MAD Solutions sends two films from its distribution list; Lilacs and Nocturne in Black, to take part of the events of the Lebanese Film Festival (LFF) that will be held in Sydney, Australia from August 16th to September 1st. The screening of the two short films will be held in the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park.


The Lebanese Film Festival (LFF) is run by the Lebanese Film Festival Association Incorporated, a NSW registered non-profit organization, founded in 2011. The aims of the Association are to provide a platform for Lebanese cinema to be screened in Australia, to being a premier international film festival event to Sydney, improve local accessibility to arts, and provide insight into contemporary Lebanese culture to the large Lebanese-Australian community. Since 2012, the Lebanese Film Festival has screened over 100 films from across the world, which are either filmed or based in Lebanon, or made by Lebanese film makers from Lebanon, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Australia.

About Lilacs:

Directed by Mira Shaib, the short film Lilacs follows the story of Hanna, a melancholic woman who comes to Lebanon after 12 years absence. She wants to find her twin brother Firas who has been kidnapped during the Lebanese Civil War. The film stars Wafaa Halawi, Faek Hmaisy, and Aliya Khalidi. Lilacs landed its Egyptian premiere at the 2nd Aswan International Women Film Festival (AIWFF) within the festival's Official Short Films Competition.

Lilacs is produced by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and 4th Wall Productions (Jordan) of producer Aya Naboulsi, and supported by Robert Bosch Stiftung (Germany). MAD Solutions is handling the film's distribution through the Arab world.

About Nocturne in Black:

The film is inspired by an article about a Syrian young man who continues to play his piano under threat of persecution in the midst of his country's civil war and struggles to rebuild his piano after it is destroyed by terrorists.

Written, edited and directed by Jimmy Keyrouz, Nocturne in Black stars Julian

Farhat, Tarek Yaacoub, Karim Zein and Rachid Salloum. The film is produced by Marc Fadel, Ellie Foumbi, Felecia Hunter and Jimmy Keyrouz.

Nocturne in Black landed its world premiere at the Columbia University Film Festival where it won the Jury Selects. In 2016, the film received a number of awards including; the Gold Medal at the 43rd Student Academy Awards, the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short Film at the Long Beach International Film Festival, the Marion Carter Green Award at the National Board of Review, the Gold Circle Award at the Caucus Foundation Award, the IFP Audience Award at the Independent Film Project, and the Best Director award at the NDU International Film Festival in Lebanon. Most recently, the film won the BIFF Award for Best Short Film at the Boulder International Film Festival, and the Live Action Film Award at the BAFTA Los Angeles Student Film Awards.