MAD Solutions has announced that Algerian-French feature film project SOULA by director Salah Issaad won its award at the Final Cut in Venice, held on the margins of the Venice International Film Festival. The award offers marketing and distribution services across the Arab world to the winning film.

In addition to the MAD Award, the film project also received seven cash prizes worth a total of $70,000, including 15,000 euros offered by Laser Film, 15,000 euros offered by Mactari Mixing Auditorium, 5,000 euros offered by Titra Film, 2,500 euros offered by the Amiens International Film Festival, 2,500 euros offered by the Fribourg International Film Festival, along with 2,500 euros for distribution services offered by Eye on Films, and a prize worth up to 6,000 euros for the acquisition of the non-commercial and non-exclusive broadcasting rights for 7 years offered by Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut Français.

SOULA is director Salah Issaad's feature film debut and it's produced by Issaad Film Productions. The film stars Soula Bahri, Idir Benaibouche, and Franck Yvrai.

SOULA is the story of a young single mother who is rejected by her family in the name of honor. Trying to make it through the night with her baby, she finds herself caught up in a spiral of violence. Along the roads of Algeria and through unfortunate encounters in a stunning journey, she heads towards her inevitable destiny.

Salah Issaad is a young Algerian director and producer. After receiving a bachelor's degree in letters and foreign languages, and in law in Algeria, he immigrated to France where he studied film studies for two years at the University of Paris VIII. Alternating professional life and studies, he joined the ARFIS audiovisual school in Lyon, then he ended up joining the Factory School in Villeurbanne where he obtained his Cinema director diploma. Issaad has made a feature film and several short films. He has always been pushed by the passion of telling stories where human relationships are honored. He explores different narrative forms and different film genres like drama, tragedy, stories inspired by real facts, and comedy.

This marks the sixth year for MAD Solutions to present its award at the Final Cut in Venice. The award offers marketing and distribution services across the Arab world to one of the Arab film projects at the Final Cut in Venice. The award is part of the company's strategy to support the Arab film industry through its different production stages internationally and regionally and to promote them on the long run. The company previously offered similar awards at the Open Doors initiative held as part of the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, the MAFF Market Forum (MMF) of the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden, the Palestine Cinema Days, and the Festival National du Film Professional Meetings in Tangier, Morocco.

The 8th Final Cut in Venice workshop supports films in the post-production stage from Africa, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. The film selections are screened to an audience of producers, distributors and programmers of international film festivals. The workshop concludes with an award ceremony to honor the winning films that will be supported through the post-production phase.

The Final Cut in Venice aims to develop the role of the Venice International Film Festival to become a bridge that supports independent filmmaking in these countries by providing effective production support and promoting the films on the international market level.