MAD Solutions offers new Arab film prize at Venice International Film Festival

A scene from Theeb by Naji Abu Nawar. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Film Festival

Egyptian film distributor and media agency MAD solutions is to offer a new prize to an Arab film maker at September's Venice International Film Festival. The winning film will receive MAD Solution's promotional and distribution services throughout the Arab world. MAD is already well established in the region, having distributed numerous Arab films including recent festival favourite Theeb.

Alaa Karkouti, CEO at MAD Solutions, commented: “We are constantly looking for unconventional ways to support Arab films in all production phases on both regional and international scales. Through this prize, we are looking forward to support the contending film projects to help expand their distribution channels in the Arab world, as well as promoting them across the international filmmaking scene.”

Pascal Diot, Head of the Venice Film Market, added: “We are very happy with this new collaboration with MAD Solutions, not only because the collaboration will offer promotional and distribution services for one of the Arab projects, but also because MAD Solutions proved its originality, efficiency, and its continuous search for new ideas in one of the hardest jobs in the film industry: distribution. I am confident that their vision will contribute a lot in our effort to increase international exposure for African and Arab cinema.”

The shortlisted films for this year's inaugural award are Ali the Goat and Ibrahim by Egyptian director Sherif El Bendary, House in the Fields by Moroccan director Tala Hadid, Roosters of Beirut by Syrian director Ziad Kalthoum, Zainab Hates the Snow by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, in addition to two Iraqi films: The Road to Paradise by director Attia Al Daradji and Divorce by director Hakar Abdul Qadir.