We are standing at a global crossroads. Technological advances are hurtling us out of the world we knew and into a future that nobody can predict. These changes are felt everywhere, but nowhere are they more visible than in the rapidly shifting entertainment business.
Every Friday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Dr. David Tully (Associate Professor and the Head of Media Department at Middlesex University Dubai) and Deema Maghalseh (Senior Lecturer in Film Media at Middlesex University Dubai) welcome a new guest from across the global entertainment industry. From the unique vantage point of the UAE, they discuss entertainment business news, trends, and disruptions defining the future of film and television.
Join us every Friday at the Crossroads.
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Australian Ambassador to the UAE HE Ridwaan Jadwat on the Films That Shaped His Journey
In an exclusive interview on Crossroads, presenters David Tully and Deema Maghalseh speak with Australian Ambassador to the UAE HE Ridwaan Jadwat. Reflecting on his childhood under South African apartheid, HE Jadwat explores how early cinema provided vital escapism, igniting a lifelong passion for storytelling that guided his diplomatic career.
5 Jun 2026
Storytelling at a Crossroads: Who Shapes the Narrative—Authenticity, Audiences, or Trends?
In this episode of Crossroads, co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh explore the future of storytelling with Rory McLoughlin, Executive Producer at Film x People and founder of Like Minds UAE, one of the country's largest creative communities connecting creatives and industry professionals.
As emerging formats such as micro-dramas reshape content creation and consumption, the future of storytelling is being redefined. With audiences increasingly drawn to authentic stories, what influences—and who ultimately shapes—the narratives we tell?
The conversation explores the evolving media landscape, the tension between authenticity and emerging trends, the future of filmmaking in the UAE, and the kinds of stories and creative products the UAE can produce to strengthen its global creative presence and connect with international audiences. It also examines what creators need to thrive in an increasingly dynamic media environment.
22 May 2026
When Headlines Compete with Algorithms, Who Really Controls the Narrative?
Who better to unpack this than veteran journalist, editor, and media executive Michael Jabri-Pickett — one of the key figures who helped shape the English-language news landscape across the UAE and GCC over the past two decades. He was part of the founding team behind The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, later became Editor-in-Chief of Khaleej Times, and is now the Founder and Managing Director of This Is Dubai, a digital media and culture platform.
In an unfiltered conversation with co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh, Michael shares an insider perspective on how newsrooms really operate behind the scenes, the realities behind editorial decision-making, and how audience behavior, politics, and the rapidly evolving media landscape are reshaping journalism today.
15 May 2026
I Know I Like It, But Is It Art?: We Answer the Age-Old Question!
Our never-ending quest to investigate the business and pleasure of all the arts and entertainment industries throughout the region and around the globe continues apace!
This week we set our sights on the world of concept art: our guest is Talal Al Najarr, part of a new generation of contemporary Emirati artists emerging in the "digital-age Gulf."
His experimental work blends sculpture, CGI, video, installation, sound, and archival imagery, to explore themes like simulation, identity, postmodern culture, absurdism and distorted material culture, and is featured in several shows and installations right now across Arts Week.
Works mentioned in this week's discussion include: Tom Wolfe's The Painted Word, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea, and Camille Paglia's Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars
8 May 2026
Can Storytelling Be Business Strategy?: Branding, Big Ideas, and the Art of Communication
This week, Crossroads co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh welcome Dana Alhanbali, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of Bark & Berg.
In a world shaped by AI, endless content, and constantly shifting audiences, we explore how storytelling has evolved beyond entertainment to become a powerful tool for branding, communication, and building ideas. From creative strategy and original IPs to the collaborative energy of writers’ rooms, Dana shares how stories can shape businesses, connect teams, and turn concepts into something with real impact.
We also dive into the fine art of pitching, not simply as a way of selling, but as the ability to communicate ideas clearly enough to make others believe in them. Together, we discuss the balance between creativity and entrepreneurship, and why storytelling may be one of the most valuable business tools of our time.
1 May 2026
Another Networking Event That Goes Nowhere? How a Newly Launched Creative Community Closes the Gap with Real Support
It’s a full-circle moment with a clear shift in focus. Our very first guest, Ammar Galal, returns — but this time, the conversation is driven by the news itself. Co-host Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh reconnect with Ammar to explore the UAE Creative Community, a new initiative he has launched aimed at bringing together and supporting the creative community in the UAE. The discussion moves beyond the individual, focusing on a growing collective and how the creative industry has been reshaped in recent months.
This episode captures a moment of full support within the creative industry, exploring a community built to respond to creative needs, offering a space that goes beyond exposure and collaboration to provide real, ongoing support for creatives navigating this shift.
24 Apr 2026
Kind Of Blue: Why Do We Need Music, Now More Than Ever?
This week, we're honored to welcome Tala Badri, founder of Dubai's Centre for Musical Arts (CMA), which is making music education more accessible than ever in its landmark twentieth season. With increased focus on mental health and cultural enrichment in the UAE, there is no art form more guaranteed to bring people together in a healthy and healing way than music.
Tala joins the show to discuss how music and the work at her Centre can soothe and stimulate, and we explore why the arts are thriving here while facing so many challenges elsewhere.
17 Apr 2026
Sharjah Filmmaker Enters Oscar Spotlight
Sharjah-based filmmaker and lecturer Mohammed Mamdouh joins David Tully to discuss the international ascent of his latest film, Halal Dreams. Now competing at the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival, Mamdouh explores the future trajectory of UAE cinema and the creative resilience required when teaching filmmaking during global disruptions.
10 Apr 2026
“Just Be Kind”: Can storytelling shine a light strong enough to change a Dark Future?
On this week’s episode, our focus is on spirituality in storytelling: in tackling the topic, we are honoured to welcome legendary storyteller J.M. DeMatteis, who has chronicled the adventures of everyone from Batman to Scooby-Doo to Spiderman on TV and in print, while also crafting a series of award-winning, best-selling original comics and novels.
In discussing his new novel Dark Future, we examine how the best stories are the ones that remind us of the Perennial Philosophy, and how that can help us all face and change a dark future that just may be our present.
JM’s novel Dark Future, published by NeoText Books, is available now on Amazon
https://www.jmdematteis.com/
Works Discussed: The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley, God Bless You Mister Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
20 Mar 2026
Is There a Science to Oscar Prediction?: How To Predict The Winners
On this week’s episode, Dr David Tully and Deema Maghalseh of Middlesex University Dubai welcome award-winning filmmaker Razan Takash, who speaks not only about her new “Best of Fest” HollyShorts Film Festival champ Karayr Film (which she wrote and produced), but also gives us invaluable insight into how precisely a film makes it from first idea through execution, to a possible finish line at the Oscars.
Hint: it’s not always the best picture that wins Best Picture!
13 Mar 2026
How Can You Write With Purpose? Storytelling at the Crossroads of Uncertainty
On an unusual episode in an unusual time at an unusual place, Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh of Middlesex University Dubai welcome novelist, filmmaker and writing coach Daniela Tully, who talks with us about her timely Dubai-set novel, her upcoming writer's retreat, and the challenges and rewards of writing in a troubled era.
27 Feb 2026
A Quiet Revolution: Can Misery Memoirs Empower and Heal?
On this episode of Crossroads, co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh are joined by author, lecturer, and social scientist Donya Saberi to discuss her memoir The Quiet Revolution. The book shares the story of an Iranian woman navigating heartbreak and societal pressures in Dubai, while offering reflections that go beyond personal experience. Blending memoir with elements of self-help, it turns lived pain into an empowering narrative. Together, they explore the craft of the “misery memoir” and ask when private suffering becomes something larger than the individual.
20 Feb 2026
Laughter Out of Tears: Can Comedy Cross Borders That Tragedy Can’t?
This week on Crossroads, Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh of Middlesex University Dubai are joined by filmmaker and author Adolf El Assal, an Egyptian-Luxembourgish resident of the UAE. He discusses how his projects (including Sawah, which reached the number one spot on Netflix) have attracted large and devoted audiences in countries as diverse as China and Egypt, thanks to the humour inherent in his dramatic explorations of the cross-cultural experience.
13 Feb 2026
Third Eye Not Blind?: How Third-Culture Storytelling Is Changing the Industry
On today’s episode, co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh are joined by Philip Rachid, an award-winning filmmaker and a pivotal voice for the third-culture generation. We explore his multimedia project The Main Circle, his short-film portraits SHE, and the growing demand for industry spaces that nurture emerging storytellers shaped by life between worlds.
We also reflect on what it means to develop a distinct creative voice in the in-between, when you don’t fully belong here or there.
6 Feb 2026
When Hollywood Meets Dubai: Can Pop Culture Be Exported?
In conversation with David Tully and Deema Maghalseh is A-list Hollywood producer and Emmy-nominated actor Elijah Long, whose credits include Rambo: Last Blood, Tesla, Black Panther, and the upcoming All-Star Weekend.
Alongside his Hollywood achievements, we explore his latest venture — WOW3 Media, a Dubai-based pop culture and content brand built around the slogan, “Where Eastern Pop Culture Lives.”
This conversation moves beyond film credits to examine a much bigger question: What does it truly take for a city to become a pop culture capital? Can Dubai build the infrastructure, creative ecosystem, and international networks required to export culture in the way Hollywood once did — positioning itself as a global hub for cultural production and distribution?
30 Jan 2026
Defining the “Real” Challenge in Storytelling
Joining David Tully and Deema Maghalseh on Mira Business FM is the remarkable Ilvy Njiokiktjien, a multi-award-winning photojournalist with nearly two decades of experience documenting post-apartheid South Africa. Her work, Born Free – Mandela’s Generation of Hope, was featured at the landmark 10th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah.
Here, we discuss what it means to be a photojournalist, a storyteller of truth, in an era when it’s getting harder to trust what we see.
Find her fantastic work at https://www.ilvynjiokiktjien.com/
23 Jan 2026
How Production Companies Are Adopting AI In Film
In today's episode, our guest Tewe Pannier, Founder and CEO of GTV Film Productions and Paradox Studios here in Dubai, shares insights from his production companies' current practices, offering a grounded look at how AI is being plored, tested, and integrated across different stages of film production.
16 Jan 2026
From Oil To Oscars: How Did An Engineer Find His Way Into Cinema?
What roads can you take into filmmaking — and what does the industry actually demand along the way?
In our historic first episode, David Tully and Deema Maghalseh welcome multi-award-winning film director, producer, and educator Ammar Galal to unpack a journey that goes far beyond career change. From oil rigs to Oscar-contending cinema, Ammar reflects on how technical thinking, risk assessment, and professional discipline translate into creative industries — and what filmmakers today need to understand about navigating film as both an art form and an industry/ career.
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