LAYALINA PRODUCTIONS Quarterly Newsletter / Summer 2008

US Premiere: On the Road in America

Spotlight: Honorary Chairman

President George H.W. Bush and Layalina President Ambassador Marc Ginsberg

On June 9, Layalina’s President Ambassador Marc Ginsberg met with Layalina’s Honorary Chairman, President George H.W. Bush, at the White House.

Top left to right: Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, Layalina’s President; Ali Amr, castmember; Ambassador Ginsberg briefed President Bush Lara Abou Saifan, castmember; Pat Mitchell, President and CEO, The Paley Center for Media; Jerome Gary, Executive Producer and Director of On the Road in America; Ambassador Richard Fairbanks, on Layalina’s programming achievements and Founder and Chairman of Layalina. Bottom left to right: Leon Shahabian, Layalina’s Vice President and its future production schedule, including the Executive Producer of On the Road; Laura Michalchyshyn, Sundance Channel’s Executive Vice President; successful airing of On the Road in America in and Larry Aidem, Sundance Channel President and CEO. the and its debut on the Sundance Channel in the US. On the Road in America, Layalina’s 12-episode reality Viewer feedback travelogue series, had its US premiere broadcast in primetime on both coasts on the Sundance “I am a Jew and a They also discussed current Mideast Channel from June 4 through August 20. supporter of . The developments focusing on Layalina’s public interactions between Lara diplomacy mission in the MENA region and Produced by Layalina in association with [castmember], a Palestinian, the role that private sector initiatives are Visionaire Media of Los Angeles, On the Road and Guy [director of playing in support of such missions. received favorable reviews from national and photography], an Israeli, international media during its week-long press tour. emerge into a friendship We are delighted to count on President Bush’s so beautiful that it really wise leadership and insightful counsel. Created by Academy Award®-nominated producer bring tears to my eyes. Jerome Gary and executive produced by Gary Lara transforms the way and Layalina Vice President Leon Shahabian, the that she looks at Israelis. series aims at fostering cross-cultural exchange and Although she does not understanding and helps to bridge the gap between support Israel to any the and the Arab world. extent, she does see that Israelis are people who On the Road had its premiere run on MBC1, the want peace as much as largest free-to-air pan-Arab satellite network she does... In my opinion, a between January 18 and April 7, 2007. friendship as unlikely as the According to polling from Ipsos Stat, a leading one between Guy and Lara European polling firm,On the Road was the second is a big step in achieving most-watched show in its primetime slot in the peace.” Arab world. On the Road viewer feedback as EPISODE 5, On the Road cast and crew in Montana. On the Road is made possible thanks to a generous posted on sundancechannel.com by diamondf467 on July 7, 2008. A rugged pack trip into Yellowstone country elicits grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation different levels of enthusiasm among the three cast members of Indiana. camped out under the stars. The group is introduced to two respected Western experts, writer/anthropologist Dr. Larry The Sundance Channel Lahren and author Doug Peacock. A fishing trip provides reaches 28 million American an opportunity to relax and make new friends. households and is a venture of NBC Universal, CBS and Robert Redford. In Pre-Production: Life After Death Chairman’s Message

Dear Friends, e are currently pre-producing Life After Death, a feature It is my pleasure to announce that our hit documentary that will air on travelogue series On the Road in America had its Al-ArabiyaW and serve as an indictment against domestic debut in primetime on the Sundance extremist violence. It will feature family Channel from June 4 until August 20. The show members of American, Arab and European was warmly received and favorably reviewed victims of Al-Qaeda and their compelling both by American and international media. messages of suffering, endurance and hope.

Currently, we are pre-producing Life After Religious, cultural and language barriers will be dismantled to garner partnerships Death, a feature documentary that will premiere in a global mission to interdict Al-Qaeda terrorism and foster mutual appreciation in primetime on Al-Arabiya and serve as an and respect, based on shared experiences of losing loved ones at the hands of indictment against Al-Qaeda. Layalina has also terrorists. We will film starting in mid-September in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; begun production on the pilot episode of our , ; and Madrid, Spain. news magazine show, Al-Sa’at (The Hour). The show is a co-production with Al-Arabiya news Life After Death is a Visionaire Media production in association with Layalina channel and will feature insightful investigative Productions. news critical to the state of relations between the United States and the Arab world. Now Shooting: Al-Sa’at Our continued efforts to further strengthen US-Arab relations are made possible thanks to ayalina is currently in production your generous support. We look forward to your on the pilot episode of its news tax-deductible contributions to bring additional magazine show Al-Sa’at (The Hour), programs to fruition. La co-production with Al-Arabiya news channel. The pilot features insightful Thank you in advance for your support. investigative news elucidating the state of relations between the United States and the With kind regards, Arab world. Production is slated to end by early September.

Layalina’s production partner Al-Arabiya intends to air the completed pilot. Layalina’s portion of the pilot episode budget for this series is made possible thanks to a generous $100,000 grant from the Marc and Eva Stern Foundation of Richard Fairbanks California. Chairman of the Board

The Layalina Review: 4th Anniversary Celebration

n July, we celebrated the fourth anniversary of our bi-weekly press review. The Layalina Review “This review should be has become a peerless one-stop source for monitoringI developments in the spheres of public required reading for all diplomacy and Arab media. For each edition of the new and current DOS Review, Layalina staff and volunteers compile press articles from English, French and news sources [Department of State] and summarize the information into 11 to 15 stories. Topics range from media freedoms and censorship, officers, political or analysis of US government public diplomacy efforts, career.” Arab television to culture and sports diplomacy, video games, regional polling data, and communication industry advancements. The Layalina Review is cross-listed on the website of the USC Center for The Honorable Patricia Harrison, Public Diplomacy on the newsroom The Review’s distribution list encompasses 6,000 page http://uscpublicdiplomacy.com/ President and CEO of the Corporation index.php/newsroom and their affiliated readers internationally, including academics, Foreign blog http://intermap.org, as well as for Public Broadcasting and, Service Officers, students, members of Congress and on http://www.PublicDiplomacy.org, their staff and foreign diplomats. a website sponsored by the alumni Former Under Secretary of State for association of the USIA and the Foreign Policy Association’s Public Diplomacy Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs. The Review is made possible thanks to a generous blog at http://www.publicdiplomacy. $50,000 grant from Dr. Scholl Foundation of Illinois. foreignpolicyblogs.com. 2 On the Road: In the News

On the Road in America was originally produced by a nonprofit group with the hope ofshowing “Arab viewers in the Middle East a broader and more nuanced view of America than that seen in Hollywood exports.” THE NEW YORK TIMES, De Tocquevilles From the Middle East by Elizabeth Jensen, June 1, 2008.

“To be honest with you, after 9/11, I didn’t think Arabs would be welcome [in America], because everyone viewed us as terrorists,” Amr said. “After I went to America, my mind definitely changed. Al Jazeera’s Min [from] Washington presented by Abd-al-Rahim Fuqara. Left to Right: castmember Ali You can’t judge any country without visiting.” Amr; castmember Lara Abou Saifan; Jerome Gary USA TODAY, Young Mideast bunch on tour in Executive Producer and Director of On the Road in America; Leon Shahabian, Executive Producer of On ‘America’ by Gary Strauss, June 4, 2008. the Road; and Abd-al-Rahim Fuqara. On the Road: On Tour

Left to right: Idris Diaz, Assistant Counsel for Africa, was “an enlightening, heartening USAID; Said Ahmad, Iraqi Embassy Deputy Chief of presentation and discussion,” Mission; Osama Al Taye, Iraqi Embassy Chief of Staff at and called the series, “a truly the Washington, DC On the Road Screening; Dr. Susan F. Rice, a Layalina Donor with Leon Shahabian, Layalina’s important piece of work,” Vice President at the Los Angeles screening of On the Road. noting that “the Arab cast seem Panel discussion moderated by Pat Mitchell at the Paley very real in their reactions. It Center for Media with Ambassador Richard Fairbanks, amazed me at the end when Jerome Gary, castmembers and Laura Michalchyshyn. The audience in Paley Center reacts to a moving scene they all started to change their from On The Road. photo: Chloe A. Seldman viewpoints towards Americans and made friends” said Sara on www.arabic. n advance of On the Road in America’s Richard Fairbanks, castmembers Ali Amr meetup.com. primetime premiere, the Sundance from Cairo and Lara Abou Saifan from Channel organized a national press tour Beirut, series creator Jerome Gary and On May 29, the Sundance Channel, thatI included outreach events in New York Sundance Channel Executive Vice President Visionaire Media and Layalina co-hosted City, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Laura Michalchyshyn. a screening and reception at Plaster City in Hollywood. A few dozen guests were On May 28, The Paley Center for Media Two hundred guests were in attendance present, including Layalina Donor Dr. Susan (formerly the Museum of Television and including Mr. Frederick Whittemore, a F. Rice. Radio) co-hosted a screening at its theater Layalina Director and Donor, Ms. Damaris in with the Sundance Skouras, a Layalina Counselor and Donor, On June 3, the Sundance Channel, Layalina, Channel, Layalina and Visionaire Media. Ambassador Bruce S. Gelb, a Layalina Visionaire Media and The New America The screening played to a packed house and Donor and Lady Julie Hardinge, a Layalina Foundation co-hosted a screening at included an hour-long preview of the series, Donor. Landmark E Street Theater in Washington, which was followed by a panel discussion DC. Among the attendees were Mr. Alan featuring Layalina’s Chairman Ambassador Our guests later commented that the event Heil, a Layalina Donor, (see page 4) 3 Board of Counselors On the Road: On Tour

President George H.W. Bush (cont’d from page3) Layalina Director Ambassador Walter Cutler and Mrs. Cutler who are Honorary Chairman also Layalina Donors, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bodman, Layalina Donors, as well as reporters from notable national and international press and diplomats. Layalina President Ambassador Tarek Abdel-Meguid Marc Ginsberg hosted a Q&A discussion following the screening. David M. Abshire Richard V. Allen George L. Argyros* Layalina is grateful for the positive media coverage that On the Road received. It is a Thomas Ludlow Ashley* recognition of our continued efforts to create meaningful programming that fosters better James A. Baker, III understanding between the United States and the Arab world. We look forward to your Samuel R. Berger continued support to make similar outreach events possible. Wayne L. Berman Reginald K. Brack Left to right: castmembers Zbigniew Brzezinski and crew in the Hamptons, John E. Chapoton* NY; castmembers Sanad Al Kubaissi from Saudi Walter L. Cutler* Arabia, and Ali Amr from Lawrence S. Eagleburger Egypt in Washington, DC. Richard Fairbanks* A. H. Farouki Marc Charles Ginsberg* Lee H. Hamilton Don Hewitt Carla A. Hills Henry A. Kissinger Team Layalina is Growing Maura B. Morey Support Layalina Sam Nunn Paul A. Russo* Layalina Productions, Inc. is a tax- Please join us in Alejandro Santo Domingo exempt organization under section welcoming Iqbal Khaiy, James Schlesinger 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Layalina’s new Design and Brent Scowcroft Production Coordinator. George P. Shultz Please support Layalina by making a Damaris Skouras Iqbal is an honors graduate Jeffrey H. Smulyan tax-deductible donation. To donate by Carl Spielvogel mail, please send your check or money of the Corcoran College Robert S. Strauss order to: of Art and Design in John C. Whitehead Washington, DC. Frederick B. Whittemore* Layalina Productions, Inc. Daniel Yergin Attn: Treasurer Iqbal is currently designing Layalina’s new Ezra K. Zilkha 1250 24th Street, NW, Suite 300 website and rebranding our publications. *Board of Directors members Washington, DC 20037 A native of , Iqbal speaks Arabic, French and Spanish. For information on stock donations and Team Layalina wire transfers, please contact Layalina’s Please join us in Treasurer at [email protected] or welcoming Jake Richard Fairbanks, Chairman of the Board (202) 776-7768. To donate by credit card, Foley, Layalina’s Marc Charles Ginsberg, President please visit www.layalina.tv/support new Office Leon Shahabian, Vice President & Treasurer Manager. Luke Stets, Outreach Director & Secretary Phyllis Chesley, Executive Assistant Jake will coordinate Anne Hagood, Managing Editor Layalina Productions Inc. all aspects of Iqbal Khaiy, Design and Production Coordinator 1250 24th Street NW Suite 300 development, Jake Foley, Office Manager Washington DC 20037 fundraising, production and post-production Josh Wood, Intern Tel 202 776 7761 of Layalina’s television programs and provide Courtney Hoffman, Intern Fax 202 776 7762 administrative support for Board and staff [email protected] members. www.Layalina.tv Jake is a graduate of Harvard University, where he focused on Middle Eastern Studies. Subscribe to the Layalina Review The Quarterly Newsletter is published by A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Jake speaks Visit www.layalina.tv/press/#subscribe. Layalina Productions, Inc., a §501(c)(3) non- Modern Greek and continues his studies in The Layalina Review is a FREE biweekly online profit, private sector corporation dedicated to Arabic. publication. With 26 issues per year, it is a bridging the growing divide between the Arab comprehensive news source for happenings in world and the United States through effective media and public diplomacy in the Arab world. television programming. To be placed on our mailing list, contact us at [email protected]. 4