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Will Smith violence takes Oscar protests to dangerous level When Hollywood actor Will Smith walked on stage of the 94th Academy of Arts and Sciences Oscars Award on Sunday March 27, 2022, and punched comedian Chris Rock in the face with an open fist, he elevated and personalized what has been an occasional occurrence of…
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Saudi’s award AMC contract to open movie theaters AMC to Open First International Movie Theater in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia In line with Vision 2030’s diversification efforts, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Information has awarded the first license to operate an international-based movie theater in the country to AMC Theatres, which…
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Plight of Syrians competes for Oscar This year’s Academy Awards Oscar presentation of Hollywood Film Oscars includes only two submissions addressing Arab World issues, one on the plight of Syrian refugees and the terrorist war in Aleppo, Syria, and the other a historical drama set during the Algerian civil war of the 1990s. By Ray Hanania Once again…
Now that the Oscars are over, can we have a real discussion about the absence of fairness, the racism, stereotypes and bias that consumes the Hollywood movie industry? And to be honest, African Americans have a lot to complain about here in America over the past 400 years for sure, but they really are the last…
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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan served as the backdrop for three Oscar nominated films in this year’s Academy Awards. Jordan has a long history as a setting for movies including Lawrence of Arabia, The Hurt Locker, Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade and Zero Dark Thirty. This years entries include Martian, Theeb and A War. As…
Palestinian groups calls on Oscar nominees at this year’s Academy Awards to reject the “Israel propaganda trip” valued at over $50,000 that is included in this year’s “swag bags” Palestinian human rights activists are calling on Oscar nominees not to accept travel vouchers supplied by the Israeli government as part of the gift bag that…
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A look back at the Oscars and the Academy Awards night from 1978 when Palestine and Israel clashed on stage for the first time. Here’s one of several columns I published over the years reflecting on that moment, this one published in 2006. By Ray Hanania A very special Oscars Night BY RAY HANANIA (Originally…
Arab World represented by three films at Oscars tonight By Ray Hanania Three films from the Arab World will be in competition at tonight’s Oscars, including the first ever nomination at the Academy Awards representing the State of Palestine. They are feature film Omar, Film short Karama Has No Walls, and documentary feature The Square. A fourth film,…
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