MAD Solutions shall join the next edition of Arab Film Festival Rotterdam (June 15th – 19th) with 9 Films, including 7 films off its distribution list; A TALE OF LOVE AND DESIRE by Leyla Bouzid, THE ALLEYS by writer-director Bassel Ghandour, DAUGHTERS OF ABDUL-RAHMAN by Zaid Abu Hamdan, OUR RIVER...OUR SKY by Maysoon Pachachi, LIFE SUITS ME WELL by Al Hadi Ulad-Mohand, NEIGHBORS by Mano Khalil, and the short film AL-SIT by Suzannah Mirghani.
This comes in addition to two other films MAD Solutions sends off its list of marketing ond promotion films. These films are WAHED TANY, directed by Mohammed Shaker Khudair and starring superstar Ahmed Helmy, and BARRA EL MANHAG, directed by Amr Salama and starring the great actor Maged El Kedwany.
About WAHED TANY:
The film follows Mostafa, a social worker in one of the prisons, who resorts to a bizarre invention to get back his passion in life, after meeting his colleagues and feeling the least successful among them.
Alongside Ahmed Helmy, the film stars Ruby, Ahmed Malek, Mahmoud Hafez, Amr Abdelgeleil, Nisrine Amin, and Nour Ehab among others.
Directed by Mohammed Shaker Khudair, WAHED TANY is written by Haitham Dabbour and produced by Synergy Films.
About BARRA EL MANHAG:
Barra El Manhag is a light-hearted drama about Nour, a 13-year-old orphan boy. As all the boys are afraid of the haunted house right in front of the school, he's encouraged to go into the house to gain their respect, only to find an old man living there, hiding from the world.
A friendship and apprenticeship evolve between the boy and the old man, leading to a journey of self-discovery for both of them.
The film stars Maged El Kedwany and the child Omar Sharif and features Ruby, Asma Abulyazeid, Ahmed Khaled Saleh, and Donia Maher as guest stars.
Featuring DOP Ahmed Beshary (Chico), the film is directed by Amr Salama who wrote the story of the film and co-wrote the script alongside Khaled Diab.
It is produced by Lagoonie Film Production (Shahinaz El-akkad), and distributed locally by Dollar Film, and across the Arabian Gulf region by Orient Films. MAD Solutions handles the film’s marketing and promotion.
About A TALE OF LOVE AND DESIRE:
The film follows the story of Ahmed, an 18-year-old French teenager of Algerian origin who meets Farah, a young Tunisian girl, and falls head over heels in love with her.
While discovering a collection of sensual and erotic Arab literature, Ahmed tries to resist his desire towards Farah.
Written and directed by Leyla Bouzid, A Tale of Love and Desire stars Sami Outalbali, Zbeida Belhajamor, Samir Elhakim, Diong-Kéba Tacu, and Aurélia Petit.
MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution across the Arab world, while Pyramide International handles the film’s worldwide distribution.
About THE ALLEYS:
The story is set in East Amman's gossip-ridden, hazardous neighborhood, where a young hustler will go to any length to be with his hidden sweetheart, but her merciless mother will not allow it.
When an extortionist catches the couple in the act, the mother seeks the assistance of a gangster to put an end to it all... but things don't go as planned.
THE ALLEYS is written and directed by Bassel Ghandour and stars Emad Azmi, Baraka Rahmani, Munther Rayahneh, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Nadira Omran, and Nadim Rimawi.
The film is produced by Bayt Al Shawareb (Yousef Abed Al-Nabi), The Imaginarium Films (Rula Nasser), and co-produced by Lagoonie Film Production (Shahinaz El Akkad).
MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution across the Arab World, while Elle Driver (France) handles the international sales.
About DAUGHTERS OF ABDUL-RAHMAN:
Years after escaping a dictated life, four estranged and offbeat sisters are forced to come together to find their suddenly-missing father. In their secret searching journey, secrets are revealed and more.
Written and directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan, Daughters of Abdul-Rahman stars Saba Mubarak, Farah Bsaiso, Hanan Al Hilo, Mariam Al Basha, Khalid Al Tarifi, and Mohammed Al Jizawi.
It is produced by Pan East Media (Saba Mubarak & Aya Wuhoush), Lagoonie Film Production, and Arab Media Network. MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution in the Arab world
About OUR RIVER…OUR SKY:
The narrative in Our River…Our Sky (aka Kulshi Makoo in Arabic) is set against a background of sectarian violence in the last week of 2006, between Christmas and the Adha Eid.
It tells the stories of ordinary Iraqis trying to live their everyday lives in Baghdad, the capital; despite unpredictable violent events, which put them in peril.
Sara, a single mother and novelist, who has a writer’s block, triggered by such non verbale violence.
Shortly before the New Year, following unexpected news, Sara and her neighbors brace themselves for an uncertain future while trying to sustain a fragile sense of hope.
The film is written by Maysoon Pachachi who co-wrote it with Irada Al-Jubori.
The cast includes Darina Al Joundi (as Sara), Basim Hajar, Meriam Abbas, renowned Iraqi actor Mahmoud Abo Al Abbas,Zaydun Salman Khalaf, Sami Al-Ali, Ahmed Hashimi, Labwa Arab, and Ali Al Kareem. MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution across the Arab world.
About LIFE SUITS ME WELL:
It is the mid-1990s. In a small town in the north of Morocco, Fouad is the only employee at the local post office. When he suffers from a neurological disease, his life changes and a new story begins for Fouad, his wife and their children.
Their home will be filled with love, sorrow and memories. While Fouad is dying, his family members rediscover themselves. As time goes by, the wounds begin to surface – but the desire to live is inextinguishable.
Written and directed by Al Hadi Ulad Mohand, Life Suits Me Well stars Samir Guesmi, Lubna Azabal, Sayed El Alami, and Jalal Quarrioua.MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution in the Arab world.
About NEIGHBORS:
A small village on the Syrian-Turkish border in the early 1980s, during the rule of Hafez al-Assad: a six-year-old Kurdish boy, Sero, experiences his first year in an Arabic school and must deal with how his small world is radically changing through absurd nationalism.
Written and directed by Mano Khalil, NEIGHBORS stars Serhed Khalil, Jalal Altawil, Jay Abdo, and Samer al-Masry.
About AL-SIT:
In a cotton-plantation in Sudan, 15-year-old Nafisa has a crush on Babiker, but her parents have arranged her marriage to Nadir, a young Sudanese businessman who lives abroad. However, Nafisa’s grandmother Al-Sit, the powerful village matriarch, has her own plans for Nafisa’s future. Will Nafisa be able to choose for herself?
Al-Sit is written and directed by Suzannah Mirghani, who co-produced it along with Eiman Mirghani, and stars Mihad Murtada, Rabeha Mohammed, Mohammed Magdi, Alsir Mahjoub and Haram Basher.
The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.