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
Film about Egyptian superstar a hit everywhere but Egypt In Europe, Iranian director Shirin Neshat’s "Looking for Oum Kulthum" is seen as a landmark artistic collaboration across the Middle East, but Egyptian critics are unimpressed with its historical inaccuracies. Egypt
Why do Iranian conservatives hate this top-rated TV series? “Don’t Leave Me,” a family saga, got top ratings in Iran’s Ramadan TV. But its rape scene and secular tone raised the ire of conservatives. Iran
Egyptian censors succumb to 'Karma' Egypt’s General Authority for Censorship made a swift U-turn after its ban on screenings of Khaled Youssef’s “Karma” was met with resistance, confusion and parliamentary pledges to investigate. Egypt
Does Mhebis, a Ramadan tradition, have a future in Iraq? Al-Muhaibis, or Mhebis, a traditional game centered around finding a ring, is being played by Iraqis this Ramadan, but some foresee its disappearance as younger generations prefer spending time online playing electronic games. Iraq
Can Egypt’s superheroes stop corruption? Egyptian superheroes with a common touch tackle the ills of the country such as corruption, injustice, violation of human rights, loss of Egyptian identity and even bad grammar. Egypt
Middle Eastern artists give traditional art a modern twist Bahraini weaving, Palestinian embroidery and Iraqi miniatures are among the traditional art forms being reinvented and adapted by the Middle Eastern artists competing for the fifth edition of the Jameel Prize. Palestine
Egypt’s Ramadan TV series marked by controversy — again From sexual harassment accusations to diplomatic summons, Egypt’s Ramadan TV series are facing controversy, with prankster Ramez Galal as the top villain. Egypt
Iraqi artists transform derelict tobacco factory into culture hub The sprawling grounds of Sulaimaniyah's old tobacco factory are finding a second life as an arts center, although financial and bureaucratic obstacles have greatly hindered its progress. Iraq
Death does not stop voice of this Palestinian singer A posthumous album by Rim Banna titled "Voice of Resistance" expresses her hope and despair for Palestine through her own texts while she battled cancer. Palestine
Women fill leading roles in Egypt’s Ramadan TV series Egyptian cinema was considered a pioneer in featuring strong female characters 50 years ago; is this trend making a comeback in Ramadan TV series now? Egypt
Egyptian director's debut film honored at Cannes The touching low-budget Egyptian film "Yomeddine" took the Francois Chalais Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Egypt
Can YouTube series compete with Egypt TV dramas during Ramadan? A group of Egyptian actors known for their award-winning play "1980 and Above" try their hand at a Ramadan series on YouTube. Egypt
