MBC Studios and US-based JB Pictures and AGC Studios team up for Rupert Wyatt’s epic motion picture ‘Desert Warrior’

16 November 2021

MBC Studios and US-based JB Pictures and AGC Studios team up for Rupert Wyatt’s epic motion picture ‘Desert Warrior’

MBC STUDIOS, the production arm of MBC GROUP – the largest and leading media company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – has partnered with the US-based JB Pictures and AGC Studios to produce Desert Warrior, an action-filled epic feature film set in 7^th century Arabia.

The international title – which has just commenced filming in NEOM and Tabuk in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) – features an all-star cast led by “Captain America” Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, Avengers: Endgame, The Banker) and Aiysha Hart (Mogul Mowgli, Colette, We Are Lady Parts).

Joining them are Sharlto Copley (District 9), Ghassan Massoud (Kingdom of Heaven), Sami Bouajila (Hors-la-loi, Les Témoins, Indigènes), Lamis Ammar (Sand Storm, Sirens, A Tramway in Jerusalem), Géza Röhrig (Son of Saul, To Dust, Resistance), and Academy Award® winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Night at the Museum, Secret of the Tomb, Iron Man 3, Schindler’s List).

British director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Mosquito Coast) helms the epic film from a screenplay, he co-penned with Erica Beeney (Captive State), David Self (The Road to Perdition), and Academy Award® nominee Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games).

Desert Warrior is produced by Jeremy Bolt (Resident Evil franchise, Monster Hunter, Polar) of JB Pictures.

MBC STUDIOS’ biggest ever film production to date, Desert Warrior is also the first tentpole film to be shot at NEOM in KSA, marking a new milestone for MBC GROUP this year. The first international feature film to be shot at NEOM is supported by the NEOM Media Industries Sector, with major productions being a catalyst for the development of the regional media industries epicentre at NEOM.

Zeinab Abu Alsamh, General Manager of MBC STUDIOS KSA, commented: “MBC STUDIOS is proud to be working with such world class talent across the board on Desert Warrior; it is testament to our ambition towards producing premium content for global audiences.

“Desert Warrior is a tale of adventure, with a fierce female hero at the forefront of the story. We hope the story will connect with audiences of all ages worldwide. Rupert Wyatt is a visionary filmmaker, and Jeremy Bolt has already proven his mettle in steering this epic project into production.

She continued: “The cast is a dream come true… A mix of Arab and non-Arab talent coming together to create an unforgettable movie and highlighting the rich culture we have here. This is the beginning of having Saudi be a production hub for local and global films.”

For his part, JB Pictures’ Bolt stated: “Desert Warrior will give audiences a ringside seat to one of the most dramatic and consequential battles in history. Spectacular action and great bravery set against stunning mountainous desert landscapes.”

Wayne Borg, Managing Director, Media Industries at NEOM added: “Attracting a production of the scale of Desert Warrior as our first feature film highlights the confidence the film industry has in our ability to deliver a seamless production experience. Our fresh and diverse locations, world-class production team and attractive incentives make NEOM a very appealing destination for screen production.”

Anthony Mackie is represented by UTA and Inspire Entertainment. Aiysha Hart is represented by Curtis Brown and 42. Rupert Wyatt is represented by UTA.

SYNOPSIS

It’s the early 7^th century, and Arabia is made up of rival, feuding tribes, disunited and forever at each other’s throats. Emperor Kisra (Sir Kingsley) has a fearsome reputation for being utterly ruthless. But when the Arabian Princess Hind (Hart) refuses to become Kisra’s concubine, the stage is set for an epic confrontation. It is a battle that, by its conclusion, will have changed the region forever and echo throughout history.

Escaping with her father, King Numan (Massoud) into the vast and unforgiving desert, Hind is pursued by Kisra’s seasoned mercenary Jalabzeen and his bloodthirsty troops. Hind and her father are forced to entrust their safety to a mysterious bandit (Mackie), whose fighting prowess is second to none. The bandit harbours his own secrets, which will play a large part in deciding the fate of the battle.

Hind inspires the fractious tribes to come together for one last stand and unite against an army that outnumbers them and is far better equipped.

Filming for Desert Warrior commenced on 12 September 2021. It is expected to continue for three months.

AGC International, the international sales and distribution arm of AGC Studios, will handle worldwide sales.

[Source: MBC press release]

VOA names new South and Central Asia Division Director

13 November 2021

VOA names new South and Central Asia Division Director

The Voice of America has promoted its Afghanistan and Pakistan Bureau Chief, Ayesha Tanzeem, to South and Central Asia Division Director, bringing her back from Islamabad to the VOA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

An award winning journalist and a native of Pakistan, fluent in Urdu, Tanzeem is one of very few foreign correspondents that has traveled to areas under the control and influence of the Islamic State and the Taliban militant groups since early 2015 and was reporting from Afghanistan as recently as last month. She has traveled extensively throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan covering issues related to politics, governance, militancy, terrorism, and human rights, particularly women and minority rights. Her reporting that uncovered tales of harrowing cruelty and suffering of the Afghan people, earned her the David Burke award for Courage in Journalism in 2016.

“Ayesha Tanzeem exemplifies the courage and journalistic skill that is a hallmark of VOA’s overseas correspondents,” said Acting VOA Director, Yolanda Lόpez. “Her vast in-depth experience of the region, her leadership skills, as well as her deep knowledge of the audience needs, makes her uniquely positioned to guide the South and Central Asia Division in this critical time.”

Broadcasting in eight languages throughout Central and South Asia and the Middle East, Voice of America’s South and Central Asia division reaches an audience in the tens of millions on television, radio, internet and multiple social media platforms, offering reliable news and information in a volatile region that lacks reliable and independent local media.

[Source: VOA press release]

DW and CPJ: Finding new ways to stand up for freedom of speech

3 November 2021

DW and CPJ: Finding new ways to stand up for freedom of speech

DW has launched a new campaign that is branching out into an area where Germany’s international broadcaster has never been before: fashion. With the Uncensored Collection, DW is not only bringing attention to different ways to circumvent censorship, it’s also helping support and protect journalists worldwide. Proceeds will go to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide.

The Uncensored Collection was developed in cooperation with Berlin-based designer Marco Scaiano. Along with highlighting an important message, each garment includes instructions for tools to help people circumvent censorship and access independent media – no matter where they are. Information about where to purchase items from the collection online is available at uncensored.dw.com.

“Freedom is stitched into everything we do,” said Guido Baumhauer, Managing Director Distribution, Marketing and Technology and responsible for DW’s global marketing activities. “The Uncensored Collection reflects our fight against censorship and our support for freedom of expression worldwide.”

“We are grateful to DW for partnering with CPJ on this innovative campaign to ensure that no one is deprived of the fundamental right to be informed,” said Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, Advocacy and Communications Director at CPJ. “As digital media is increasingly targeted for control, we must resist and be equipped to circumvent online censorship, which this campaign aims to do.”

More people around the world than ever before can easily communicate and access information. But it is easy to forget that there are many places where people who publish dissenting thought are punished and the free flow information is blocked. DW has made fighting censorship a core principle and works consistently to provide people everywhere with the information they need to understand problems and issues affecting their societies.

In many countries, government control of infrastructure can lead to information being censored or cut off all together. DW has worked to provide solutions to circumvent censorship and provide information to the people. For example, people in countries whose governments block or restrict access to independent news can access DW content securely and anonymously with the Tor Project. Websites accessible through Tor (The Onion Routing) can be recognized by the extension ‘.onion.’ A special browser such as the Firefox-based Tor browser is necessary in order to gain access to the websites.

Over the past decade, DW has also been utilizing a censorship circumvention system called Psiphon, which works by using a network of different proxy servers (an intermediary between a user and an online source). With this technology, users in countries like China and Iran have been given the power to access unbiased information from reliable sources.

[Source: DW press release]

Deutsche Welle launches YouTube channel in Tamil

29 October 2021

Deutsche Welle launches YouTube channel in Tamil

DW is expanding its journalistic offering to include Tamil as its 32nd broadcast language on November 1. The DW Tamil YouTube channel complements programs in Hindi, Bengali and Urdu.

The new YouTube channel DW Tamil is aimed primarily at a young, well-educated and urban audience in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu, but also in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States. Worldwide, some 70 million people speak Tamil.

The reach of DW has grown significantly in India, marked by the launch of a new DW bureau in New Delhi in March 2021. The southern Indian states, including Tamil Nadu, attach great importance to their independence and their language. DW’s effort to expand its YouTube language services to Tamil and customize its offering caters to these particularities.

DW Director General Peter Limbourg said: “By broadcasting in Tamil, we will be able to reach a region whose people, on the one hand, are economically very progressive. On the other, they maintain a traditional image of society. In addition to our reports from Europe and the region, poverty reduction, the role of women in society and environmental protection will also be key topics for our users.”

DW Managing Director, Programming, Gerda Meuer said: “Young people between the ages of 16 and 25 are confronted with decisions that will determine the course of their future lives. What should I study? How do I want to work? How can I live sustainably? How can I give back to society? Our region-specific formats primarily reflect on questions like these.” Meuer said it is particularly important for the editorial team to showcase the innovative power and wealth of ideas that are generated in the lower castes of Indian society.

The new Tamil editorial team consists of five journalists. One editor plans and organizes the offering from Bonn, while four work on the ground in Tamil Nadu. “Only when we are on the ground can we find strong stories to tell professionally and authentically. That’s what DW stands for,” said Debarati Guha, DW Director, Programs for Asia.

In time for the launch of the new Service, DW also won a new partner broadcaster for South India. Puthiyathalaimurai TV is a Chennai-based news channel that is one of the most-watched TV channels in the federal state of Tamil Nadu. The company will work together with DW to produce a Tamil-language version of the successful DW format “Eco India”, which focuses on environmental and sustainability topics. As of November 13, Puthiyathalaimurai TV will broadcast new episodes Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. and again on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. (IST, Indian Standard Time).

DW has been recording very high usage figures for months. Monthly access to the digital offerings remains constant above the one billion mark, and weekly user contacts are at 289 million.

[Source: DW press release]

NHK WORLD-JAPAN launches “17 Goals for Our World” Campaign for COP26

20 October 2021

NHK WORLD-JAPAN launches “17 Goals for Our World” Campaign for COP26

NHK WORLD-Japan, the English-language international service of Japan’s public media organization, NHK, today announced it will present a collection of premiere and encore programming to commemorate and complement the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31-November 12, 2021.

NHK WORLD-JAPAN, long committed to bringing issues of global importance to the forefront, in January 2021 launched a SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) campaign that features programming and a special “17 Goals for Our World” website that mirrors the SDGs set forth by the United Nations. The website highlights NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s vast collection of premiere and video on demand (VOD) programs that maps to each of the 17 goals, which include striving for clean water, health/well-being, education, sustainable cities, and responsible production/consumption; and eliminating poverty, hunger, and social inequalities.

The wide range of COP26-themed programming spans topics from man-made environmental damage to pollution to extreme weather and sustainability, and includes the popular series Zeroing In: Carbon Neutral 2050. The series, available now on VOD, was created in partnership with several public broadcasters in the U.S., and focuses on grassroots actions people can take to reach a carbon-neutral future.

Another currently available campaign program is Zero Waste Life, a series that highlights Japan’s “Mottainai” philosophy of striving for a life of wasting nothing and treasuring what we have. It airs as part of the event in November. Past episodes are also available to watch on VOD.

An episode of Direct Talk that highlights the “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” SDG is also featured among the VOD content. “Braving Press Freedom: Maria Ressa/Journalist,” offers insight and interviews with Ressa around her news site Rappler’s unwavering coverage of the struggle of journalists and activists fighting Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s attacks against press freedom and human rights. On October 8, 2021, Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – the first Filipino journalist to be honored with the prestigious award.

Other programs related to the campaign feature a new documentary, Five Frames for Love, a short-form series of 15-minute vignettes that follow the unique, creative lifestyles of youth through five specific “frames”: Fashion, Family, Followers, Freedom, and Future. The series begins airing on November 20.

A short drama series, Mini-Dramas on SDGs, convey the message of the importance of individuals joining to create a society in which no one is left behind. Each two-minute film is based on one of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs, with each depicting how Japan is endeavoring to achieve these goals. This series are available to watch on VOD.

Numerous other programs that highlight the 17 SDGs are available via VOD on the website.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/special/sdgs/

[Source: NHK WORLD press release]