Hollywood
Wim Wenders to get Golden Bear at Berlinale
NEW DELHI: Renowned German filmmaker Wim Wenders will be presented the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement award and the Homage Section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival will be dedicated to him.
The award ceremony on 12 February 2015 will include a screening of Der amerikanische Freund (The American Friend, 1977). It was Wenders’ international breakthrough film. “We were so impressed by the brilliance of the recently completed digital restoration that we decided to premiere it as part of the award ceremony for the Honorary Golden Bear,” Festival director Dieter Kosslick said.
In addition, the Deutsche Kinemathek has teamed up with Berlinale Talents for a special event entitled ‘Wings of Time: A Conversation with Wim Wenders’ the evening before the honourary award gala. The director will hold a discussion in English with Rainer Rother, artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, is honouring Wenders in March 2015 with a comprehensive retrospective that will include many of the films shown in the Homage programme.
In another nod to the Homage and the honorary award, the ZDF broadcasting group has scheduled a 2015 Wim Wenders retrospective, with the first series of films airing in February on ZDF, as well as on 3sat and ARTE.
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.
