Category: culture and media

In a significant accolade for Arab theatre, the Secretariat of the Dr. Salah Al-Kassab Prize has announced that Tunisian director and playwright Fadhel Jaïbi is the recipient of its 2025 award. The decision recognizes Jaïbi’s long and influential career and his profound contribution to the renewal of Tunisian and Arab theatre. Jaïbi is celebrated as one of the most prominent Arab directors to have carved a unique path, centering his theatrical vision on the “here and now.” Throughout his career, his work has powerfully articulated the social and political transformations…

The 26th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days (JTC) launched Monday its International Theatre Forum today, gathering a constellation of playwrights, directors, and academics from Tunisia and abroad for a three-day dialogue centered on a pressing theme: “The Theatre Artist, Their Time, and Their Work.” The forum, running until November 26, aims to collectively examine the role of theatrical art through a dual lens: the artist as a witness to their era, and the challenges of positioning art within a specific social context. Following an opening address by the event’s…

The second day of the 26th Carthage Theater Days (JTC) featured a powerful quartet of official competition plays from Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Senegal, each tackling profound themes through distinct theatrical styles. From Egypt, “Free Fall” (Souqout Horr), directed by Mohamed Farag Kheshab, transformed the Rio Hall into a compelling courtroom. An adaptation of the American play “Inherit the Wind,” it revisits the infamous 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial” to stage a modern debate on free thought versus dogma. The director employed Brechtian techniques and an immersive, in-the-round stage, turning the audience into…

Hind Rajab’s mother and the film crew attend “The Voice of Hind Rajab” premiere at DFF25. Photo: Instagram The Doha Film Festival opened on a poignant note Thursday as Wissam Hamada, the mother of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, gave an emotional address, turning a cinematic premiere into a global platform for Gaza’s children. Hamada spoke at the MENA premiere of “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a film documenting the tragic final hours of her daughter, whose phone call from a car surrounded by Israeli tanks became one of the…

The coastal city of Monastir is set to become a vibrant hub for calligraphy and letter-based art as it hosts the second edition of the International Festival of Calligraphy and Calligraffiti from November 28 to 30, 2025. Organized by the Monastir Cultural Center, the three-day festival promises a rich program of exhibitions, workshops, and live performances so as to explore the modern evolution of Arabic script in contemporary art. The festivities will commence on Friday, November 28, with the inauguration of a central art exhibition titled “Calligraphy and Calligraffiti.” The opening…

The 26th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days hosts an International Theatre Forum from November 24-26, 2025, convening leading playwrights, directors, and academics from across the globe. Under the theme “The Theatre Artist, Their Time, and Their Work,” the forum aims to create a dynamic crossroad for artistic and intellectual exchange. Organized by the festival’s steering committee, the three-day forum seeks to stimulate a collaborative dialogue between the perspectives of theatre practitioners and those of philosophers and sociologists. Its central goal is to collectively examine the place of theatrical art…

Saudi Arabia’s capital is gearing up to host the Saudi Media Forum and Future Exhibition from February 2 to 4, 2026, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The upcoming edition is set to be one of the most prominent regional and international platforms for exploring the future of media and digital transformation, with the participation of more than 250 local, regional, and global companies. The forum, which has achieved remarkable success in previous editions, reflects the Kingdom’s advancing position as an international hub…

The 26th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days (JTC) launched spectacularly with a majestic production of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” presented by the Egyptian National Theatre. The performance, directed by Shadi Sorour and starring living legend Yahia Fakharani, set a high bar for the prestigious festival. Staged in a new Arabic translation by Fatma Moussa, the production delves into Shakespeare’s timeless exploration of the illusion of power. The narrative follows Lear as he cedes his kingdom to his two daughters, a decision that propels him into a devastating descent into…

Dubai-based distributor and producer Front Row Filmed Entertainment has partnered with Abajour Productions on “Batata Chips Aa Festouk” – or Peanuts – the feature directorial debut of acclaimed Lebanese actor and writer Fouad Yammine. The film, which completed principal photography in Beirut this past October and is now in post-production, presents a darkly comedic and existential story. It follows a thirty-something nobody named Nouhad who, deciding to end his life, opts to turn his suicide into a cinematic spectacle. With nothing left to lose, he hires a struggling cameraman to document his…

 The powerful docudrama “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which recounts the true story of a six-year-old Palestinian girl whose death shocked the world, made its regional premiere to a moved audience at the Doha Film Festival this week. The film, directed by Oscar-nominated Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, was presented in the presence of its cast and crew, as well as Wessam Hamada, the mother of Hind Rajab. The premiere was met with a warm reception, marking a significant moment for Arab cinema. Based on harrowing real-life audio recordings, the…