The introduction provides an overview of this collection which sheds light on the diversity of Arab filmmaking within and outside the region. The collection emphasizes the importance of understanding the international connections of Arab filmmaking and provides an overview of the film sector in each sub-region. The book also includes short essays by selected Arab diaspora filmmakers and explores the impact of political and economic pressures on cinematic productions across the region. 

Building on a growing body of literature, this Handbook provides an up-to-date and authoritative survey of Arab cinema.

The collection includes contributions from academics and filmmakers from across the Arab region, Europe, and North America, and fills a gap in media studies by examining the entire Arab region, rather than focusing on one country or theme. The Handbook also sheds light on the heterogeneity of Arab filmmaking not only within the Arab region, but also globally, within diasporic communities. It is split into six parts:

• Part 1 provides an overview of each sub-region in the Arab world, including a chapter on Arab animation films.
• Parts 2, 3, and 4 address topical themes, encompassing the representation of gender, religion, and identity politics in Arab cinema.
• Part 5 discusses the theme of diaspora and Part 6 concludes the volume with reflective essays penned by selected diasporic filmmakers.

This book is an essential reference for Arab media and cinema scholars, students, and professional filmmakers. With case studies from across the Arab region, it's also a valuable resource for anyone interested in film and media, global cinema, and the Middle East generally.

This chapter delves into the economics of the film industry, which comprises three primary components: production, distribution, and exhibition. All these elements ultimately contribute to the audience’s viewing experience. The chapter reveals the significant shift in the political economy of the Arab film industry over the last decade, with traditional players like Egypt and Lebanon taking a backseat while GCC states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, emerge as leaders in new productions. Moreover, countries like Morocco are increasing their economic activities in the film sector by providing support and facilities for foreign film shoots, while generating more revenues for its tourism industry. The chapter also argues that developing the film industry in the region requires joint funding to encourage pan-Arab collaborations on film projects. However, this may be challenging due to the diversity of cultural policies across the region.

In the wake of the 25 January revolution and the coup that followed in 2013, Egyptian bookstores recorded a significant increase in demand for books by and about the Muslim Brotherhood. However, despite the burgeoning literature on the Brotherhood, knowledge about the movement is still rather limited, particularly with regard to its most strategic tool – media and communications. 

This book offers a fresh and close look into the communication strategy of the group, focusing on published periodicals, biographies, and websites that represent the voice of the Brotherhood. The book analyses the core mission of the Brotherhood, namely its daᶜwa (call, invitation to faith) – how it is articulated and how it is defined by the movement as an ideology and a process. Have the media represented a coherent voice of the Brotherhood over the past decades? What can they communicate regarding the Brothers’ perception of the needs of their audiences? How have the media served to sustain, preserve, and distinguish the movement for nine decades? The book argues that the Brotherhood media speak with an intermittent voice and deliver an incoherent message whose tone is changeable and fluctuating and cannot be claimed to truly represent the heterogeneity of the group.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates Media Studies and Social Movement Theory, the book provides a fresh analysis of the Brotherhood movement as an interpretive community and will be a valuable resource for anyone studying Egypt or the Muslim Brotherhood.

This chapter focuses on media coverage of bin Laden and how it depicted his relationship with his wives, particularly the sixth one, Amal Assadah, who was rumored to have shielded bin Laden when the American commandos shot him. It argues that the main difference between the coverage in Arab media versus Anglo-American news media is that the former focused on the issues surrounding bin Laden and his family, foregrounding the wives' support of bin Laden as part of their duty as virtuous Muslim women. Anglo-American media, however, chose to focus on the image of bin Laden as a sexual being, thereby contributing to the myth of bin Laden as a neurotic evil. Both regions focused on these wives as mainly emotionally or religiously motivated to follow bin Laden rather than on their political and ideological motivations. The chapter begins with a brief discussion about the role of myth in the news-making process, focusing on the myths surrounding bin Laden's sexuality. It then presents examples of pan-Arab and Anglo-American coverage.