Intensive Activities by Producer Mohamed Hefzy and Film Clinic at Dubai International Film Festival
Two Films in the Muhr Feature Competition, a Project in the DFC, a Discussion Panel and Film in the Arab Cinema LAB
Intensive Activities by Producer Mohamed Hefzy and Film Clinic at Dubai International Film Festival
The current round of the Dubai International Film Festival witnesses intensive activities by Producer Mohamed Hefzy and his company Film Clinic. Two of the company's films; Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim by director Sherif El Bendary (world premiere) and Withered Green by director Mohammad Hammad (Arab world premiere), will take part in the Muhr Feature competition, the festival's most important competition. Furthermore, Director Nadine Khan's project In the Land of Wonder will participate in the Dubai Film Connection (DFC), while Hefzy will join a discussion panel on film funding at the Dubai Film Market (DFM) as well as participate in the Arab Cinema LAB where he is set to reveal the latest details on Director Amr Salama's new film Sheikh Jackson.
Directed by Sherif El Bendary, Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim is written by Ahmed Amer, based on Ibrahim El Batout's story and is produced by Mohamed Hefzy's Film Clinic, Transit Films of Hossam Elouan and the French film production company Arizona Productions. The film's worldwide distribution is handled by MAD Solutions and Film Clinic-Indie Distribution (FCID).
Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim follows a strange love story of by a young man living in a rough neighborhood. He travels across Egypt on the recommendation of a psychic along with Ibrahim who hears is almost driven mad by the voices he hears in his head. Their journey turns into a voyage of friendship and self-discovery.
Written and directed by Mohammed Hammad, Withered Green is produced by Hammad, Kholoud Saad and Mohammed El Sharqawy in collaboration with producer Mohamed Hefzy (Film Clinic). MAD Solutions alongside Film Clinic-Indie Film Distribution (FCID) are handling the film distribution worldwide.
Withered Green tells the story of young Iman, a conservative religious person, who takes people's opinions of her into account and shows uptight restriction to all the withering social traditions. However, a shocking discovery prompts her to do away with all these withered traditions that she once clung to.
Within the DFC, Director Nadine Khan's film In the Land of Wonder will compete for the Connection's awards that provide a platform for amateur and professional filmmakers in the Arab world to gain funding and network with international professionals in the film industry in order to help bring their work to the light. In the Land of Wonder film project is an adaptation of the English writer Lewis Carroll's celebrated novel Alice in Wonderland. Recently, the film took part in the International Financing Forum (IFF) that was held as part of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film is co-distributed by MAD Solutions and Film Clinic Indie-Film Distribution (FCID).
Producer Mohamed Hefzy will join a discussion panel titled "Duties and Responsibilities: The Basics of Film Funding" on Friday, 9 December where he will speak about funding as one of the main elements of filmmaking. The discussion will also tackle the different funding methods, optimum funding strategies, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy.
Mohamed Hefzy will also represent his company at the Arab Cinema LAB within the Dubai Film Market on Monday 12 December (from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm) at the Arena Theater, Madinat Jumeriah, where he will unveil the teaser trailer for Director Amr Salama's film Sheikh Jackson.
The Arab Cinema LAB is a first-of-its-kind film financing incubator for accelerating the new film projects and new business ideas that will drive the Arab film industry forward over the coming year. Colin Brown, Managing Partner and Director of International Operations at MAD Solutions, will be facilitating the LAB as master of ceremonies.
The LAB will bring together a select group of filmmakers, creative producers, funders, distributors and broadcasters, the mission is to open new paths to production for the most promising Arab storytellers by showcasing their upcoming work and laying the groundwork for a more robust investment culture.
DIFF is one of the most important film festivals in the Arab world. Every year, DIFF showcases over 120 features, shorts films and documentaries from around the world and hosts several world premieres, presents new and exciting cinema from the Arab world and beyond, and introduces audiences to fresh new talent and original and distinctive filmmaking.
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