MAD Solutions Enters Sudan Independent Film Festival with Five Films

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Theeb and AVE MARIA Nominated for an Academy Award | 3000 Nights | The Gate of Departure | Pick Up

MAD Solutions Enters Sudan Independent Film Festival with Five Films


Five films distributed by MAD Solutions will be part of the 3rd Sudan Independent Film Festival (SIFF) (21-27 January) in Sudan. The MAD lineup at the festival includes; the two Oscar® nominated films Theeb by Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar and AVE MARIA by Palestinian director Basil Khalil; in addition to Mai Masri's Palestinian film 3000 Nights, Egyptian director Karim Hanafy's The Gate of Departure, and Bahraini director Saleh Nass' film Pick Up.

SIFF is organized by Sudan Film Factory institute that serves as an umbrella for a range of activities in the field of filmmaking, filling the current gap in Sudan and supporting a qualified training program to develop the cultural infrastructure of filmmaking.

The festival celebrates the African culture and highlights independent cinema through a number of events taking place in the Sudanese capital Khartoum including all genres of films and specialized workshops and seminars in film making.

Theeb:

Theeb is Jordanian director/writer Naji Abu Nowar's first feature film which he co-scripted with Bassel Ghandour. Set in the Arabian Desert of 1916, the film follows Theeb, a young Bedouin boy, and his brother Hussein as they leave the safety of their tribe to venture on a treacherous journey at the dawn of the Great Revolt. If Theeb is to survive he must quickly learn about adulthood, trust and betrayal.

Recently, the film was nominated for the Best Foreign-Language Film Award in the 88th Academy Awards, 2016 and nomination for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in two different categories.

Theeb has been screened in 25 countries and received 18 international awards including Best Director Award at Orizzonti (New Horizons) Competition after the film's World Premiere at Venice Film Festival.

Most recently, the award-winning film had a commercial release in the US and garnered more than $136,000 in ticket sales within five weeks. Theeb was also released in 12 countries in the Arab world and Europe and is set to have a re-release in several Arab countries .

AVE MARIA:

Writer/ Director Basil Khalil's AVE MARIA is a 14-minute comedy that tells the story of an order of Palestinian nuns living in the middle of the West Bank wilderness. Their daily routine of silence and prayer is disrupted when a family of Israeli settlers breaks down right outside their convent, just as the Sabbath is beginning. The family need to get home but can't operate the phone, and the Nuns have taken a vow of silence.

The film is nominated for the 88th Academy Awards® - Best Live Action Short 2016 after a successful run at well over 65 film festivals in 27 countries, gathering 11 awards in just 7 months. The film began its journey with its world premiere in the Official Selection at Cannes Film Festival in May 2015. Recently, it won the prestigious Best Muhr Short Award at the 12th Dubai International Film Festival.
MAD Solutions, AVE MARIA's distributor in the Arab world, revealed that the film will have a commercial release in the Arab world.

3000 Nights:

Written and directed by Mai Masri, 3000 Nights tells the story of a young Palestinian school teacher who gives birth to her son in an Israeli prison, where she fights to protect him, survive and maintain hope.

The film had its US premiere at Palm Springs International Film Festival in California. On October 31st, Mai Masri's film 3000 Nights won the Meeting Point Audience Award at the 60th Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain. In less than one week following this, 3000 Nights received the Jury Award at the 8th Women's International Film and Television Showcase (The WIFTS), USA.

Since the film's world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, 3000 Nights has been well received in film events. The film competed at Busan International Film Festival in South Korea and had a full-house screening at BFI London Film Festival. During this month, the film is currently having a theatrical release in Nablus, Palestine and during the premiere, director Mai Masri was awarded three honorary shields from An-Najah National University, The Civil Society of Nablus Governorate (CSNG) and Al Masri Family for her efforts in supporting the Palestinian cinema.

The Gate of Departure:

Written and directed by Karim Hanafy, The Gate of Departure recounts the story of a young man who dreams of exploring the world as he grows up in isolation along with his grandmother and mother, who due to the latter's fears that he would abandon her, just as his father did, decides to lock him up in the house .

The film stars Salwa Khattab, Ahmed Magdy,Amaal Abdel Hady and Shams Labib. The film is produced by Khaial Art Production with support from Egypt's Ministry of Culture. With MAD Solutions on board as the film's distributor in the Arab world through its distribution arm MAD Distribution, the company has released the film in Egyptian cinemas across Cairo for two weeks.

The film has won widespread critical and audience acclaim last year at Cairo International Film Festival where it landed as the only Egyptian official selection and won the Silver Pyramid Award for Best Artistic Contribution.

About Pick Up:

Directed by Bahraini filmmaker Saleh Nass, the 10-minute short film revolves around a girl who is horrified at being picked up from school in her dad's uncool pick-up truck. The film won
Best Screenplay at the Bahrain Film Festival and had its work premiere at the Message to
Man International Festival for Documentaries, Shorts and Animated Films in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Theeb Showtime at Sudan Independent Film Festival (GMT+3)
Saturday, 23 January - DAL Cultural Forum, Bahri at 7:30 pm

The Gate of Departure Showtime at the Sudan Independent Film Festival (GMT+3)
Sunday, 24 January - Omdurman Cultural Centre (Hall 2) at 7:30 pm

Ave Maria Showtime at the Sudan Independent Film Festival (GMT+3)
Sunday, 24 January - DAL Cultural Forum, Bahri at 7:30 pm

3000 Nighst Showtime at Sudan Independent Film Festival (GMT+3)
Sunday, 24 January -British Council at 7:30 pm

PickUp Showtime at Sudan Independent Film Festival (GMT+3)
Sunday, 24 January - DAL Cultural Forum, Bahri at 7:30 pm