DUBAI: International filmmakers — including Oscar winners Michael Moore, Laura Poitras, Ezra Edelman and Alex Gibney — have signed an open letter to the city of Miami Beach after Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner sought to shut down the city’s nonprofit art house cinema, O Cinema, following screenings of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land.”
“No Other Land” is a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers that follows activist Adra as he documents the destruction of his hometown, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone, at the southern edge of the West Bank.
On March 13, Miami Beach Mayor Meiner called the film “a false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our city and residents.” He introduced legislation to terminate the lease for the O Cinema, a city-owned property. Meiner is also asking the city to “immediately discontinue” approximately $40,000 in city grant funding. 
On Monday, 752 members of the international filmmaking community signed an open letter slamming what they said was “an attack on freedom of expression, the right of artists to tell their stories, and a violation of the First Amendment.”
Alfred Spellman, who co-founded Miami-based media studio Rakontur, signed the letter and spoke to Variety about his motivations for doing so. 
“This is a case that is definitional of what the First Amendment is supposed to protect against, which is government encroachment on speech,” Spellman told Variety. “The Mayor is trying to claim that the content of the documentary is anti-semitic, but that doesn’t matter. So long as it is not legally obscene, the mayor has no business interfering with what the O Cinema chooses to program.
“The problem here is that there is an attempt to shift the discussion to the merits or the demerits of the film and the filmmaking and the issues surrounding it,” said Spellman. “If you are a committed free speech advocate, none of that matters.” 
“This has come as a complete shock and surprise to us,” O Cinema co-founder and chair of the board of directors Kareem Tabsch told Variety. “In the organization’s nearly 15 years, we have never heard from an elected official who has questioned or challenged a film we have shown, and we’ve operated in multiple municipalities.”
Miami Beach commissioners will vote on Meiner’s O Cinema proposal on Wednesday.

DUBAI: Egyptian actress Jamila Awad is the face of Armani Beauty’s latest campaign for the perfume Si Passione Intense. 

In the campaign videos and shots, directed by French filmmaker Woodkid, the actress wore a black suit while holding the perfume bottle. 

Speaking about the collaboration, Awad reflected on the campaign’s central theme in a released statement.

“What makes your heart beat? This question resonates deeply with me — passion is what drives everything I do,” she said. “Si Passione Intense is more than just a fragrance; it’s a reminder to embrace what sets your heart on fire and live boldly.” 

The new scent builds upon the original Si fragrance with a composition that opens with blackcurrant and pear, transitions into a floral heart of rose and jasmine, and concludes with base notes of vanilla and cedarwood. The fragrance is presented in a red ombre bottle.

Awad gained widespread recognition for her breakout role in the 2015 television series “Taht El Saytara” (“Under Control”), in which she portrayed the character of Hania, a troubled teenager struggling with addiction. 

Following her debut success, she starred in several acclaimed projects, including the drama series “La Totfe’ Al Shams” in 2017 and the popular film “Hepta: The Last Lecture” in 2016, which further solidified her status as one of Egypt’s rising stars.

Awad is not the only Arab star to collaborate with Italian label Armani Beauty. Lebanese Jordanian actress Andria Tayeh was named the brand’s new Middle East beauty ambassador in February.

Tayeh, known for her roles in Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub’s “Mond” and Netflix’s hit series “Al Rawabi School for Girls,” expressed her excitement on Instagram at the time and wrote: “I am thrilled and honored to embark on this new journey with Armani beauty.

“This marks a real milestone for me, as the brand embodies values I have always cherished: timeless elegance, dramatic simplicity, and women empowerment,” she added. “Armani beauty reveals one’s charismatic personality in the most subtle and natural way. It’s this pure simplicity that creates an impact, and this is exactly what I hope to bring to the Arab cinema world.”