Image Nation, MBC Studios announce deal at Cannes to promote Mideast projects

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Cannes. mmar Abd Rabbo/Arab News)
Updated 15 May 2019
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Image Nation, MBC Studios announce deal at Cannes to promote Mideast projects

CANNES: Image Nation Abu Dhabi, MBC studios and Majid Al-Futtaim Ventures on Wednesday announced they will be launching a production partnership for film and TV projects across the Middle East that will greenlight several projects annually.

Members of the press from around the world gathered in a hotel in Cannes on Wednesday morning as a partnership was announced between film and entertainment company Image Nation Abu Dhabi, MBC studios, which spearheads the Saudi company’s push into high-end Arabic scripted content, and Majid Al-Futtaim Ventures.

The partnership will support projects from inception to distribution and will focus on Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. On Wednesday, it was announced that the first film supported by the new partnership is called “Three Four Eternity,” a vampire family drama by director Mohamed Hefzy.




L to R: Michael Garin, CEO, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Khaled El Chidiac, Acting CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Ventures and Peter Smith, Managing Director, MBC Studios attended a press conference during the Cannes International Film Festival to announce a production and distribution partnership for film & TV projects in the Middle East.

CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi Michael Garin, Managing Director of MBC studios Peter Smith and CEO of Majid Al-Futtaim Ventures Khaled El-Chidiac were on hand to make the announcement at The Grand Hotel in Cannes.

“This region has had the talent but it hasn’t had the resources and infrastructure until now,” Garin said during the panel discussion.

“Part of this partnership is promoting movies and films for Saudi Arabia,” El-Chidiac added.  

Ali Jaafar from the MBC Group added his hopes that the platform would launch new Arab stars.

“We want to launch a new generation of Arab film stars… We haven’t had one since Omar Sharif,” he said, before adding, “How can we take kids from Saudi Arabia or Dubai and turn them into big stars? The talent is there.”

The news was revealed on the sidelines of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival which kicked off on Tuesday evening and will run until May 25.


Lolo Zouai teases new album for 2026

Updated 03 January 2026
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Lolo Zouai teases new album for 2026

DUBAI: French Algerian singer and songwriter Lolo Zouai this week revealed that her new album has been submitted and is expected to be released later this year.

“2026. ALBUM SUBMITTED. LET’S… GOOO,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a carousel of images of herself.

Fans quickly took to the comments section to congratulate the music sensation.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Lolo Zouaï (@lolozouai)

“OH MY GOD FINALLY!!! I’m so so so excited and proud of you omg, you did that,” one fan wrote, while another said: “some good news i needed this fr.”

Another comment read: “I’m so excited I just shed a tear… 2026 is so gonna be your year boo!!!! SEE U SOON!!”

Zouai’s latest release was in November, when she dropped a new single titled “3AM in San Francisco.” It was the first release of the year.

Zouai captioned her announcement post, “time to hit em with the bilingual,” hinting that the track features lyrics in English and French.

In 2024, Zouai dropped several tracks, including her “Please Hold” EP featuring “jetlag” and “UNHHH,” along with “mute” and “Potential.”

In June 2024, she also announced that she had written a song for K-pop group NewJeans for their Japanese debut.

She captioned the post at the time: “‘Right Now’ by @newjeans_official out now!! Written by me. I’ve been a fan of NewJeans for a while and I’m honored to be a part of their Japanese debut!

Known for her blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, she has gained an international fan base for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.

Her career highlights include the release of a debut album “High Highs to Low Lows” in 2019, which featured 12 tracks, and a follow-up “PLAYGIRL” in 2022, which included 13 tracks.

After the album’s release in October 2022, Zouai was featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square.

She shared a video of herself posing in front of the billboard with fans. “I always said that one day, I would be on a billboard in Times Square. Today is that day,” she said in the short clip.

“Manifestation and hard work works,” she added.

The singer, who lives between Brooklyn and Los Angeles, embarked on a 30-stop tour for the album in 2023. The tour featured cities in the US, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.