Five Films Distributed and Marketed by MAD Solutions Compete at the Egyptian Film Association Festival

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Following a General Poll by Critics, Filmmakers and Association Members

Five Films Distributed and Marketed by MAD Solutions Compete at the Egyptian Film Association Festival


The 43rd Egyptian Film Association Festival has announced that five of the films that have been distributed and marketed by MAD Solutions are among the best films that were released in 2016. The selected films are: Clash, Hepta: The Last Lecture, Before the Summer Crowds, Zay Ood El Kabreet, and A Day for Women. The films were chosen via a general poll undertaken by critics, filmmakers and members of the association. The announcement of the awards will be held on February 4th, while the award ceremony will be held on February 11th.

MAD Solutions will also be competing in the Best Poster competition at the festival, where the posters of all the films released throughout the year are presented so that the best among them can be chosen based on the poster's innovative artistic design that best portrays the film's message.

About Clash

Directed by Mohamed Diab, Clash has won 13 awards at international festivals, including International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Mediterranean Film Festival of Brussels, Zagreb International Film Festival, Carthage Film Festival, Festival du Film Arabe de Fameck/Val de Fensch in France, Valladolid Film Festival (Seminci) in Spain, BFI London Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, and it landed its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as it opened the prestigious Un Certain Regard section.

Tackling the political unrest that prevailed in Egypt in 2013, Clash's events take place in an 8-meter police truck, crammed with detainees representing different sects of society, their interaction with each other full of madness, violence, romance, and comedy.

Co-written by Khaled Diab and Mohamed Diab, who is also the director, Clash stars Nelly Karim, Tarek Abd El Aziz, Hany Adel, Ahmed Malek, Ashraf Hamdi, Mohamed Abdel Azim, Gamil Barsoum and others.

Clash is a joint production effort between: Film Clinic (Egypt), Sampek Productions (France), and Acamedia Global (UAE), in association with ARTE France Cinema (France), Niko Film (Germany), Fortress Film Clinic (UAE), and Pyramide International (France). Taking part in the project are producers Moez Masoud, Mohamed Hefzy, Eric Lagesse. The film is distributed in Egyptian theatres by MAD Solutions.

About Hepta: The Last Lecture

Hepta: The Last Lecture topped the Egyptian box office with revenues that surpassed 27 million EGP, becoming the highest-grossing romantic film in the history of Egyptian cinema. The film also received the Audience Award at the Arabian Sights Film Festival in Washington, in addition to four awards from Dear Guest Magazine (DG Awards). Moreover, the film took part in 5 other festivals: Malmo Arab Film Festival, Arab Camera Festival in Rotterdam, Cairo International Film Festival, Mediterranean Film Festival of Annaba (FAFM), Arab Cinema Week in New York.

Hepta: The Last Lecture is based on Mohamed Sadek's best-selling book, which portrays the seven stages of love through four paralleled stories. Mohamed Sadek's novel topped the charts in Egypt and throughout the Arab world for several weeks, and sold 36 editions.

The film cast list includes: Amr Youssef, Maged El Kedwany, Ahmed Malek, Ahmed Dawood, Dina El Sherbiny, Yasmine Raeis, Jamila Awad, Hany Adel, Ahmed Bedeir, together with Salwa Mohamed Aly, Kinda Alloush, Anoushka, Mohamed Farrag, and Nelly Karim, along with Shereen Reda and the two kids, Abdallah Azmi and Lina Ben Haman. The film is a joint production between Hani Osama's The Producers, Mohamed Hefzy's Film Clinic, and Amgad Sabry's iProductions. The adaptation has been scripted by Wael Hamdy. The film's crew includes Directors of Photography Gamal El Boushy and Leo Carbotta, alongside Production Designer Hend Haidar and Production Manager Mohamed El Hady.

About Before the Summer Crowds

Before the Summer Crowds is the last film by late director Mohamed Khan. Co-written by Ghada Shahbandar and Nura El Sheikh, who also participated in the screenwriting, the film stars Maged El Kedwany, Hana Shiha, Ahmed Dawood, Lana Mushtaq and Hany El Metennawy. Set in a seaside resort, the film tracks a group of people who meet each other by the beginning of summer season.

Before the Summer Crowds is co-produced by five production houses, Middle West Films, Film Clinic, The Producers, Wika for Film Production and Distribution and MAD Solutions, which is in charge of the film's international distribution through its distribution arm: MAD Distribution.

About A Day for Women

A Day for Women landed its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival and opened the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), where Nahed El Sebai won the Best Actress Award. The film also took part in the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

A Day for Women takes place in a shabby neighborhood in Egypt where a youth center decides to allocate one day on the swimming pool for women only. The film follows the consequences of this decision on the social, psychological and emotional life of the women living in that neighborhood.

The film is produced by Elham Shahin, who also stars in the film, through her company Shahin Film, directed by Kamla Abouzekri, written by Hanaa Atiyah, DOP Nancy Abdel Fattah, and Costume Designer Inas Shahin. The film stars Nelly Karim, Nahed El Sebai, Hala Sedqi, Ragaa Hussein, Shaimaa Seif, along with Mahmoud Hemida, Farouk Al Fishawy, Ahmad Al Fishawy, Eyad Nassar, and Ahmed Dawood. MAD Solutions is handling the film's marketing and promotion in the Arab world.

About Zay Ood El Kabreet

Late star Hussein Al Imam's first and last directorial project, Zay Ood El Kabreet connects Hussein Al Imam and a number of film stars of the silver screen including; Faten Hamama, Hend Rostom, Mahmoud El-Meliguy, Hussein Riad, Imad Hamdi, Magda El Khatib, Farid Shawqi, Samir Sabry and other stars.

Zay Ood El Kabreet is a comedic tale invented by the late filmmaker Al Imam to pay tribute to the super stars of the Egyptian cinema's Golden Era. The plot combines scenes starring 21 actors from the age of black and white films with other scenes written by and starring Al Imam.

The end product leads to the rediscovery of golden age actors in a new context. Along with Hussein Al Imam, the film stars Sahar Ramy, Khaled Mahrous, Zakaria Amer and singer Randa El-Sobky.