The Faculty of Information and Communication at Antonine University (UA) is organizing the fifth webinar within “Les Jeudis de l’InfoCom” series, a set of virtual talks that aim to keep every participant up to date on the latest trends in the field and widen the horizons of the students and the UA community while instilling in them the love of life-long learning.
This panel discussion, entitled “The Impact of COVID-19 on Film and Media Production,” comes from a disturbing observation: while it is true that all sectors have been severely shaken by the outbreak of the pandemic, one has especially undergone a near to complete shutdown, that is the world of film, media, and television production. During this session, professionals from the media, film, and online streaming industries will discuss the consequences of the pandemic from three different angles:

• the challenges that the production industry is handling during the COVID-19 crisis;
• the adaptations and alternatives adopted to overcome those issues; and
• the continuing of the industry in regard to the long-term effects.

Audience: Public
Date: March 4, 2021
Time: 2:15 – 3:30 PM
Language: English
Location: Virtual via Microsoft Teams

Program

2:15 – 2:25 PM

• Welcoming Note | الكلمة الترحيبيَّة
  Dr. Dalal Moukarzel, Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication
• Introduction | مقدِّمة
  Ms. Rana Gebran, Head of the Department of Audiovisual and Panel Moderator

2:25 – 3:15 PM

• Panel Discussion | حلقة حوار
  Mr. Karim Makhlouf, Producer and Partner at “né à Beyrouth Films”
  Mr. Naji Bechara, Senior Producer at “Prodigious ME”
  Mr. Michel Hourani, Actor, University Instructor, and Stage Director

3:15 – 3:30 PM

• Q/A

Register now to join this session, or contact assistante.infocom@ua.edu.lb for more information.

Short Biography

Karim Makhlouf
Born in 1975, Karim Makhlouf grew up in Beirut until 1989, the year he emigrated to France in order to pursue his studies. Throughout his life, he had shown a particular interest for art and, more specifically, a passion for cinema and photography. In 2008, he joined the production house né à Beyrouth Films to develop the cinema, the documentary films and the television commercials departments. After participating in numerous projects, Karim Makhlouf decided to focus on the development and production of documentaries and features, such as Ports of Call, the adaptation of Amine Maalouf’s book Les Échelles du Levant.
In short: Quietus (2018), Insyriated (2017), Tombé du Ciel (2016), Go Home (2015), Le Temps de la Balle (2010), etc.

Naji Bechara
After completing his BA in Communication Arts at Notre Dame University of Louaize, Naji Bechara enrolled in a summer program at USC School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles, before acquiring a Master’s degree in Digital Feature Film Production from Filmbase in Dublin, Ireland.
Versatile and trained in all types of films and formats, he is able to wear several hats depending on the projects, being as easily producer and director, and thus acquiring an extensive experience in feature films, music videos, digital content, documentaries, advertisements, etc. For the last four years, he has been working as Producer at Prodigious ME, Dubai, and has handled all kind of productions for Publicis Groupe.
In short: Void (2011), A Matter of Life and Death (2014), documentaries for the Red Cross, etc.