Latest news with #Nino
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes Critics' Week Awards Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke's ‘A Useful Ghost'
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke's 'A Useful Ghost' has picked up Critics Week's Grand Prize. The film has been picking up fans among journalists since the premiere, intrigued by its absurd yet sweet story of a woman who dies from dust pollution and a husband who's shocked to find out her spirit has been reincarnated – in a vacuum cleaner. More from Variety 'Romería' Review: A Budding Filmmaker Pursues Her Parents' Obscured Past in Carla Simón's Lovely, Pensive Coastal Voyage 'My Father's Shadow' Producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo Headlines Inaugural African Producers Accelerator Program (EXCLUSIVE) Mórbido TV and Screen Capital Unveil Umbra, a Genre-First Streaming Hub for the LatAm Market (EXCLUSIVE) 'A ghost-possessed vacuum cleaner might sound like standard horror fare, but in the hands of Thai director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, it transforms into a sly commentary on pollution, power dynamics, and the cost of living crisis in Bangkok,' wrote Variety's Naman Ramachandran earlier this week, with the director adding: 'Thailand is well known for horror cinema, and we also have a genre that might not travel abroad very much – horror comedy. But with this film, I try not to follow the conventions of both paths. One of my first ideas was wondering how a ghost could exist in contemporary society. Do they need to work? Because the cost of living here is now very expensive.' The jury, presided over by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and featuring Jihane Bougrine, Josée Deshaies, Yulina Evina Bhara and Daniel Kaluuya, also awarded 'Imago' by Déni Oumar Pitsaev. In the film, Déni inherits a patch of land in the wild valley of Pankissi and sees a chance to finally build the house in the trees that he's dreamed of. But nothing in the rugged Caucasus is ever simple. Returning to a village just across the Chechen border where he was born, Déni stirs up old feuds. The Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award went to Théodore Pellerin for 'Nino' by Pauline Loquès. Among other partners' prizes, the SACD Prize, awarded by France's Writers' Guild, went to Guillermo Galoe & Victor Alonso-Berbel, co-scribes of Sleepless City ('Ciudad sin sueño). Directed by Galoe, the Spanish-French feature delivers a lyrical, stylish but heavily grounded vision of a increasingly fissiparous Roma family in La Cañada Real, said to be the biggest shanty town in Southern Europe, whose way of life is disappearing as its residents are moved to sterile high-rise apartment blocks on the outskirts of Madrid. . Le Pacte, French distributor for 'Left-Handed Girl' by Shih-Ching Tsou, was awarded the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution. Here's the full list of awards: Grand Prize 'A Useful Ghost' by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke French Touch Prize of the Jury 'Imago' by Déni Oumar Pitsaev Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award Théodore Pellerin for 'Nino' by Pauline Loquès Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for Short Film 'L'mina' by Randa Maroufi Awards given by partners Gan Foundation Award for Distribution Le Pacte, French distributor for 'Left-Handed Girl' by Shih-Ching Tsou SACD Award Guillermo Galoe and Victor Alonso-Berbel, authors of 'Sleepless City' Canal+ Award for Short Film 'Erogenesis' de Xandra Popescu Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes Critics' Week Awards Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke's ‘A Useful Ghost'
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke's 'A Useful Ghost' has picked up Critics Week's Grand Prize. The film has been picking up fans among journalists since the premiere, intrigued by its absurd yet sweet story of a woman who dies from dust pollution and a husband who's shocked to find out her spirit has been reincarnated – in a vacuum cleaner. More from Variety 'Romería' Review: A Budding Filmmaker Pursues Her Parents' Obscured Past in Carla Simón's Lovely, Pensive Coastal Voyage 'My Father's Shadow' Producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo Headlines Inaugural African Producers Accelerator Program (EXCLUSIVE) Mórbido TV and Screen Capital Unveil Umbra, a Genre-First Streaming Hub for the LatAm Market (EXCLUSIVE) 'A ghost-possessed vacuum cleaner might sound like standard horror fare, but in the hands of Thai director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, it transforms into a sly commentary on pollution, power dynamics, and the cost of living crisis in Bangkok,' wrote Variety's Naman Ramachandran earlier this week, with the director adding: 'Thailand is well known for horror cinema, and we also have a genre that might not travel abroad very much – horror comedy. But with this film, I try not to follow the conventions of both paths. One of my first ideas was wondering how a ghost could exist in contemporary society. Do they need to work? Because the cost of living here is now very expensive.' The jury, presided over by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and featuring Jihane Bougrine, Josée Deshaies, Yulina Evina Bhara and Daniel Kaluuya, also awarded 'Imago' by Déni Oumar Pitsaev. In the film, Déni inherits a patch of land in the wild valley of Pankissi and sees a chance to finally build the house in the trees that he's dreamed of. But nothing in the rugged Caucasus is ever simple. Returning to a village just across the Chechen border where he was born, Déni stirs up old feuds. The Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award went to Théodore Pellerin for 'Nino' by Pauline Loquès. Among other partners' prizes, the SACD Prize, awarded by France's Writers' Guild, went to Guillermo Galoe & Victor Alonso-Berbel, co-scribes of Sleepless City ('Ciudad sin sueño). Directed by Galoe, the Spanish-French feature delivers a lyrical, stylish but heavily grounded vision of a increasingly fissiparous Roma family in La Cañada Real, said to be the biggest shanty town in Southern Europe, whose way of life is disappearing as its residents are moved to sterile high-rise apartment blocks on the outskirts of Madrid. . Le Pacte, French distributor for 'Left-Handed Girl' by Shih-Ching Tsou, was awarded the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution. Here's the full list of awards: Grand Prize 'A Useful Ghost' by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke French Touch Prize of the Jury 'Imago' by Déni Oumar Pitsaev Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award Théodore Pellerin for 'Nino' by Pauline Loquès Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for Short Film 'L'mina' by Randa Maroufi Awards given by partners Gan Foundation Award for Distribution Le Pacte, French distributor for 'Left-Handed Girl' by Shih-Ching Tsou SACD Award Guillermo Galoe and Victor Alonso-Berbel, authors of 'Sleepless City' Canal+ Award for Short Film 'Erogenesis' de Xandra Popescu Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Esports — S8UL signs German Tekken 8 stars Arja Gamoori and Nino Schwarz for World Cup 2025
S8UL Esports is officially making its debut in the international fighting games arena with the signing of top-tier Tekken 8 talents Arja Gamoori (Sephiblack) and Nino Schwarz (Nino). Both players will represent the organisation at the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 in Riyadh, as well as in major international tournaments throughout the year. With this move, S8UL continues its strategic expansion across international titles and genres, becoming one of the first Indian esports organisations to invest in Tekken, one of the most iconic fighting game franchises globally. A seasoned competitor, Sephiblack has been playing Tekken professionally since 2017 and is renowned for his mastery of the characters Miguel and Shaheen. He was among the 32 players who competed in Tekken 8 at the inaugural Esports World Cup 2024 in Riyadh. ALSO READ | S8UL announces EA FC roster for Esports World Cup, signs eChampions League winner Jonny Further strengthening the lineup is fellow German player Nino, who notably won the European TEKKEN Cup 3 Finals earlier this year. He is also the only player to have won Germany's Crossover Tekken tournaments in both 2022 and 2023, and recently secured first place at the Fighting Games Challenge 2024 in Poland. S8UL signing two internationally acclaimed Tekken 8 athletes represents a significant step in elevating India's presence in the global esports circuit. 'For us at S8UL, this isn't just about signing top players, it's about making a statement for Indian esports. Bringing in elite talents like Sephiblack and Nino shows that we're not just participating, we're here to compete and lead on the world stage,' commented Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and CEO, S8UL. ' Lineups: Apex Legends: Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko) and Tom Canty (Legacy) Call of Duty: Warzone: Colin Bowers-Wilson (Trikempathy), Braxton Trice (Braxtvn), and Ryder Skarzinski (Ryda) Chess: Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram EA SPORTS FC: Jonas Wirth (Jonny) and Aaron Rivera (Happy) Starcraft II: Pyung Jae Koh (GuMiho) Tekken 8: Arja Gamoori (Sephiblack) and Nino Schwarz (Nino) Additional rosters for other titles will be announced soon.
Forbes
31-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Chinese People Continue Buying More Bitcoin, Despite Strict Bans
Bitcoin was "banned" in China in 2021 - so how is it that there's still demand for Bitcoin in China these days? And how are these markets for Bitcoin affecting Bitcoin prices? There is continued demand for Bitcoin from Chinese Mainlanders (Chinese people outside Hong Kong and Macau). To understand this more deeply, you must understand the nature of the bans in the Chinese Bitcoin context. While Hong Kong offers futures and spot Bitcoin ETFs, mainlanders are forbidden from investing in these instruments - part of a general trend towards an exchange ban and the ban of public CNY-BTC pairings that make it challenging to track precisely how much Bitcoin is transacted. However, over-the-counter trade ("OTC") allows people to skirt these restrictions. Sometimes, OTC desks and services are more like private banks - and others are collections of merchants willing to take the legal risk of selling Tether and Bitcoin for Yuan. Chainanalysis has previous relationships with some of the large OTC desks. Through this data, an increase in trading demand for Bitcoin is observed. As Chainanalysis's media team has commented: "OTC services provide over-the-counter sales for people within China and across the region. Although some OTCs operate distinct on-chain infrastructure, many are nested businesses within other larger exchanges, where they can leverage existing infrastructure and liquidity to support the trading activity of their customers. The use of OTC channels in China reflects one of two things - first, the ban is loosely enforced, or how challenging it is to fully prohibit crypto activity." There are also large desks that trade in Tether, a US dollar backed stablecoin - which Chinese people use in large quantities. While there are rumors that OTC trade involves physical peer-to-peer trade, most people use exchanges, especially those with China-based roots. There, anything from putting in an address outside of the Mainland (such as a Hong Kong address) to using OTC services allows people to buy Bitcoin/Tether for local Yuan wires. There are also active signs of cryptocurrency trade all over the Internet, including the Western Internet, with, for example, active X rooms in Mandarin openly discussing the trade of different tokens. Bitcoin Asia 2024 reported a large contingent of mainland Chinese attendees. In an interview with Nino Feng, a former exchange executive from China, she relayed that most people she knew were buying Bitcoin from over-the-counter services that operated with major exchanges as a sort of collection of informal merchants that paid an escrow fee to be listed on a major exchange to sell Bitcoin and Tether at a spread. They would ask for money to be wired to local Chinese bank accounts (usually registered with a relatively unknown rural bank) - and there were many more desks that sold Tether rather than Bitcoin (since the spread on USDT/RMB is lower than BTC/RMB). Nino also indicated that many people take their Tether and trade down on second-tier exchanges with more crypto trading pairs, which was confirmed anecdotally by listening to X rooms filled with Chinese traders livestreaming their activity. An outside possibility is the Chinese government getting involved with buying and/or mining Bitcoin - though that's unlikely to happen systematically. However, Chinese officials and professors have cautioned against China's ban on cryptocurrencies as an unwise decision, along with the mining ban. While it seems unlikely that the Chinese government will adopt Bitcoin rather than its fascination with "blockchain", it also seems doubtful that it will further restrict Bitcoin more than it already is in the Mainland - with Chinese courts consistently upholding its use as property. It may also be the case that the Chinese party-state might hold onto the rumored 15,000 Bitcoin it still might hold from PlusToken seizures. With the e-CNY, China's central bank digital currency, progressing in the pilot stage but stalling out when it comes to momentum (especially among the average Chinese user - who still vastly prefers to keep with WeChat Pay and Alipay for the moment), the future of Bitcoin and China looks like an important bridge to explore - one which will provide insight into Bitcoin's future as well as its price level. With people being arrested for trading in Tether and demand for altcoin trading, the story is mixed with Bitcoin adoption. Yet this need to drive funds outside China may continue despite short-term respite. Tether is also an interesting geopolitical trendmaker - the Secretary of Commerce, responsible for setting Trump's tariff strategy, is Tether's primary Treasuries dealer. Every Chinese person who buys USDT essentially helps support buying Treasury reserves - even if the Chinese government itself is trying to move away from Treasury debt. As Bitcoin in Hong Kong becomes more regulated and the over-the-counter trading desks become the default way for most people to trade, Hong Kong can serve as a bridge between China and Bitcoin. Yet it's clear that Hong Kong is trying to position itself as a Web3 hub - and while these steps would have been something the central authorities would step out and veto if it were genuinely concerning, the position of Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland doesn't allow for the easy conclusion that Hong Kong is China's experimental backdrop. The future of Bitcoin is still tied up with China. Chinese companies manufacture mining chips shipped to the United States, which is caught up in import restrictions. China's people continue buying Bitcoin and Tether despite bans, leading to dramatic geopolitical consequences - and a hidden yet continued demand factor for Bitcoin.
