Sigrid Bernardo’s I’m Perfect and Jun Robles Lana’s Call Me Mother were among the major winners at this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (December 25-January 7) in the Philippines. In a heartening win for representation, Krystel Go, an actress with Down’s Syndrome, was awarded Best
It may be a challenging time for the Indian (and global) entertainment landscape – the threat of AI, consolidation, declining theatrical footfalls, lower budgets on streaming, fewer shows getting greenlit (take your pick) – but the Indian streaming landscape continues to offer some of the country’s finest storytelling. Hindi streaming shows,
'Wicked: For Good' and the latest 'SpongeBob' movie will follow the release of 'Avatar: Fire And Ash' at the China box office.
Southeast Asia buzz projects, from development to post-production and soon to be premiering at festivals.
This edition of Streamlined is looking at Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF, December 4-13) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and its industry platform, Red Sea Souk; as well as a Souk Talks panel on Saudi film funds, and a brief note on box office in this region, which I explored
Industry execs and filmmakers, including Nigerian director-producer CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi, discussed how African cinema is evolving through collaboration, as well as some of the challenges it faces, on a Souk Talks panel at Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF). Also speaking on the panel were Durban FilmMart (DFM) director Magdalene
Minnesota-based Somali filmmaker Mohammed Sheikh has just held the world premiere for his debut feature, Barni, which he filmed in Djibouti, at Red Sea International Film Festival. Born in the Kebribeyah refugee camp in Ethiopia – where his parents fled during the Somali Civil War – Sheikh moved to the US with
Funded by micro financing platform CARD MRI, the initiative aims to support storytellers from rural and working-class communities.
The Silver Yusr was awarded to 'All That’s Left Of You' from Cherien Dabis, while the Jury Prize went to 'Hijra' from Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen.
Box office growth in two MENA markets dominated discussions during the Souk Talks at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival. Saudi’s box office picked up this year, after a slump in 2024, due to a diverse range of local and international titles. Meanwhile, the Egyptian market is
If you’ve ever struggled in your career as a woman in a man’s world, spare a thought for Evaline Wambua Mutuku, the subject of Zippy Nyaruri’s documentary Truck Mama, whose job used to involve driving articulated lorries across East Africa, sometimes into war-torn countries like South Sudan.
'About Love & September Laws' from Sudan's Mohamed Kordofani was also among the most awarded projects.
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India's Kerala Film Market has selected 25 projects across two sections, Project Market and Curators’ Pick, for its 2025 edition.
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US-based outfit is also co-producing 'Lost And Found', starring Shawn Thia, and Taiwanese comedy 'A Controversial Entertainer'.
Middle East
Netflix’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros poses a huge potential threat to global theatrical infrastructure, but on the other hand may provide opportunities for independent filmmakers, said speakers on a Red Sea Souk panel entitled 'Futureproofing Our Industry'. Gaetan Bruel, president of French film agency CNC, made
Southeast Asia
Sri Lanka's 'Riverstone' picked up two awards, while Thailand's 'A Useful Ghost' was awarded a Special Mention.
![Cherien Dabis [L] talks to Lana Komsany](/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/Cherien-Dabis-panel.jpg)
Middle East
Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis shared her filmmaking journey and the logistics behind making her latest film, multi-generational family drama All That’s Left Of You, in the Souk Talks at Red Sea International Film Festival. Set in the West Bank, the film follows a Palestinian family across three generations from
Southeast Asia
Cambodia's Becoming Human took the Golden Hanoman award in the main competition, while Better Off Dead won in five out of ten categories in the competition for Indonesian films.
Streamlined Insights
!['Wolfram' [credit: Dylan River]](/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/Wolfram----Dylan-River.jpg)
Australia & New Zealand
As in other territories, production spend is shifting towards international features and SVOD and away from local free-to-air programming.
Southeast Asia
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France’s Ministry of Culture has bestowed the title of Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of France’s highest cultural distinctions, on Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho. The decoration was presented by H.E. Fabien Penone, Ambassador of France to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN, during the
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Park Kiyong’s Ghost Island, Loeloe Hendra Komara’s A Life Full Of Holes and Netanya Yemina’s To My Dearest, My Dear... were all multiple award winners at the close of JAFF Future Project (November 30-December 1) on Monday night. Ghost Island, produced by Ho Yuhang, picked up the
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Asian animation is evolving beyond simple children’s stories towards more complex and culturally authentic storytelling, said leading producers and sales agents from Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea speaking on a JAFF Market panel. The panellists – including Ahmad Izham Omar of Malaysia’s Komet Productions, Anggia Kharisma of Indonesia’s