It’s been an exciting time for Arab cinema. Lots of festivals are taking place, IMAX has installed screens in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, and runaway productions have been shooting in the UAE, Morocco, and Jordan. The region is becoming a production hub!
While all this is positive, it does not capture the complexity of building a media infrastructure, and in such a vital region as the Arab one / the Middle East, where there is slowly rising recognition of cinema and movies. The Arab region has had a long film and television indigenous industry history, in Egypt and Lebanon, while the greater Arab market has had advertising and television industries. What is happening now in the film industry is a rush to organize film festivals, dispense grants, and hold screenings for excellent or rising filmmakers– but not what is the core of the industry.
Indeed, one cannot overstate the cultural, economic, and market importance of the Arab region, and for many industries. The media and film sector is crucial for this cultural and economic growth. Media and film are indispensable to artistic development, giving voice to the “voiceless,” the burgeoning young adult demographic, and industrial development. The governments can use the film industry as a boon for creating more jobs and enriching such ancillary industries as lodging, catering, and tourism. But, still challenges remain:
- The limited and difficult funding for feature films
- The logistical difficulties of shooting
- The often subjective criteria of reviewing film grant proposals
- The fragmentation of filmmaker “communities”
This site is a step forward and addresses that last need, or gap, in the media infrastructure. The handful of small talent agencies in Dubai and Egypt represents an opportunity for an online, professional talent forum, which this site is. Funding or cinemas are part and parcel of a greater infrastructure; that infrastructure has to include the network of filmmakers and aspirants.
Another issue is that film production is entirely dependent on funding; the Gulf Cooperation Countries have it, and all other countries in the Middle East (with two exceptions) have no such resources. So observers can exaggerate the enthusiasm over cinema. Audiences in the key markets in the region have their own cultural tastes, so it would not be easy for them to “respond” to movies from other countries.
The result is an uneven film terrain and that too many filmmakers do not get any chance. These chances can be funding for their films, training opportunities, or apprenticeships. That’s a major reason this site exists– to give as many people as possible a chance.