Abstract
Lack of up-to-date and detailed gender statistics on women's role and image in the Southem Mediterranean audiovisual sector has proven to be a real issue for researchers studying these subjects and it has indeed represented an obstacle to tackle during the implementation of SouthMed WIA as well. Starting from what the EU has already done through past programmes such as EUROMED Audiovisual III and MedCulture, all efforts have been made to gather the latest information and data available, in order to detail the background for this collection.
The results of the sub-granted projects, the main outputs of SouthMed WIA, as well as extensive desk research throughout the whole project's life, have served as sources of information to design this comprehensive overview of the dynamics of the media and audiovisual industries in the Middle East and North Africa. In general, the current audiovisual context in the project target region varies a lot from country to country: from a mostly structured situation in Egypt and an overall dynamic landscape in Morocco to the tiny outputs in Algeria which depends so far mainly on public funds (FDATIC) - or the persistent film censorship in Lebanon that is a factor of weakness for the Lebanese AV industry and hampers opportunities of growth. Tunisia offers a singular case study: Tunisian cinema has undergone a renaissance in recent years and is experiencing a flourishing new wave focused on political creativity to counter terrorism, to tell issues affecting women in the Arab world, thus contributing to contrast censorship in any form.
Despite these differences, there are some common trends to be highlighted, recent statistics and studies, for example, show an ever-growing and largely diversified media landscape in the whole MENA region, including broadcasting, digital and printed media, with a consequent larger content offer that is increasingly moving towards audience's needs. Television still remains the strongest and increasingly dynamic media industry in the Arab world as the MedBarometer' report shows TV consumption rates are averagely high all over the region, with the highest picks in Tunisia Egypt and Morocco. In particular, Ramadan tv is extremely important in the region, since this particular period of the year records special programming, including a relevant increase in the production of new episodes of major programmes and popular Arab series especially dramas- to cover the whole lasting 'season.'
For what concerns mainstream cinema, the three largest markets in the region are those of Egypt, Lebanon and UAE. These three countries also register the highest number of cinema screens, but the screen-to-inhabitants ratio differs from Lebanon-which, thanks to its population density and consumer spending power, has got the highest one to Egypt, which-due to the limited density of population has the lowest. Moreover, the success of cinema in these countries is mostly limited to non-Arab films, which bring in the highest fraction of box office sales almost everywhere but not in Egypt. At the same time, Egypt is the main producer of Arab mainstream films, with a strong presence also in Lebanon, UAE and Egypt itself.
Most relevant for the purposes of this collection and of the SouthMed WIA project, according to the "Media Industries in the Middle East report published by the Doha Film Institute in 2016, despite the fact that they are very rarely projected in cinemas, independent films in the Arab world reflect a much greater diversity in content and gender roles as compared to mainstream movies. For instance, independent films are twice as likely to have female directors and are most often the result of co-production processes involving more than one country of the Region Egyptians are the most common nationality overall among writers, directors and producers and France is the most active non-Arab country playing a very important role as independent Sims financial supporter. Considering content, social issues, women, identity and politics are the most common topics of independent films. As previously stated, women play a more important role counting for 30% of independent film writers and directors in the region-surprisingly a much higher number as compared to mainstream cinema in the West as well.