A documentary boom?
Streaming, social change, and technology are fueling a new era of documentary filmmaking
If you’ve noticed an uptick in documentary films on your favorite streaming platforms, you’re not alone! The documentary genre is experiencing a major rise.
While binge-watching the latest hit documentaries on Netflix, we’ve been exploring the factors behind their growing popularity. Streaming services are giving documentaries a prime platform, placing unique, niche stories alongside blockbuster hits.
Still, funding challenges remain, particularly for independent filmmakers. There's an ongoing shift towards crowdfunding and sponsorship models. Beyond streaming, documentaries are playing a crucial role in raising awareness of important social and political issues.
All this to say we're excited to announce the launch of our first documentary next month, showcasing the life and work of Asma Khader—an influential lawyer, women’s rights advocate, human rights activist, and Jordanian politician. After six months of dedicated work, we're thrilled to share her remarkable story.
Last month, we hosted an event at NOFA Creative Space, where we launched a short film and showcased a selection of photos featuring Jordanian archaeologist and professor Maysoon Al-Nahar. We’re excited to share the event highlights with you in this newsletter
We’d love to hear what kinds of stories you’d like to see in the future and your preferred medium.
Best wishes,
Rana F. Sweis
Founder, Wishbox Media Company
💡 What we've been up to
📽️ We created a video and photo story featuring Professor Maysoon Al-Nahar from the School of Archaeology and Tourism at the University of Jordan. She is the only specialist in the country focusing on Jordan's prehistory, with a particular emphasis on prehistoric excavations.
📺 The short film was launched at NOFA Creative Space, followed by a photo gallery presentation and a discussion.
🎥 Several videos featuring Sehes, the puppet, have been published, covering topics such as:
A video about a cherished space for arts and creativity, hosted by artist Mike V. Derderian at FADA317 in Amman.
Diversity in Jordan, showcasing its cultural and religious richness.
Ambitious youth in Jordan, highlighting engineering and science students from the German Jordanian University.
These videos are part of a project managed by Wishbox Media and supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Jordan office, aimed at presenting Jordan’s culture, arts, literature, sports, and education in a new light. Sehes was created by cartoonist Omar Al-Abdallat.
🎬 Journalist Sawsan Zaideh prepared a video report for us, as part of our work supported by Qarib ( CFI, the French media development agency), highlighting women entrepreneurs from the Jordan Valley who have launched businesses to support their families and introduce new products to markets in Irbid and Amman. The video report was published this week on AmmanNet’s website. Supported by The Qarib Project under the French Development Agency and Media Cooperation, the report showcases the impact of these women's initiatives in a 7-minute video.
📱 Wishbox Media organized a training workshop at the Canadian Embassy for a group of civil society organizations, focusing on how they can utilize social media tools and platforms to promote their work. The session, led by trainer Mohammed Alafranji, provided practical insights into creating engaging content, building a consistent online presence, and leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to amplify their messages and reach wider audiences.
🗄️ From the archive
🤖 We’re revisiting marketing expert Deb Ghanma’s best Arabic AI tools.
📺 Our media consumption
📚 We’re thrilled to share exciting news from one of our very own freelance writers, Natasha Tynes! Natasha is currently serializing her latest fiction, Karma Unleashed, on Substack. It’s a captivating story that has readers hooked with each new chapter. You can dive into the world of Karma Unleashed and follow the serialized novel here.
📩 Looking for fresh ways to tell your story, edit or produce a video, launch a social media campaign, or design a report? We can help you do all of that and even turn your data into engaging infographics. Get in touch, and let’s bring your ideas to life! Send us a message: wishboxmediame@gmail.com
