The festival joins Human Rights Film Festival Berlin and Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos de Vieques as new members are announced by Human Rights Film Network for 2023.

Ramadan is the right time to catch up on all your favorite films, with Vox Cinemas offering a special discount, from the UAE to Saudi, and beyond.

As a wonderful way to celebrate the Persian New Year, LVMH-owned video site Nowness posted a curated series of videos that focus the lens on Iran, and its multicultural stories.

The project selected feature exciting new voices from Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab and African regions, and were announced last week by Red Sea Labs as bound to participate in the Red Sea Lodge, a development program in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab and sponsored by Film AlUla.

This year's Festival de Cannes will be held from May 16 to 27 and Östlund will now hand out the Palme d'Or, after having received two of them himself during past editions.

"Focus on the power of the narrative and see the film frame by frame in your mind," Qumra Master Sir Christopher Hampton tells emerging scriptwriters at this year's industry incubator Qumra, organized by the Doha Film Institute.

The morning masterclass was attended by emerging filmmakers from across the world and moderated by Richard Peña, Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University, and Ramsay's grace touched the audience.

Narrative and Documentary Features, as well as Short Films from Qatar-based talent have been selected to participate in the prestigious annual industry incubator event.

German-Turkish filmmaker İlker Çatak’s 'The Teachers‘ Lounge' (Das Lehrerzimmer) has just won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film in the Panorama section at this year's Berlinale, and Nagihan Haliloğlu catches up with the filmmaker for an interview you won't want to miss.

Amos Gitai has never been far from our thoughts, or out of cinematic radars, with a film premiering almost every year at major film festivals like Venice and Cannes -- now he's bringing his tryptic of films about a house in Jerusalem to the stage in Paris and to La Biennale Architettura 2023.

The American actor may have said something during the press conference about his good friend Julian Sands, also featured in the film Malkovich is promoting at this year's Berlinale, but during our interview the tragedy of the actor who has gone missing felt like a looming presence, unspoken and indescribable.

Lily James and Shazad Latif are the cute will-they-or-won’t-they couple leading this cross-cultural romcom, taking in a British documentary maker’s blundering attempt to make a film on her friend’s traditional arranged marriage -- and David Katz reviews it for MIME.

'The Teachers' Lounge' ('Das Lehrerzimmer') by Turkish-German filmmaker İlker Çatak proves "an excellent commentary on how liberals will be defeated by people with stronger convictions because they are always open to hear the other point of view," as Nagihan Haliloğlu writes.

Rebecca Miller crafts a film about the power of romance, and in the process entertains and makes us laugh -- at the events unfolding before us on the big screen, but more brilliantly, at ourselves.

We are proud to help spread the word about the new SVOD platform launched by our friends at Soleil Space and have a special code to enjoy a free subscription for all our MIME readers. So join up, sit back and enjoy!

Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen's Allen Media Group, has acquired North American DVD and VOD rights for the film and will release it starting February 21st, 2023.

The multicultural thespian is a human rights activist as well and was featured in Nadine Labaki's groundbreaking film 'Caramel' before becoming a well-known face on American TV, playing twin roles on ABC's conspiracy thriller.

Sayed Kashua is a Palestinian writer who pens his work in Hebrew and whose latest projects include a film helmed by an Israeli filmmaker and a TV series airing on Israeli kids TV -- but don't call the man a bridge-builder, not to his face anyway!

Among the film personalities from the MENA serving on this year's juries in Berlin is Iranian-born actress Golshifteh Farahani, joining the Competition jury president Kristen Stewart, along with 'Souad' filmmaker Ayten Amin who is on the GWFF Best First Feature Award jury, and Israeli producer Danna Stern who will be on the Berlinale Series Award Jury.

'A Cooler Climate' turned out to be one of the most magical films screening at this year's Cairo International Film Festival, which had quite an impressive line up. And catching up with Gardner afterward, to talk about "Jim", as he calls Ivory, and their work style, proved a personal highlight.

Laura Poitras' thought-provoking documentary on artist and activist Nan Goldin's fight against Big Pharma and the Sackler family's "art-washing" won the top prize in Venice, is Oscar-bound and will be in cinemas across the UK & Ireland from January 27th, 2023.

The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation announced the recipients of the Red Sea Fund’s 2022 production and post-production funding cycles, with 36 films by Saudi, Arab and African filmmakers slated to receive grants to help complete works that shine a light on important narratives and new talents emerging from the Region.

Watch the official trailer and discover the poster of this gem which won Best Screenplay in Cannes, where it world premiered in May of 2022.

The romantic comedy by director and screenwriter Rebecca Miller boasts a cast of international stars that includes Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig, Brian d’Arcy James and Anne Hathaway.

Among the MENA titles are 'The Swimmers' and 'Holy Spider', with Polish entry 'EO' also predictably on the list.

Black Box Cinema, one of the most attended film showcases in the UAE, is only 7 days away from the film submissions deadline for its 6th edition at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

Renowned Lebanese actress Manal Issa speaks out on the film's inaccuracies to Egyptian film critic Joseph Fahim in a pull-no-punches piece on the London-based MENA news publication.

Four Star Films, the leading film distributor in the Middle East, will begin distributing Central Partnership International content across the Middle East under an exclusive two-year contract with automatic renewal.

The actor is one of the stars in the most anticipated title of the upcoming film festival season, and we loved watching him fulfill his glamour quotient at this year's Red Sea IFF, where he was on the Competition Jury headed by Oliver Stone.

Among the 15 shortlisted for Best International Feature Film are 'Joyland', 'Cairo Conspiracy' and 'Holy Spider', plus Lebanese Live Action Short 'Warsha'.

The highly-anticipated Saudi action-comedy is set for a wide theatrical launch in Saudi Arabia on December 29 via Front Row Arabia, a joint-venture between MENA distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Saudi Arabia’s leading home-grown exhibitor, Muvi Cinemas-- and prominent film critic Jay Weissberg reviews it exclusively for MIME.

The 9th edition will be held at Ithra Center in Dhahran, Eastern Province from 4 to 11 May 2023.

In his feature debut, Kuwaiti-born Zeyad (Z) Alhusaini manages the impossible -- he creates a blockbuster for the Arab world which premiered at this year's Red Sea International Film Festival where it deservedly received the coveted Film AlUla Audience Award for Best Saudi Film.

"There are flavorings of Roy Andersson and Wes Anderson with more than a whiff of Wojciech Has," writes Jay Weissberg in his review of the feature directorial debut by Mohamed Al-Salman -- this year's Saudi submission to the Oscars.

When all was said and done, the audiences were the winners at this year's Red Sea IFF.

This year's Red Sea IFF was a good place for Arab and world cinema.

There are also two shorts supported by Ithra Film Productions being screened, and Ithra’s Creative Solutions program will showcase its immersive digital technologies.

While the festival has moved away from the historic al-Balad neighborhood, in favor of the glitz of the Ritz Carlton, the evening still managed to sparkle and awe with dozens of stars from Hollywood, Bollywood and Arabwood attending the opening ceremony.

Comprising of two days of industry talks, one to one meetings and events, all overseen by Talent Days Godmother Kaouther Ben Hania, the cinematic incubator will give up and coming filmmakers a glimpse into their careers' future.

Irreverent, in your face and a truly entertaining watch, Basil Khalil's feature debut has been picked up for distribution by an equally cool company in the MENA and will play next at the Red Sea IFF in Jeddah, in early December.

This year's official UK entry to the Academy Awards Best International Feature Film race is written and directed by Hassan Nazer as well as being financed, pre and post produced in Scotland but shot entirely in Iran.

The special homage of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival will be devoted to American director, producer and screenwriter Steven Spielberg, who will also be presented with an Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement.

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea IFF) announced today that the legendary Indian actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan will receive an Honorary Award to recognize his exceptional contribution to the film industry, during the opening ceremony of the festival’s second edition in Jeddah, on the Eastern shore of the Red Sea.

Jerzy Skolimowski's Polish-Italian co-production won the Jury Prize ex-aequo in Cannes and is Poland's entry to the 95th Academy Awards.

In typical James Ivory style, which we have come to know and love in the beautiful films he has been a part of throughout his career, much of the story of this moving documentary is written between the lines.

The film world premiered at the 44th Cairo International Film Festival and instantly became a must-watch for any and all, providing a road map for finding the way to bring together our ultra divided, hyper chaotic world.

Presented by Egyptian TV personality Jasmine Taha Zaki, the opening ceremony of the 44th Cairo International Film Festival was followed by the MENA premiere of Steven Spielberg's 'The Fabelmans' and a lavish party in Uptown Cairo.

Steven Spielberg's latest is an ode to the magic of the movies in his own life and the film kicked off this year's Cairo International Film Festival on Sunday evening.

And during a break from filming 'Dune 2' he went to Petra for a sightseeing visit -- with the obvious Instagram post to show for it.

The French actor could be considered the next Marlon Brando -- but don't tell him that.

Distributed by MENA-based Front Row Filmed Entertainment, the 15th installment of the famed Anime series has rocketed to the top of the box office charts in Saudi Arabia and achieved the biggest opening ever for a Japanese Anime in the market.

UK Oscar submission 'Winners' by Hassan Nazer also received two nominations for the upcoming British Independent Film Awards, with the prizes to be handed out on December 4th.

The film has been renamed 'Cairo Conspiracy' "to align with other international releases" and Samuel Goldwyn Films plans to release it in early 2023.

The Red Sea International Film Festival announced today that acclaimed British director Guy Ritchie will receive an Honorary Award to recognize his exceptional contribution to the film industry at the opening ceremony of the second edition.

The festival will open in Beirut on Friday, 4th November with the French film 'Annette' by Leos Carax, starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, and will run through the 20th of this month, moving around Lebanon to reach the widest audience.

The Forum, taking place in Dubai brings cinema stakeholders from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, CIS Countries and Turkey as experts discusses the growth of the creative economy and how the cinema industry contributes

With 'The Banshees of Inisherin', writer and director Martin McDonagh scores another winner.

BAFTA confirmed that Aberdeen-based, British-Iranian writer/director Hassan Nazer's film is the UK selection for next year's Oscars' International Feature Film award.

While fulfilling a tried and true formula of "city person comes to rehabilitate the country," Turkish filmmaker Selcen Ergun delivers a fresh film set in a wintry village and Nagihan Haliloğlu reviews it for MIME.

The festival's Audience Award went to the Jordanian 'Daughters of Abdulrahman', with Houman Seyyedi's 2022 Venice Orizzonti winner 'World War III' winning the festival's extraordinarily awarded "Middle East Now Special Mention."

'The Blue Caftan' is the sophomore feature by Maryam Touzani, written in collaboration with and produced by Touzani's real-life husband and filmmaker Nabil Ayouch -- and the pair represents the dream couple of MENA cinema.

The 59th edition of the festival saw world cinema and Turkish films alike walk away winners.

David O. Russell's film is grand, outrageous, slapstick and tragic, filled with stars and magnificent sets, along with lavish locations -- which is what cinema, with a capital "C", from a long gone era was like.

The acclaimed actor from Palestine highlighted the challenges creative artists face living under occupation and inspired the Ajyal jurors, in an online talk during the ongoing festival in Doha, Qatar.

'Creature' which is Kapadia’s new film based on Khan’s original concept and choreography for the English National Ballet’s 2021 stage production, will receive its world premiere at the upcoming London Film Festival.

These include the struggles in cultural assimilation in an increasingly polarised world, highlighted within films such as Rachid Bouchareb's 'Our Brothers'.

The Iranian helmer talked from Toronto, where his latest film world premiered, before moving on to the upcoming BFI London Film Festival.

In a video message from Zurich, where the filmmaker is currently president of the International Competition Jury, Farhadi invited artists and creatives all around the world to demonstrate their solidarity with the Iranian people during these challenging times.

Alrashid is the CEO of the Saudi Research and Media Group, a Saudi-based integrated publishing company that owns 43 titles and 25 websites, including Arab News and Asharq Al-Awsat.

Fresh from her win at this year's Venice Film Festival, the Academy Award-winning American filmmaker will be honored at IDFA this November with the Retrospective and Top 10 programs, where her selection includes a Jafar Panahi film.

The film features a group of Arab and Jewish women collaborating in a video workshop and will now become Israel’s official selection for consideration in the nomination for next year's Best International Feature Oscar.

And in his typically daring style, filmmaker Basil Khalil accepted the award in a video showing him holding a bottle of bleach -- standing in for the Oscar of course!

With his latest, Iranian auteur Mani Haghighi takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of a story that sounds like sci-fi, feels like a thriller and is exquisitely fun to watch.

Featuring two short films by Sudanese and Russian filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani, followed by a cool Q & A, the program will stream this Saturday, Sept. 17th at 12 PM EST on YouTube.

The actress is best known to international audiences for her role in the Netflix series 'Unorthodox' and has been tapped to play a little-known character in the 2024 film.

The coveted Golden Lion went to Laura Poitras' timely documentary 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed' while Italian-Algerian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino secured a Best Director Silver Lion for 'Bones and All', and Houman Seyedi's 'World War III' won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film.

What if the most perilous place in the world suddenly became a haven, the only safe zone on earth? Basil Khalil asks, and answers the question with humor, charm and a cast of characters that will remain in your heart, long after the film has ended.

The film world premiered in the Orizzonti section at the Venice International Film Festival and catching up with the filmmaker the following day proved a highlight of this year on the Lido.

Saim Sadiq’s debut feature is the first film by a Pakistani director to win at the Cannes Film Festival and alongside its jury prize, 'Joyland' also won the Queer Palme award at this year's festival on the Croisette.

In receiving the Label, the film will benefit from promotional support from Europa Cinemas and better exhibition thanks to a financial incentive for network cinemas to include it in their programming schedule.

Soudade Kaadan's film is a fable of two women and the men who love them (well, one man and one boy really) and the power and magic that love carries with it.

The festival's platform, dedicated to films in post-production from African and Arab countries, wrapped its anniversary 10th edition on Sept. 5.

Everyone is talking about Timothée Chalamet's androgynous red carpet crimson look, but there are other cool men whose fashions also wowed us on the Lido.

Wissam Charaf's second feature tells the touchingly beautiful story of two human beings who are condemned to carry each other throughout their struggling existence and yet whose paradise lies within one another and the pure love they carry in their burdened hearts.

The much-anticipated festival on the Lido opened with the Netflix title 'White Noise' and featured a Competition jury headed by the glamorous Julianne Moore.

The Italian-Algerian filmmaker will accept the honorary award on September 30th during the Gala Premiere of his latest film 'Bones and All' and will hold a public Masters talk on October 1.

As the largest UK-wide release of an independently produced and distributed Black British film to-date, Obi Emelonye's latest exceeds expectations and brings a familiar story with a twist to a screen near you.

Sally El Hosaini's drama, based on the inspirational true-life story of Syrian sisters, will open the 18th Zurich Film Festival.

Among them, the Iranian serial killer story 'Holy Spider', Palestinian helmer Maha Haj's 'Mediterranean Fever' and Tarik Saleh's 'Boy from Heaven'.

'All That Breathes' is directed by Shaunak Sen, premiered earlier in 2022 at Sundance, where it picked up the Best Documentary award, and then went on to secure L’Œil d’Or in Cannes, the first Indian film ever to do win the Grand Jury documentary prize.

Ultimately, Jordan Peele's film is about connections, knowing when to turn our gaze away from things we aren't meant to be seeing, and humor -- lots and lots of humor.

The American Film Institute (AFI) program is a year-long directing workshop that educates traditionally underrepresented narrative filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film, providing hands-on instruction led by industry experts.

The legendary American director, writer and producer will also premiere his latest film 'Dead For A Dollar' at this year's Venice Film Festival.

The upcoming ode to cinema by the 'Skyfall' and 'American Beauty' filmmaker is written, directed and produced by Mendes and stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Micheal Ward, among others.

MIME has once again partnered with Soleil Space for a Short Film Saturday that will bring together two extraordinary women filmmakers, in a selection not to be missed.

Aamir Khan's outstanding performance is one for the books, and spending two and a half hours in his company is definitely worth the price of admission -- whether you are in Mumbai, Dubai or NYC.

Projects by Khalifa Almarri, AJ Al-Thani, Bothayna Al-Mohammadi, Mohammed Al-Suwaidi and Noor Al-Nasr have been chosen for the DFI's Spring Cycle.

The film is the official remake of 'Forrest Gump', with Khan taking on the role which won Tom Hanks an Oscar -- so we caught up with the Indian superstar to ask him about the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges of playing Laal, a character bound to become as beloved as Forrest.

The film, helmed by Belgian-Moroccan duo Adil & Bilall, was made for a streaming release on HBO Max later this year.

The gender-defying duo of women-helmed projects premiered at Sundance earlier in 2022, before moving on to other worldwide festivals where they each, seperately, garnered awards and recognition.