Under the umbrella of its Arab Cinema Center (ACC), MAD Solutions will grant its special award to one of the films taking part at the 4th Final Cut in Venice workshop, within the Venice Film Market of the 73rd Venice International Film Festival for the second consecutive year. The MAD award will offer the company's promotional and distribution services for the winning film across the Arab world.

On the continuing partnership with the Final Cut in Venice workshop, Art Director Maher Diab, Co-founder of MAD Solutions, comments, "We at MAD aim to support all Arab films of different genres by making it accessible to audiences worldwide, especially films with innovative visions that aspire to change people's mind-sets and lives."

Last year, Iraqi director Hakar Abdel Kader's documentary film Separation won the MAD Solutions Award. The film tells the story of the thousands of Yazidi Kurds who fled their village of Sinjar in Iraq which is under the siege of ISIS militants. They find themselves without food or water at the top of Sinjar Mountain. Faced with no other choice, three men leave to seek sustenance for their families, unaware that an almost safe passage to Kurdistan has been recently opened. Destiny has thus separated these men from their loved ones. The documentary reveals the story of their wives and children who, having reached the refugee camp, remain anxiously awaiting news of their husbands, while at the same time learning to adapt to life in a new setting.

Over the course of two days, the Final Cut in Venice workshop offers support for Arab and African films. The film selections are screened to an audience of producers, buyers, distributors and programmers of international film festivals. The workshop concludes with an award ceremony to honor the winning films that will be supported through post-production phase.

The award offered by MAD Solutions comes as part of the company's strategy to support the Arab film industry through the different production stages internationally and within the Arab region and to promote them on the long run. The company previously offered similar awards for the winning projects at the Open Doors initiative held as part of the 67th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, and at the MAFF Market Forum (MMF) at the 5th Malmö Arab Film Festivalin Sweden.

About Arab Cinema Center (ACC)

Arab Cinema Center (ACC), organized by MAD Solutions, opened this year with intensive activities at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), followed by the 66th Berlinale, the Qumra Doha Film Institute, the Center's first Arab stop since its launch in 2015, in addition to Silk Road Film festival in Ireland, Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART), and most recently at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

Previously, Arab Cinema Center (ACC) revealed its year-round partnership with Variety magazine as the Center's media partner; in addition to a digital partnership with Festival Scope and a technology sponsorship with Striim.in to promote ACC's events in 2016. The Center has launched a magazine during the 69th Cannes Film Festival, which is regarded as the first English-language publication of its kind specialized in Arab cinema and designed to address international film markets, shedding light on Arab cinema updates as well as prominent and up-and-coming Arab filmmaking potential and talents.

Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is operating as an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides Arab filmmakers with a professional window to connect with filmmakers from all over the world through a number of events that it organizes and provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others.

The Center's activities vary between Film Market main wings, introduction sessions for Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, meetings with international organizations and festivals, in addition to releasing an ACC guide to be distributed among the Film Market visitors.