MAD Solutions—the Arab World’s leading agency for independent Arab cinema—has made history this year with an unprecedented achievement: three different films selected to premiere at each of the world’s most prestigious film festivals—Berlinale, Cannes, and Venice.
 
Most recently, MAD Solutions made headlines at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival by presenting three standout titles, including Jihan K’s MY FATHER AND QADDAFI (Out of Competition), which marked the first Libyan film to screen at Venice in over 13 years, and Sudanese filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani’s COTTON QUEEN, featured in the International Critics’ Week (Settimana Internazionale della Critica).
 
Crowning MAD’s presence at the festival was THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, by acclaimed Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia’s official submission to the 98th Academy Awards, which received a record-breaking over 20-minute standing ovation and swept seven awards, including the prestigious Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize.
 
Additional honors included the Leoncino d’Oro, the Italian Red Cross Award (Premio Croce Rossa Italiana), the Arca Cinema Giovani Award, a special mention from Cinema for UNICEF (Segnalazione Cinema for UNICEF), the Premio Sorriso Diverso, and the CICT UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award.
 
“This is just the beginning. We have plans to continue participating in major international festivals like Toronto and BFI, because we believe the Arab world is rich with stories and talents that deserve global recognition,” said MAD Solutions co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab in a joint statement.
 
Before Venice, MAD Solutions made waves at the 78th Cannes Film Festival with a trio of Un Certain Regard selections: ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA by the Nasser Twins, an absurdist political satire that won Best Director; Erige Sehiri’s competition opener on minority women lifting each other up in a Tunisian society that’s ambivalent to them, PROMISED SKY; and Morad Mostafa’s daring take on Africans’ lives in Egypt, AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY.
 
Earlier in the year, MAD Solutions also made a strong showing at the 75th Berlinale with three powerful films: Ameer Fakhereldin’s YUNAN, an introspective narrative on exile and isolation (Official Competition); Mohamed Rashad’s THE SETTLEMENT, a gripping workplace thriller exploring the exploitation of Egyptian factory workers (Perspectives); and Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama’s TÊTES BRÛLÉES, a poignant exploration of grief through the eyes of a young girl (Generation 14plus), which received two special mentions—one from the official Generation 14plus jury and another from the Independent Jury of the AG Kino - Gilde - Cinema Vision 14plus.