Advertise on podcast: Crossroads

In conversation with David Tully and Deema Maghalseh is A-list Hollywood producer and Emmy-nominated actor Elijah Long, whose credits include Rambo: Last Blood, Tesla, Black Panther, and the upcoming All-Star Weekend. Alongside his Hollywood achievements, we explore his latest venture — WOW3 Media, a Dubai-based pop culture and content brand built around the slogan, “Where Eastern Pop Culture Lives.” This conversation moves beyond film credits to examine a much bigger question: What does it truly take for a city to become a pop culture capital? Can Dubai build the infrastructure, creative ecosystem, and international networks required to export culture in the way Hollywood once did — positioning itself as a global hub for cultural production and distribution?

Joining David Tully and Deema Maghalseh on Mira Business FM is the remarkable Ilvy Njiokiktjien, a multi-award-winning photojournalist with nearly two decades of experience documenting post-apartheid South Africa. Her work, Born Free – Mandela’s Generation of Hope, was featured at the landmark 10th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah. Here, we discuss what it means to be a photojournalist, a storyteller of truth, in an era when it’s getting harder to trust what we see. Find her fantastic work at https://www.ilvynjiokiktjien.com/

In today's episode, our guest Tewe Pannier, Founder and CEO of GTV Film Productions and Paradox Studios here in Dubai, shares insights from his production companies' current practices, offering a grounded look at how AI is being plored, tested, and integrated across different stages of film production. 

What roads can you take into filmmaking — and what does the industry actually demand along the way? In our historic first episode, David Tully and Deema Maghalseh welcome multi-award-winning film director, producer, and educator Ammar Galal to unpack a journey that goes far beyond career change. From oil rigs to Oscar-contending cinema, Ammar reflects on how technical thinking, risk assessment, and professional discipline translate into creative industries — and what filmmakers today need to understand about navigating film as both an art form and an industry/ career.