Alkarma Edutainment, the Cairo-based leading provider of educational entertainment media programs in the Arab World, announced today that it is expanding its horizons to include drama and comedy production.
With nearly 20 years of experience in every aspect of media services and expertise in processes from idea conception all the way to broadcasting and marketing, the company's move from educational programming into even more popularly appealing drama is a logical next step.
Alkarma Edutainment expansion into drama will be marked by a freshly developed TV series format: the mini comedy series- Ahmed Etgawez Mona. Alkarma Edutainment new concept will provide Arab viewers with a unique kind of wholesome, informative entertainment.
“The move to drama and comedy is a natural expansion for Alkarma Edutainment," said the Alkarma Edutainment Chairman Amr Koura. "It is another way to provide relevant media content that has positive messages and can help form public opinion."
Koura, an advocate on using media to deliver educational and inspiring content to promote social change, pointed out that Egyptian drama, long the benchmark of excellence in Arab TV, now faces fierce competition from shows produced in other parts of the Arab World. "Drama is one of the most powerful forms of communication," he said. "Egypt’s Drama and comedy need a fresh approach. When that is properly developed, a show can become more than just entertainment. It can help create a platform for dialogue, a mental space in which viewers can discuss challenging issues."
In a press conference held today in Cairo, Alkarma Edutainment announced that filming has begun for a new mini comedy, to be aired this year on a leading TV channel during the holy month of Ramadan. Ahmed Etgawez Mona, starring Ahmed Falawkas and Iny El Mokaddem in her first acting experience, will portray a series of interactions between a newly married couple, Ahmed and Mona, whose endearing matrimonial adventures are designed to reflect universal truths about family life. With an innovative format of 10-minute episodes and opportunities for viewers to participate in creating new situations for Ahmed and Mona based on their own experiences, the show is expected to gain recognition as a bold, captivating program.
“The mini comedy is one of the features of a new direction for our company,” Koura said. “We created it because we believe that young Arab viewers need something new—a different format, a different way of relating to what they’re watching. Our innovations have come in response to a call from viewers across the Arab world for a change for the better.”
Dina Amin, vice president for programming and content director for Alkarma Edutainment, understands that young viewers in the Arab world are no longer satisfied with the more established formats for TV shows. This knowledge has helped producers at Alkarma Edutainment design the brand-new mini comedy. “Our idea now is to provide Arab viewers with a relevant, positive situation comedy to which everyone can relate,” she said. “Ahmed Etgawez Mona will be safe for family viewing; it will be refined; it will be smart. A great deal of research has already gone into this project, and I believe the result will be a widely popular comedy.”
The show will feature Ahmed and Mona as its main characters, but will include appearances by members of both of their families, as well as their friends. The episodes will depict the couple in loving banter, facing together the unexpected complications inevitable in married life. It is set in Cairo and focuses on issues of communication between couples and their families. For the second season, Alkarma plans to accept viewer suggestions as to what should happen next to Ahmed Etgawez Mona.
Alkarma Edutainment will establish a web site dedicated to the show. Viewers can visit the site for information about Ahmed Etgawez Mona, as well as tips on married life for couples. Any viewer who contributes an idea to the show—by mailing a letter or writing an email—will receive a writing credit on the Web site.
“This is a holistic approach to edutainment,” Koura said. “We want to reach out to the audience in many different ways, to really enrich their experience as viewers and as people who relate to the material we’re producing.”
About Alkarma Edutainment
Alkarma Edutainment is the leading provider of educational entertainment media programs in the Arab World. With headquarters in Cairo and offices in Beirut and Dubai, Alkrama Edutainment offers services in a diverse range of media production categories, such as content formulation, production, broadcasting, marketing, merchandising and community outreach. The company was first created specifically to produce Alam Simsim, Egypt’s co-production of the children’s educational show, Sesame Street. It then attracted international attention for its professional, innovative work in edutainment, including achievements in merchandizing support and community outreach as well as broadcast production. Its members bring 20 years of experience in media communications to their tasks. The Alkarma strong alliances with major broadcasters and multinational corporations in the Arab world have secured its effectiveness and influence.
