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    6 emerging writers win film academy’s Nicholl Fellowships

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1500 Views
    In this March 2, 2014 file photo, an Oscar statue is displayed at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the winners of its annual Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. The winners are Michele Atkins, “Talking About the Sky”; Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, “Photo Booth”; Geeta Malik, “Dinner with Friends”; Elizabeth Oyebode, “Tween the Ropes”; Justin Piasecki, “Death of an Ortolan.” (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)
    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Six emerging screenwriters are getting a boost from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

    The organization announced Thursday the winners of its annual Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, which comes with a $35,000 prize and yearlong academy support toward the completion of a feature-length screenplay.

    Winners will receive the first installment of their prize money and hear their work performed aloud at a Nov. 3 event at the film academy's headquarters in Beverly Hills, California.

    The global competition drew 6,915 screenplay entries. The winners and their hometowns are Michele Atkins, "Talking About the Sky" (Seattle); Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, "Photo Booth" (Balgowlah, Australia); Geeta Malik, "Dinner with Friends" (Los Angeles); Elizabeth Oyebode, "Tween the Ropes" (Sunnyvale, California); and Justin Piasecki, "Death of an Ortolan" (Los Angeles).

    Tags:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesNicholl Fellowship



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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