U.S. Department of State Fiscal Year 2019 Agency Financial Report

Partnerships Advancing the Film and Television Industry F ilm and television cultural and professional exchange has emerged as a public diplomacy priority for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA). Profound changes to the media entertainment landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are providing avenues for increased American engagement. The opening of a new entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia, the growing need for television, film and online content throughout the region, and the increasing presence of American online content providers in the MENA region provides critical opportunity. This programming advances American values, creates jobs, and builds cultural, professional, and commercial partnerships between the United States and the region. The Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) is an innovative profes- sional exchange funded by NEA with the support of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts implements this effort in conjunction with Hollywood industry leaders and Middle East television industry partners. MEMI recognizes the societal impact of television, and trains the region’s leading and up-and-coming generation of Arab screenwriters and content creators to both entertain their audiences and spark impor- tant conversations about pluralism and mutual understanding. In addition to supporting Arab TV writers and showrunners to develop original content for broadcast on local networks and streaming platforms, MEMI connects American and Arab television industries for increased collaboration and investment. Alongside MEMI, NEA posts participate in several complementary ECA programs. ECA’s American Film Showcase (AFS) is a film- based exchange program that promotes awareness, dialogue, and engagement around foreign policy issues. The USC School of Cinematic Arts manages AFS and recruits top U.S. filmmakers and film/television experts to participate in one- to two-week programs that include screenings, discussions, workshops, and tours to more than 50 countries per year. The NEA Office of Assistance Coordination advances economic development in film and television production through the MENA Media Fund, implemented by New York-based Visionaire Media. Initiated in 2018, the fund will invest up to 50 percent of development costs for the pilots of regional media projects, the balance coming from local and international presales and partners. Leveraging American partners to improve the quality of the productions, the fund builds capacity in Arab content- generators. The long-term impact of these programs is multi-faceted. Examples of connections between the American and NEA industries continue to grow, with multiple MEMI alumni hired or signed by American Media companies including Netflix and Vuclip and Creative Artists Agency. In addition to creating content that reinforces mutual respect, tolerance, and pluralism among younger audiences, U.S. investment in regional scriptwriters and producers enhances mutual economic prosperity by developing local talent and partnerships with American industry leaders. When the next generation in the MENA region connects to the American brand, they develop ties to the United States that advance our interests in the rapidly changing entertainment and digital communication space. A 1950s kerosene-powered slide projector from the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. Diplomats used it to show slides or film strips in areas with limited or no electricity. Department of State 2019 A gency F inancial R eport U nited S tates D epartment of S tate | 23