Darb 1718 center screens three films distributed by MAD Solutions within its September programme. This comes as part of the partnership between the center and MAD Solutions. The MAD films are the documentary Ya Omri (104 Wrinkles) by director HadyZaccak (Sunday, September 2), and the two feature films Kiss Me Not by director Ahmed Amer (Sunday, September 23) and Barakah Meets Barakah by director Mahmoud Sabbagh(Sunday, September 30).

In August,Darb 1718 screened three MAD films; Only Men Go to the Grave by Abdulla Al Kaabi, Kiss Me Not by Ahmed Amer and the documentary Gaza Surf Club by Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine. For more information, please visit the center's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Darb1718/

Darb 1718 contemporary art and culture center is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 to host different art mediums and cultural events. The center provides workshops, programs and initiatives to educate and mentor emerging artists and offers them a space to exhibit their work alongside established artists. Darb 1718 is an art center and gathering point for all art events in Egypt.
About Ya Omri (104 Wrinkles):

Director HadyZaccak follows his grandmother Henriette as she ages and crosses the centenarian milestone to reach 104 years. He witnesses the transformation of her memory, her emigration from Lebanon to Brazil and the stories of love, children and suspended time. The film is written and directed by HadyZaccak, produced by ZAC Films and distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Ya Omri (104 Wrinkles) won the Jury Award at the Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) in Sweden, and before that it won the Award of Merit at the Docs Without Borders Film Festival in Nassau, USA and an Appreciation Award at the Impact Docs Awards. Landing its world premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), where it competed within the Muhr Feature Competition, Ya Omri(104 Wrinkles) took part in several film festivals including Beirut Cinema Days 2017, Sharm El Sheikh Arab and European Film Festival, where it marked the sole documentary within the International Features Competition, Cairo Cinema Days and Lebanese Film Festival (LFF) in Sydney, Australia.
Sunday, September 2 at 08:30 pm

About Kiss Me Not:

Written and directed by Ahmed Amer, Kiss Me Not follows a young and ambitious Egyptian director who faces issues while shooting a kissing scene in his new film with the leading actress Fajr who decides to pursue a more religious path.

Kiss Me Not stars YasminRaeis, Mohamed Mahran, Salwa Mohamed Ali and Aida Riad with guest stars actress SawsanBadr, along with late director Mohamed Khan and director KhairyBeshara as themselves. The film is produced by Middlewest Films, WIKA for Film Production and Distribution and MAD Solutions and distributed by MAD Distribution.

Sunday, September 23 at 08:30 pm

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 HishamFageeh, Fatima Al Banawi, Sami Hifny, AbdulmajeedAlruhaidi and KhairiaNazmi. The film is written and directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh. MAD Solutions, alongside Film Clinic-Indie Distribution (FCID), acquired the Arab world distribution rights to the film.

Barakah Meets Barakah was Saudi Arabia's official submission to the 2017 Academy Awards. The film received a Certificate of Appreciation at the Prospects of Arab Cinema (PAC) programme within the 38th Cairo International Film Festival. The film also took part in the 27th Carthage Film Festival (JCC) and was selected by the 60th BFI London Film Festival, run by the British Film Institute (BFI), to compete within the Laugh Gala. Moreover, the film has also been selected to compete in the Special Presentations section at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival following its world premiere at the 66th Berlinale where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize in the Forum section.

Sunday, September 30 at 08:30 pm