release date August 03 2024
John Fareed Zaki’s MADONNA selected for Tripoli Film Festival's Official Competition
Riding high on the heels of its world premiere at the prestigious Luxor African Film Festival, John Fareed Zaki's gripping short film MADONNA has been officially selected to hold its world premiere as part of the Arab Film Official Competition at the 11th Tripoli Film Festival in Lebanon, taking place from September 19th to 25th.
Taking place in Egypt, abbots deliberately conceal the theft of an Italian painter's archeological artifact to avoid a scandal. This reignites an old conflict between Father Maurice and Francis due to their different views on life.
Suspicions fall on Suad, the monastery's chef, as her daughter needs surgery she cannot afford, prompting Maurice to suspect her involvement. However, a dramatic turn of events unfolds, surprising everyone.
Most recently, the MENA region’s distribution powerhouse, MAD Solutions, dropped the film’s official trailer on YouTube. You can watch it here.
Commenting on the inspiration behind his film, director John Fareed said, “Growing up in a Christian community, I witnessed untold stories and hidden struggles. A pivotal moment for me was seeing a poor woman ask a monk for money in a church filled with valuable antiques. This led me to question why we preserve such treasures while people in need go without help.”
“Madonna explores this dilemma: Should we value heritage over immediate human needs?”
Directed by John Fareed Zaki from a screenplay co-written with Abanoub Nabil, MADONNA stars Abd El-Aziz Makhyoun, Karim Kassem, and Gerorge Sassine, and is produced by Karim Kassem, Adolph El-Asal, and the Jesuit Cultural Center in Alexandria, with support from the US Embassy in Cairo, the Goethe Institute, and the British Council in Alexandria.
It is also lensed by Filopater Morad and edited by Sara Abdullah, with MAD Distribution handling distribution and sales in the MENA region and MAD World in charge of worldwide sales.
Egyptian filmmaker John Fareed — a graduate of the Jesuit Film School in Alexandria — is passionate about telling the heartbreaking stories of those forced to flee their homelands.
Throughout his career, Fareed has created numerous commercials for high-profile organizations like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Orascom.
Fareed's filmography includes several acclaimed short films, such as PAPA TOLD ME, THE DREAM, PORT SAEED STREET, and OUR LAST JOURNEY TOGETHER.
Looking ahead, Fareed is developing a new project that has secured production funding from the Annaba Film Festival.
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