Arab cinema
During this period, notable actors included Hind Rostom, Mahmoud el-Meliguy, Anwar Wagdi, Fayrouz and Soad Hosny.
Inspired by early American cartoons and silent comedies, they released their first animated film in 1936 titled Mafish Fayda.
[22] Egypt's domination of Arab cinema has been credited to its development of the dramatic arts, wealth of studios, experienced directors, technicians, film stars, singers and belly dancers.
[27] In what has been described as a "vibrant new era" of Arab cinema, the 2020s has seen a growth in the Saudi film industry, with some stability in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
[30] Also that year, Sukkar, backed by the Saudi-owned production house MBC Group,[31] was touted as the Arab world's first musical movie in the Western canon.
[34] Arab cinema mostly includes films made in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia;[34] however, by definition, it also includes Bahrain, Djibouti, Jordan, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
However, it has and continues to constantly change and evolve, as each country in the region has its own unique characteristics and identifiable brand of cinema.
[41] Elsewhere in North Africa and the Middle East, film production was scarce until the late 1960s and early 1970s, when some filmmakers began to receive funding and financial assistance from state organizations.
[2] In alliance with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman's vision of 2030, which calls to expand the artistic, cultural, and entertaining fields in the country, there opened the first cinema in Jeddah on 18 April 2018.
[47] The history of the Arab cinema primarily revolved around was impacted by political challenges such as the Egyptian revolution of 1952, defeat by Israel in 1967, and the Palestinian resistance.
[44] Many of the films produced by Salah Abou Seif in 1952 were neorealism such as Master Hassan, which portrayed the difficulties of the different classes in Cairo.
Arab women also pioneered in screenwriting, where such people as Algerian novelists and prize-winning Assia Djebar and Hafsa Zinaï-Koudil made their own feature films,[51] released in 1978 and 1993 respectively.
[58] Although these independent filmmakers had their own cinematic approaches, they were heavily influenced by the West, especially by France through European film training and other programs that were offered.
[58] These Arab filmmakers produced films concerning issues related to the freedom of expression and the role of women in society.
[58] In fact, filmmakers such as Nadia El Fani and Laila Marrakchi made films that were sexually explicit and unlikely to be depicted in public Arabic cinemas.
[58] These female filmmakers and many others, especially from Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco focused on shedding light on women's issues on the Arabic screen.
[58]” Many of the Arab independent filmmakers have hybrid identities and the different personal and global references are reflected in their films, which Rizi describes as "transnationality".
[58] Further, the rise of new digital technology in the Middle East has aided in the production of documentary films by young filmmakers through the availability of equipment.
[58] Apart from documentaries, feature films covered issues of national identity, life in the diaspora and nostalgia, as they were aiming to connect outsiders with the Arab society.
[58] These Arab filmmakers have reflected the national, political and historical context of their countries in their films and also discussed issues related to criticism, freedom of expression and women's social roles.
It was a not-for-profit cultural event, presented and organized by the Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority.
Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani[70] which implements, consolidates and oversees film initiatives in Qatar.
[71] In conjunction with the European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) professional training, networking and project development organization, the Dubai International Film Festival in 2010 also began offering to filmmakers the Interchange group of development and co-production workshops earmarked for directors, screenwriters and producers from the larger Arab region.
[72] In 2011, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival launched the SANAD development and post-production fund for cineastes from the Arab world.
With the goal of encouraging independent and auteur-based cinema, eligible filmmakers now have access to financial grants, screenwriting and pitch workshops, and personal meetings with industry mentors and experts.
In fact, during the meeting, many of the directors, including the Omani, Kuwaiti, Emirati and Saudi participants believed there wasn't any film industry in their country to talk about.
[45] One of the solutions, which the Egyptian filmmaker and director of El Medina, Yousry Nasrallah, came up with, is to establish a cinema for screening only Arab films, and he also ensures that there are people who are willing to invest in his project.
[45] Moreover, filmmakers across the Middle East such as Rashid Masharawi, Ali Nassar and many others began to also develop films on the Palestinian and Israeli conflict.
