood Of A Leader (United Kingdom, Hungary), the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize was given to Neon Bull by Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil, Uruguay, The Netherlands), the Special Orizzonti Award for Best Actor was given to Dominique Lebornein the film Temp?te by Samuel Collardey and the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film to Belladonna by Dubravka Turic (Croatia).
The Venice Short Film Nomination for the European Film Awards 2015 was given to E.T.E.R.N.I.T. by Giovanni Aloi (France).
The Venice Classic Awards went for best Documentary on Cinema to The 1000 Eyes Of Dr. Maddin by Yves Montmayeur (France); for Best Restored Film to Sal? O Le 120 Giornate Di Sodoma by Pier Paolo Pasolini (1975, Italy, France).
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
