News

Amid an industrywide contraction after the end of Peak TV, a group of top industry players told content creators to go local with authentic voices before going global on streaming platforms during a Red Sea Film Festival panel on Saturday.

“Audiences are very smart. The most important thing is authenticity. Write what you know, not intending to make it global,” Tima Shomali, creator of Netflix’s AlRawabi School for Girls series, told a panel on global TV trends in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Global TV production has moved through its recent boom times as the industry starts to contract with other hit TV titles like Squid Game and Narcos. David Davoli, president of international at Anonymous Content, agreed making the most authentic content that travels is the recipe for success nowadays.

“There’s this tone that you have to go mainstream and down the middle. That’s the way to make sure,...

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has announced its full industry programme. Running from December 7th to 11th, 2024, in Jeddah’s vibrant Al Balad district, this year’s expanded five-day program offers an exceptional line-up of activities bringing together new talent, emerging filmmakers and established regional and international industry leaders for a series of events, talks and networking opportunities. The Red Sea Souk activities will take place alongside the growing marketplace which features 142 exhibitors from 32 countries this year.

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Rsiff’s Managing Director, said: “The Souk is a vital part of the Rsiff experience, serving as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and opportunity. This year, we are more committed than ever to creating an environment where filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals can come together to share knowledge, forge meaningful connections, and shape the future of cinema. We are excited to present this year’s events and thankful...

A pair of top international executives have joined forces to build a UK-based talent agency and production business.

Thomas Drachkovitch and Jason Hafford will lead Dream Bay Entertainment, with former Amazon exec Drachkovitch the founder and Managing Director and ex-CAA rep Hafford co-founder and Head of Dbe Management.

The company, which Drachkovitch launched last year after exiting his role at Amazon Studios (now Amazon MGM Studios), comprises film and television production, literary and talent management, and media advisory services divisions. Based out of London, Dream Bay’s bosses plan to offer “a unique blend of strategic guidance, development expertise, and industry insights.”

LA native Drachkovitch left his UK-based role as Original Series Development Executive at Amazon Studios in 2022 having overseen commissioning initiatives across global markets.

He had previously been based in India, where he helped spearhead the launch of Amazon Studios’ first Indian content slate out of Mumbai, including shows such as Comicstaan,...

The second season of Alrawabi School for Girls focuses on the perils of exposing teenagers to social media. Directed by Tima Shomali, the second season of Alrawabi School for Girls is as epic as the first season focusing on elements of greed, lust, and desires altogether. Sarah gets trapped in a mesh of her own dreams, desperate to make herself visible. In a quest to become popular, she engages in fake friendships, eventually leading to her downfall. Will Sarah become popular? What events will lead to Sarah’s downfall eventually? Does Farah commit suicide in the end? Let’s find the answers to these questions!

Spoilers Ahead

Why Did Sarah Want To Be Friends With Tasneem?

Sarah would do anything just to become a part of the popular girl gang at her school. All she wanted was to be noticed by everyone. Sarah asked for over-expensive gadgets from her parents...

Tima Shomali’s Jordanian teenage drama, Alrawabi School for Girls, has garnered a lot of attention from audiences all across the world for the topic that it has chosen to explore: bullying. Focusing on one of the most prevalent issues of all time, the plot revolves around a teen, Mariam, who becomes vengeful after being harassed at school by a group of bullies. Will Mariam be able to take her revenge from Layan and her evil friends? Will Dina and Noaf support Mariam throughout her journey? Will Mariam be able to attain satisfaction in the end? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

In What Way Did Layan Harass Mariam?

Layan and her group, which included Rania and Ruqayya, were feared by all in school. They were the popular girls who everyone wanted to be friends with. They shared the same bus route with Mariam and her friend Dina. One day,...

Netflix has unveiled the highlights of its Original Arabic-language content for the Middle East and North Africa in 2024, with shows coming out of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan.

Fresh announcements included the second season of hit female-driven, Kuwaiti finance world drama The Exchange and a third season of unscripted show Dubai Bling, which Netflix promised would “delve deeper” into the lives of the existing characters and expand the “Dubai Bling family”.

Netflix also announced the arrival of Tunisia acting star Dhafer L’Abidine in the cast of the second season of Hend Sabry’s drama Finding Ola.

He joins Sabry in a cast also featuring Sawsan Badr, Hany Adel, Nada Moussa, Mahmoud El Leithy, Acel Ramzy, Omar Sherif, Yasmina El-Abd and Tarek el Ebiary.

In this new season, as the titular Ola’s business teeters on the edge of collapse, she discovers the need to reinvent herself and embarks...

Gathering at Netflix’s Amsterdam office on Monday, multiple creatives spoke about how working with the streaming giant has allowed them to tell stories authentically and give their voices reach around the world.

Mandla Walter Dube from South Africa (Jiva!, Silverton Siege), Belgian-Dutch writer/producer Nico Moolenaar (Undercover, Ferry), Norwegian director Roar Uthaug (Troll), Jordanian director Tima Shomali (Al Rawabi School for Girls) and German writer Katharina Eyssen (The Empress) shared their experiences in an event set up for reporters.

Shomali said creating for Netflix was about “freedom” to “tell stories that I believe in and that I want to be heard.” She added: “I always call Netflix the global village of the world where all the countries meet” and creatives get a chance to be seen.

Meanwhile, Dube said the streaming company opened opportunities to storytellers. “I always tell my students: don’t go to Hollywood anymore. Let Hollywood come to you,...

The year 2022 has started out strong for Netflix in Arabic-speaking countries, where its edgy originals are making a punchy debut.

The streamer’s first Arab original film, “Perfect Strangers,” sparked an uproar in socially conservative Egypt due to its portrayal of a gay male character and taboo storylines. Meanwhile, “Finding Ola” toplines Cairo-based Tunisian star Hend Sabry as a happy divorcee who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after her divorce. Both are reflections of the streamer’s thematically groundbreaking strategy in the region, says Nuha Eltayeb, Netflix’s director of acquisitions in Mena and Turkey.

“We’re looking for content that will create impact for the viewers, where they will find it authentic and representative, and at the same time relatable to their day-to-day storylines,” says Eltayeb.

Since its Jan. 20 debut, “Perfect Strangers” has risen to the top of Netflix viewing charts in Arab countries including Morocco, Egypt and...

After dipping its toes in production in the Middle East, Netflix on Thursday launched its most ambitious Arabic show to date with supernatural drama “Paranormal,” directed by young Egyptian helmer Amr Salama (“Sheikh Jackson”).

The six-episode series out of Egypt, which is set in the 1960s, is based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. It depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist whose scientific convictions fall apart when he is faced with paranormal occurrences. Each episode is a standalone story centered around one of the “Paranormal” tomes.

Salama served as showrunner and producer on “Paranormal” in tandem with prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.” Hefzy also heads up the Cairo Film Festival.

“Paranormal” marks a starting point for...

Netflix has commissioned ten new original films in India.

The streaming giant will be working with big local directors and producers including Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur) and Ronnie Screwvala (Chennai Express). Genres of the new commissions include drama, sci-fi, thriller, horror, comedy and romance. Scroll down for the list of projects.

By the end of 2020, a total of 15 new original Indian films, including previously announced titles such as Music Teacher, Cobalt Blue, Chopsticks, Upstarts and Bulbul, will be available on the service.

“When Netflix launched in India, we changed the way Indian audiences enjoy their films,” said Srishti Behl Arya, Director – International Original Film, India, Netflix. “Given our diversity, history and culture, India is home to powerful stories waiting to be told to audiences around the world. The depth of talent and vision of our creators is enabling us to create films our members will love. We want to...