Crossroads

In an exclusive interview on Crossroads, presenters David Tully and Deema Maghalseh speak with Australian Ambassador to the UAE HE Ridwaan Jadwat. Reflecting on his childhood under South African apartheid, HE Jadwat explores how early cinema provided vital escapism, igniting a lifelong passion for storytelling that guided his diplomatic career.

In this episode of Crossroads, co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh explore the future of storytelling with Rory McLoughlin, Executive Producer at Film x People and founder of Like Minds UAE, one of the country's largest creative communities connecting creatives and industry professionals.

As emerging formats such as micro-dramas reshape content creation and consumption, the future of storytelling is being redefined. With audiences increasingly drawn to authentic stories, what influences—and who ultimately shapes—the narratives we tell?

The conversation explores the evolving media landscape, the tension between authenticity and emerging trends, the future of filmmaking in the UAE, and the kinds of stories and creative products the UAE can produce to strengthen its global creative presence and connect with international audiences. It also examines what creators need to thrive in an increasingly dynamic media environment.

Who better to unpack this than veteran journalist, editor, and media executive Michael Jabri-Pickett — one of the key figures who helped shape the English-language news landscape across the UAE and GCC over the past two decades. He was part of the founding team behind The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, later became Editor-in-Chief of Khaleej Times, and is now the Founder and Managing Director of This Is Dubai, a digital media and culture platform.

In an unfiltered conversation with co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh, Michael shares an insider perspective on how newsrooms really operate behind the scenes, the realities behind editorial decision-making, and how audience behavior, politics, and the rapidly evolving media landscape are reshaping journalism today.

Our never-ending quest to investigate the business and pleasure of all the arts and entertainment industries throughout the region and around the globe continues apace! 

This week we set our sights on the world of concept art: our guest is Talal Al Najarr, part of a new generation of contemporary Emirati artists emerging in the "digital-age Gulf." 

His experimental work blends sculpture, CGI, video, installation, sound, and archival imagery, to explore themes like simulation, identity, postmodern culture, absurdism and distorted material culture, and is featured in several shows and installations right now across Arts Week.

Works mentioned in this week's discussion include: Tom Wolfe's The Painted Word, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea, and Camille Paglia's Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars

This week, Crossroads co-hosts Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh welcome Dana Alhanbali, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of Bark & Berg.

In a world shaped by AI, endless content, and constantly shifting audiences, we explore how storytelling has evolved beyond entertainment to become a powerful tool for branding, communication, and building ideas. From creative strategy and original IPs to the collaborative energy of writers’ rooms, Dana shares how stories can shape businesses, connect teams, and turn concepts into something with real impact.

We also dive into the fine art of pitching, not simply as a way of selling, but as the ability to communicate ideas clearly enough to make others believe in them. Together, we discuss the balance between creativity and entrepreneurship, and why storytelling may be one of the most valuable business tools of our time.

It’s a full-circle moment with a clear shift in focus. Our very first guest, Ammar Galal, returns — but this time, the conversation is driven by the news itself. Co-host Dr. David Tully and Deema Maghalseh reconnect with Ammar to explore the UAE Creative Community, a new initiative he has launched aimed at bringing together and supporting the creative community in the UAE. The discussion moves beyond the individual, focusing on a growing collective and how the creative industry has been reshaped in recent months.

This episode captures a moment of full support within the creative industry, exploring a community built to respond to creative needs, offering a space that goes beyond exposure and collaboration to provide real, ongoing support for creatives navigating this shift.

This week, we're honored to welcome Tala Badri, founder of Dubai's Centre for Musical Arts (CMA), which is making music education more accessible than ever in its landmark twentieth season. With increased focus on mental health and cultural enrichment in the UAE, there is no art form more guaranteed to bring people together in a healthy and healing way than music.

Tala joins the show to discuss how music and the work at her Centre can soothe and stimulate, and we explore why the arts are thriving here while facing so many challenges elsewhere.

Sharjah-based filmmaker and lecturer Mohammed Mamdouh joins David Tully to discuss the international ascent of his latest film, Halal Dreams. Now competing at the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival, Mamdouh explores the future trajectory of UAE cinema and the creative resilience required when teaching filmmaking during global disruptions.

On this week’s episode, our focus is on spirituality in storytelling: in tackling the topic, we are honoured to welcome legendary storyteller J.M. DeMatteis, who has chronicled the adventures of everyone from Batman to Scooby-Doo to Spiderman on TV and in print, while also crafting a series of award-winning, best-selling original comics and novels. 

In discussing his new novel Dark Future, we examine how the best stories are the ones that remind us of the Perennial Philosophy, and how that can help us all face and change a dark future that just may be our present.

JM’s novel Dark Future, published by NeoText Books, is available now on Amazon

https://www.jmdematteis.com/

Works Discussed: The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley, God Bless You Mister Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

On this week’s episode, Dr David Tully and Deema Maghalseh of Middlesex University Dubai welcome award-winning filmmaker Razan Takash, who speaks not only about her new “Best of Fest” HollyShorts Film Festival champ Karayr Film (which she wrote and produced), but also gives us invaluable insight into how precisely a film makes it from first idea through execution, to a possible finish line at the Oscars.

Hint: it’s not always the best picture that wins Best Picture!