MBC GROUP announces the release of “Sukkar”, the first-ever Arabic-language musical film of its kind in the MENA region

RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 19 September 2023: MBC GROUP, the largest and leading media company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, announces the upcoming release of its first-ever Arabic-language musical production.

A first for the MENA, “Sukkar”, created by Heba Mashari Hamada, follows the journey of Sukkar and her friends who live in an orphanage, waking up every day with hopes of transforming their lives into something more meaningful and colourful. The head of the orphanage, Ratiba, is incredibly mean and makes life even harder for the kids.

Featuring original songs, “Sukkar” draws inspiration from the famous epistolary novel, “Daddy-Long-Legs” by American writer Jean Webster.

Directed by Tamer Mahdy, “Sukkar” stars Hala Turk in the lead role, alongside a host of young newcomers from around the GCC and Middle East, including Yasmina El Abd, Hajar Mohammed, Wedeema Ahmad, Maria Jumaah, Moataz Hesham, Mohammad Al-Harbi, Bavly Remon, and twins Abdullah Khaled and Omar Khaled. Also starring in the production are prominent actors Magda Zaki, Reham Al Shanawany, and Mohammed Tharwat.
The family-friendly film is set to be released across the MENA region on 12 October 2023 by Empire Entertainment, one of the region’s leading movie distributors.

PRODUCTION & MORE

Leading the film’s production is Samar Akrouk, Group Director of Production at MBC GROUP, alongside MBC Executive Producer Lara Ghazal Nassif and MBC Producer Alaa Awada, and Executive Producer Tamer Mortada and producer Mostafa Al Awadi from Aroma Productions, which managed cinematic execution under the supervision of MBC STUDIOS.

All original songs for “Sukkar” were penned by Heba Mashari Hamada, with the soundtrack composed by Ehab Abdel Wahed, arranged by Ahmed Tareq Yehya, and produced by Joy Music Production. The renowned Egyptian singer Ahmed Saad has lent his voice to the film.
Costume design was managed by Mona Tunisi, while art direction falls under the supervision of Ali Hossam Ali. Leading cinematography is Mostafa Fahmy

All filming locations featured newly-built sets, including those of the orphanage, Fruto Palace, the city, dumpsters and more. All set decorations used in the film were designed specifically for this project.

-ENDS-

**About Empire Entertainment **
Empire Entertainment is one of the leading movie distributors in the MENA region having represented a multitude of major studios for the past 100 years. With Sony Pictures and Stars Studios at the core of their operation, Empire also distributes a multitude of Arabic movies as well as co-produces different projects to cater to the rising demand of diversified regional content.

**About MBC GROUP **
MBC GROUP is the largest and leading media company in the Middle East & North Africa region that enriches people’s lives through information, interaction and entertainment. In 2002, nearly a decade after the launch of MBC1 in London, in 1991, MBC GROUP moved its headquarters to Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates. In September 2022, MBC GROUP launched its new headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Today, MBC GROUP includes over 17 leading TV channels: MBC1 (general family entertainment); MBC2 & MBC MAX (24-hour western movies); MBC3 (children’s edutainment with a mix of both local productions and western acquisitions); MBC4 (entertainment for young families with a female-focus); MBC ACTION (an indigenous adrenaline-packed channel targeting young males with local and homegrown productions); MBC VARIETY (Western films and general entertainment with uninterrupted broadcasting); MBC DRAMA (24/7 Arabic drama) & MBC+ DRAMA (a joint pay-TV channel between MBC and OSN); MBC PERSIA (general family entertainment dubbed and subtitled in Farsi); WANASAH (24-hour Arabic music channel); MBC MASR & MBC MASR2 (general family entertainment geared towards the Egyptian family); MBC BOLLYWOOD (delivering the freshest in Bollywood content geared towards the region via an Arabized interface); MBC USA (on “Dish Network” in the US); MBC IRAQ (a premium channel aimed at the entire Iraqi family), MBC5 (new satellite channel dedicated to the Maghreb); all of them benefit from MBC STUDIOS which produces the region’s most compelling premium content for cinema, television and on-demand platforms. MBC GROUP also includes two FM radio stations: MBC FM (Gulf music) and Panorama FM (contemporary Arabic hit music).

Furthermore, part of MBC GROUP is Shahid, the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform, home to highly rated original productions from the Arab world, a wide range of exclusive movies and premieres, as well as the top watched live Arab TV channels.

For press inquiries or more information, please contact:
Sasha GEMAYEL
Sr. Group PR Manager
MBC GROUP
+971 50 450 7504
Sasha.Gemayel@mbc.net