The Arab Cinema Center (ACC), in collaboration with the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film, presented the panel “Women at the Helm: Leadership and Decision-Making in the Region” at the Palais Stage, bringing together some of the Arab world’s key female leaders who are currently shaping the industry. 
 
Their conversation highlighted the realities of navigating complex multi-platform strategies, the growing visibility of women’s stories, and the importance of preserving cultural identity while reaching international audiences, building sustainable structures in emerging markets, empowering new generations of talent, and placing authentic Arab narratives on global platforms. 
 
During the panel moderated by Melanie Goodfellow, Senior International Film Correspondent of Deadline, Samar Akrouk, Managing Director of MBC STUDIOS and Group Director of Production for MBC GROUP, reflected on the complexity of decision-making in today’s multi-platform environment. “I think today is complex for decision-making, and we operate across social media, platforms, TV, etc. When we evaluate our projects. We ask questions like, Who is the audience? Where does this particular format naturally belong?" she said, stressing the importance of balancing relevance with scale. 
 
She also noted that “stories that travel now are deeply rooted,” stressing the need to preserve cultural identity while elevating content to international standards.
 
Sharing her journey of building a sustainable industry from the ground up, Bavi Yassin, Founder and Chairperson of the Kurdistan Film Commission, recounted, “We didn’t have an industry, so I came up with this crazy idea: we need a sustainable one. It took ten years of lobbying and talking to every man in power, but in the end, it worked. Now Kurdistan has a film commission, and people are starting to see it for its location and talents,” illustrating the perseverance required to establish new structures for regional cinema. 
 
Emphasizing the shift in representation and observing that women’s stories are now more visible than ever in our region, Baho Bakhsh, CEO and Producer at Red Star Films, stated, “We are bombarded by women’s stories more than before. At Red Star, we understand women have a completely different perspective that used to be underrepresented,” she explained. 
 
Meanwhile, Mayada Al Hiraki, Founder and Producer at The Storytellers, underscored the growing presence of women in the industry, sharing that there are “more women in the industry now, much more than before.” 
 
Producer Rula Nasser, Founder of Imaginarium Films, went on to speak about nurturing new talent in Jordan and the increasing presence of women on set and in crew positions, though fewer women are directing. “We keep looking for talent and training the next generation,” she said.  
 
She also added that it’s still “very difficult to tell women’s stories in the Arab world." However, she emphasized that the role of producers is to inspire others and remain open to stories that make a difference, adding that producers often adapt scripts to navigate sensitive cultural contexts while still striving to pass meaningful messages. 
 
As for her role in empowering local voices and placing Arab stories on global platforms, Jumana Sharbin, General Manager of Olivewood Studios, stated, “We support local productions and give them special rates. We want our stories to be put on global platforms; it's not about male or female." 
 
About Marché du Film
The Marché du Film, the business hub of the Festival de Cannes, is the world’s largest international gathering of film professionals. As a key step in the development, production, and distribution of films globally, the market brings together over 12,500 professionals (including producers, distributors, festival representatives, film institutions, buyers, and financiers) from more than 120 countries to exchange ideas, projects, and strike deals in a unique environment.
Website: www.marchedufilm.com
 
About Arab Cinema Center
Founded by MAD Solutions in 2015, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is a non-profit international platform promoting Arab cinema. Registered in Berlin, the ACC provides its partner companies with a tangible presence at all major film festivals and markets, organizes industry events, and publishes special editions of the Arab Cinema Magazine. 
Website: http://acc.film/