“We Just Film Between the Sirens”: Middle East Production Hubs Play Down Disruption as Iran War Continues

and television production hubs across the are down playing the impact of the war, saying that despite missile attacks, closed airspace and rising security concerns, film and TV shoots are continuing across the region. “We just keep filming in between the [air raid] sirens,” an Israeli TV producer, speaking anonymously, told The Hollywood Reporter as the conflict entered its second week and the U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran continues to be met with missile fire and drone attacks by Tehran on targets across the region. Related Stories Israeli broadcaster Keshet briefly switched to all-news coverage after the Feb. 28 killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei that triggered the war. But by March 2, the channel had already begun returning to regular programming, airing the season finale of comedy panel show Mo’adon Layla (Night Club) and recording a special edition of its Saturday Night Live-style sketch show Eretz Nehederet (What a Wonderful Country), albeit without a studio audience because of security restrictions. Across the region, studios and production hubs say the war has complicated logistics but not halted production. “This is not the first war around us,” notes Jumana Sharbin, general manager of Olivewood Film Studios in Jordan, which has provided production support for local shoots of such features as Dune: Part Two (2024), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). “In previous years, we have had the war on Iraq, the war on Syria, war in Lebanon, and the crisis in Gaza, all through which Jordan remained calm and safe. During these time periods, several international productions were shot without any delays or incidents.” Sharbin cited several ongoing productions at the studio, including a local drama, the Korean series Kingdom of Women, and a regional TV show, which she said were proceeding as planned with no delays or interruptions. “From an industry perspective, the [United Arab Emirates] continues to operate in a stable and organized way,” a spokesperson for local studio Central Films in Abu Dhabi, a hub for high-end commercial work, told THR in an email. “And the public — including the film community — feels safe and confident being here.” It was a similar story in Saudi Arabia, with production studios saying the conflict has so far had only limited impact on operations. Film AlUla, the film body for the country’s northwestern region, said the war “isn’t currently impacting Film AlUla as we have no active shoots at the moment,” with the last feature production, Mackenzie Munro’s YA romance Chasing Red, having wrapped several weeks ago. Despite attacks on the Kingdom — including a March 3 drone strike that hit the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh — there has been little visible disruption to daily life. Cinemas, cafes and restaurants remain open, operating on Ramadan hours — opening up after sundown after people break their fasts — untill 3 am or later. The war entered its ninth day on Monday with no sign of abating. Israel reported a new wave of strikes on central Iran and Beirut, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced additional missile launches. Regional governments also reported Iranian drone strikes in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Air travel, critical for international productions, remains the biggest disruption. Opsgroup, which provides risk information for the airline industry, noted in a March 9 briefing that UAE and Qatar have begun limited flights out of the region, but that “large parts of Middle East airspace remain closed” as missile and drone strikes continue across the region, including a March 7 attack that hit the Dubai airport, leading to a brief suspension of operations there. Kuwait also reported an attack hit fuel tanks at its international airport over the weekend. International productions eying a Mid-East shoot have, Central Films admitted, “understandably paused while companies assess the broader regional situation.” The real test may come in the weeks ahead, as international producers, insurers and bond companies reassess the risk of filming in the region. For the film community, the immediate reality is less about production logistics than about navigating the human toll of the conflict. “At this moment of deep suffering and uncertainty across the Middle East, our first response must be human,” says Dana Blankstein Cohen, executive director of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem. “Like everyone in the region, our students and faculty are living through displacement, anxiety, and instability. Many are processing what they are witnessing through their work.” Cohen notes the school is expanding its “creative platforms for storytelling in Arabic led by Palestinian filmmakers,” and will this month present eight new projects as part of its Series Lab. Says Cohen: “In moments like these, the role of artists is not only to witness reality but to defend our shared humanity through stories. Peace is not something we can simply wait for. It is something we must actively pursue and create together.” Abid Rahman in Riyadh and Lily Ford contributed to this report.

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