International Media Highlights the Success and Role Played by MAD Solutions in Supporting Arab Filmmaking
International Media Highlights the Success and Role Played by MAD Solutions in Supporting Arab Filmmaking
In parallel with the success of the 2nd edition of Arab Cinema Center (ACC) which recently wrapped up its activities within Cannes Film Festival, the international media focused on the activities of ACC and its impact on Arab film scene, as well as the efforts of the organizing company MAD Solutions to support and promote the industry in film the Arab world.
MAD Solutions seeks to activate the assemblage factors in Arab world's cinema, while maintaining the distinctive culture of each country in the region. In the daily publication allocated by Variety magazine to follow up on the activities of the festival, the International magazine highlighted comments of Alaa Karkouti, CEO and Co-founder of MAD Solutions; "When you talk about the Arab world, it's, yes, one language, but each country has its dialect, its social fabric, its audience, its regulatory quirks," in Nick Vivarelli's report named "Cannes: Arab Cinema Fights for Fresher Movies and Better Distribution".
In the same report, Vivarelli described ACC as "another signal that the Arab world movie industry is in motion". The reporter - interested in film industry in the Arab world - mentioned the success of MAD Solutions in distributing a number of films such as; Factory Girl, Theeb and Warda with unusual methods of distribution "By carefully devising micro-release strategies driven by social media and word-of-mouth - and also test screenings, which are a novelty in the region. MAD has been scoring encouraging box office results," written by Vivarelli.
In another critical article of the weekly printed publication of Variety, critic Jay Weissberg wrote an article describing the obstacles Arab films face in the international festivals, he ended the article saying, "With everyone looking at the Arab world, where were the brave programmers and distributors willing to showcase real Arab voices? Luckily, today Egypt's MAD Solutions is drawing attention to the range of Arabic films available."
Two days after the end of the festival, Sight and Sound magazine's website chose AVE Maria's poster as one of the best film posters in Cannes Film Festival 2015 designed by Maher Diab, Art Director and Co-founder of MAD Solutions, as the company is marketing and distributing the film. AVE Maria participated in Short Film Competition of Cannes Film Festival.
Entitled "European Producers Join Middle East Filmmakers to Ride Arab New Wave" Vivarelli wrote another report about ACC activities describing it as "The first Arab film industry umbrella group to attend Cannes" he added "The Center, which will act as a focal point for the international film industry to engage with what is being touted as a New Arab Wave". Vivarelli highlighted recent success of MAD Solutions such as; the participation of 18 organizations and companies in the second edition of ACC, some of them are of European countries and the $209.000 revenues of Factory Girl in Egyptian theatres and screening in 19 Swedish cities.
Factory Girl participated in the first edition of ACC at the European Film Market of 65th Berlin International Film Festival, after that the critic Sydney Levine wrote in her blog in Indiewire about the success of the film and the great director Mohamed Khan referring to the continues successful tour in the festivals is because the film combined all the elements of success starting from the funding and production to a great team and efforts that have been put by the marketing and distribution team of MAD Solutions.
Abdallah Al-Chami, Managing partner of MAD's GCC bureau announced that ACC will be launched in Venice Film Festival, in addition to Toronto International Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival and Malmo Arab Film Festival with which the company has already entered into an agreement for the presence of ACC at its next edition next October 2015.
Share on :
