"We really want to build a bridge of communication between East and West, and to open up the market for Arab pics on an international level,” says Mohammad El Talkawi, marketing director for Good News Group.

Under the title “Mideast eyes kudos,” published in Variety.com, Ali Jaafar wrote on the Arab films nominated for the Oscars he wrote that the hardest part is to get their message heard.

“…Awards season can be an endless tiring round of Q&As and campaigning, but that's nothing compared with what Mideast Oscar hopefuls must endure.

While Oscar brings with it a promise of critical recognition and boosted box office, for many of this year's Mideast entrants, it's more important just to get their message heard across the East-West divide.

What's more, following the surprise success nom earlier this year for Palestinian suicide bomber pic "Paradise Now," filmmakers are increasingly media savvy, with each hiring Stateside PR firms to handle their campaigns”.

"We really want to build a bridge of communication between East and West, and to open up the market for Arab pics on an international level as well as convince Hollywood that the Mideast talent is there for them to embark on co-productions," says Mohammad El Talkawi, marketing director for Good News Group, the shingle behind Egypt's official entrant "The Yacoubian Building." Good News execs have hired out an L.A. theater for a week in December so the pic will be admissible in all Oscar categories, and so local auds get maximum opportunity to see "Yacoubian."

"Regardless of who gets the nomination, we'll still feel happy for someone from the Mideast to get the nod. It would mean an acknowledgement that the Mideast can make good movies," El Talkawi says.