MAD Solutions has acquired the Arab distribution rights to the Vietnamese film The Third Wife by director Ash Mayfair and produced by M-Appeal. The film has won seven awards during its tour of dozens of international film festivals. The film was also well-received by critics and audiences alike during its screenings in 20 countries around the world.

Meriame Deghedi, Distribution and Sales Manager at MAD Solutions, commented on the partnership, "We are more than thrilled to start this collaboration with M-Appeal. Their approach to "doing things differently" aligns with our vision of distributing the films we love. The Third Wife will be the first Far East film we acquire, and we couldn't be more proud to bring such an impactful film to the Arab audience."

On the other hand, Maren Kroymann, CEO of M-Appeal, also said, "It is a very important moment for us, as this is the first time that one of our titles finds distribution in the Arab World. We thought the subject matter that "The Third Wife" explores can be of interest in the region. However there is no well-established circuit of art-house distribution except for one or two territories. Thus, there was no other way to explore the potentials of this market better than through the windows of a company like MAD Solutions, since the region is very diverse and we need to understand the fine cultural differences and the viewing habits of each country. We are delighted that we found MAD Solutions as a partner to reach out to audiences all over the Arab World."

A Berlin-based company, M-Appeal selects 8 to 10 films annually to present them to international audiences. Their focus lies with original high-quality art house films and fostering unique relationships with different filmmakers.

Third Wife's plot takes place during the 19th century rural Vietnam, where 14-year-old May becomes the third wife of wealthy landowner Hung. Soon she learns that she can only gain status by asserting herself as a woman who can give birth to a male child. May's hope to change her status turns into a real and tantalizing possibility when she gets pregnant. Faced with forbidden love and its devastating consequences, May finally comes to an understanding of the brutal truth: the options available to her are few and far between.

The film won seven international awards, including the NETPAC Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, Best Artistic Contribution at the Cairo International Film Festival, Best Film at the Kolkata International Film Festival, Special Mention at the Milano International Film Festival, the Special Jury Award (Main Feature Film Competition) at the Minsk International Film Festival "Listopad", the Gold Hugo Award (New Directors Competition) at the Chicago International Film Festival, and the TVE-Another Look Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.
The Third Wife also participated in many international film festivals, such as the Sao Paolo International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Vienna International Women's Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival.

The film's screenplay won the Spike Lee Production Fund in 2014 and was on the NYU Purple List 2015 for the best screenplays written by graduates. The Third Wife also won the Grand Prix at Autumn Meeting Lab 2015 in Vietnam and the Best Award for a non-Hong Kong project at the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum 2016.

Ash Mayfair is a Vietnamese director. She received an MFA in filmmaking from NYU. Ash's filmmaking career began with short films, including: The Silver Man, Sam, and Walking the Dead. The films have been screened at numerous international film festivals. The Third Wife is her feature debut.