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SRMG Returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 

The SRMG Beach Experience is set to become the hub of creativity and innovation from the MENA region at Cannes Lions.
The SRMG Beach Experience is set to become the hub of creativity and innovation from the MENA region at Cannes Lions.
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SRMG Returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 

The SRMG Beach Experience is set to become the hub of creativity and innovation from the MENA region at Cannes Lions.
The SRMG Beach Experience is set to become the hub of creativity and innovation from the MENA region at Cannes Lions.

Now in its second year, the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) Beach Experience is set to become the hub of creativity and innovation from the MENA region at Cannes Lions.

SRMG will host a series of insightful discussions, immersive activations and experiences, and live performances that represent the transforming media landscape in MENA

Talks and panel discussion with several creative industry leaders, including CEO of Brut Media Guillaume Lacroix, digital entrepreneur Karen Wazen, President of Billboard Mike Van, filmmaker Bryn Mooser, Co-founder of Anghami Eli Habib, Founder of Good People Ali Ali, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA Elda Choucair, CCO of BBDO Ali Rez

SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, is back at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the second year with an even bigger presence at Rado Plage on the iconic Croisette. From June 19-23, SRMG is bringing together the leading names in media, tech and creativity for a series of panels, talks, workshops and live performances at the SRMG Beach Experience.

Over the course of five days, the SRMG Beach Experience will highlight the transformation and trends taking place in the creative and tech industries across the world through insightful conversations with the pioneers, entrepreneurs and executives from companies, such as Brut and TikTok. These leaders have created innovative platforms that have revolutionized the way the new generation consumes content.

The program will explore challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the media and creative industries, and how to leverage disruptive advertising technologies and tech solutions. The in-depth discussions will also feature the latest names defining popular culture, including TV star Mo Amer, and award-winning songwriter and rapper Belly.

Panels and talks with the industry’s top innovators will delve into the biggest trends and challenges impacting our industry and what this means for the future of the media industry. The panels will explore how AI will impact the future of the creativity, how film and entertainment can bridge cultures, how the music scene in MENA is rising, and an insightful discussion on how communities have the power to build world-class brands.

The SRMG Beach Experience will also feature immersive and interactive artificial intelligence and augmented reality activations for attendees from some of SRMG’s leading brands, including an Asharq Business with Bloomberg AI video booth that will put guests' reporting skills to the test. Asharq Al-Awsat will have an arcade game, where players will have to choose between real and fake news. Manga Arabia will utilize the latest AI face filter technology to allow guests to transform into their favourite characters, and HIA Magazine will bring the latest fashion trends to life through augmented reality.

Since launching its transformation strategy in 2021, SRMG has supported, empowered, and championed local and regional creative talents, and established partnerships with some of the largest global companies. Cannes Lions is widely recognized as the premier festival for the media and creative industries, and provides a global stage for SRMG to showcase how it is redefining the media landscape.

In 2022, SRMG’s participation at Cannes Lions represented the first MENA presence at the festival. There was significant interest from international companies to partner and collaborate with SRMG, which has led to several new agreements and initiatives. In 2023, SRMG has increased its presence to showcase its media and business portfolio on the global stage, partner with strategic and established brands, and elevate local and regional talent.

This year, SRMG also partnered with Cannes Lions to launch the first Saudi Young Lions competition. SRMG held a competition in Saudi Arabia to find the best young talent to compete in the global competition at Cannes.

“Nurturing young talent is an important aspect of our broader transformation strategy, and SRMG is focused on driving innovation and empowering the next generation of media leaders and content creators. We have partnered with global players to expand our portfolio and provide a stage to showcase our creative talent and stories to the world. This includes partnering with Cannes Lions to launch the first ever Saudi Young Lions competition, where the winners will represent Saudi Arabia at the Global Young Lions competition in Cannes.” said Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG.

“Cannes Lions is the perfect environment to highlight the creative revolution taking place in the MENA region. This is why we are excited to use this year’s festival as a platform to announce the next major step in our growth and expansion strategy.”

The stellar line up of industry greats will be complimented each night with live performances. And on June 22, SRMG is transforming the beach for the second edition of MENA Night, featuring live performances from renowned singer Elyanna, known for her unique fusion of Latin and Middle Eastern sounds, and one of the most celebrated artists from the region DJ Rodge.

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Entertainment

Actor Blake Lively and Director Justin Baldoni Go to New York in Required Effort to Avoid Trial

Blake Lively leaves a courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, who came to the courthouse to see if her lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us” could be settled before a May trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Blake Lively leaves a courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, who came to the courthouse to see if her lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us” could be settled before a May trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Actor Blake Lively and Director Justin Baldoni Go to New York in Required Effort to Avoid Trial

Blake Lively leaves a courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, who came to the courthouse to see if her lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us” could be settled before a May trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Blake Lively leaves a courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, who came to the courthouse to see if her lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us” could be settled before a May trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Actor Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni came to a New York courthouse on Wednesday to see if her lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us” could be settled before a May trial.

The talks between lawyers went on over a six-hour period before Lively and Baldoni left the Manhattan federal courthouse separately and went straight to their waiting cars without saying anything. Lively looked stern as she walked out while Baldoni was smiling.

Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman said in an email that the talks did not result in a settlement, The Associated Press said.

Mandatory settlement talks are generally required before a civil case proceeds to trial. They are not held in public.

Their acrimonious yearlong litigation has cast a wide net across the entertainment world, drawing into the headlines other actors, musicians and celebrities and raising questions about the power, influence and gender dynamics in Hollywood.

Lively sued Baldoni and his hired crisis communications expert alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she complained about his treatment of her on the movie set.

Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company countersued Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed that suit last June.

The trial, scheduled for May 18, was expected to be star-studded. Lively’s legal team had indicated in court papers that people likely to have information about the case included singer Taylor Swift, model Gigi Hadid, actors Emily Blunt, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Hugh Jackman, influencer Candace Owens, media personality Perez Hilton and designer Ashley Avignone.

Entertainment

'Dawson's Creek' Star James Van Der Beek Has Died at 48

(FILES) Actor James Van Der Beek arrives for a special screening of 'Downsizing' on December 18, 2017 at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)
(FILES) Actor James Van Der Beek arrives for a special screening of 'Downsizing' on December 18, 2017 at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)
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'Dawson's Creek' Star James Van Der Beek Has Died at 48

(FILES) Actor James Van Der Beek arrives for a special screening of 'Downsizing' on December 18, 2017 at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)
(FILES) Actor James Van Der Beek arrives for a special screening of 'Downsizing' on December 18, 2017 at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

James Van Der Beek, a heartthrob who starred in coming-of-age dramas at the dawn of the new millennium, shooting to fame playing the titular character in “Dawson’s Creek” and in later years mocking his own hunky persona, has died. He was 48.

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come,” said a statement from the actor's family posted on Instagram.

“For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”

Van Der Beek revealed in 2024 that he was being treated for colorectal cancer.

Van Der Beek made a surprise video appearance in September at a “Dawson's Creek” reunion charity event in New York City after previously dropping out due to illness.

He appeared projected onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during a live reading of the show’s pilot episode to benefit F Cancer and Van Der Beek. Lin-Manuel Miranda subbed for him on stage.

"Thank you to every single person here,” The Associated Press quoted Van Der Beek as saying.

A one-time theater kid, Van Der Beek would star in the movie “Varsity Blues” and on TV in “CSI: Cyber” as FBI Special Agent Elijah Mundo, but was forever connected to “Dawson’s Creek,” which ran from 1998 to 2003 on The WB.

The series followed a group of high school friends as they learned about falling in love, creating real friendships and finding their footing in life. Van Der Beek, then 20, played 15-year-old Dawson Leery, who aspired to be a director of Steven Spielberg quality.

Entertainment

How the Coveted Bronze BAFTA Mask Trophies Are Made

Completed British Academy Film Awards masks at the FSE Foundry in Braintree, England on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Completed British Academy Film Awards masks at the FSE Foundry in Braintree, England on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
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How the Coveted Bronze BAFTA Mask Trophies Are Made

Completed British Academy Film Awards masks at the FSE Foundry in Braintree, England on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Completed British Academy Film Awards masks at the FSE Foundry in Braintree, England on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)

Those winning a prize at the upcoming British Academy Film Awards will bag a coveted bronze mask trophy — and get a bit of an arm workout taking it home.

Along with the honor of being named the best of the year in the industry, winners at the BAFTA ceremony on Feb. 22 will be awarded one of the dozens of the 3-kilogram (6.6-pound) prizes.

This year the cast and crew of “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” and “Sentimental Value” are in the running for the trophies at the EE BAFTA ceremony, to be held at London's Royal Festival Hall.

As with many things in show business, all that glitters is not gold. The BAFTA masks are made of phosphor bronze, polished to a mirror finish that will reflect the happy face of its new owner.

Craftsmen at the AATi Foundry in Braintree, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of London, use a sandcasting technique to make about 350 bronze trophies each year for all the BAFTA ceremonies — covering the film, television and gaming industries.

They are created in batches, and making one from start to finish takes around a week, the foundry's director Hugh Bisset said Tuesday.

The process starts with a pattern by the tooling team, often out of timber or 3D printing. That tool moves to the molding team which uses sand to make two recessed impressions of the mask, one each side. They are then closed together, ready for molten hot bronze — up to 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,192 Fahrenheit) — to be poured into it.

The metal takes about three or four hours to cool down, when it can then be removed from the sand. The masks' surfaces look dull and a bit rough around the edges at this stage, but after fettling, threading and polishing they are ready to be assembled before being checked over extremely carefully.

Bisset says it’s important that the masks are shiny and have no polish left on them.

“The thing I’m always conscious of is that these amazing actors and actresses, they pick up their awards and my big concern is that a smudge of polish will end up over their lovely, beautiful white dress,” he said. “There’s lots of things we need to think about.”

Bisset reckons the diligence and care that his skilled team puts into the making of the masks reflects the hard work of the winning filmmakers and movie stars.

While it’s still unknown if favorites Jessie Buckley, Timothée Chalamet and Teyana Taylor will get the glory on Sunday, whoever does win will take home something worth more than its heavy weight in bronze.

“There’s a lot of metal in it,” but each mask also has “a lot of time and love being put into it,” Bisset said.