MAD Solutions, the independent Cairo-based pan-Arab studio, has announced it has acquired 50 film projects in various stages of production from 13 countries across the Arab world: Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar and Syria. They include “The Legend of Zeinab and Noah”, first feature by Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah, “A house in Jerusalem”, third feature by Palestinian Muayad Alayan, and “Floating In A Vacuum” by Tunisian film-maker Mohamed ben Attia, winner of the Best First Film Award in Berlin 2016. MAD Solutions hopes that once completed, these new films will be shown in festivals and cinemas in the Middle East and North Africa; they are also co-producing some of the films. Some of the directors have had previous films shown at international festivals including Cannes and the Oscars.
MAD Solutions, the first pan-Arab studio
With offices in Cairo and Abu Dhabi, MAD Solutions specializes in creating, promoting, marketing and distributing Arab content from and to Arab countries. By producing films which Arab audiences can relate to, the two founders, Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, are filling a void in the Arab film industry. They told ScreenDaily: “We believe there is a bright future for Arab cinema. During the pandemic, we took the opportunity to discuss the objectives and goals of Arab films, to strengthen ties with the public.”
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Sources: cineuropa.org, screendaily.com, wipo.int
