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    Mexican border drama wins Greece’s top film prize

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1096 Views
    In this Aug. 20, 2015 file photo, Mexican Director Fernanda Valadez speaks during an interview at the Mexico City Film School. Valadez’s film, a drama about a mother’s harrowing journey through Mexico to find her teenage son who went missing while trying to reach the United States has won the top prize at Greece’s Thessaloniki Film Festival on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)
    THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) --

    "Identifying Features," a drama about a mother's harrowing journey through Mexico to find her teenage son who went missing while trying to reach the United States, won the top prize at Greece's Thessaloniki Film Festival on Monday.

    Organizers said the feature film by Mexican debut director Fernanda Valadez had been awarded the Golden Alexander prize.

    "In a cruel world of heartbreaks, tragedy, and survival, a story of an unexpected bond is born," the organizers said in a statement. "It starts slowly and classically to then develop into visual darkness, or hell, just as the story does."

    Titled "Sin Senas Particulares" in Spanish, the movie also picked up a world cinema award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

    The 61st Thessaloniki Film Festival was held as a digital event due to pandemic restrictions. 

    Tags:Fernanda ValadezIdentifying FeaturesThessaloniki Film Festival



    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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