Indian Media World Shaken By Hostile Takeover Bid For NDTV
Indian billionaire Guatam Adani looks set to acquire India’s premiere independent news broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV) after his Adani Group exercised a right to buy a 29.18% stake under a loan agreement taken out by its founders more than a decade ago. Adani Group indicated that it will offer a 26% additional stake in order to acquire a controlling 55% of the company.
In 1984, NDTV was established by a husband-and-wife team of economist Prannoy and Radhika Roy. The company has put out a statement saying that Adani’s move to execute the right to buy clause had been undertaken without first consulting the co-founders, who hold a 32.26% stake.
NDTV is considered one of the last places for independent journalism in India. There are concerns that a takeover of the Andani Group which has interests in power, ports and coal trading could have consequences for the editorial content.
Venice Announces Ukrainian Day On September 8 In Act Of Solidarity
The Venice Film Festival announced that it would hold a Ukrainian Day on Sept. 8 as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine and its artists, as Ukraine celebrated independence day Wednesday. The panel will include Alberto Barbera, Venice’s artistic director; Yaroslav Melnyk, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Italy; Marina Kuderchuk, head of National Cinema Institution, and Antonio Lukich. Luxembourg LuxembourgScreens will be displayed in the Horizons Section, among others. The presentation will include Ukrainian projects at various stages of production.
Kamila Andini, Ryo Kase, Alain Guiraudie Set For Busan’s New Currents Jury
Serge Toubiana (French film critic, Unifrance president) will chair the jury of Busan International Movie Festival New Currents competition, which is aimed at first- and second-films. Kamila Andini, an Indonesian film director, will join him.Yuni, Before, Now, and Then), French director Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the LakeRyo Kase (Japan actor) and Lee Eugene (Korean producer, Zip Cinema). The jury chooses the two best films and awards each a $30,000 cash award. Unveiled also are the members of jury for the Kim Jiseok Awards, which were established in 2017 in memory to late BIFF program director Kim Jiseok. Jean-Michel Frodon is a French film critic and journalist. Ogigami Naoko, a Japanese director and scriptwriter, and Kim Hee-Jung are Korean directors. They will be awarding $10,000 prizes to the two new Korean and Asian movies. BIFF runs October 5-14.