Continuing its extensive presence at the most prominent film festivals and markets, Arab Cinema Center
(ACC) will take part in the 73rd Venice Film Festival (31 August to 10 September), which will witness the participation of the center's partners, including film organizations and companies. There will be also seven Arab film projects taking part in the festival's events, three films included in the festival's sections, two Arab jury members, in addition to MAD Solutions offering a special award for one of the participating films in the fourth round of the Venice Final Cut workshop, a cocktail party which will be organized as part of the Venice Film Market, as well as the release of the second issue of Arab Cinema Magazine; the first English-language Arab magazine dedicated to international cinema. The magazine, along with the Center, aims to shed light on the Arab film industry and the latest up and coming talents.

Among the ACC delegation of partners attending the festival are; Perihan Abo Zaid (MoviePigs), Ahmed Samy (Studio ZAT), Paul Baboudjian (Tharwa Productions and Screen Institute Beirut), Aya Al Blouchi
(Seat 26), Alaa Karkouti (MAD Solutions), Dina Harb (Birthmark Films), Mohamed Hefzy (Film Clinic), and Assem Ramadan (Rotana Media Group).

Egyptian star Nelly Karim will join the festival as a jury member of the Orizzonti competition. Father Boutros Daniel, President of the Catholic Cinema Center, will also be in attendance at the festival as a jury member for the SIGNIS competition.

The Arab films taking part in the 73rd Venice Film Festival are: the short film Le Resteest L'oeuvre de L'homme by director Doria Achour in the Horizons (Orizzonti) competition, in addition to two films to be screened in the Venice Days section: The War Show, co-directed by Andreas Dalsgaard (Denmark); and
Obaidah Zytoon (Syria), which will open the Venice Days Competition; and the short documentary No Borders by Haider Rashid (Iraq). Within the same section, the Tunisian film As I Open My Eyes by director Leyla Bouzid will be re-screened as it is one of the winning films in the European Film Awards
(Felix Awards) and it landed world premiere last year within the Venice Days section.

Arab film projects have a very strong presence this year at Venice. Taking part in the first round of the Venice Production Bridge at the Venice Film Market, is the feature film Wajib by director Annemarie Jacir; The Nature of Time by Karim Moussaoui; Cain, Abel and the Cowgirl by Dina Salah Amer. As for the Venice Final Cut Workshop, the participating Arab films are: Poisonous Roses by Ahmed Fawzi Saleh, and Ghost Hunting by Raed Andoni, Obscure by Soudade Kaadan, and One of These Days by Nadim Tabet.

Moreover, Film Analyst Alaa Karkouti, and CEO of MAD Solutions, along with Paul Baboudjian (Tharwa Productions and Screen Institute Beirut) are set to join a panel discussion titled 'Film Development, Co-Production, and Distribution in Africa and the Middle East' on Saturday, 3rd of September.

For the second consecutive year, under the umbrella of ACC, MAD Solutions is offering a special award for one of the participating films in the fourth round of the Venice Final Cut workshop at Venice Film Festival. The award consists of promotional and distribution services for the winning film across the Arab world as part of the company's strategy to support the Arab film industry through the different production stages internationally and within the Arab region and to promote them on the long run. The company previously offered similar awards for the winning projects at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, and at the MAFF Market Forum (MMF) at the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden.

About Arab Cinema Center (ACC)

Organized by MAD Solutions, Arab Cinema Center (ACC) opened the year with intensive activities at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), followed by the 66th Berlinale, the Qumra Doha Film Institute, the Center's first Arab stop since its launch in 2015, in addition to Silk Road Film Festival in Ireland, and Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART), the 69th Cannes Film Festival and the 69th Locarno Film Festival.

Previously, ACC revealed its year-round partnership with Variety magazine as the Center's media partner; in addition to a digital partnership with Festival Scope and a technology sponsorship with Striim.in to promote ACC's events in 2016. During Cannes 2016, the Center launched the first issue of the Arab Cinema Magazine, the first English-language Arab publication entirely dedicated to international cinema, which will accompany the Center to shed light on the Arab film industry and the latest up and coming talents.

Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is operating as an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides Arab filmmakers with a professional window to connect with filmmakers from all over the world through a number of events that it organizes and provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others.

The Center's activities vary between Film Market main wings, introduction and networking sessions for Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, as well as meetings with international organizations and festivals.