With the success of Netflix’s Egyptian horror series “Paranormal” and a slew of streamers such as Viu and OSN seeking locally produced originals, the TV market in Egypt is set to undergo rapid change.
Following four intense days of workshops and sessions during CIFF’s Industry Days program, projects were given the opportunity to pitch – via Zoom – to a room full of TV executives attending the physical festival. According to the three creators – two of whom are established actors – the series is based on their own experiences and many of the scenes stem from their improvisations.
“Egyptian TV dramas tend to revolve around social commentary and are grounded in reality – there’s not so much genre – sci-fi, horror or fantasy,” he said. Nakhla also cites Viu’s original drama “Zodiak” – a 15-part thriller about university students who find themselves the target of a curse – as another recent series to break the mold, although he notes that Viu released it back-to-back with another show, “Ana Sherry Dot Com,” to cater for the local audience’s 30-episode show expectations.