A report from the SAWA-hosted session on the power of big screen storytelling at Cannes Lions 2025
When filmmaker Gurinder Chadha OBE stepped onto the Cannes Lions stage alongside SAWA President Katharine Jacob OBE, she brought with her a powerful statistic that would define their 30-minute conversation. Since the release of Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, female football registrations in the UK have exploded from 50,000 to over 800,000.
“That’s not just entertainment,” Chadha said during the session titled “Changing Minds: Shift Global Perspectives Through Big-Screen Storytelling.” “That’s cinema changing the world.”
For Chadha, who grew up “yearning to see people who looked like me on screen center stage, as opposed to on the margins,” cinema represents something profound: the ability to reshape how entire societies think and feel. But what makes the big screen uniquely powerful isn’t just the stories it tells—it’s how those stories are experienced.
“Seeing a film in a collective space is that reminder of the universality of emotions and who we are,” Chadha observed. This shared viewing experience, where diverse audiences come together in a single space, creates a unique opportunity for perspective-shifting that other media simply cannot replicate.
Jacob, drawing on her extensive background in cinema advertising, reinforced this point by highlighting how the big screen environment amplifies every message. When stories reach audiences in this immersive, collective setting, they don’t just reflect culture—they actively create it.
Central to Chadha’s approach is a sophisticated understanding of audience psychology that has direct relevance for anyone crafting messages for the big screen. “I always start with the perspective of the audience,” she explained. “What is the audience thinking? How am I going to shift their opinions? I know what you’re expecting, and then I change it, and I shift it.”
This technique of meeting audiences where they are before challenging their assumptions proved transformative for Bend It Like Beckham. Rather than depicting the typical “immigrant rebellion” narrative, Chadha showed a supportive Sikh family encouraging their daughter’s dreams. By subverting expectations, she normalized what audiences initially saw as foreign or different.
“My job is to reach out to your heart, to help you feel heard, feel alive and make you rethink what is around you,” Chadha said, articulating a mission that extends far beyond entertainment.
Chadha’s insights proved particularly relevant when the conversation turned to today’s fragmented media landscape. In an era where audiences can skip, scroll, or click away in seconds, the challenge for all content creators—whether filmmakers or advertisers—has intensified.
“Our job as creatives is even harder now,” Chadha noted. “We need to surprise the audience.” For advertising specifically, she emphasized the need for “a twist in there to stop people’s [skipping] and go, ‘Oh, I love this.'”
The parallel between effective filmmaking and effective advertising became clear: both require authentic storytelling that connects emotionally while challenging preconceptions. Both benefit from the unique power of the cinema environment to create shared, immersive experiences.
Throughout the session, both speakers emphasized that authentic representation isn’t merely a moral imperative—it’s strategic storytelling. When audiences see themselves reflected authentically in stories, they feel “heard” and become more receptive to the messages being conveyed.
For Chadha, this representation serves a larger purpose: “Cinema allows you to change the world.” By “bringing you into the home” of cultures unlike your own, cinema builds empathy and understanding across differences. Professional athletes have credited her films with inspiring their careers, demonstrating how big-screen storytelling can create real-world change.
The session, part of Cannes Lions’ Changemakers track, underscored a crucial point for anyone working in advertising: the medium shapes the message. The cinema environment—with its scale, immersion, and collective viewing experience—amplifies the impact of every story told there.
As Jacob and Chadha’s conversation revealed, cinema’s power lies not just in its ability to entertain, but in its capacity to shift perspectives, challenge assumptions, and inspire action. For brands and storytellers alike, the big screen offers something increasingly rare in our fragmented media world: the chance to create shared experiences that genuinely change how people think and feel.
Chadha left a lasting note on cinema’s power to shape the world—an enduring reminder that messages on the big screen carry both influence and the ability to change perspectives.
This session was hosted by SAWA (the global cinema advertising association) at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2025. SAWA represents cinema advertising companies worldwide, including Motivate Val Morgan in the Middle East.
Middle East cinema markets deliver exceptional Eid al-Adha 2025 performance, with diverse content spanning Hollywood blockbusters to regional Arabic films driving unprecedented audience engagement.
Motivate Val Morgan has recorded an exceptional cinema box-office performance during the 2025 Eid al-Adha holiday period, with data from its cinema admissions reporting platform, CineMeasure, showing 1.06 million admissions across the circuit in just four days, reflecting robust growth in regional cinema attendance during key cultural holidays.
This success spans both international blockbusters and locally relevant content, creating diverse audience engagement across multiple demographics and significant opportunities for cinema advertising partners.
International blockbusters contributed significantly to this success, led by Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in their third week of release, followed by the newly released Ballerina. Together, the films delivered over 422,000 admits for the circuit.
Lilo & Stitch, approaching $800 million in global box office revenue, continues to dominate family-oriented segments throughout the region. The live-action adaptation has successfully captured both younger audiences and nostalgic adult viewers.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, with worldwide earnings exceeding $450 million, maintains strong momentum as action movie audiences seek premium theatrical experiences. The UAE’s position among the top 10 international markets for the franchise’s opening highlights the region’s appetite for high-production-value entertainment that maximizes the big-screen experience.
Ballerina, with its $51 million worldwide box office opening, demonstrates the region’s appetite for stylized action entertainment, with the John Wick universe expansion attracting both franchise fans and new audiences seeking premium cinematic experiences.
Beyond the international blockbuster success, regional content delivered equally impressive results during the four-day period. Arabic language films led this segment, with Project X achieving over 150,000 admits after its Eid weekend release and securing the #1 position in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait, while reaching top five spots in UAE, Lebanon, and Bahrain. Restart – another Arabic-language release – continued its strong theatrical run in its second week, adding over 100,000 admissions during the holiday period.
Asian cinema also demonstrated strong appeal, with Thug Life opening with over 50,000 admits across the circuit, highlighting the diverse international content preferences beyond Hollywood blockbusters.
The broad geographic success across multiple markets indicates strong audience engagement with culturally resonant storytelling from locally produced Arabic films to diverse Asian cinema.
This comprehensive regional performance—spanning Hollywood blockbusters to local content—reflects broader positive global cinema trends. According to Gower Street Analytics, international markets achieved their highest May box office performance since 2019, generating $2.4 billion globally and representing 40% year-over-year growth. Current performance levels now track just 6% below pre-pandemic industry averages.
The combination of strong content performance, recovering market fundamentals, and demonstrated audience enthusiasm from international blockbusters to locally produced content ensures continued robust attendance levels across the region.
This recovery trajectory provides increased stability for advertising investment decisions. Consistent release schedules have now replaced the irregular content availability that characterized the post-pandemic period, creating a schedule with multiple wide releases weekly and more predictable audience traffic patterns, enabling strategic advertising campaign planning.
With consistent content performance and predictable audience patterns, now is the ideal time to maximize your cinema advertising investment across the region. Contact us to explore opportunities.
Summer Box Office 2025 data reveals cinema set to dominate GCC marketing landscape with record-breaking audience numbers and premium engagement.
Cinema endures as the most popular form of ‘away from home’ entertainment, providing scale and engagement in a brand-safe environment for advertisers. As the summer heat builds across the region, movie theaters are emerging as the “coolest” destination for both audiences and smart marketers.
The early indicators for summer 2025 are nothing short of spectacular. Mission Impossible UAE 2025 opening reached an impressive $3.6 million, securing the region’s position among the top 10 global markets and claiming the number one position locally.
Globally, the weekend of May 22-25 delivered extraordinary results. Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning combined for a remarkable $545.7 million worldwide opening, setting the stage for an exceptional summer season. The momentum continued through their third week, with both films maintaining strong holds and adding an estimated $677 million globally, bringing their combined three-week total to approximately $1.22 billion – proving that quality content sustains audience engagement well beyond opening weekend.
The success extends beyond standard screenings. IMAX delivered franchise-best numbers for Mission: Impossible with $53.2 million globally through three weeks, while Lilo & Stitch drew families to premium large format presentations. This reinforces growing audience preference for enhanced experiences, with 77% of moviegoers now favoring IMAX, Dolby and other PLF Cinema formats according to the Fandango Moviegoing Trends & Insights Study Spring 2025 .
The reasons behind summer’s dominance are crystal clear in the latest consumer insights. According to the Fandango, an overwhelming 83% of all moviegoers are planning to beat the summer heat by heading to the theater. But it’s not just about escaping the heat—audiences are actively seeking diverse experiences, with 78% interested in seeing a variety of movie genres in theaters over the summer—up from 68% in the previous year, showing a growing interest in moviegoers actively wanting to diversify their cinematic experiences.
The appetite runs deep. 66% of all moviegoers are planning to see four or more movies in theaters across the upcoming summer period — with the numbers rising to 69% among Gen Z. This proves that it isn’t casual entertainment consumption; it’s committed engagement with the in-cinema medium.
Fandango Moviegoing Trends & Insights Study Spring 2025 findings are based on extensive research encompassing more than 5,000 moviegoer responses from primary North American markets, with trends reflecting broader international cinema consumption behaviors.
The summer lineup reads like a marketer’s dream slate of audience magnets, spanning blockbuster franchises, beloved reboots, and regional favorites:
Download our Q3 2025 ScreenTalk Movie Planner for the full list of movies releasing this summer and throughout Q3 2025.
With this exceptional lineup, premium audience engagement, and record-breaking early performance, summer 2025 is shaping up to deliver unprecedented opportunities for advertisers to connect with captivated audiences in the most immersive advertising environment available.
Looking beyond summer into the broader landscape of 2025, the theatrical pipeline has never been stronger. Hollywood Studios are unveiling roughly 110 movies this year, at least 15 more than they did in 2024—the highest number since 2020 and a 16% increase from the previous year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. For this region adding this with the ever-rising popularity of Arabic films and Asian movies and absence of any big sports event makes 2025 as the best year for cinema.
Summer Box Office 2025 delivers unprecedented opportunities with 83% of moviegoers heading to theaters, creating the largest captive audience for brand-safe advertising in the region.
Mission Impossible ($3.6M regional opening) and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch are the primary drivers, with their combined three-week $10.8 million performance.
Mission Impossible UAE 2025 opening reached an impressive $3.6 million, securing the region’s position among the top 10 global markets and highlighting the Middle East’s growing cinema influence.
The weekend of May 22-25, 2025, delivered a spectacular reminder of cinema’s enduring power. Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning combined for an extraordinary $545.7 million global opening, setting the stage for an exceptional summer season.
Lilo & Stitch surfed to a remarkable $341.7 million global debut, claiming the third-highest Disney Live Action opening weekend ever—trailing only to The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. The film’s success story extends far beyond traditional expectations, with the $100 million production—originally destined for Disney+ before receiving a theatrical upgrade.
What makes this performance particularly impressive is the film’s demographic reach. According to THR, rather than relying solely on families, Lilo & Stitch captured 60% of its domestic audience from non-parent demographics, driven largely by Gen Z and millennial women who grew up with the 2002 animated original. This cross-generational appeal translated into robust international numbers, with $158.7 million from overseas markets, including dominant performances in Mexico, the UK, and Brazil.
Tom Cruise continues to defy both gravity and industry expectations with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning launching to $204 million worldwide. The eighth installment in the franchise achieved series-best numbers globally, collecting $127 million overseas alongside strong domestic performance, surpassing previous franchise record-holder Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Early audience reception has been positive, with an A- CinemaScore and strong critical reviews praising the film’s practical stunts and emotional storytelling.
The Middle East emerged as a crucial contributor to both films’ success. The UAE ranked among the top 10 markets for Mission: Impossible, with the Tom Cruise vehicle claiming the number one position in the region. Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch demonstrated strong family appeal across Gulf markets, contributing significantly to Disney’s international haul.
This regional performance underscores the Middle East’s growing importance in the global cinema ecosystem. With the regional market projected to reach $3.44 billion by 2033, driven by young demographics and expanding urban centers, the weekend’s results demonstrate audiences’ appetite for premium theatrical experiences and blockbuster content across all genres.
Both films benefited from premium large format presentations, with IMAX delivering franchise-best numbers for Mission: Impossible ($31M) while Lilo & Stitch attracted families to premium screens. This trend reinforces the industry’s strategic pivot toward enhanced experiences that differentiate theatrical viewing from home streaming.
For cinema advertisers, this weekend demonstrated the power of diverse audience appeal. The success across demographics—from nostalgic millennials to action enthusiasts—created multiple engagement touchpoints. Lilo & Stitch’s family-plus-adult appeal and Mission: Impossible’s premium audience proved cinema’s unique ability to deliver both mass reach and targeted demographics in a captive, premium environment.
The weekend’s triumph establishes momentum for what industry analysts predict could be the most robust summer season since before the pandemic. The upcoming slate includes:
The combination of franchise filmmaking, premium experiences, and global appeal demonstrates that when Hollywood delivers quality content, audiences respond enthusiastically across all markets. Both films proved that theatrical experiences remain irreplaceable—whether through nostalgic emotional connections or breathtaking practical stunts.
The message is clear: cinema remains irreplaceable, and summer 2025 is positioned to be one for the record books, offering unprecedented opportunities for both exhibitors and advertisers to connect with engaged global audiences.
Sources: Deadline, Box Office Mojo, The Hollywood Reporter
VOX Cinemas has launched ‘Fall in Love with Film,’ a comprehensive brand campaign featuring an exclusive original score by two-time Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer. The initiative represents a strategic evolution in experiential marketing, positioning the cinema chain’s emotional connection with audiences at the center of its brand narrative.
The partnership with Zimmer marks a significant investment in brand differentiation for VOX Cinemas, which has operated across the Middle East for 25 years. The composer’s score blends traditional Arabic instruments with Hollywood orchestration, creating what he describes as “a sound that was cinematic at its core, but unmistakably VOX.”
Zimmer’s involvement extends beyond a typical commercial collaboration. “VOX has truly pioneered the cinema experience in the Middle East—a region that is very close to my heart—and I wanted to reflect the role they’ve played in shaping people’s most cherished memories,” Zimmer stated.
The campaign’s execution demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of touchpoint marketing. Beyond screening the brand film in cinemas across the region, VOX has integrated Zimmer’s score throughout the entire customer experience—from lobby atmospheres to customer service calls. This multi-sensory approach creates consistent brand reinforcement at every interaction point.
“The true heart of our story is our customers. For years, they’ve trusted VOX as the place where memories are made—where laughter, love, and even quiet reflection come to life,” said Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim – Entertainment. “This brand video is a tribute to that relationship.”
The campaign rollout spans eight regional markets: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Lebanon. VOX has developed localized versions in English, Gulf Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, and Saudi dialect, ensuring cultural relevance across diverse audiences while maintaining campaign cohesion.
‘Fall in Love with Film’ positions VOX Cinemas as more than an entertainment venue—it establishes the brand as a cultural institution integral to personal milestones and shared experiences. The campaign narrative follows generational connections to cinema, emphasizing VOX’s role in creating lasting memories across families and communities.
This strategic positioning differentiates VOX in an increasingly competitive entertainment landscape, where traditional cinema competes with streaming services and digital entertainment options. By emphasizing emotional connection and premium experiences, VOX strengthens its value proposition for both consumers and advertising partners.
The integration of world-class artistic collaborations into cinema branding represents an emerging trend in experiential marketing. Such initiatives demonstrate how premium content partnerships can enhance the overall cinema environment, creating elevated experiences that benefit both audiences and advertising partners alike.
As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, campaigns like ‘Fall in Love with Film’ showcase the potential for cinema operators to leverage artistic partnerships in strengthening their cultural relevance and market positioning.
Source: VOX Press Release
The Saudi Box Office demonstrated remarkable resilience in April 2025, generating SAR113.1 million in revenue with local production ‘Shabab EL Bomb’ capturing 20% market share
The Saudi cinema market demonstrated remarkable resilience in April 2025, generating SAR113.1 million in total box office revenue despite typical post-holiday adjustments, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Culture. This performance culminated in strong upward momentum, with the final week recording SAR21.4 million in revenue—a 26.6% increase from the previous week, signaling sustained consumer engagement across the cinema exhibition sector.
According to Gower Street Analytics, this acceleration aligns with the international box office (excluding China), which recorded the highest grossing month since December 2024 ($2.8 billion) with an April total of $2.1 billion—representing a 36% increase over April last year. Internationally, ‘Minecraft Movie’ and ‘Sinners’ powered the box office where there were still gaps expected to be filled in May with a denser, IP-driven, high-profile, and diverse schedule. However, the Saudi market demonstrated a distinctive strength by filling these same programming gaps with regional content, as evidenced by the exceptional performance of multiple Arabic productions.
This regional content advantage is exemplified by the Saudi production ‘Shabab EL Bomb 2,’ which emerged as the undisputed market leader, maintaining the top position for three consecutive weeks and amassing SAR 24.9 million across 537,300 admissions. This single title accounted for over 20% of the month’s total box office revenue, highlighting the growing influence and commercial viability of regional content within the Saudi cinema ecosystem.
Ministry data reveals a classic market recovery pattern throughout April, with weekly revenue stabilizing after an exceptionally strong start. The month began with SAR39.6 million during the week of March 30-April 5 (Eid Al-Fitr holidays), before adjusting to SAR 19.7 million in the second week. This adjustment phase subsequently gave way to a period of steady improvement, with revenues ultimately climbing to SAR 21.4 million in the closing week of April 27-May 3.
The Hollywood action thriller ‘A Working Man’ also delivered a strong performance with SAR 17.4 million and 318,200 admissions, reinforcing the region’s demonstrated preference for international action titles. ‘A Minecraft Movie’ established a solid franchise foundation with SAR 17.3 million across 361,800 admissions over five weeks, highlighting the market’s expanding capacity to sustain diverse content simultaneously.
Several releases exhibited notable growth patterns worth examining. ‘Asaf’ demonstrated consistent week-over-week box office increases, culminating in SAR 7.9 million from 152,300 admissions. Illustrating the effectiveness of strategic release planning in the Saudi market, ‘Siko Siko’ implemented an effective slow-build distribution strategy, starting modestly before gaining significant market traction in its second week to reach SAR 5.0 million from 90,700 admissions.
Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ entered the market in the final week of April with SAR 3.4 million from 55,400 admissions, with industry projections suggesting continued momentum based on strong critical reception and established franchise appeal.
Data from Motivate Val Morgan’s proprietary cinema intelligence platform for advertisers CineMeasure reveals substantial audience engagement across our circuit, with 1.81 million admissions recorded between March 27 and April 30 2025. This audience represents premium consumer segments with demonstrated purchasing power and heightened brand receptivity within the distraction-free cinema environment.
Our detailed analytics identify significant opportunities within premium viewing experiences, which continue gaining substantial market share. Luxury screens accounted for 8% of total admissions, providing brands unprecedented access to high-net-worth consumers in receptive environments. Further enhancing this premium segment, experience formats such as IMAX and Dolby contributed 14% of admissions—collectively catering to diverse tiers of already-affluent moviegoers. All of these create targeted engagement opportunities for precision marketing initiatives.
The established box office trajectory, combined with the acceleration potential of both Eid al-Adha and the subsequent summer blockbuster calendar, creates unprecedented opportunities for brands seeking meaningful consumer engagement in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
The regional exhibition sector including Saudi is poised to enter its most commercially productive period of 2025. This critical revenue window begins with Eid al-Adha celebrations in early June—historically generating 2.5-3x normal weekly admissions—and continues through the summer months with a strategically diversified content pipeline.
The seasonal slate balances culturally-relevant Arabic productions including ‘Restart,’ ‘F1,’ ‘Ahmed W Ahmed,’ and ‘Darwish’ with tentpole Hollywood franchise entries such as ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,’ ’28 Years Later,’ ‘Superman ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ and more—creating multiple strategic entry points for targeted advertising initiatives.
This powerful convergence of holiday timing, premium audience demographics, and diversified content offerings positions the Saudi and regional cinema market for exceptional growth through Q2-Q3 2025. The guaranteed audience concentration during these peak periods reinforces cinema’s status as the region’s dominant exhibition platform and an advertising medium that never misses its audience.
Sources: Saudi Ministry of Culture, CinePlan and CineMeasure
A recent WARC article discusses a conversation featuring advertising legend Sir John Hegarty on The Multiplier Effect report – produced through collaboration between WARC, System1, BERA.ai, Prophet, and Analytic Partners – about the kind of advertising that makes performance marketing truly effective. The discussion delivered compelling evidence that challenges contemporary marketing wisdom.
The research spells out the dangers of advertisers focusing solely on performance advertising. The findings reveal that advertisers balancing brand-building with performance marketing achieve a remarkable 90% higher revenue ROI than their performance-only counterparts. More alarming still, brands focusing exclusively on performance tactics suffer a 40% decrease in ROI—what researchers aptly term the “performance penalty.”
Hegarty, the creative visionary behind countless iconic campaigns, frames this balance through two distinct approaches: “Showmanship” and “Salesmanship.” This terminology brilliantly clarifies the role each plays in effective marketing. He ties this to neuropsychological findings, particularly the work of Iain McGilchrist on attention modes. Showmanship captures what McGilchrist calls “broad-beam attention” through the right hemisphere of the brain—the part processing narrative, metaphor, and social context, remaining open to novelty and the unexpected.
Salesmanship, in contrast, mirrors the “narrow-beam” preferences of the left hemisphere—focusing on specific targets, details, and goals. It speaks to consumers already moving toward purchase, pushing them toward certainty. While both attention modes are essential, they function through fundamentally different neural pathways.
In short, the report reveals a critical insight often overlooked in today’s metrics-obsessed marketing landscape: at any given moment, only 5% of your audience is actively considering a purchase. Performance marketing effectively targets this 5%, but remains virtually invisible to the other 95%. Without Showmanship creating emotional connections with this broader audience, brands essentially sever their future customer pipeline. As Hegarty memorably puts it, “You can’t buy something you’ve never heard of.”
Within a balanced marketing strategy, cinema offers a particularly powerful channel for the Showmanship aspect that Hegarty identifies as critical. The theatrical environment of cinema creates a rare and powerful space in today’s fragmented media landscape—one perfectly calibrated to activate the right brain’s broad-beam attention that drives long-term brand building.
When audiences enter a cinema, they’re not just watching content—they’re experiencing a performance. The darkened theater, commanding screen, and immersive sound create an environment where advertising reaches consumers without the competition of scrolling, skipping, or multitasking. This captive attention allows brands to tell emotional stories that forge mental connections impossible to achieve through many other channels.
Cinema advertising excels precisely at what Hegarty identifies as essential for effective Showmanship: getting brands “noticed, liked and remembered.” The big screen naturally amplifies creativity that drives cultural relevance—another key factor The Multiplier Effect identifies for sustained growth.
What makes cinema particularly valuable as part of today’s marketing ecosystem is its ability to complement performance-focused channels. Through its immersive theatrical experience, cinema powerfully connects with the crucial 95% of consumers not actively in the buying window. Yet unlike some traditional brand-building channels, modern cinema also offers sophisticated accountability and measurement capabilities that satisfy performance-minded marketers.
By incorporating cinema’s distinctive Showmanship capabilities into a balanced marketing strategy, brands can help escape the ‘performance doom loop’ identified in this WARC report. In a marketing landscape that requires both short-term results and long-term brand building, cinema offers a powerful stage where brands can create the emotional connections and mental availability that make all future marketing more effective.
Read the full article on WARC (membership required)
Avinash Udeshi, Chief Operating Officer at Motivate Val Morgan, discusses how the record-breaking Eid al-Fitr cinema attendance signals an exceptional summer season ahead, and highlights cinema’s unmatched 2.5x efficiency as an advertising medium that delivers 15% of campaign impact with just 6% of media spend
As we emerge from an extraordinarily successful Eid al-Fitr period, the numbers clearly demonstrate what this means for our industry and the brands we partner with. The statistics are certainly impressive – but behind them lies a deeper story about audience engagement and the enduring power of cinema as a cultural touchpoint.
Our Motivate Val Morgan cinema circuit witnessed an astonishing 1,178,723 admissions across our regional network during the seven-day period from March 27 to April 2, 2025. This week – which included the four-day Eid al-Fitr celebration – delivered a 17% year-over-year increase and stands as our highest-grossing week of 2025 thus far.
Particularly fascinating is the contrast with the preceding week. Admissions skyrocketed by an extraordinary 1,230% compared to the final week of Ramadan (March 20-26). This dramatic “Eid effect” illustrates just how deeply cinema-going is woven into the fabric of regional celebrations.
The performance across GCC markets shows encouraging growth in all territories. The UAE market led with 575,147 admissions — representing a 25.5% increase from Eid al-Fitr 2024 — while Saudi Arabia contributed 416,318 admissions with a 4% year-over-year improvement. Together, these two crucial markets delivered 991,465 admissions, marking a 15.4% growth that reinforces cinema’s position as the preferred leisure activity during festive periods.
This success stems partly from the diversity of content showcased. In the UAE, Malayalam-language L2: Empuraan and Hindi feature Sikandar performed exceptionally alongside global titles like A Working Man and A Minecraft Movie. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian audiences showed strong preference for Arabic-language productions including Shabab El Bomb 2 and Al Safa Thaanawia, complemented by healthy attendance for international releases..
With cinema attendance already reaching 7.1 million admissions year-to-date across our circuit, Motivate Val Morgan is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional brand exposure throughout the second quarter. The upcoming Eid al-Adha celebration in early June, combined with the traditional summer blockbuster season, creates a perfect alignment of cultural occasion and premium content releases.
In today’s fragmented media landscape, cinema advertising delivers something increasingly rare: guaranteed viewership in a distraction-free environment.
Kantar’s & Val Morgan’s 2024 Media Reactions study confirms cinema’s exceptional effectiveness – despite receiving only 6% of media spend, it delivers 15% of total campaign impact per person. This 2.5x efficiency ratio consistently outperforms traditional and digital channels. The study also ranks cinema among the highest channels for ad equity among younger audiences, creating a receptive environment wherein advertising resonates deeply.
Particularly valuable is cinema’s ability to reach otherwise missed audiences – with 44% of reach incremental to TV, 31% incremental reach to digital and 18% completely incremental to both TV and digital. This captive audience approach delivers higher brand recall and emotional resonance, with message retention rates of up to 95% on certain campaigns, far surpassing other media channels.
Forward-thinking brands have already begun securing premium positioning during the upcoming summer slate, which features several anticipated franchise installments and original blockbusters expected to drive record attendance throughout our circuit.
The combination of Eid al-Adha and summer blockbuster season creates a perfect storm of audience engagement. For advertisers seeking meaningful consumer connections in an increasingly distracted marketplace, our cinema network offers the rare combination of attention, impact, and contextual relevance that simply can’t be replicated elsewhere.
Marketing leaders are invited to contact our Motivate Val Morgan sales team to discuss how we can secure premium positioning for their brands across our extensive cinema circuit during this exceptional convergence of cultural celebration and entertainment.
Source: CinePlan & CinemaMeasure: Eid Cinema Advertising report
Moviegoers as well as frequent streamers still prefer the theatrical movie experience over streaming for highly anticipated films
The cinematic experience remains unrivaled in its ability to captivate audiences with immersive storytelling on a grand scale. A recent Screenvision/VAB study confirms what industry experts have long understood: dedicated moviegoers and frequent streamers alike continue to prioritize theatrical releases for their most anticipated viewing moments. For brands looking to make an impact, this is a golden opportunity.
There’s a reason why advertisers have long turned to cinema: it’s a setting where audiences are fully engaged, distraction-free, and emotionally connected. And the numbers back it up. According to the Screenvision Custom Study, both frequent moviegoers and streamers agree that theaters deliver the most exciting, memorable, and immersive experiences for their anticipated content:
For advertisers, this concentrated attention represents invaluable currency in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Cinema advertising sidesteps the challenges of divided attention, offering instead a rare opportunity to engage with audiences in a state of complete receptivity.
Cinema’s enduring appeal transcends mere content consumption—it offers a deliberate social and cultural experience that streaming cannot replicate. The communal nature of theatrical viewing creates a shared emotional journey that resonates deeply with audiences.
The same study revealed key factors driving theatrical preference:
This powerful combination of cultural significance and sensory immersion creates exceptional conditions for effective advertising, with messages benefiting from heightened emotional receptivity and enhanced recall.
As the industry approaches the summer season, cinema advertising reaches its zenith of effectiveness. The coming months represent the premier period for theatrical attendance, offering advertisers access to the year’s most anticipated films and the largest, most diverse audiences.
This summer’s impressive lineup features prestigious releases spanning multiple genres, including the eagerly anticipated “Marvel Thunderbolts*,” the reimagined “Superman,” the latest “Jurassic World” installment, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” “Karate Kid: Legends,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “F1,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” and numerous other high-profile productions.
This summer’s blockbuster lineup will draw diverse audience segments across demographics, offering advertisers precision-targeted opportunities rarely found in other media. Cinema stands alone in its ability to consistently deliver Super Bowl-caliber impressions week after week throughout the season. As these cultural events draw unprecedented crowds, brands leveraging cinema advertising will capture a unique combination of focused attention and emotional engagement—reinforcing cinema’s position as the premier platform for high-impact brand messaging when audiences are most receptive.
Source: Screenvision, VAB, Google
Muvi Cinemas, Saudi Arabia’s homegrown cinema brand, has officially opened its twenty-second location at The Village Center in Jeddah. This milestone marks another step in the brand’s efforts to enhance the entertainment options available across the Kingdom.
The Village Center, a state-of-the-art retail development by Hamat Holding, represents a significant addition to Jeddah’s commercial landscape. Strategically positioned at the intersection of Al Haramain Road and Prince Talal bin Mansour Road in the prestigious Al Asalah district, this integrated lifestyle destination is designed to deliver exceptional value to both residents and visitors through its comprehensive retail and entertainment offerings.
The latest Muvi Cinemas venue demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation and excellence through its advanced multiplex configuration, featuring 14 cutting-edge screens with a total capacity of 1,568 seats. The facility showcases the company’s premium viewing formats, including an immersive Xperience screen, three exclusive Suite theaters offering premium amenities, and ten standard screens equipped with the latest audiovisual technology. This expansion marks Muvi Cinemas’ sixth strategic location in the Jeddah metropolitan area.
This development brings Muvi Cinemas’ total operational portfolio to 204 screens across 22 locations, spanning nine key markets throughout Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the company’s position as a leading contributor to the Kingdom’s entertainment infrastructure.
@hamatco #موفي_سينما صارت الحين في #ذا_فيلج 🤩🔥🔥🍿🎥 #cinema #movie #jeddah ♬ original sound – هامات Hamat
The inauguration of Muvi Cinemas at The Village Center aligns with the company’s strategic commitment to Vision 2030, contributing significantly to the enhancement of lifestyle and entertainment options within the Kingdom while driving economic diversification and growth.
For brand partnerships and advertising opportunities at Muvi Cinemas – The Village Center, Jeddah, please contact our sales team.
Sources: Hamat, MVM CinePlan and CineMeasure.
