Matthew Rhys made history at the 78th Emmy Awards by winning two major acting awards for different productions, while Jean Smart won her fifth award for “Hacks.” “The Pitt,” “Widow’s Bay” and “DTF St. Louis” won the top series awards.
The company organising the US leg of Ed Sheeran’s tour announced that rapper Macklemore had been removed from upcoming shows after sports venues objected to his participation following his expressions of support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza during two shows in New Jersey.
A circulating video showed several audience members leaving a show by American comedian Menahem Silverstein in Chicago after he declared his support for Israel. The video circulated as Portuguese artists withdrew from an upcoming comedy festival in Lisbon in protest at the participation of Jerry Seinfeld and his public pro-Israel positions.
Medical drama The Pitt leads the race for the 78th Emmy Awards, one nomination ahead of Hacks, which set a comedy record. The Los Angeles ceremony will feature major contests involving Noah Wyle, Jean Smart and Harrison Ford, alongside closely watched races among leading drama, comedy and limited series.
The documentary “Naza,” directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Tsor, won the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, while Shaden Safieddine Tazi received the Horizons Award for Best Short Film for her documentary “A Few Moments of Joy,” which addresses Israel’s bombing of Lebanon from the perspective of a director following it from afar.
The Venice Film Festival concluded its latest edition by awarding major prizes to films about World War II, nuclear arms and the war in Gaza. Unknown Woman won the Golden Lion, Dao won the Silver Lion for Best Director, while the Israeli documentary Naza received the Special Jury Prize.
Palestinian feature film Gaza 13, directed by Hossam Abu Dan, is taking part in the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, running through September 20. Through the story of a 13-year-old girl, the film portrays the war’s impact on Gaza’s residents and their dreams, having been made with limited resources amid bombardment and technical and production challenges.
The Israeli documentary ‘Naza’ faced criticism from Israeli officials, journalists and activists following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film draws on testimonies from 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers and examines target-selection procedures and the use of surveillance, artificial intelligence and remote airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
The Artists for Ceasefire coalition, launched with a letter signed by 55 artists in October 2023, continues to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the delivery of aid and the safe return of hostages. Its list of participants has grown to more than 470 figures from the arts and culture sectors, while the coalition has launched a campaign urging Washington to stop sending weapons to Israel.
The “100 Years of Singing” project revisits milestones in the history of Arabic song, featuring performances by Ali El Haggar and orchestral arrangements by Omar Khairat. Two music critics say the project’s value lies in exploring lesser-known works and names and recording contemporary versions that can reach new generations beyond concert venues.
The Venice Film Festival screened “Naza,” a documentary based on testimonies from 24 people who previously worked in the Israeli military and intelligence services about how targets for strikes in Gaza were selected. The Israeli military rejected the allegations in the film, questioning whether the testimonies could be verified and stressing that humans make strike decisions.
The film The Whisper Man turns a child’s kidnapping into an early starting point, expanding Robert De Niro’s role at the expense of the psychological strands in Alex North’s novel. Despite the appeal of his confrontations with Michael Keaton and its bleak visual atmosphere, the adaptation suffers from rushed construction and editing that limits the buildup of tension.
Arab creatives have transformed experiences of war, occupation and displacement into films, novels, poems and paintings that preserve collective memory. From Palestine and Lebanon to Syria, Sudan and Iraq, many works have focused on individual stories and everyday details, while writing in foreign languages and producing work in exile have helped bring these experiences to a wider international audience.
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival opens on 10 September with nearly 300 films, including four Arab productions. The festival combines competition for the People’s Choice Award with efforts to strengthen films’ prospects during awards season and expand its distribution market, which is expected to receive more than 6,000 delegates.
Syrian singer Asala Nasri will return to performing in Damascus with a concert scheduled for September 17, 2026, after an absence of 15 years and living outside Syria since supporting the 2011 uprising. The concert is under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, which reaffirmed that it would go ahead amid rumors that it had been canceled.
Mimi Gamal has joined the cast of “Ninja Sisters-in-Law,” which brings Menna Shalaby and Hana El Zahed together for the first time as co-stars in a film. The team is preparing to begin filming in the coming period. The film is a social comedy about two sisters-in-law living in the same family home.
Bassem Samra has officially joined the cast of ‘Ashmawy’, which is scheduled to air on MBC channels during the 2027 Ramadan season, alongside Mohamed Ramadan. The series consists of 30 episodes and will be directed by Peter Mimi in his first television collaboration with Ramadan. Details of Samra’s character and the nature of its relationship with the other characters have not yet been announced.
The funeral of Yasmine Saif Allah Abu al-Naga, the only daughter of actress Naglaa Fathi, proceeded from Omar ibn Abdul Aziz Mosque to the family cemetery in Heliopolis. Her parents, family members and artists attended the funeral after her father announced that she had died following a heart attack.
Yara El-Sokkary will co-star with Ahmed El Awady in the series “Sultan El Deeb,” scheduled to air during the Ramadan 2027 drama season, marking their third collaboration. Filming will begin soon, with Lojain Khalifa and Basant Abu Basha joining the cast. Mahmoud Hamdan is writing the series, while Mohamed Abdel Salam is directing it.
Radio Cinema in central Cairo hosted “The Esteemed Nour El-Sherif” exhibition to mark the 11th anniversary of the actor’s death. It featured posters, filming equipment, costumes, scripts and items linked to his work, as part of a project that includes an upcoming documentary about him.
Cairo’s El Hikma Theatre at El Sawy Culturewheel will host three concerts as part of the “Umm Kulthum Returns Anew” project on September 2 and 3. The concerts will feature puppet and musical performances of “This Is My Night” and “You Are My Life,” as part of a project running since 2006.
At the D23 conference, Disney announced the cast of “X-Men,” scheduled for release in May 2028, and revealed details and release dates for several upcoming projects, including “Frozen 3,” “Vision Quest,” “Incredibles 3” and “Coco 2”.
Assala Nasri is returning to Syrian stages with two concerts in Damascus on August 17 and 19, 2026, while preparing an album in the Syrian dialect featuring 14 songs.
The Libertom Foundation has awarded Nadine Labaki the 2026 Pioneers Award alongside Marina Abramović and Lee Daniels. The honors ceremony is scheduled to take place in Venice on 6 and 7 September.
Palestinian feature film Gaza 13, directed by Hossam Abu Dan, is taking part in the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, running through September 20. Through the story of a 13-year-old girl, the film portrays the war’s impact on Gaza’s residents and their dreams, having been made with limited resources amid bombardment and technical and production challenges.