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
Ancient city of Mardin gets big dose of contemporary art Contemporary artworks at the 4th Mardin Biennial pay homage to the heritage of Mardin, a multicultural city with a strong Assyrian, Arabic and Armenian past. Turkey
Egyptian artists outside Cairo struggle for spotlight The #Art_Has_No_Place campaign intends to break the monopoly of Cairo as Egypt's cultural capital. Egypt
Ramallah festival takes dancing to the streets The latest edition of the Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival gained international recognition through the participation of international dance troupes. Palestine
Israeli play digs into Hamas tunnel "In the Tunnel," a satirical play by Israel's Gesher Theater, asks its audience to decide every night if there is hope for a solution at the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel
Culture Alert: Fairs and fears of the future The Middle East culture scene in May includes street festivals, book fairs and visions of a dystopian future. Palestine
Iran’s Fajr film festival grabs headlines with Oliver Stone The Fajr International Film Festival's ambitious director is determined to get the festival top rankings by focusing on regional issues and high-profile guests. Iran
Palestinian writers rejoice as one of their own wins 'Arab Booker' With his dystopian novel “The Second War of the Dog,” Ibrahim Nasrallah won the 2018 International Prize for Arab Fiction in yet another victory for Palestinian literature. Palestine
Egyptian artist brings Saudi women, men to same stage The Egyptian theater troupe Masrah Masr enjoys popularity across the region, but can it become a model for Saudi Arabia's performing arts scene? Saudi Arabia
Iraqi comic strip collective tells stories of war, rebirth Mesaha, an Iraqi comix group, had its first European debut at Switzerland's Fumetto festival, yet visa obligations stopped the artists from presenting their own works. Iraq
Iranian sculptor's desire for artistic freedom takes him across region Iranian Kurdish sculptor Seywan Saeedian's life takes him across borders in a conflict-torn region, where artistic independence often comes at a steep price. Turkey
Trailblazing Israeli-Druze photo artist fights against tradition Through her photos, Ameera Ziyan showcases the changes the Druze community is undergoing in its attitude toward art and gender equality. Israel
Is Iranian state TV’s monopoly at risk? Iran’s state TV, which is facing a crisis over viewership since some of its best directors walked out, has found a strong rival in the home video network. Iran
