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DUBAI: The war in Gaza was certainly on the minds of some attendees at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

Megan Stalter, one of the breakout stars of comedy hit “Hacks,” showed up casual in a white T-shirt and jeans, but her handbag did all the talking.

The black purse had white tape on it with a simple message: “Ceasefire!”

And Javier Bardem, a nominee for best supporting actor in a limited series for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” wore a black and white keffiyeh around his neck.

“A lot of people are giving me their support in whispers, and I go, ‘Don't whisper, say it out loud,’” Bardem told AFP on the red carpet.

While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor did not want to talk about his work on “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” but rather the ongoing war in Gaza.

“At the end of August, the IAGS, the International Association of Genocide Scholars who studied thoroughly the concept of genocide, called what is going on in Gaza today a genocide,” Bardem said. “And that’s why we ask for the commercial and diplomatic blockade and the sanctions on Israel to stop this genocide. Free Palestine.”

He continued: “We are getting together Film Workers for Palestine. It’s a great union (and) group that is getting more and more people attached. It’s also important to clarify to Paramount that we do not target individuals by their identity. That’s absolutely wrong. Don’t send that message, that is a wrong thing. What we target are those complicit film companies and institutions that are involved in whitewashing or justifying the genocide of Israel in Gaza and its apartheid regime. And we stand with those who fight and stand in solidarity with the oppressed.”

Commenters on social media also praised the media outlet’s reporter for not shying away from the statement  and instead inviting Bardem to expand on his views.

Meanwhile, best supporting actress Hannah Einbinder from “Hacks” used her victory speech to deliver a brief, but very much no-holds-barred statement that called for a free Palestine, slammed immigration raids in the US, and declared her support for the Philadelphia Eagles.

DUBAI: “Desert Warrior,” an action-thriller feature film set in the 7th century that was shot in ��������, will have its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival on Sept. 28, 2025.

MBC Studios, the production arm of MBC Group, partnered with US-based JB Pictures and AGC Studios to produce “Desert Warrior.”

The movie’s all-star cast is led by Anthony Mackie and Aiysha Hart along with Sharlto Copley, Ghassan Massoud, Sami Bouajila, Lamis Ammar, Geza Rohrig, and Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley.

British director Rupert Wyatt, known for films such as “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Mosquito Coast,” led the screenplay, co-penned with Erica Beeney, David Self, and Academy Award nominee Gary Ross. The movie is produced by JB Pictures’ Jeremy Bolt of “Resident Evil” fame.

“Desert Warrior” was filmed in Neom and Tabuk in �������� in 2021.

The film is set in a land divided by warring tribes. The narrative follows Princess Hind (Hart), who defies Sassanid Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) and escapes into the desert with her father, King Numan (Massoud).

The pair are pursued by mercenaries led by Jalabzeen (Copley) as Hind and her father are forced to rely on a mysterious bandit (Mackie) to avoid capture.

Princess Hind rallies fractured tribes against the might of the Sassanid Empire, culminating in the epic Battle of Ze Qar that reshapes the Arabian Peninsula.

In a statement last year, MBC said it holds “great pride and enthusiasm” for “Desert Warrior. “The amount of hard work, creativity, and passion poured into this project is truly commendable, and it reflects in the quality of the film,” a spokesperson added.

The film joins other productions shot in the Kingdom, including Adil El-Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s action thriller “7 Dogs.”

The $40 million project from the “Bad Boys for Life” team was shot at Al-Hisn Big Time Studios in Riyadh, with additional filming at Riyadh Boulevard. Riyadh is also the stand-in for several international cities, including Mumbai and Shanghai.

Egyptian stars Karim Abdel Aziz (“The Blue Elephant,” “Kira & El Gin,” “Abu Ali”) and Ahmed Ezz (“Kira & El Gin,” “The Cell,” “Welad Rizk”) headline the action film.