MAD Solutions Sends Six Films to the Tripoli Film Festival - Lebanon

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Brakah Meets Barakah| Foreign Body| Before the Summer Crowds| The Parrot| Submarine| Under the Robes

MAD Solutions Sends Six Films to the Tripoli Film Festival - Lebanon


MAD Solutions is sending six films (shorts and features) from its list of clientele to the 4th edition of the
Tripoli Film Festival - Lebanon (27 April - 4 May). Brakah Meets Barakah, Foreign Body and Before the Summer Crowds are selected within the Feature Films Competition, The Parrot is selected within the
International Short Movies Competition and Submarine and Under the Robes are selected within the
Lebanese Short Movies Competition.

Since 2014, the Tripoli Film Festival - Lebanon is one of the most important cinematic events conceived to ameliorate the image of the city. The festival aims to enrich the local cultural environment in Tripoli, promote the rich cultural heritage of Tripoli and its local artists, in addition to branding and marketing Tripoli and its region as a highly promising tourist destination. The fourth edition that will be held in April 2017 will include national and international filmmakers, international festival programmers and critics.

About Barakah Meets Barakah:

Barakah Meets Barakah tells the story of two lovers who are united in an environment hostile to dating of any kind. He is Barakah, the municipal civil servant from Jeddah, who is also an amateur actor in a theatrical troupe. She is Barakah, a wild beauty, who functions as a crowd-puller for her stylish mother's boutique and runs her own widely-seen vlog. They both defy customs and traditions, as well as the religious police, using modern communication technologies and traditional dating methods.

Produced by El Housh Productions, Barakah Meets Barakah stars Hisham Fageeh, Fatima Al Banawi,
Sami Hifny, Abdulmajeed Alruhaidi and Khairia Nazmi. The film is written and directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh. MAD Solutions, alongside Film Clinic-Indie Distribution (FCID), are handling the Arab world distribution of the Saudi film.

About Foreign Body:

Foreign Body is written and directed by Raja Amari, and stars Palestinian eminent actress Hiam Abbass, Sarah Hannachi, Salim Kechiouche, and Majd Mastoura. The film is co-produced by Dora Bouchoucha and Dominique Besnéhard, alongside Nomadis Images and Mon Voisin Productions. The film had six participations in world festivals, including the Berlinale, and it landed its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. MAD Solutions is responsible for Arab world distribution.

The film follows the first months in France of Samia, a young illegal immigrant who ran away from her brother. Haunted by the fear of being followed by her extremist brother whom she had denounced to the authorities, Samia first finds refuge at Imed's home, a former acquaintance from her village, before ending up working for the rich widow Leila. These new meetings mingle with her headlong flight, where desire enhances tensions.

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

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.

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 Submarine:

Submarine's world premiere was held during the Cannes Film Festival (2016) and it also participated in the 41st Toronto International Film Festival, in addition to over 20 international festivals around the world. The film 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.

About Under the Robes:

Under the Robes tells the story of Monsignor Isidore who gives a visit to an isolated convent in order to announce its closing down. During the visit, he steps on a landmine. The panic is installed and the faith becomes questionable.

Written and directed by Michel Zarazir, Under the Robes is produced by Gaby Zarazir and distributed by MAD Solutions in the Arab world. The film stars Manuel Daher, Yvonne El Haiby Nakad and Mona Abou Chabke Kheir. Taking part in more than 20 film festivals around the world, the film received nine awards including the Canal+ Short Film and Short Film Grand Prize - Special Mention awards at the
Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CINEMED) in France, the Gold Mikeldi for the Best Fiction Film award at the International Documentary Film and Short Film Festival in Bilbao
(ZINEBI) in Spain, and the Best Short Film at the European Film Festival in Lebanon.