release date January 24 2018
MAD Solutions Sends Five Films to the Sudan Independent Film Festival
Five films distributed by MAD Solutions will take part in the 5th Sudan Independent Film Festival (SIFF) that will be held from the 22nd to the 26th of January, in Sudan.

The MAD lineup at the festival includes; two feature films, Only Men Go to the Grave by director Abdulla Al Kaabi and The Journey by director Mohamed Al Daradji; two short films, A Drowning Man by director Mahdi Fleifel and 300 KM by director Mohammed Alholayyil; and the documentary film Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc by director Iman Kamel.

The Sudan Independent Film Festival (SIFF) is one of the most prominent cultural events in Sudan, highlighting independent cinema and celebrating African culture. Exceptional documentaries, long and short feature films from various countries are screened during the festival. The festival also organizes workshops and seminars conducted by specialized, global film industry veterans to empower Sudanese filmmakers with vital skills and knowledge.

About Only Men Go to the Grave:

Set in 1988, a blind mother welcomes her estranged daughters to tell them a secret. Unfortunately, she accidentally dies while sharing it.

During the funeral, the daughters try to deal with their mother's sudden death and also work together to unveil her secret by looking for clues from visitors. Throughout the funeral, their own lives continue to unravel, giving room for buried family tensions to gradually surface, while struggling to deal with their own secrets and deep-rooted guilt. The arrival of an unfamiliar guest rocks the entire foundation of their family. How do they deal with the aftermath?

Written and directed by Abdulla Al Kaabi as his debut feature film, Only Men Go to the Grave stars Saleema Yaqoub, Heba Sabah and Abdelreza Nasari. MAD Solutions is handling the film's distribution in the Arab world.

About The Journey:

The Journey tells the story of Sara who stands on the cusp of committing an unthinkable act, an unforeseen and awkward encounter that gives her the opportunity to witness the potential consequences of her destructive action. But is this a second chance or an admission of guilt?

Directed by Mohamed Al Daradji, who co-writes and co-produces the film with Isabelle Stead, The Journey stars Zahraa Ghandour and Ameer Jbara. The film is produced by Human Film, Iraqi Independent Film Center (IIFC) in cooperation with Lionceau Films, Iraq Al-Rafidain and Iraqi Media Network. The film received grants from the Doha Film Institute, AFAC - The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, World Cinema Fund, the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image Animée (CNC) and the French Institute (IF) of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Netherlands Film Fund, SANAD Development Fund (Abu Dhabi Film Festival) and Screen Yorkshire. MAD Solutions handling the distribution of the film through the Arab world.

Screening time: Friday, the 26th of January at 07:30 pm (GMT +2) at Sudan Film Factory

About A Drowning Man:

Alone and far from home, The Kid makes his way through a strange city looking for the means to get through his day. Surrounded by predators he is forced to make compromises merely to survive, his life of exile grows one day longer.

Written and directed by Mahdi Fleifel, the BAFTA nominated film A Drowning Man stars Atef Alshafei,
Jalal Qaniry, Mounir Alkhateeb, Rebih El-Saleous, and Thymios Koukios. The film is produced by Final Cut for Real, Nakba Film Works and distributed through the Arab world by MAD Solutions, while Salaud Morisset is handling the film's world sales.

Screening time: Wednesday, the 24th of January at 07:30 pm (GMT +2) at Comboni College of Science & Technology
Thursday, the 25th of January at 07:30 pm (GMT +2) at Sudan Film Factory

About 300 KM:

Hailing from a conservative community, a man, woman and child are forced to travel together in a small car to undertake the journey over a 300-km long stretch of road.

Landing its world premiere at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) where it won the Jury Award within the Muhr Feature Competition, 300 KM stars Khaled Alsaqr, Zara Albalushi, and Ibrahim Alhajjaj. The film is written, directed and produced by Mohammed Alholayyil and distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Screening time: Thursday, the 25th of January at 07:30 pm (GMT +2) at Comboni College of Science & Technology
Friday, the 26th of January at 07:30 pm (GMT +2) at Goethe Institut

About Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc

The documentary film Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc tells the true stories of resistance by Egyptian women since the outbreak of the revolution in 2011 through mythic story elements, poetic narration and dance.

The film is directed by Iman Kamel, and co-produced by Nomad's Home Production (Iman Kamel) and Linked Productions (Talal Al-Muhanna). The film marks Iman's second collaboration with Kuwaiti producer Talal Al-Muhanna. MAD Solutions is distributing the film in the Arab world.

Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc was nominated for the 2013 Arab-German Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation in Germany. The film was presented at pitching and co-production forums such as Africa Produce (Spain), and Amiens Screenplay Development Fund (France).

Screening time: Tuesday, the 23rd of January at 07:30 pm (GMT +2) at Coptic Club Khartoum
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