CAIRO — A quick google search shows that cinema blogging in the Middle East is an ever-growing field. Some blogs are written by a single person, others by small teams; some of the bloggers are in the Middle East, others are based in Europe. Their tone varies from academic to downright chatty. Yet in terms of number and the variety of style, cinema bloggers are head-to-head with political and “mommy bloggers,” two huge groups in the blogger space.

It is difficult to trace the pioneers of cinema blogging in the Middle East. Many blogs are written by individuals or teams of young critics and bloggers. Most bloggers generate their own content, but there are a few who just reproduce press releases and announcements of large film companies and distributors.

Most Middle Eastern bloggers define their blogs as an open space where they express their opinions on cinema free from the bias seen in large media outlets.

“Recently, the number of blogs has clearly skyrocketed, as they provide an open space where bloggers or readers can express their opinions freely without restrictions by a media outlet’s editorial board,” Ismail Sona, a Saudi blogger and specialist in cinema, told Al-Monitor.