Nine films distributed by MAD Solutions are going to be screened at the Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Jordan (December 5-11, 2017) held in partnership with The Royal Cultural Center (RCC). The short films The Parrot by directors Darin J. Sallam and Amjad Al Rasheed, Submarine by Mounia Akl, Mare Nostrum by directors Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf and Nocturne in Black by Jimmy Keyrouz will be competing for the Karama Feather Award for Best Short Film, while the animation Ayny by Ahmad Saleh will be competing for the Karama Feather Award for Best Jordanian Film and Karama Feather Award for Best Animation Film, for which the animation Karouma by Boubaker Boukhari will also be competing for. The documentary The Band by Albaqer Jafeer will be competing for the Karama Feather Award for Best Documentary Film, whilethe films Kindil el Bahr by Damien Ounouri and Ahmad by Ameer Ihsan will be screened Out of Competition. The nine films are distributed by MAD Solutions in the Arab world.

The Karama Festival is a six day film festival held in Amman, Jordan since 2010. The festival aims to raise awareness about human rights issues and violations all over the world through film screenings, discussions and workshops, which are also organized in schools and universities in Amman and other governorates in Jordan. After 7 editions of the festival, 356 human rights films were screened over the course of 7 years of cinema activism and advocacy for human rights in Jordan and in the region. Around 8000 spectators from different fields come yearly to attend the event and participate in its diverse activities.

About The Parrot:
The Parrot tells the story of a Mizrahi Jewish family, who emigrate from Morocco, trying to settle into their new life in Haifa, Palestine in 1948. Directed by Darin J. Sallam and Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan), the film stars Hend Sabry, Ashraf Barhoum, Yasmine Ben Amara, Eyad Hourani, Firas Taybeh, Lara Sawalha, and Ahmad Al-Madani, and written by Amjad Al Rasheed, Darin J. Sallam, and Rifqi Assaf.

About Submarine:
Under the imminent threat of Lebanon's garbage crisis, Hala, a wild child inside of a woman is the only one to refuse evacuation, clinging to whatever remains of home. Directed by Mounia Akl and produced by Cyril Aris and Jinane Chaaya, Submarine stars Julian Farhat, Yumna Marwan, and Adel Chahine.

About Kindil el Bahr
Dealing with violence against women, Kindil el Bahr follows, Nfissa, a young mother who during a beach daytrip with her family is drowned by a group of young men while swimming offshore. Nobody seems to witness her disappearing. Anxiety and fear grow among the family, especially as, on the same beach, bathers mysteriously start to die. Thefilm stars Adila Bendimerad, Nabil Asli, Aziz Boukerouni, and Souad Sebki and directed by Damien Ounouri, who also co-wrote the film with Adila Bendimerad.

About Mare Nostrum:
The film's events take place in 13 minutes on the shore of the Mediterranean, where a Syrian father and his little daughter flee the civil war in Syria, but the father makes a decision that could endanger his daughter's life. Directed by Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf, and written by Kazkaz, Mare Nostrum stars Ziad Bakri and Zayn Khalaf. The film is a French Syrian Jordanian production.

About Ayny:
Based on true events, Ayny follows two young boys who run away from their mother's protection and slack line on the danger of war to play music with the instrument they always dreamt to own. The film is written, directed, edited and voiced by Ahmad Saleh, music by Nizar Rohana, animated by Frank Pingel, DOP Lionel Poutiaire Somé and produced by Stefan Gieren.


About Ahmad:
Ahmad is confined to home by his father, but when his brother comes back from abroad, Ahmad is encouraged to rise up against his father. Written and directed by Ameer Ihsan, the film stars Karam Thamer, Ahmad Sadoon and Muhsin Khazaal. The crew also includes; DOPs Ahmed Al-Hilali in Nasiriyah and Salam Salman in Baghdad and visual effects by Ayman Al Shatri.


About The Band:
The film tells the story of Hulm Band that is made up of six musicians who are sparing no efforts to fulfill their dream of playing Sufi music in their hometown, Sadr city in Iraq. They only face one dilemma which lies in the fact that they can get murdered for playing music in a city where music is forbidden. In 67 minutes, the film follows the band members as they open up to the film's director, Albaqer Jafeer, on their dreams, aspirations and the reality in which they find themselves. The Band is written and directed by Albaqer Jafeer.



About Nocturne in Black
The film is inspired by an article about a Syrian young man who continues to play his piano under threat of persecution in the midst of his country's civil war and struggles to rebuild his piano after it is destroyed by terrorists. Written, edited and directed by Jimmy Keyrouz, Nocturne in Black stars Julian Farhat, Tarek Yaacoub, Karim Zein and Rachid Salloum. The film is produced by Marc Fadel, Ellie Foumbi, Felecia Hunter and Jimmy Keyrouz.

About Karouma:
An animation film by director Boubaker Boukhari that follows Karouma, the unique gifted boy who is striving to break through and to leave his parent's nest to pursue his dreams and live his life in its full potential.


Screening Times of the Films at the Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Jordanatthe Royal Cultural Center (RCC)(GMT+2)

The Parrot and Submarine:December 6 at 05:00 PM
Kindil el Bahr:December 6 at 06:00 PM, and December 9 at 04:00 PM
Mare Nostrum: December 6 at 05:00 PM, and December 9 at 04:00 PM
Ayny: December 6 at 06:00 PM, and December 7 at 12:00 PM
Ahmad:December 7 at 05:00 PM
The Band: December 7 at 06:00 PM
Nocturne in Black: December 8 at 05:00 PM
Karouma: December 9 at 05:00 PM