Animation,
and Early Media Practice
Growing up in Damascus during the 1980s and 1990s, Hijazi's generation experienced a highly centralized educational and media environment shaped by state institutions.
Beginning in the late 1990s, Hijazi worked across animation, educational media, film, and multimedia production during a period of major technological and cultural transformation. The transition from state-controlled terrestrial broadcasting to satellite television, from analog to digital media, and the spread of personal computers and the internet changed the media industry and its social, political, and cultural impact across the region and beyond.
Working as a director, writer, and creative director, Hijazi was part of a movement that contributed to the development of animation and educational media in Arabic-speaking communities, responding to the dominance of imported media and exploring visual and narrative approaches rooted in local cultural and social contexts.
Spacetoon
The first free Arabic satellite channel for children.
Launched in 2000
Hijazi joined Spacetoon's core team during its formative years. From 1999 to 2005, she worked as Creative Director, contributing to the development of the channel's visual identity, educational campaigns, and multimedia content. The work combined contemporary media formats with references drawn from regional storytelling traditions and cultural heritage.
Data City | مدينة المعلومات
Multimedia Edutainment Series, 52 Episodes, 2004
Director, Chief Editor:
Sulafa Hijazi
Produced during a period marked by the rapid expansion of the internet and digital technologies, Data City imagined a futuristic Arab city inhabited by humans, robots, virtual characters, and digital creatures. Combining live action, 2D and 3D animation, puppetry, documentary segments, and performance, the series emerged from questions surrounding technological change, globalization, and the place of local cultural identities within an increasingly connected world.
Produced by: Gulf Cooperation Council, Joint Program Production Institution.
Domtom Salemeen | دمتم سالمين
2D Animation Series, 65 Episodes, 2002
Director, Scenario Writer:
Sulafa Hijazi
Produced at a time of growing interest in using animation as a tool for social and educational change, the series focused on environmental themes through humor and everyday situations, introducing young audiences to topics such as recycling, pollution, water conservation, and sustainable living.
Produced by: Gulf Cooperation Council, Joint Program Production Institution.
My Arabic House | بيتي العربي
Multimedia Edutainment Series, 52 Episodes, 2007
Director, Chief Editor:
Sulafa Hijazi
My Arabic House addresses themes of citizenship, cultural identity, economic awareness, and civic and political education through a combination of live action, animation, puppetry, and visual effects. The series imagines a shared cultural space connecting children across Arabic-speaking communities while acknowledging the diversity of local experiences and perspectives.
Produced by: Al Jazeera Children Channel.
The Jasmine Birds | طيور الياسمين
2D Animation Feature Film, 2009
Director, Scenario Writer:
Sulafa Hijazi
The Jasmine Birds is the second animated feature film produced by the Syrian National Film Organization. Set in an imagined world inhabited by diverse birds and other creatures, the film combines humor, fantasy, and music while engaging with themes of death, loss, and eternity.
Produced by: The Syrian National Film Organization.
Malsoun | ملسون
2D Animation Series, 90 Episodes, 2011–2015
Director, Scenario Writer:
Sulafa Hijazi
Featuring the animated version of Malsoun, the Arabic Sesame Street puppet character, the series is set within the fictional online portal Malsoun.org. From this digital world, Malsoun travels into the everyday lives of two children, guiding young audiences through topics related to science, technology, history, nature, and everyday knowledge.
Produced by: Gulf Cooperation Council, Joint Program Production Institution.
Awards & Recognition
The Jasmine Birds (2009)
Multiple international awards, including Best Animation Film at the International Children’s Film Festival (India), International Family Film Festival (USA), Hamadan International Film Festival (Iran), Kazan International Film Festival (Russia), Cairo International Family and Children’s Film Festival (Egypt), and Rotterdam Arab Film Festival (Netherlands).
Data City (2004)
Golden Prize for Best TV Program at the Gulf Media Festival (Bahrain, 2006) and Carthage Arab Media Festival (Tunisia, 2005).
Malsoun.org (2011–2015)
Innovation Award for Best Animation TV Series at the Arab Radio and Television Mondiale (Cairo, 2012).
The Memory Box (2011)
Special Jury Award at the Kazan International Film Festival for Muslim Cinema (Russia, 2011).