Diversity was in the spotlight at Saudi Arabia's Joy Awards, British entertainment reporter Stephanie Tayki says.
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00:00Yes, indeed. I saw Guy Ritchie in those pictures and also on the list.
00:06What impact could a ceremony like this have on the industry as a whole?
00:12You just mentioned it was a real mix, very diverse.
00:17You know, Leanne, it was very refreshing to see because I think for a long time,
00:21Hollywood has been the epic centre of glamour and the film industry.
00:26As we've seen with these LA world fires where the Oscars have been left in a bit of a pickle
00:31of how they can deliver an award show like this.
00:34We're actually seeing that more A-listers are now looking to the Middle East
00:38to establish themselves there, to create new connections there.
00:42And I think what's quite interesting, Hollywood for a long time has been asking for diversity.
00:48And I think when they do connect with the Saudi Arabia film industry,
00:52moving on from Hollywood and creating new epic centres are quite interesting.
00:57We know Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general is going to be a hot spot
01:01for the film industry by 2029, with it predicted to be a 1.5 billion market.
01:07So we are really seeing that shift, which is about time, I think, personally.