Saudi Arabia’s MDLBeast to host a 12-hour online music festival 

The livestream will take feature a stellar lineup of artists. (File/AFP)
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Updated 09 September 2021
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Saudi Arabia’s MDLBeast to host a 12-hour online music festival 

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s MDLBeast music festival is back, but this time it’s digital.

Organizers announced Monday that the electronic dance event, that was held for the first time in Riyadh in December 2019, will return with a 12-hour virtual edition– MDLBeast Freqways – on June 20 from 7:00 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Saudi time) to end on the World Music Day.  

The event will feature a stellar lineup of international DJs and musical groups including Steve Aoki, Maceo Plex, Afrojack, Claptone, Danny Tenaglia, Deep Dish, Sasha, Butch, Art Department, Laidback Luke, Delano Smith, Gui Boratto, Phil Weeks, Benny Benassi, and Dirty South, as well as regional talents including K.Led & Majid, Vinyl Mode and SPCEBOI.

“The music industry in the region is raw and the merging of neo-culture and technology creates a new buzz, inspiring young musicians to create fresh, unexpected music,” said  Ahmad Alammary, chief creative officer, in a released statement.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Do you know how tall the #Mainstage at #MDLBeast was?

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“MLDBEAST is here to celebrate that. Music and art are universal. A language that can bring people together, inspiring new thriving, creative communities.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Selfies with the Stars #mdlbeast

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Following the successful launch of MDLBeast’s inaugural annual event, where 400,000 people came together in Saudi Arabia over the span of three days, the festival has quickly established itself as a global creative platform setting the tone for music, art and culture in the Middle East.

With the world’s largest ever festival stage, the event is believed to have forever changed the Saudi entertainment landscape by inspiring the next generation and awakening the EDM community within the Kingdom.


British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal named Cartier ambassador 

Updated 14 May 2024
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British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal named Cartier ambassador 

DUBAI: British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal has been named Cartier’s newest brand ambassador. 

“It is my absolute honor to be joining the Cartier family,” the actress, famous for her roles in the Netflix series “The Sandman” and “Paranormal,” said in a statement. “I look forward to work with a Maison known for its timelessness and iconicity.” 

Jammal – who also made headlines for her role in the show “Al-Thaman” – took to Instagram to share a series of images from a shoot with the French luxury label. 

In one ensemble, she wore a black suit, complemented by understated gold jewelry, including a necklace, a watch, a bracelet, a ring and earrings.

In another look, she was adorned in a white blazer, accentuating with dangling diamond earrings and a coordinating necklace.

This is not the first time Jammal has worked with Cartier. 

In March, she starred in the brand’s Ramadan campaign alongside Saudi athlete Husein Alireza, Egyptian Montenegrin model and actress Tara Emad, Tunisian actor Dhaffer L’Abidine and Emirati host Anas Bukhash. 

In March 2023, Jammal walked the runway at a Cartier event in Dubai. She wore a black form-fitting dress with a plunging neckline, a thigh-high slit from the center and padded shoulders. 

She walked alongside a long list of celebrities from the Arab world including Saudi actress and filmmaker Fatima Al-Banawi, Egyptian veteran star Yusra, Egyptian Tunisian actress Hend Sabri, French Algerian filmmaker Farida Khelfa, Somali model Rawdah Mohamed, Emad, L’Abidine, and Bukhash. 

In January this year, Jammal was also named the brand ambassador for French luxury label Dior’s beauty line Dior Beauty.

“It was such an incredible experience to represent the iconic fashion house of @dior. It is a privilege to be able to represent my culture within a brand with a strong history of empowering women,” she wrote to her Instagram followers at the time. “I’m grateful to see my Dior family grow and to be aligned with exceptional women from both sides of the pond. Thank you for your trust in me.”

In October 2022, she was named the Middle East’s ambassador for Dior, the fashion house. 


Saudi Film Commission takes charge of cinema sector

Updated 13 May 2024
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Saudi Film Commission takes charge of cinema sector

  • First phase includes regulating licensing for the operation of permanent, temporary and special cinemas
  • CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani: The Film Commission will undertake a comprehensive review of all procedures related to the cinematic sector

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Film Commission has announced it will now have oversight over the cinema sector, which will no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the General Authority of Media Regulation.

The Council of Ministers had ordered the change, which has now been implemented after the completion of the required regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. 

The first phase includes regulating licensing for the operation of permanent, temporary and special cinemas, as well as the production, distribution and import of movies, videos and television programs.

Abdullah Al-Qahtani, the commission’s CEO, said: “The Film Commission will undertake a comprehensive review of all procedures related to the cinematic sector with the aim of their development and enhancement.

“Key improvements will focus on enhancing the customer experience by streamlining and optimizing the processes required for all activities in the cinematic sector. This will involve reviewing the licensing requirements for the film sector, as well as simplifying the licensing process and application for related services.”

The commission posted on X: “The film and cinema sector jurisdiction has been transferred from the General Authority for Media Regulation to the Film Commission. This move, facilitated by continuous cooperation and support between the two bodies, underscores the commission’s ongoing commitment to developing and improving the sector.”

The commission’s board has approved a reduction in fees for cinema licenses. It has also waived operational license fees for three years until 2027, covering permanent, temporary, and special cinema halls. Applications for licenses can now be made through the unified electronic platform Abde’a.


US students stage walkout to protest Jerry Seinfeld’s ceremony speech

Updated 13 May 2024
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US students stage walkout to protest Jerry Seinfeld’s ceremony speech

DUBAI: Several students walked out of Duke University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday to protest its guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, over his support of Israel amid the war in Gaza.

Video of the incident posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) shows a group of students walking out of their seats and carrying a Palestinian flag as soon as the comedian and TV star was called to the stage. 

The attention to the protesters was quickly diverted by the cheering crowd, who chanted, “Jerry! Jerry!” as Seinfeld would go on to give his speech and accept an honorary degree from Duke.

However, several boos and chants of “Free Palestine” could also be heard.

Seinfeld has been vocal in his support for Israel following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

The comedian also met with families of the hostages and visited a kibbutz during a trip to Israel in December.

The walkout at Duke's graduation was the latest manifestation of protests that have taken over US campuses as students call for universities to divest from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war.


US actor Mahershala Ali to star in NYC thriller ‘77 Blackout’

Updated 13 May 2024
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US actor Mahershala Ali to star in NYC thriller ‘77 Blackout’

DUBAI: Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is set to star with Tom Hardy in “77 Blackout,” a crime thriller set on the night when New York lost power and was plunged into chaos and lawlessness. 

Cary Joji Fukunaga is directing, Deadline reported.

In 1977, five rogue police officers formulate a plan to rob three criminal strongholds – the Hong Kong Triads, the Italian Mafia, and the Harlem Mob – all in one night. When a blackout sweeps the city on the night of the robbery, the crew is forced to navigate a hellish landscape.

Ali is most known for two Best Picture-winning flicks: 2016’s “Moonlight” and 2018’s “Green Book.”

Hardy is known for blockbusters such as Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” and director George Miller’s 2015 action epic “Mad Max: Fury Road.”


Avantika shows off Geyanna Youness gown in Los Angeles

Updated 13 May 2024
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Avantika shows off Geyanna Youness gown in Los Angeles

DUBAI: US actress Avantika Vandanapu, known mononymously as Avantika, hit the red carpet at Gold House’s 2024 Gold Gala in Los Angeles in a gown by Lebanese designer Geyanna Youness.

Avantika wore a peach gown by Lebanese designer Geyanna Youness in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

The event honored leaders in the Asian-Pacific community and saw Hollywood star Lucy Liu honored with the Legend award.

Liu — whose credits include “Ally McBeal,” “Elementary,” “Kill Bill Vol. 1,” “Charlie’s Angels” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence” — spoke on stage about having to make casting decisions “because of limitations,” according to Variety magazine. She added: “I love that we are all here tonight because there is no ceiling, and I’ve never seen that for myself. I want us to all collectively understand how special this moment is that we are together as a community. I share this award with you because you have lifted me up, you have given me strength, you have made me so proud. I feel like it’s been very lonely.”

For her part, Avantika kicked off her career by being cast in several films in India’s Telugu film industry and went on to score her first Hollywood lead role in the Disney Channel original movie “Spin” before starring in Netflix’s “Senior Year.” Avantika also nabbed a lead role in the 2024 “Mean Girls” reboot.

The actress showed off a peach-and-blue gown by fashion label Geyanna Youness, complete with structured detailing at the waist and a floral ruffle on one shoulder.

The beaded gown was created by Youness, a Beirut-born-and-raised designer who launched her own brand in 2017 with a focus on bridal, couture, and accessories collections.

Avantika has garnered attention for building a career in both Hollywood and India — she continues to promote her Indian show “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and her horror film “Tarot” while also developing an adaptation of “A Crown of Wishes,” author Roshani Chokshi’s Young Adult fantasy, for Disney+.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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“The Western fantasy genre is dominated by a Western mythology, or Nordic mythology. It just feels repetitive and redundant. And Indian mythology is so rich and so fascinating. After ‘Black Panther’ came out, I thought we needed to find a way to showcase Indian mythology on a bigger, grander, commercial scale,” she told Cosmopolitan magazine in May of the adaptation project.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 She also spoke to the magazine about the challenges of being an actress of South Asian heritage, saying: “The pressure is so high because in a room full of a hundred people, Hollywood is now offering spots to maybe three women of South Asian descent.”