MAD Solutions to participate in 2nd edition of Red Sea International Film Festival with 2 Saudi and 5 Arab Films

release date November 24 2022

MAD Solutions’ distribution slate will be represented by seven titles in the second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival and will also present a distribution & marketing award for an Arab film project at the Red Sea Souk, which was won in the 1st edition by Mehdi Hmili’s highly-anticipated Tunisian project SEASONS OF JANNET.

First in MAD’s line-up is Lebanese drama DIRTY, DIFFICULT, DANGEROUS, directed by Wissam Charaf and winner of Best European Film at the 79th edition of the Venice International Film Festival.

Next up is Soudade Kaadan’s Syrian drama NEZOUH, starring Kinda Alloush, which held its world premiere at Venice’s Orizzonti Extra Competition.

Red Sea will mark both films’ Arab premieres, competing in the festival’s main competition, with MAD Solution handling their distribution in the Arab world.

First in the Festival Favorites section is Firas Khoury's fiery and youthful Palestinian drama ALAM, winner of 3 awards including the Golden Pyramid for Best Film at the Cairo International Film Festival this month. The film stars Mahmood Bakri, Saleh Bakri, and Sereen Khass. ALAM will be distributed across the Arab world by MAD Solutions and Lagoonie Film Production.

ALAM is followed by Erige Sehiri’s Tunisian summer-harvest drama UNDER THE FIG TREES, which held its world premiere at Cannes this year, and lastly British-Moroccan filmmaker Fyzal Boulifa’s (LYNN+LUCY) Moroccan-French co-production THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (produced by Karim Debbagh, following his previous collaboration with MAD Solutions on LIFE SUITS ME WELL), which held its Arab premiere at Marrakech IFF this month. MAD is also handling both films’ distribution in the Arab world.

MAD Solutions will also be represented by two Saudi shorts by burgeoning Saudi directors at the New Cinema/New Saudi Section, which are Salma Murad’s MATCHSTICK (KABREET) and Ali Basaeed’s CASTING, both of which will be hold their world premieres at Red Sea. MAD Solutions is handling their distribution worldwide.

In addition to the MAD Solutions Marketing & Distribution Award, MAD Solutions will continue to hold a booth at the Red Sea Souk, the festival’s industry market.