DUBAI: For far too long, creators of films and TV shows in the Arab world have had only two realistic options: Either make an arthouse movie that is intended to tour international film festivals (often never actually getting seen by a mainstream audience), or make a traditional melodrama for one of the major TV networks in the region. With very few exceptions, all the many genres lying in between prestige crime dramas, supernatural thrillers, space westerns and more have been left to the rest of the world to create. That lack of creative possibility stifled generations of talent, hindering Arab filmmakers from achieving their full potential.