Back to All News
Celebrating the Breadth and Beauty of Arab Cinema
Nuha Eltayeb
Director of Content Acquisitions for Turkey, Middle East, and North Africa, Netflix
Entertainment
04 December 2021
GlobalBahrainQatarKuwaitJordanSaudi ArabiaLebanonOmanEgyptTunisiaMoroccoAlgeria
Each year, the entertainment community and cinephiles around the world turn their attention to global award ceremonies such as the Academy Awards, the BAFTAs, Cannes, Venice and more. All eyes are on the films, no matter where they're from and what they're about, welcoming authentic storytelling from all parts of the world.
We pride ourselves on giving people the opportunity to experience content they may not have had a chance to see and have made this even easier, with the launch of the Prestige collection in 2020 which celebrated iconic Arab films. Today, we build on that legacy, with a catalogue of 58 films that celebrate Arab cinema, bringing the best of the Arab world to the global stage.
The collection features true masterpieces of cinema, including award-winning and globally recognized films such as the BAFTA-winning The Present and Lift Like a Girl which won three awards at the 2020 Cairo International Film Festival, including The Bronze Pyramid Award. It also features films that have broken the mould, such as Like Twenty Impossibles which was the first short film from the Arab world to premiere in Cannes. The collection isn't just fictional stories but also includes powerful documentaries, such as the exploration of first responders in war-torn Syria in White Helmets which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject. The Celebrating Arab Cinema collection does just that, bringing together the best from the Arab world.
Many of these movies were also selected to represent their country in the Academy Award submissions for Best International Feature Film, spanning different parts of the Arab world covering Egyptian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Jordanian and Iraqi stories. These are stories of love, romance, family, friendship, childhood, war, seperation, big dreams and ordinary lives.
The 58 films come from 47 different filmmakers, including champions of the regions film industry like Nadine Labaki, Annemarie Jacir, Elia Suleiman, Hany Abu-Assad and Ziad Doueiri, among others. These directors, in their own ways, set a benchmark in the region's entertainment industry, which is why we're delighted to bring these films together and showcase the best of the Arab world to our members across the globe.
While these directors may be household names, accessibility has been an issue, especially given the age of some of these films. With the launch of this collection, I am excited to introduce these stunning films to younger generations, give our members around the world a window into new perspectives and cultures and remind Arab entertainment fans of our history. It's a piece of their culture and heritage and now they can watch them all in one place.
I am originally from Sudan, born and raised in Dubai, and grew up watching Egyptian cinema. The beauty and diversity of the Arab world is close to my heart and this new collection is a reflection of this incredibly diverse yet tightly knit region. I hope you all enjoy this labour of love.
The collection will go live on the 9th of December at ww.netflix.com/celebratingarabcinema
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
Back to All News
