MAD Solutions Sends Four Films to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

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Five Boys and A Wheel| The Parrot| Karouma| Submarine

MAD Solutions Sends Four Films to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair


For the third year in a row, MAD Solutions is presenting four short films from among the films on its distribution and marketing list at the Black Box Cinema, which is held within the 27th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair that will be held from the 26th of April to the 2nd of May 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The four MAD films are: Five Boys and A Wheel, The Parrot, Karouma, and Submarine. The screenings will be held within the Black Box Cinema events.

Founder and Project Manager of Black Box Cinema, Nawaf Al Janahi comments: "In the fourth edition, the cinema continues to offer creative, unique and thought-provoking short films from the UAE and the Arab world, to give the audience a wider insight to the distinguished culture of this region."

Fifteen short films from around the Arab world will be screened at this year at Black Box Cinema with English subtitles. Last year, the 50-seat cinema attracted more than 1,670 viewers from different ages and nationalities.The Black Box Cinema project was founded in 2014 by Emirati filmmaker Nawaf Al Janahi, who runs the project as well. Egyptian film critic Ahmed Shawky is the project's programmer this year together with Al Janahi.

About Five Boys and A Wheel:

Based on American author Raymond Carver's short story 'Bicycles, Muscles, Cigarettes', the film is set in Jordan where a young father has to help his son out of a petty conflict with the neighbors. As the parents of each respective family are summoned to discuss the issue at hand, the discussions begin to quickly spin out of control, putting the values of the father to test.

The film received support from the Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC). Five Boys and A Wheel stars Ali Suliman, Nadira Omran, and Haydar Kfoof, and is produced by Akram Al-Ashqar, Ahmad Khatib and director Said Zagha. MAD Solutions is handling the film's distribution across the Arab world.

Five Boys and A Wheel had its world premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) competing in the festival's Muhr Short Competition. The film made its North American premiere by taking part in the 40th Portland International Film Festival (PIFF).

About The Parrot:

The Parrot tells the story of a Mizrahi Jewish family, who emigrate from Morocco, trying to settle into their new life in Haifa, Palestine in 1948. The film stars Hend Sabry, Ashraf Barhoum, Yasmine Ben Amara, Eyad Hourani, Firas Taybeh, Lara Sawalha, and Ahmad Al-Madani, and is written by Amjad Al Rasheed, Darin Sallam, and Rifqi Assaf.

The Parrot is one of the film projects funded by the German Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation, which funds the Best German-Arab film projects. The film that won the Best Short Film award earlier this year is co-produced by the German Foundation and Royal Film Commission-Jordan, and is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions. The film landed its world premiere at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) within the Muhr Short competition.

About Karouma:

In less than eight months, Algerian director Boubaker Boukhari's Emirati animation film Karouma toured more than 70 of the world's film festivals reaping awards. The film follows Karouma, the unique gifted boy who is striving to break through and to leave his parents' nest to pursue his dreams and live his life in its full potential.

About Submarine:

Submarine's director Mounia Akl has won the Special Jury Prize in the Muhr Short competition at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Under the imminent threat of Lebanon's garbage crisis, Hala, a wild child inside of a woman is the only one to refuse evacuation, clinging to whatever remains of home.

Produced by Cyril Aris and Jinane Chaaya, and distributed by MAD Solutions in the Arab world, Submarine stars Julian Farhat, Yumna Marwan, and Adel Chahine. Submarine was also awarded the James Bridges production grant.

Screening Times of MAD Solutions' Films at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (GMT+4)

Five Boys and A Wheel
Thursday, April 27 at 11:00 am
Saturday, April 29 at 08:00 pm
Monday, May 1 at 12:00 pm

The Parrot
Wednesday, April 26 at 01:00 pm
Sunday, April 30 at 06:00 pm
Monday, May 1 at 11:00 am

Karouma
Wednesday, April 26 at 10:00 am
Saturday, April 29 at 01:00 pm
Sunday, April 30 at 11:00 am

Submarine
Thursday, April 27 at 08:00 pm
Monday, May 1 at 07:00 pm
Tuesday, May 2 at 06:00 pm