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“House of Gods,” a Matchbox Pictures six-part series, boasting an entirely Arab Australian cast, presents a perspective seldom seen on screen, a Muslim community in Fairfield, Australia.

“You can’t manufacture authenticity. Audiences are so intuitive and adept, they can smell if something is off a mile away. So for us, having actors who understood the idiosyncrasies of Arab/Muslim culture added an intangible layer of soul to the show,” explained Osamah Sami, co-creator and one of the stars of the show.

“We both were raised in a religious setting where culture, traditions and spiritual beliefs govern daily lives. Immigration often reinforces our desire to cling on to our motherland customs even tighter” Shahin Shafaei co-creator shared with Variety. “As storytellers, we have both previously highlighted the lived experiences of our community in film and theater. But with ‘House of Gods’ we found an opportunity to explore this “living organism...

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making noise in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

This week we’re coming to you early, with our pick from Australia, House of Gods, playing in International Competition at Series Mania this coming week. The series follows an Australian-Iraqi family, whose progressive patriarch challenges a conservative rival to become head cleric at a mosque in the suburbs of Sydney.

Name: House of Gods

Country: Australia

Network: ABC

Producer: Matchbox Pictures

International sales: NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution

For fans of: The Sopranos, Succession, Ali’s Wedding

Osamah Sami took the idea for...

In Australia, the treatment of incoming refugees from other nations is a serious political issue. One web series, though, is attempting to tackle it through comedy. In Two Refugees and a Blonde, creators Osamah Sami, Rain Fuller, and Shahin Shafaei explore the topic of immigration through a classic odd couple setup.

Two Refugees begins with radio host Zoe Hunter (Fuller) debating a conservative opponent on-air. She explains her belief that refugees are normal people, and should any appear at her doorstep, she would happily welcome them. This belief is immediately challenged when a pair of Middle Eastern refugees (played by Sami and Behrouz Harvasi) show up at her house in search of the free shelter she promised on the radio. Multicultural hijinks ensue.

Two Refugees is trying to be much more than a funny web series.It is also attempting to use comedy to show the struggle of refugees, much...