MBC Studios’ Zeinab Abu Alsamh Talks Rapid Growth Of Saudi Industry, Opening Up Programming Options & Opportunities For Women — Deadline Disruptors

Like it or not, city-folk, “Yellowstone” has officially gone mainstream. That’s right, after years of being relegated to underground middle American word-of-mouth, Taylor Sheridan’s modern western Paramount series is finally getting its due.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAnthology film “Quareer,” by five young female Saudi directors, has emerged as the big winner at the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival, which is the country’s oldest film event. “Quareer” consists of five segments depicting women taking risks to carve out their own spaces, and explores themes of abandonment, neglect, control, abuse and shame in Saudi’s now changing conservative society. The film scored five prizes in total at the festival, including the Golden Palm Tree for best film and the prize for best director(s), which collectively went to filmmakers Ragheed Al Nahdi, Norah Almowald, Ruba Khafagy, Fatma Alhazmi and Noor Alameer.Additionally, “Quareer,” which had premiered last December at Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, also scored awards for best cinematography, best script and best score.

Congratulations are in order! The Challenge alum Kam Williams has given birth to her first baby with fiancé Leroy Garrett. 

What’s inside? While Jennie Garth doesn’t always tout around her purse, it’s chock full of essentials when she needs them.

Shakira has announced she is splitting from footballer Gerard Piqué after 11 years together.The 45 year old singer, who shares two children with Gerard, shared the news in a statement on Saturday 4 June. It read: "We regret to confirm that we are parting ways. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.Thank you for your understanding." The Hips Don't Lie singer and footballer Gerard, 35, share Milan Piqué Mebarak, nine, and seven year old Sasha Piqué Mebarak together.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentBBC Studios and Dubai-based MBC Studios have teamed on the first Arabic-language adaptation of “The Office.” Titled “Al Maktab,” the Arabic redo of the groundbreaking BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning British comedy series will be set in Saudi Arabia.Egypt’s Hisham Fathi (“Ending So Gently”) will direct with Italy’s Alessandro Martella serving a director of photography and Ryad-based AFLAM Productions’ Shadi Mcdad handling line producer duties.Cameras are set to roll in June on this MBC Studios original on which the BBC Studios international production team, who have licensed the format, will also have input. The plan is for the twenty-episode show to air on MBC’s linear TV channels, and stream on its Shahid VIP streaming platform later this year.

From the Big Brother house to the wedding aisle! Memphis Garrett and Christmas Abbott have officially tied the knot nearly one year after getting engaged.

Garth Brooks just got a blast from the past.

A little peace and quiet. Jennie Garth can’t believe that she’s close to having all three of her daughters out of the house, she exclusively told Us Weekly.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentSaudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding Telfaz11 Studios is teaming up with France’s Easy Riders Films to develop and produce a slate of four features directed by emerging Saudi talents with international ambitions.The first title expected to go into production is “Night Courier,” a comedy about a young man named Fahad who winds up in possession of six crates of illicit booze in an Arab city known for its hidden delights and dangers. This project was first presented last year at the inaugural Red Sea Film Festival’s Red Sea Souk projects market.The four-picture pact between Telfaz11 and Easy Riders was forged at the Cannes Film Festival.Founded by Alaa Yousef Fadan, Ali Al Kalthami, and Ibrahim Al Khairallah, Telfaz11 is an innovative content company that started out in the YouTube space and has since seen rapid growth in both production and distribution.

Ashley Hume Ava Duvernay, Melanie Lynskey and Tamron Hall were among the honorees at The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation’s 47th Annual Gracie Awards on Tuesday night.Holly Robinson Peete hosted the event, which was held in-person for the first time in two years at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. Named after the late vaudeville performer Gracie Allen, the Gracie Awards honor talented women in television, radio and digital media.The atmosphere inside this year’s gala was subdued, as facts were still emerging just hours after a mass elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead.Lynskey, who accepted the award for best actress in a leading role — drama, began her speech by thanking the Alliance for recognizing her work in the Showtime series “Yellowjackets.” “It’s amazing to be 45 and a size 12, according to this dress, and playing the sexiest, most interesting, most fun character of my career,” Lynskey said.Lynskey went on to express her sorrow over the shooting in Texas as well as the mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., which had occurred 10 days earlier.

Our latest podcast is out! Watch tomorrow on our @PerezHilton YouTube or CLICK HERE to listen NOW! If you hate Perez (or really love me), THIS is the episode to check out! Truly one of our best ever! Such variety of topics and depth of emotions! We talk the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, and much lighter fare too. The downfall of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! Harry Styles supremacy! Halsey vs the music industry! Doja Cat‘s implosion! Big Britney Spears news! Chatting with RPDR all-star Derrick Barry! And so much MORE! CLICK HERE to listen to The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker at PerezPodcast.com

Rise Films is nearing the end of what has been a monumental month for the London-based production outfit. Last week, HBO Max launched the company’s two-part documentary George Carlin’s American Dream, which chronicles the life and five-decade career of the comedian with Judd Apatow in the director’s seat.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorGreta Van Susteren says she just couldn’t stay away from the immediacy of cable news.For the past few years, Van Susteren, one of the few anchors who can say they have been employed by  CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel, has been working as a political analyst for Gray Television and doing a show for Voice of America. Now, she’s about to get back on the grid as an anchor leading the 6 p.m. hour for conservative news outlet Newsmax.“Gray has been really fun, but here’s the big difference — there really is nothing like live news,” Van Susteren tells Variety.

Gregg Goldstein Casting films is an unlikely path to writing and directing them, but Lise Akoka and Romane Guéret didn’t only succeed on that journey, they made the experience the basis of their first feature, “Les Pires (The Worst Ones),” earning a berth in Un Certain Regard.The French filmmakers met on the set of Rudi Rosenberg’s 2015 teen comedy “Le Nouveau (The New Kid).” Akoka worked as a casting director and acting coach, Guéret was a casting trainee, and the two became fast friends. “We were in the north of France, in those old mining territories, and found these two amazing children,” Akoka recalls through a translator.

EXCLUSIVE: BAFTA-winning Uprising producer Rogan Productions and Electric Shadow Company are forging Original Sin, a documentary miniseries exploring calculated South African murderer Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren and his trial.