Four films distributed by MAD Solutions are going to be screened at the Arab Film Festival Australia
(August 17 - September 9, 2017). The films are the feature film Ali, the Goat And Ibrahim, the documentary Gaza Surf Club,and the shorts Five Boys and A Wheel and Ayny.

The Arab Film Festival Australia aims to address the contemporary reality and frequent misrepresentation of Arab peoples and cultures by reflecting the complexity and diversity of the Arab experience. The Festival provides a critical space for alternative screen based representations of Arab subjects, cultures and narratives. The Festival takes place in four cities: Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

About Ali, the Goat And Ibrahim

Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim follows a strange love story of a young man living in a rough neighborhood. He travels across Egypt on the recommendation of a psychic along with Ibrahim who is almost driven mad by the voices he hears in his head. Their journey turns into a voyage of friendship and self-discovery. The film stars Ali Sobhi, Ahmed Magdy, Salwa Mohamed Aly and Nahed El Sebai. Directed by Sherif El Bendary, Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim is written by Ahmed Amer, based on Ibrahim El Batout's story, and produced by Mohamed Hefzy's Film Clinic, Transit Films of Hossam Elouan,and the French film production company Arizona Productions led by Guillaume de Seille, along with Daniel Ziskind as Associate Producer. The film's distribution in the Arab world is jointly handled by MAD Solutions and Film Clinic-Indie Distribution (FCID), while its worldwide distribution is handled by the French sales agent Loco Films.

The film's world premiere was held at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), where it competed within the Muhr Feature competition and Ali Sobhi won the Best Actor Award for his role in the film. Most recently, director Sherif El Bendary's debut feature Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim took part in the Mons International Love Film Festival in Belgium, making its outside the Arab world premiere, besides its participation in the 19th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris (January 12 - 16). The film won three awards during its participation in the Final Cut Workshop at the Venice International Film Festival.

About Gaza Surf Club

Trapped in "the world's largest open-air prison" and ruled by war, a new generation is drawn to the country's coastline. Sick of occupation and political gridlock, they find their own personal freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean - they are the surfers of Gaza.

Directed by Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine and co-produced by Stephanie Yamine, Gaza Surf Club is a feature documentary film that stars Sabah Abu Ghanem, Mohammed Abu Jayab and Ibrahim Arafat. MAD Solutions is handling the film's distribution in the Arab world. In 2013, the film project received the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The film landed its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was nominated for the Social Justice Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The film took part in several film festivals including the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

About Five Boys and A Wheel

Five Boys and A Wheel received support from the Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC). The film stars
Ali Suliman, Nadira Omran, 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. A Jordanian-Palestinian film by director Said Zagha 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.

Within its international festival tour, Five Boys and A Wheel received the Golden Wahr award at the Oran International Arabic Film Festival in Algeria, and won the Silver Palm award at the Mexico International Film Festival. The film made its world premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival
(DIFF) in its Muhr Short competition and had its North American premiere at the 40th Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) in February, 2017, while its European premiere was at the Middle East Now Festival in Italy. The film also screened at several other festivals including the MOOOV Film Festival
in Belgium, Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts and the Festival Ciné-Palestine in Paris.

About Ayny

Based on true events, Ayny follows two young boys who run away from their mother's protection and slack line on the danger of war to play music with the instrument they always dreamt to own. The film is written, directed, edited and voiced by Ahmad Saleh, music by Nizar Rohana, animated by Frank Pingel, DOP Lionel Poutiaire Somé, produced by Stefan Gieren, and its Arab world distribution is handled by
MAD Solutions. The film is a co-production between Germany, Jordan, and Palestine.

Ayny won several awards including the Best of the Best award at the 8th Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Best Third Movie - Film Competition from Outside Iraq at the 2nd Qumrah International Film Festival in Iraq, Student Academy Award for Best Foreign Animation
and the main award (Amarji Alsumaria) at the 2nd Amarji International Film Festival For Short Films in Al Najaf, Iraq. The film made its world premiere in the Muhr Short competition of the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Ayny was also screened at the Beirut Cinema Days, Sudan Independent Film Festival (SIFF), Animate. Ps (Palestine Animation Festival), ALFILM - Arab Film Festival Berlin, Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Festival Ciné-Palestine in Paris and, most recently, the Palm Springs International Shortfest in California.

Screening Times of the Film sat the Arab Film Festival Australia
Ali, the Goat And Ibrahim (August 20 in Sydney, August 26 in Melbourne, September 2 in Canberra)
Gaza Surf Club (August 20 in Sydney, August 27 in Melbourne, September 1 in Canberra, September 9 in Perth)
Five Boys and A Wheel (August 19 in Sydney, August 27 in Melbourne)
Ayny (August 20 in Sydney, August 26 in Melbourne, September 2 in Canberra)