Exclusive: Netflix has handed control to its Arabic content slate to long-serving exec Nuha El Tayeb following the exit of Ahmed Sharkawi.
El Tayeb has been with Netflix since 2018 and rose to her current role as Content Director for the Middle East & North Africa (Mena) region and Turkey in December 2019.
Following the exit of Arabic originals boss Sharkawi this month, she will expand her role to oversee the entire Arabic content slate, spanning acquisitions and originals for film and TV, both in scripted and unscripted. We understand she will be based at Netflix’s international HQ in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Sharkawi, who was Director of Arabic Content, Development, for the past five years out of Amsterdam, announced on LinkedIn earlier this month that he was leaving after “an unforgettable journey” and was “excited for new adventures ahead.” He exits Netflix under amicable circumstances. C21 first reported on his exit.
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El Tayeb has been with Netflix since 2018 and rose to her current role as Content Director for the Middle East & North Africa (Mena) region and Turkey in December 2019.
Following the exit of Arabic originals boss Sharkawi this month, she will expand her role to oversee the entire Arabic content slate, spanning acquisitions and originals for film and TV, both in scripted and unscripted. We understand she will be based at Netflix’s international HQ in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Sharkawi, who was Director of Arabic Content, Development, for the past five years out of Amsterdam, announced on LinkedIn earlier this month that he was leaving after “an unforgettable journey” and was “excited for new adventures ahead.” He exits Netflix under amicable circumstances. C21 first reported on his exit.
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- 3/7/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Mad Celebrity — the talent management subsidiary of the pan-Arab film and TV company Mad Solutions — has signed Tunisian actor and writer Majd Mastoura, French Lebanese actor Isabelle Zighondi, and Saudi actor, producer and director Amawri Ezayah to the roster of its Mad Rising Celebrity unit, and visual artist, producer and Dop Mostafa El Kashef, who will be joining Mad Crew Celebrity.
Mastoura is best known for his work on Mohamed Ben Attia’s “Hedi” — for which he received a Silver Bear for best actor from the Berlin Film Festival, making him the first-ever Arab actor to receive the award — and Léonor Serraille’s “Mother and Son,” which world premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
His most recent project is Ben Attia’s surreal Tunisian drama feature “Behind the Mountains,” which world premiered in the Horizons Section of this year’s Venice Film Festival and is holding its Arab...
Mastoura is best known for his work on Mohamed Ben Attia’s “Hedi” — for which he received a Silver Bear for best actor from the Berlin Film Festival, making him the first-ever Arab actor to receive the award — and Léonor Serraille’s “Mother and Son,” which world premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
His most recent project is Ben Attia’s surreal Tunisian drama feature “Behind the Mountains,” which world premiered in the Horizons Section of this year’s Venice Film Festival and is holding its Arab...
- 12/5/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Original TV series based on Arab and Muslim characters are beginning to go global, a Netflix executive said Saturday at the Red Sea Film Festival.
Ahmed Sharkawi, director of Arab content, Netflix Europe, Middle East and Africa, said that a new, distinctive voice was emerging from the region.
“Recently, a friend called me and her mother-in-law – who is 100% American – was recommending one of our Arab series [“Finding Ola,” starring Hind Sabri] to all her friends,” he said at a panel about writing for television.
“This wave [of Arab and Muslim stories] is beginning; the U.S. audience is becoming open to watching stories that are outside of the U.S. experience.”
The region was rich in a tradition of storytelling that meant there were many original scripts being written, he said.
“There are so many stories in this region that have not been told before, so [our job is] about harvesting that intellectual property.”
“This is a culture...
Ahmed Sharkawi, director of Arab content, Netflix Europe, Middle East and Africa, said that a new, distinctive voice was emerging from the region.
“Recently, a friend called me and her mother-in-law – who is 100% American – was recommending one of our Arab series [“Finding Ola,” starring Hind Sabri] to all her friends,” he said at a panel about writing for television.
“This wave [of Arab and Muslim stories] is beginning; the U.S. audience is becoming open to watching stories that are outside of the U.S. experience.”
The region was rich in a tradition of storytelling that meant there were many original scripts being written, he said.
“There are so many stories in this region that have not been told before, so [our job is] about harvesting that intellectual property.”
“This is a culture...
- 12/2/2023
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
Often, family dramas tend to veer off in a direction that makes them quite tedious to watch. The family becomes a mouthpiece for the makers to cram their own worldview down our throats. But the new Netflix series Crashing Eid is a refreshing example of how to make a dramedy out of a complicated family situation that doesn’t have easy resolutions. The show is a lighthearted portrayal of a Saudi family where the daughter gets into a relationship with a Pakistani man. The problems don’t stop when the man shows up in Jeddah, thinking he will sort everything out, but quite the opposite happens.
Razan and Sameer are the couple that make the risky decision to get into a relationship without telling their parents about it. As both were Muslims, they didn’t think to what degree their different cultural backgrounds, (one Pakistani and one Saudi), could be a problem.
Razan and Sameer are the couple that make the risky decision to get into a relationship without telling their parents about it. As both were Muslims, they didn’t think to what degree their different cultural backgrounds, (one Pakistani and one Saudi), could be a problem.
- 11/17/2023
- by Ayush Awasthi
- Film Fugitives
There is a lot to be said about storytellers who are willing to tell stories about families, but in a quirky and non-sentimental way. Some important topics are addressed in the new Saudi dramedy series Crashing Eid without relying on a preachy tone. The characters are well written, and more importantly, the cultural aspects are very nicely portrayed. No two cultures are truly identical, and Razan and Sameer perhaps didn’t take that into consideration. The couple, with the hopes of getting married, tries to convince their families, but in the middle of it, they find their own trust in themselves dwindling. Crashing Eid is humorous when it needs to be, and extremely delicate and serious while discussing topics like racism and domestic abuse. It really is a heartwarming series with a focus on family as a fulfilling unit of one’s life.
Spoilers Ahead
How did Razan’s family find out about Sameer?...
Spoilers Ahead
How did Razan’s family find out about Sameer?...
- 11/15/2023
- by Ayush Awasthi
- Film Fugitives
Crashing Eid is a 2023 Saudi comedy series starring Summer Shesha, Hamza Haq, and Khalid Alharbi.
“Crashing Eid” is a comedy about cultural differences, this time between London customs and those of Saudi Arabia, with the classic plot of a couple from different social backgrounds and his acceptance into her environment.
This comedy aims to provide more of a social perspective while offering entertainment, without necessarily being hilarious.
Simple in its cinematography, the screenplay revolves around the interaction of characters surrounding the announcement of the wedding. It presents numerous cultural differences for this Netflix series, which arrives without making too much noise.
And, if we’re not mistaken, it may not garner much attention from the audience.
What can we find in “Crashing Eid”?
Above all, “Crashing Eid” is a comedy that doesn’t strive to be entirely comedic. Among recent Saudi productions, it is the least comedic of all, drawing...
“Crashing Eid” is a comedy about cultural differences, this time between London customs and those of Saudi Arabia, with the classic plot of a couple from different social backgrounds and his acceptance into her environment.
This comedy aims to provide more of a social perspective while offering entertainment, without necessarily being hilarious.
Simple in its cinematography, the screenplay revolves around the interaction of characters surrounding the announcement of the wedding. It presents numerous cultural differences for this Netflix series, which arrives without making too much noise.
And, if we’re not mistaken, it may not garner much attention from the audience.
What can we find in “Crashing Eid”?
Above all, “Crashing Eid” is a comedy that doesn’t strive to be entirely comedic. Among recent Saudi productions, it is the least comedic of all, drawing...
- 11/15/2023
- by Travis B. Dhalia
- Martin Cid - TV
Pain Hustlers and new seasons of Big Mouth and Elite are among the high-profile new projects debuting on Netflix in October.
Directed by David Yates, Pain Hustlers is a crime drama set in the world of pharmaceuticals. The film, which boasts a starry cast that includes Emily Blunt, Chris Evans and Andy García, debuts on Oct. 27.
On Oct. 20, Netflix launches the seventh season of Big Mouth. The penultimate season of the animated comedy heads to high school but the awkward moments and growing pains for Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney) and Nick Birch (Nick Kroll) continue.
Also on Oct. 20, the seventh season of global hit Elite hits Netflix. There’s more trouble in store for the students of Las Encinas with Omar Shanaa (Omar Ayuso) back, Ivan (André Lamoglia) mending a broken heart and Isadora (Valentina Zenere) dealing with her criminal family.
Earlier this month, the streamer launched Beckham, a docuseries...
Directed by David Yates, Pain Hustlers is a crime drama set in the world of pharmaceuticals. The film, which boasts a starry cast that includes Emily Blunt, Chris Evans and Andy García, debuts on Oct. 27.
On Oct. 20, Netflix launches the seventh season of Big Mouth. The penultimate season of the animated comedy heads to high school but the awkward moments and growing pains for Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney) and Nick Birch (Nick Kroll) continue.
Also on Oct. 20, the seventh season of global hit Elite hits Netflix. There’s more trouble in store for the students of Las Encinas with Omar Shanaa (Omar Ayuso) back, Ivan (André Lamoglia) mending a broken heart and Isadora (Valentina Zenere) dealing with her criminal family.
Earlier this month, the streamer launched Beckham, a docuseries...
- 10/16/2023
- by Hilary Lewis and Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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