MAD Solutions Boasts Five Films to the Special Section at the Cairo International Film Festival

Back to Press Releases

Clash| Before the Summer Crowds| Hepta: The Last Lecture| Out of Order| Sukkar Mor

MAD Solutions Boasts Five Films to the Special Section at the Cairo International Film Festival


The administration of the 38th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) decided to dedicate a special section to showcase five award-winning films that have been produced between (2015-2016) and have had powerful presence at international film festivals. Entirely marketed and distributed by MAD Solutions, the five hand-picked films (with English subtitles); Clash, Before the Summer Crowds, Hepta: The Last Lecture, Out of Order, and Sukkar Mor, are examples to display the progress that have been scored by the Egyptian cinema to the foreign professionals at the festival.

Simultaneously, it is slated that another film from MAD Solutions' list of clientele; director Kamla Abouzekri's A Day for Women, will be the festival opener for this edition of the festival (15- 24 November). The film landed its world premiere at the 60th edition of the British Film Institute London Film Festival (BFI London Film Festival).

The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is the oldest cultural event in Africa and the Arab world, and the only festival in Africa and the Arab region accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in Paris. This year's edition will be headed by Film Critic Dr. Magda Wassef as the Festival President, Film Critic Youssef Cherif Rizkallah as the Artistic Director, and Egyptian star Mahmoud Hemida as the Honorary President.

About Clash:
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 and others. The film landed its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as it inaugurated the prestigious Un Certain Regard section. The Hollywood Reporter also selected Clash as one of the 10 Best Films at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. The film also has been selected to represent Egypt at the 2017 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign-Language Film category.

Clash is a joint production effort between Arab and European companies: 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, and it is co-produced by Nicole Gerhards, alongside executive producers Jamal Al Dabbous and Daniel Ziskind. Mohamed Diab's wife, Sarah Goher, also acted as a creative collaborator on the film, earning the title "Creative Producer". The film is distributed in Egyptian theatres by MAD Solutions, while Pyramide International is distributing it in France and the rest of the world.

Synopsis:
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.

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.

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.

Synopsis:
Set in a seaside resort, the film tracks a group of people who meet each other by the beginning of summer season.

About Hepta: The Last Lecture:
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.

Synopsis:
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.

About Out of Order:
The film is produced by tProductions in collaboration with Crystal Dog of Ahmad Al Fishawy. Written by
Omar Sami, the film is directed by Mahmoud Kamel and stars Ahmad Al Fishawy and Shereen Reda.

Synopsis:
Out of Order is a psychological thriller, which takes its viewers into a new level of unusualness by depicting a dark and twisted relationship between two different people; Saeed (Al Fishawy), a hustler leading a miserable life almost like a tramp, and Hoda (Shereen), a woman living alone and all she does in her life is watching.

About Sukkar Mor:
Produced by Manz Pictures of Dr. Mohamed Manzour, Sukkar Mor is directed by Hani Khalifa and written by Mohammed Abdelmoaty. The film stars Ahmed Al Fishawy, Haitham Ahmed Zaki, Ayten Amer, Shery Adel, together with Nahed El Sebai, Amina Khalil, Nabil Issa, Karim Fahmy, Omar El Saeed, and Sarah Shahin.

Synopsis:
Sukkar Mor revolves around several characters witnessing unexpected dramatic changes due to certain incidents in their lives during five years of political and social turmoil reflected on the romantic attachments that were supposed to have a happily ever after ending. Despite all odds, everyone still clings on hope for this New Year, because no one can really predict the future.

About A Day for Women:
A Day for Women brings together a cast and crew of outstanding women, as it is produced by Elham Shahin through her company Shahin Film, who also stars in the 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.

Synopsis:
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 the neighborhood.