Oscar-winning Palestinian director freed from Israeli detention after night in custody Hamdan Ballal, a co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was assaulted by Israeli settlers and later detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank as the Israeli army continues its raids in the Palestinian territory. Palestine
Palestinian-Israeli documentary, Iranian film win at Oscars: What to know Two films from the Middle East won Oscars at Sunday's Academy Awards, highlighting the growing reputation of the region's film industry at a time of ongoing tensions and crises. Palestine
Lebanon's resistance through culture: Return of Beirut’s Metropolis Cinema As Beirut continues to navigate its path toward recovery, Metropolis Cinema stands as a symbol of the enduring power of art and culture to resist, unite and inspire. Lebanon
Analysis How Saudiwood’s power play is reshaping Middle East film industry While the country's first entry at Cannes didn’t win, its inclusion in the festival was another step toward Saudi ambitions to become a film industry powerhouse. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Netflix airs its first Egyptian original series The US streaming giant Netflix has started airing "Paranormal," the first original Egyptian Arabic-language series, as part of its efforts to boost its activity in the Middle East and draw a larger audience. Originals
Tel Aviv battles against strip clubs New regulations adopted by the Tel Aviv municipality would enable it to ban new striptease clubs in the city and render such openings a criminal offense. Israel
'Cuties' spurs calls by Egyptian authorities to censor Netflix There have been increasing calls in Egypt to censor certain Netflix content, while art critics believe it would be difficult to censor the work of the global network. Egypt
Jordanians travel through time in this old signs museum In an attempt to preserve the memory of the Jordanian capital, Amman, a calligrapher opened a museum where he exhibits shop signs installed between the 1950s and 1990s. Jordan
Yazidi activist Nadia Murad to appear on 'The Daily Show' Murad's appearance on the popular US talk and news satire show could showcase her efforts to combat sexual violence and trafficking to a new and big audience. Iraq
German woman kidnapped in Baghdad freed in Iraqi operation German national Hella Mewis, who was abducted outside of her office in Baghdad on Monday evening, was freed in an operation carried out by Iraqi security forces. Iraq
Netflix Turkey cancels new series with gay character after government pressure Netflix Turkey's decision to cancel a series with a gay character due to government pressure indicates that LGBTI+ society and rights are increasingly coming into the government's crosshairs. Turkey
Egypt’s top film festivals gearing up to open as scheduled As Egypt begins to gradually lift restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s top film festivals are preparing to hold their events in the coming months while taking the necessary precautionary measures. Egypt
Gazan medical masks make a statement Gazan artists use masks, sand sculptures and performance art to create awareness on social isolation and protection during the coronavirus pandemic. Palestine
The show must go on: Egypt's Ramadan soap operas defy COVID-19 Egyptian production teams are racing against time to complete the TV shows they hope will bring some Ramadan cheer to Egyptian and Arab audiences during the crisis. Egypt
Independent filmmakers dramatize COVID-19 in videos posted online With art and culture temporarily confined to the internet, Egyptian artists are documenting the pandemic in short films, graffiti and creative photography. Egypt
Why returning to classics may mean success for Egyptian cinema Egypt, known as the Hollywood of the Middle East, now wonders whether nostalgia will draw in new audiences. Egypt
