release date May 10 2024
MAD Solutions acquires the Arab World sales rights of Yasemin Şamdereli’s SAMIA & Jonathan Millet’s GHOST TRAIL
As the summer festival season draws near, MAD Solutions — the MENA region’s leading film distribution agent — closed a deal with long-time French partner mk2 Films for the Arab World sales rights of two of their most promising titles on the horizon, both of which will be holding their world premieres soon; one at the esteemed Cannes Film Festival and the other at Tribeca.
Carrying on in its mission to champion and present the untold stories of a side of the world that is oft-misunderstood and reduced to generalizations and stereotypes, MAD has this time set its sights on Jonathan Millet’s French-Syrian thriller and Cannes Film Festival opener GHOST TRAIL and Yasemin Şamdereli’s Tribeca-bound Somali biopic SAMIA.
Based on true events, GHOST TRAIL explores how far one is willing to go for justice and redemption, following Hamid, a Syrian who is part of a secret group pursuing the regime’s fugitive leaders.
His mission takes him to France, on the trail of his former torturer whom he must confront. But with his judgment clouded by pressure, doubt, and revenge, can he be certain of the righteousness of his own actions?
GHOST TRAIL is written and directed by the accomplished Johnathan Millet — who has several credits to his name, including LA DISPARITION and TELL ME ABOUT THE STARS — and stars the French Tunisian star Adam Bessa, who won Best Actor at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard for his role in Lotfy Nathan’s HARKA, and Palestinian actor Tawfeek Barhom.
Meanwhile, MAD’s second exciting acquisition — which is based on the true story of the tenacious and determined Samia Yusuf Omar — SAMIA follows a young Somali athlete boldly moving toward her future of becoming an Olympic runner and a symbol in the fight for freedom and women’s rights worldwide.
SAMIA is a German-Italian co-production helmed and penned by Yasemin Şamdereli, who’s known for directing the German dramedy ALMANYA: WELCOME TO GERMANY, which world premiered at the 61st Berlinale before going on an extensive tour of the festival circuit that netted 12 awards.
It is also co-written by Nesrin Şamderel and Giuseppe Catozzella; produced by Simone Catania, Dietmar Güntsche, Anja Karina Richter, Francesca Portalupi, Michele Fornasero, Martin Rohé, Joseph Rouschop, David Herdies, Riccardo Russo, and Christoph Fisser; and stars Ilham Mohamed Osman, Fathia Mohamed Absie, Fatah Ghedi, Elmi Rashid Elmi, Waris Dirie, Riyan Roble, and Zakaria Mohamed.
Commenting on their latest acquisition, Co-Founders of MAD Solutions Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab expressed their excitement for this new chapter in their partnership with mk2 Films, saying, “It’s always a joy working with a company like mk2 Films that values both authenticity and good cinema. It’s so easy in this industry to buckle under the weight of what sells and what the public wants to see that it has become increasingly rare to find a partner that values what we do: A certain universality to the stories we tell.”
mk2 Films is a French co-producer, sales agent, and distributor that has worked on several award-winning titles around the globe, including Palme d’Or winner ANATOMY OF A FALL, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE, and COLD WAR.
The French agent is a frequent collaborator of MAD, with both distribution giants partnering on international hits like OUR TIES, NEZOUH, and A SEASON IN FRANCE, among other titles — all of which have performed admirably in commercial and Art House theaters and in their respective festival runs.
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