Portuguese film producer Paulo Branco arrives at Paris' court house, Monday, May 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PARIS (AP) --
This year's Cannes Film Festival is kicking off with a legal dispute, as a Paris court weighs whether the festival can show Monty Python star Terry Gilliam's long-awaited film "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote."
Monday's hearing comes on the eve of the festival's opening on the French Riviera. Gilliam's film is scheduled to close the festival May 19.
But Portuguese producer Paulo Branco, who initially worked with Gilliam on the film, claims he has the rights to the movie, and sued Cannes organizers to stop them from showing it. Gilliam, 77, contests Branco's claims.
It's the latest in nearly two decades of headaches for Gilliam's film, plagued by production problems, funding issues and legal woes. The film stars Adam Driver and Stellan Skarsgard and is loosely based on the classic Spanish novel by Cervantes.
Pepsi soft drinks in plastic bottles are on sale at a grocery store in New York on Weds., Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion … could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More
