Through its collaboration with the Open Doors Initiative, MAD Solutions takes part in numerous activities during the 68th Festival del Film Locarno in Switzerland (5-15 August). In addition to the award offered by the company to the winning film project in the initiative, MAD Solutions will also offer the competing projects a chance to interact with a large number of key Arab and international names during the initiative's events.

MAD Solutions will organize a series of meetings for the contending filmmakers with: Mohamed Hefzy, Founder of Film Clinic; Wael Omar, Founder of Middle West Films; Hani Osama, Founding Partner of The Producers; Qatari Lebanese Producer Aya Al Blouchi, Founder of Seat 26; Karin Angela Schyle, Coordinator at the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation which is famous for its annual events that aim for international coproduction of films between young German filmmakers and partners from the Arab world.

Within the framework of the festival, MAD Solutions will be part of a panel discussion to be held on August 8th under the title "Film Funding, Challenges and Opportunities: from Europe to the Arab World (and Back)". To be moderated by Jean des Forets (Petit Film/EAVE), the list of participants in the panel includes; Scriptwriter/Producer Mohamed Hefzy; Producer Aya Al Blouchi; Vincenzo Bungo Project Manager at Berlinale World Cinema Fund, Festival Delegateand member of the competition selection committee, Khalil Benkirane; Grants Manager, Doha Film Institute; and Teresa Cavina, selection committee member, SANAD, along with Alaa Karkouti, CEO of MAD Solutions. The panel will be attended by Open Doors delegation of producers and filmmakers of projects or films screened in the Open Doors Initiative, in addition to a number of producers from Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico and key international names who will be part of the festival.

The award offered by MAD for the winning project in the Open Doors Initiative comes as part of the company's partnership with the initiative. This year, the program will focus on film projects from the Maghreb region; 12 official selections are contending as part of the section.

The MAD prize will grant distribution and promotional services for the winning film project. This comes as part of the company's long-term strategy to support and promote the Arab cinema industry in the region and beyond.

The Open Doors Initiative aims to promote film production in countries with talented filmmakers who find it difficult to complete their film projects. Every year, a country or several countries are selected allowing their filmmakers to participate in the competition. The program is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).