News

The shows will be dubbed into Arabic and aired on Spacetoon TV Channel and Spacetoon GO online streaming service.

StarzPlay partners with Virgin Mobile in Saudi Arabia

Virgin Mobile is the first mobile virtual network operator in Saudi Arabia to bundle specific monthly plans with StarzPlay.

SAF invites filmmakers to submit entries for Sharjah Film Platform

Filmmakers are invited to submit their films before May 10, 2021, and regardless of artistic approach, format, or themes, all films will be accepted for consideration.

Fatafeat relaunches ‘Genius Kitchen’ cooking app

The refreshed app now features Fatafeat’s live TV feed, in addition to thousands of hours of original Fatafeat content.

Akhbar Al Aan invites youth to participate in ‘Your Story on Akhbar Al Aan’

The campaign offers more media space to the younger generation by meaningfully engaging them in news content creation.

National Geographic set to premiere ‘Race to the Centre of the Earth’ in UAE

The production team behind this extreme non-elimination competition spent six months on rigorous prep work and scouting hundreds of locations covering more than 56,000 kilometres around the globe.

Largest rooftop open-air cinema opens in Bahrain

Outdoors Festival has been launched to seat up to 300 guests, and features an open-air cinema screening classics and popular blockbusters.

United Media Services releases official promo of ‘Naguib Zahi Zarkash’

After a three-year hiatus, veteran Egyptian star Yehia el Fakharany is back in TV drama with this series.

Riyadh’s drive-in theatres resume business

One of Riyadh’s growing attractions, the drive-in cinema is allowing visitors to enjoy a safe experience while maintaining social distancing.

Malayalam film ‘Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea’ set for Eid release in UAE

The film is set in the 16th century, narrating the story of Kunjali Marakkar IV, known for defending the Malabar Coast against the Portuguese invasion.

Netflix to launch 40+ new anime titles in 2021

It's likely part of the company's efforts to appeal to audiences in Asia and international markets.

SABC and Openview sign a new channel-carriage agreement

As part of the agreement, SABC 1, 2 and 3 will be carried on Openview, including a new sports channel.

Babeleye delivers EPG solution for Ghana’s HD+

The HD+ EPG is based on DVB standards and is currently presented in English.

Discovery+ announces launch on India’s Jio set-top box

The partnership will allow JioFiber customers to access Discovery Network’s premium shows and specials.

Kwetu International Animation Film Festival gears up for first edition

March 26, 2021

The two-day event, starting on April 2, 2021, will showcase a variety of talented animation filmmakers from around the globe.

Egyptian editor Ahmed Hafez edits American TV Series ‘Cypher’

'Cypher' marks a new international project for Ahmed Hafez after working on Netflix's thriller 'Paranormal'.

Red Sea film fest announces 12 participants for Lodge programme

A total of 12 projects have been selected for the eight-month programme that will seek to mentor Saudi and Arab directors, producers and writers to develop inventive feature films.

Pope Francis documentary to air in UAE

The documentary also features interviews of Pope Francis’ nephew, as well as Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim and activist for survivors of sexual abuse, and Sister Norma Pimentel.

Chinese streaming platform iQiyi launches in UAE

IQiyi International will offer audiences more than 3,000 dramas, movies and more with Arabic and English subtitles.

ABS Network upgrades live newsgathering capabilities with LiveU

The Arab news network delivers greater mobility and cost-effectiveness for 4K/full HD live news coverage across the Middle East.

Producer Tamer Mursi releases promo of ‘Elle Maloush Kbeer’

The series is scheduled to release during Ramadan on CBC’s channels.

UAE to screen Rana Daggubati’s ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’

With a spike in Covid-19 cases, makers have put the Bollywood version on hold in India.

United Media Services releases official promo of ‘El Nemr’ series

Starring Hannah el Zahed and Mohamed Emam, The events of the series revolve around the gold trade and industry.

Vista Cinema partners with Muvi Cinemas

All Muvi Cinemas sites have now converted their operations to Vista Cinema solutions software.

SES announces total reach of 361mn TV homes worldwide

The number of TV homes receiving HD content from 19.2 degrees East also continued to increase to 84%, representing an increase of almost 30% over the past five years.

‘Emirati-Korean Festival’ to launch virtually on March 31

March 23, 2021

The upcoming Korea-UAE Festival will have two parts - the K-content Festival, which aims to match buyers from the UAE with different Korean cultural content creators, and the K-pop Festival.

Frndly TV and Cinedigm announce distribution partnership agreement

March 23, 2021

The deal also expands both Frndly TV’s offering of linear channels and increases Frndly TV’s on-demand library by more than a thousand hours, while keeping the current price structure for...

OTT revenues to rise by 90% in APAC: Digital TV Research

March 23, 2021

Revenues for both AVOD and SVOD in APAC will double between 2020 and 2026 to $22bn and $28bn respectively.

PRCA MENA appoints Khaled AlShehhi to Board of Directors

AlShehhi has managed the development and execution of the communication strategies of numerous nation-building projects and digital campaigns among other national projects.

Intigral and NPAW team up for an upgraded OTT service in the MENA region

NPAW advanced analytics for VoD and live streaming services paired with Intigral’s business strategy, will enable Jawwy TV to reach more audiences in the MENA region.

Image Nation Abu Dhabi launches cultural exchange series with Israel Film Fund

The first webinar in the series will feature industry experts from Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Israel Film Fund, the Israel Film and TV Academy, and renowned film directors.

Documentary on AlUla to air exclusively on Discovery channel in MENA

This documentary unearths previously unknown aspects of the ancient history of Saudi Arabia, as experts uncover traces of a society from more than 7,000 years ago.

Banijay Rights’ EMEA Chief Tim Mutimer to helm Cineflix Rights as CEO

Mutimer has worked at Banijay Rights for nearly eight years, five of which were as CEO.

Arab Film Studio invites submissions to storytelling section

To be part of the programme, potential applicants will have to meet certain criteria stipulated by Arab Film Studio.

Neestream premieres ‘Deira Diaries’, a story on a Gulf expatriate

The film, which was shot entirely in the UAE, is different from the usual Gulf-based stories seen in the Malayalam film industry.

KSA Sports to broadcast Extreme E’s debut season

Extreme E becomes the latest motorsport event to be broadcast by KSA Sports, and follows in the footsteps of F1, the Dakar Rally and Formula E.

El Gouna Film Festival invites submissions to fifth edition

March 21, 2021

In its fifth edition, GFF will also introduce a special award for environmental films to be included in its $234,000 total cash prize.

Amazon Prime Video to co-produce its first Bollywood film in India

March 21, 2021

Headlined by Akshay Kumar, the movie will also feature Jacqueline Fernandes and Nushrratt Bharuccha in pivotal roles.

Luxor African Film Festival gears up for 10th edition

March 21, 2021

This edition, themed 'Ten Years of Imagination', will also honour two figures from Moroccan and Egyptian cinema.

Technology, media entities unite to build trust in online content

Global streaming subscriptions pass 1bn: Motion Picture Association

March 20, 2021

The report stated that the growth in digital entertainment helped to offset partially the decrease in the global box office caused by theatre closures during the pandemic.

Creative Technology Middle East announces two appointments

March 19, 2021

Creative Technology Middle East expands the Venue Services department with dual appointments in the region.

Sofia Boutella, Amir El-Masry join BBC series ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’

El-Masry is a two-time BAFTA nominee who made his film debut in Egyptian cinema while Sofia Boutella has starred in a number of Hollywood blockbusters.

Omar Sy and Louis Leterrier reteam for Netflix action-comedy

Originally from Senegal, Sy is a French actor and comedian best known for his role in the 2011 comedy-drama The Intouchables, which earned him the César Award for Best Actor.

No public screenings at 23rd Egyptian National Film Festival

The winners will be announced by the jury on 23 March during an official ceremony that will take place at the Cairo Opera House.

Venice International Film Festival opens call for Arab & African film projects

There will be opportunities for networking, encounters and meetings in which directors and producers will be able to engage with the participants in the workshop.

Netflix acquires Dev Patel’s directorial debut for $30m

The Oscar-nominated actor will play the lead in the revenge thriller alongside Sobhita Dhulipala and Sharlto Copley.

UMG and Boomplay expand license to cover 47 countries across Africa

New markets include South Africa, Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Senegal; with the UMG catalogue now also widely available across French-speaking territories for the first time.

Synamedia’s video network business accelerates to 57% growth in 2020

Synamedia’s Next-Generation Insertion (NGI) for regional ad insertion on broadcast streams is also seeing a surge of growth in the US.

Sudanese short film premieres at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival

Short film ‘Al-Sit’ wins Grand Prix at Tampere Film Festival

The film recently had its world premiere at the latest edition of the Ajyal Film Festival in Qatar.

Front Row acquires distribution rights for Farah Nabulsi’s ‘The Present’

'The Present' is one of two Arab films that have been nominated for the 93rd Academy Awards for the Best Live Action Short Film category.

Abu Dhabi Gaming strategy to drive next phase of growth for video game industry

The collaborative initiative, pioneered by twofour54, will bring Abu Dhabi entities together to develop a comprehensive gaming ecosystem.

Zefr appoints Paola Ambrogio as Commercial Director for the MENA region

Paola Ambrogio spearheads the growth of Zefr's data platform in the region, with a particular focus on Arabic speaking countries.

Spike Lee elected as President of the Jury for Cannes 2021

The festival underwent multiple reschedules last year and an eventual cancellation due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Multimedia Group acquires free-to-air Euro 2020 rights in Ghana

The commentary of the live matches will be available in English and Akan language.

United Media Services releases trailer of ‘Hagma Mortada’

The series is written by Baher Dewidar and directed by Ahmed Alaa.

M6 International launches in Middle East

With the launch of its international flagship in the UAE, the M6 Group significantly strengthens its international presence, notably in the Middle East.

Cinedigm acquires ‘Films Around the World’ content library