Film AlUla launches platform to support new female storytellers

AlUla Creates is building the infrastructure to support new creatives. (BroadcastPro/Sourced)
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Updated 09 March 2023
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Film AlUla launches platform to support new female storytellers

  • AlUla Creates is part of a year-round program that pairs new artists with experienced professionals
  • The platform is part of Film AlUla's strategy to present the region as a global filming destination

ALULA: Film AlUla has announced the launch of a platform to empower new and emerging female filmmakers and creatives to produce stories set in AlUla.

AlUla Creates, part of a year-round program, is currently building the infrastructure and global network of mentorships and other resources to support new female Saudi storytellers, pairing them with accomplished writers, directors and producers, BroadcastPro reported.

The program’s first phase includes a partnership with the British Fashion Council, Saudi actor Mila Al-Zahrani, Kloss Films founder Alec Maxwell, and fashion icons Helena Christensen and Eva Herzigova as ambassadors to support the long-term mission of the platform.

AlUla Creates is part of Film AlUla’s wider strategy to develop a film-friendly ecosystem, which includes a purpose-built studio and digital creative hub complex in AlUla, as the film industry in Saudi Arabia continues to grow.

The program supports the socio-economic development of the AlUla region, with investment in jobs, training and the creative arts across a range of disciplines.

Film AlUla promotes the region as an international filming destination, encouraging efficient filmmaking whilst respecting the natural environment, resources, and cultural significance.

“More than 70 percent of the population in Saudi Ariba is under 30 with the fastest growing cinema audience in the world. There is a buzz about the screen sector in homes, schools, and boardrooms,” said Charlene Deleon-Jones, executive director at Film AlUla.

“Spending time in the beautiful landscape of AlUla, the streets of Jeddah or homes in Riyadh it is impossible not to take note of the fashion, art warmth, vibrancy and intellect of this generation,” she continued.

“AlUla creates is part of this picture providing opportunities for creative development and collaborations across sectors and borders.”

Alec Maxwell, director at KLOSS Films said: “It feels exciting to work with an all-female crew on this project and contribute to the creative future of AlUla.”

The rebirth of AlUla
Hegra, ancient city of the Nabataeans in Saudi Arabia’s historic AlUla Valley, is emerging from the mists of time to take its rightful place as one of the wonders of the world

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Paris exhibition marks 200 years of Le Figaro and the enduring power of the press

Updated 17 January 2026
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Paris exhibition marks 200 years of Le Figaro and the enduring power of the press

  • The exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive

PARIS: One of France’s most influential newspapers marked a major milestone this month with a landmark exhibition beneath the soaring glass nave of the Grand Palais, tracing two centuries of journalism, literature and political debate.
Titled 1826–2026: 200 years of freedom, the exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive. Held over three days in mid-January, the free exhibition drew large crowds eager to explore how the title has both chronicled and shaped modern French history.
More than 300 original items were displayed, including historic front pages, photographs, illustrations and handwritten manuscripts. Together, they charted Le Figaro’s evolution from a 19th-century satirical publication into a leading national daily, reflecting eras of revolution, war, cultural change and technological disruption.
The exhibition unfolded across a series of thematic spaces, guiding visitors through defining moments in the paper’s past — from its literary golden age to its role in political debate and its transition into the digital era. Particular attention was paid to the newspaper’s long association with prominent writers and intellectuals, underscoring the close relationship between journalism and cultural life in France.
Beyond the displays, the program extended into live journalism. Public editorial meetings, panel discussions and film screenings invited audiences to engage directly with editors, writers and media figures, turning the exhibition into a forum for debate about the future of the press and freedom of expression.
Hosted at the Grand Palais, the setting itself reinforced the exhibition’s ambition: to place journalism firmly within the country’s cultural heritage. While the exhibition has now concluded, the bicentennial celebrations continue through special publications and broadcasts, reaffirming Le Figaro’s place in France’s public life — and the enduring relevance of a free and questioning press in an age of rapid change.