Cultural Diplomacy in Action: Indo Ecuador Film Forum Unveiled at ICMEI
The launch ceremony was graced by H.E. Fernando Bucheli, Ambassador of Ecuador to India, who officially released the poster of the Forum at the international headquarters of ICMEI. Addressing the audience, Ambassador Bucheli stated, 'This forum will play a significant role in enhancing understanding, friendship, and cooperation between the people of Ecuador and India. We look forward to a vibrant exchange of art, culture, and cinematic creativity.'
Dr. Sandeep Marwah, President of ICMEI and Chancellor of AAFT University, welcomed the initiative with great enthusiasm. He shared, 'We are proud to initiate this bilateral cultural platform that aligns with our mission of 'Art and Culture for World Peace'. The Indo Ecuador Film and Cultural Forum will serve as a creative bridge between our two beautiful nations, encouraging joint film productions, cultural festivals, educational collaborations, and mutual visits of artists, students, and media professionals.'
'The Indo Ecuador Film and Cultural Forum is a powerful platform to showcase the soft power of both nations,' said Dr. Suniel Parashar, Media persona.
As part of the ceremony, Dr. Marwah presented the Patronship of the Forum to Ambassador Fernando Bucheli, symbolizing the embassy's support and leadership in nurturing this cultural alliance. In return, the Ambassador officially nominated Dr. Sandeep Marwah as the Chair of the Indo Ecuador Film and Cultural Forum, recognizing his consistent global efforts in promoting international cultural diplomacy. In a warm gesture of goodwill, Dr. Marwah also presented a specially curated painting from the AAFT School of Animation to the Ambassador. The event concluded with a guided visit to the state-of-the-art facilities at Marwah Studios, including its training centers, studios, and film production units–an experience that was thoroughly appreciated by the Ambassador and his accompanying delegation.
The Indo Ecuador Film and Cultural Forum is yet another milestone in ICMEI's journey of fostering international harmony through the creative arts, and it joins the growing family of more than 100 international forums established by the chamber across continents.
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Smith Douglas Homes Corp. (SDHC): A Bear Case Theory
We came across a bearish thesis on Smith Douglas Homes Corp. on Darius Dark Investing's Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on SDHC. Smith Douglas Homes Corp.'s share was trading at $20.57 as of July 28th. SDHC's trailing and forward P/E were 11.56 and 15.95, respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Aerial view of a newly-constructed residential home in a suburban neighborhood. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. (NYSE: SDHC), which went public in January 2024, positioned itself as a disciplined growth story in the high-demand housing markets of the Southeastern and Southern U.S., focusing on resilient entry-level and empty-nester buyers. Its 'land-light' model, leveraging finished lots through option contracts, and an efficient operating culture under seasoned leadership, fueled rapid growth, with 2024 closings and revenue rising 25% and 28%, respectively. However, early 2025 revealed a stark reversal. While Q1 revenue grew 19% year-over-year, gross margins compressed sharply to 23.8%, pressured by rising lot costs and sales incentives, while net new orders stagnated at 768 homes. Backlog collapsed by 29% in units and 29% in value, foreshadowing weaker future revenue. Cash burn accelerated, with operating cash outflows surging to $34.9 million and leverage rising from 0.8% to 9.5%, eroding the balance sheet. SDHC's model, highly reliant on third-party developers, faces external risks, including affordability pressures from mortgage rates likely to remain above 6%, lumber price volatility, and potential U.S.–Canada softwood duties doubling. Competitive comparisons are unfavourable: Green Brick Partners' 31.2% gross margin and Dream Finders Homes' 18% growth in net orders highlight SDHC's operational underperformance. A $50 million buyback and insider purchases project confidence, yet with cash reserves halved, the move may reflect financial engineering ahead of declining earnings. The strategic framework remains sound, but the near-term outlook is fraught with margin compression, stagnating sales, and an eroding pipeline. With multiple quarters of likely weak results ahead, caution is warranted until the company demonstrates resilience through these headwinds. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Five Point Holdings, LLC (FPH) by Investing Intel in April 2025, which highlighted its strong liquidity, asset monetization, and reaffirmed earnings guidance, positioning it to benefit from resilient housing demand. The company's stock price has appreciated by approximately 4.88% since our coverage, as the thesis played out. Darius Dark Investing shares a contrarian view, stressing margin compression, weak orders, and collapsing backlog at peer Smith Douglas Homes Corp. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 7 hedge fund portfolios held SDHC at the end of the first quarter which was 10 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of SDHC as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shake Shack Inc. (SHAK): A Bear Case Theory
We came across a bearish thesis on Shake Shack Inc. on Valueinvesting subreddit by stressed_senior110. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on SHAK. Shake Shack Inc.'s share was trading at $138.18 as of July 28th. SHAK's trailing and forward P/E were 476.48 and 99.01, respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Shake Shack (SHAK) has surged ~72% since April 2025, driven by optimism around margin expansion, store growth guidance, and marketing under CEO Rob Lynch, but the rally rests on shaky fundamentals. Comparable sales (SSS) have recovered to low single-digit growth post-April due largely to aggressive promotions and limited-time offers (LTOs), masking longer-term traffic declines. Management's plan to grow to 1,500 company-owned stores by 2037 appears overly ambitious given intensifying competition and the limited whitespace in Tier 1 markets, where rivals like Five Guys have already slowed expansion. The Street is also overly optimistic on margin expansion, forecasting a 220 bps increase through 2027, but most gains to date have come from low-hanging cost cuts such as labor reductions. Promotional deals touted as margin accretive, like free items with modest minimum spend, risk cannibalizing average order value rather than driving incremental revenue. Heavy reliance on LTOs, exemplified by the Dubai Chocolate Shake temporarily accounting for 5% of sales, creates a vulnerability as colder months approach and seasonal demand fades. Analyst extrapolations of these outsized results appear unrealistic, setting up for negative revisions. Meanwhile, Lynch's operational track record raises concerns: his tenure at Papa John's saw deteriorating product quality, strained franchisee relations, and a 50% stock decline post-COVID, all blamed on external pressures but widely attributed to cost-cutting that compromised brand equity. SHAK's value proposition hinges on quality ingredients, making further erosion of this core differentiator particularly risky. Any guidance cut, LTO pullback, or quality misstep could trigger a sharp rerating from current levels. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Wingstop Inc. (WING) by Monopolistic Investor in March 2025, which highlighted strong operating efficiency, rapid expansion plans, and upside potential despite high leverage. The company's stock price has appreciated by approximately 29% since our coverage, as growth and margins continued to impress. The thesis still stands on long-term expansion. stressed_senior110 shares a contrarian view on Shake Shack Inc. (SHAK), emphasizing ambitious growth and heavy reliance on promotions in the same fast-casual space. Shake Shack Inc. is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 39 hedge fund portfolios held SHAK at the end of the first quarter which was 43 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of SHAK as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex writes letter supporting his release
Virginia Huynh, has written a letter to the judge pushing for him to be released. The ex-girlfriend was supposed to testify against him in his criminal case, but dropped out days before the trial began. She has now penned a letter pushing for Combs' release on bail. Huynh, who goes by Gina, was part of the prosecution's case against Combs, initially anonymously referred to as Victim-3. Before the trial began, prosecutors alerted the court that they could no longer locate Victim-3 and had lost touch with her and her attorney.
