Media

MTV to launch Comedy Central studio in Middle East

MTV Networks International (MTVNI) and twofour54, the Arab world’s premier center for content creation announced a multi year partnership to launch Comedy Central Studios Arabia (CCSA), according to a company statement. Headquartered in twofour54’s offices in Abu Dhabi, CCSA will develop and produce comedy content in Arabic for broadcast and distribution across the Middle East. It will focus on innovative, original productions covering the full spectrum of the genre, from stand up, to sketch shows, to sitcoms, aimed primarily at 18 - 49 year old Arab audiences. The new venture will also draw upon Comedy Central’s rich library of international formats to produce localized versions for the Arabic market. Speaking about the new venture, Tony Orsten, CEO, twofour54 said: "We are thrilled to be working with MTVNI on this venture. There is so much untapped creative potential in Kuwait and the wider region and this partnership will go a long way in helping to create an Arabic comedy industry."

ITU, UAE sign deal for state-of-the-art ICT museum

The brand new museum of information and communication technology will focus on the past, present and future impact of ICT on human lives around the world. ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Tour and the Director-General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed Al Ghanim, signed an agreement this month for the establishment of this museum. To be called the ICT Exploratorium, the new museum will be housed at ITU headquarters in Geneva. The signing of the agreement sees the United Arab Emirates and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of UAE become the Founding Partners of the new learning centre, through a donation of US$2 million towards its design and construction. ITU will undertake the acquisition of exhibits, equipment and other resources. Planned to open in 2010, the centre will boost ITU’s profile and raise the visibility of its Members, Founding Partners and sponsoring exhibitors.

Arab filmmakers struggle for funds as industry grows

Wealthy Arab funds, eager to buy up distressed film assets abroad, should spend their money closer to home where filmmakers are struggling to find funding and distribution channels, according to industry experts. Film festivals have sprung up in the Gulf Arab region in recent years with events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The latest, Robert De Niro's Doha Tribeca, just ended a four-day run in Qatar's capital. But despite the heightened exposure, Arab filmmakers say the focus is still on Hollywood and European films with little attention -- or funding -- given to homegrown films. "A $2 million Arab motion picture cannot raise its money out of the Arab world, if Egypt is not a great contributor," said Tunisian producer and distributor Tarak Ben Ammar. "The real question is, will oil money go to Arab culture or will it go to Hollywood?"

Arab Radio and TV network sell six sports channels to Al-Jazeera

The Arab Radio and Television (ART) network has sold six sports channels to the Doha-based Al Jazeera satellite station (JSC) for a sum exceeding US$1 billion, an official familiar with the deal said. The official, who on condition of anonymity, said ART, whose headquarters are based in Jedda and which broadcasts 65 channels from Amman's Jordan Media City, would continue the rest of its operations as usual. Meanwhile, the fate of the network's workers in Amman and the broadcasting of key Jordanian football matches remains unknown. The surprise deal caps a period of heated competition between the giants of Arab satellite television vying to increase the base of their subscribers by buying rights to broadcast international, regional and local championships around the world, mainly football. ART, which previously monopolized most of the broadcasts of the world's major championships to the Arab world, was gradually losing ground to its competitor, which currently operates eight sports channels, in addition to its well-known news, documentary and children's channels.

Abu Dhabi keeps art lovers hooked

Abu Dhabi: For many countries around the world, art museums serve important roles not only as ambassadors of art and culture, they also provide an avenue for global artists to represent their respective countries. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which will open in 2013 as part of Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island Cultural District, is one such museum. Designed by internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry, the 450,000-square foot museum will house not only pieces of Western art, but works by artists from the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America. "What is unique about the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is its scale, location, architecture and the collection that is set to be displayed there when it is completed," Valerie Hillings, associate curator of Collections and Exhibitions, Abu Dhabi Project, Guggenheim Foundation, said. "Also, we are working with international contemporary artists to create site-specific pieces," she added. The museum will also have a one-floor permanent collection whose aim, like the Guggenheim in New York, is to highlight just how global the art world is, along with temporary exhibitions showcasing a wide range of art pieces from around the region and the world.

First Qatari symphony to be showcased at Aspire Hall

Doha Secrets, the first Qatari symphony, performed by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra played at the Aspire Concert Hall in the Aspire Zone this month to mark the orchestra’s first anniversary. The symphony, by noted Qatari composer Hameed Naama, tells the story of Qatar’s capital city Doha. “It is the struggle and achievements made by Doha, which is the gateway to Qatar, that the symphony seeks to convey through its four movements. The first movement reflects the ambition, struggle, resolve, the hopes and aspirations of the city supported by the ‘Prince of Peace’, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani,” Naama said. The piece will be followed by classical works by famous composers. The entire program will be presented by Nader Abbassi.

Exhibition to showcase UAE art in New York

Under the patronage of Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women's Establishment and wife of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, a special ‘Pieces for Peace' exhibition will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on December 15. The project is part of the ‘Young Minds Build Bridges' program, which uses creativity to build bridges of cultural understanding between the American youth and their peers from around the world. The exhibition will feature seven artworks by Emirati schoolchildren, representing UAE.