A selection of 33 short films distributed by MAD Solutions will be screened on OSN Yahala Cinema and OSN’s new streaming platform starting Friday, July 31, the first day of Eid al Adha. The short films come from different Arab countries and have been showcased at hundreds of the world’s most prestigious Arab and international film festivals, including Cannes, Toronto Venice, Locarno, and Dubai.
Featuring some Oscar and BAFTA nominated films, the list of short films will stream with Arabic and/or English subtitles.
Rolla Karam, Interim Chief Content Officer at OSN, said, “We’re thrilled to be able to provide our subscribers with the very best of Arab independent cinema, giving these short films the exposure they deserve. Independent movies are often limited to special screenings and film festivals so we are proud to be able to bring this form of art to viewers in the region and to champion these skilled Arab filmmakers by showcasing over 30 of their short films on our platform, on both OSN Yahala Cinema and OSN’s streaming app.”
Film analyst Alaa Karkouti, Managing Partner at the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) and CEO of MAD Solutions, said, “For the first time in the history of Arab cinema, a huge selection of short films have now become available on a long-established network such as OSN. This step is part of our long-term strategy to build a bigger fanbase for Arab cinema ever since our inception 10 years ago, and now we have managed to promote Arab short films in a major VOD platform.”

Here’s the lineup of films along with key highlights:
Astra
Director: Nidhal Guiga
Country: Tunisia
World premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF)

The Parrot
Director: Darin J. Sallam, Amjad Al Rasheed
Country: Jordan
Featuring Tunisian star Hend Sabry and Palestinian star Ashraf Barhoum, the film tells the story of a Mizrahi Jewish family, who emigrate from Morocco, trying to settle into their new life in Haifa, Palestine in 1948.

Under The Robes
Director: Michel Zarazir
Country: Lebanon
Winner of numerous international awards, the film follows Monsignor Isidore gives a visit to an isolated convent in order to announce its closing down. During the visit, he steps on a landmine.

Abdullah and Leilah
Director: Ashtar Al Khirsan
Country: Iraq, UK
Haunted by memories of his childhood in Baghdad, Abdullah suffers from dementia and struggles to communicate with his British-born daughter, Leilah.

Ayny
Director: Ahmad Saleh
Country: Palestine, Jordan
Winner of the Student Academy Award for Best Foreign Animation

Five Boys and A Wheel

Director: Said Zagha
Country: UAE
Winner of the Golden Wahr award at the Oran International Arabic Film Festival and the Silver Palm award at the Mexico International Film Festival. The film world premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

Abraham
Director: Ali Kareem Obaid
Country: Iraq, UAE
Screened at more than 10 international festivals, including the Dubai International film Festival, Malmö Arab Film Festival, and Arab Film Festival Rotterdam.


The Rifle, The Jackal, The Wolf and The Boy
Director: Oualid Mouaness
Country: Lebanon
Shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film

One Minute
Director: Dina Naser
Country: Jordan
Screened at many international festivals and received awards, including the Audience Award at the PerSo-Perugia Social Film Festival and Best Fiction Short Film by An International Author at the Nazra Palestine Short Film Festival.

Mare Nostrum
Director: Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf
Country: France, Syria
Received numerous awards at Arab and international festivals in the U.S., Australia, France, Italy, Spain, and others.

Sarmad
Director: Abdullah Alhemairi
Country: UAE
World premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

Submarine
Director: Mounia Akl
Country: Lebanon
The film addresses Lebanon’s garbage crisis. It was selected at many international festivals, including Cannes and Toronto.

Fatum
Director: Mohamed Ali Nahdi
Country: Tunisia
Winner of the Young Audience Award at the Montpellier International Festival of Mediterranean Film (CINEMED) in France.

Give Up the Ghost
Director: Zain Duraie
Country: Jordan
Winner of the El Gouna Star for Best Arab Short Film at the El Gouna Film Festival and a Special Mention at the Malmo Film Festival (MAFF).

Lilacs
Director: Mira Shaib
Country: Lebanon, Jordan, Germany
World premiered at the Lebanese Film Festival (LFF) in Sydney, Australia.

A Drowning Man
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Country: Denmark, UK, Greece
Shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and nominated for the BAFTA’s Best Short Film.

Discipline
Director: Christophe M. Saber
Country: Switzerland, France
A father loses his temper and disciplines his disobedient child at a grocery store in Switzerland. Customers immediately intervene to discuss and it turns into a debate, then into a quarrel. The film won Best Director at the Zawya Short Film Festival.

Karouma
Director: Boubaker Boukhari
Country: UAE
Toured more than 70 film festivals around the world, and received several awards, including the Best Animation Film Award at the Pennine Film Festival, UK, and the New York International Short Film Festival, USA.

Kindil el Bahr
Director: Damien Ounouri
Country: Algeria, Kuwait, USA
World premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won eight awards at film festivals from around the world.

Central Market
Director: Saleh Nass
Country: Bahrain
Selected at many international film festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, and Calgary International Film Festival in Canada.

Adam
Director: Mohammed Al-Muradi
Country: Syria
Winner of the Bronze Award at the Damascus Cinema Days.

BONBONÉ
Director: Rakan Mayasi
Country: Palestine, Lebanon
World premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at more than 20 international film festivals.

Bolbol
Director: Khedija Lemkecher
Country: Tunisia
Starring Tunisian actress Fatma Ben Saïdane, this comedy got selected at many Arab and international film festivals.

Passengers
Director: Simon Portus
Country: Australia
Frustrated by their lack of connection, Patrick resorts to desperate measures to spend more time with his six-year-old son. The film got selected at many film festivals around the world.

Sacrilège
Director: Christophe M. Saber
Country: Switzerland, France
Saoud is the king of his neighborhood in Saint Etienne, France. A rumor comes up that he might have stolen money from the local mosque. The film screened at many international film festivals, including Carthage Film Festival (JCC).

Wasteland
Director: Latifa Said
Country: Algeria
An Arab man tries to discover his own sexuality. The film won more than 15 awards from international film festivals and got selected at over 50 film festivals.

Detained
Director: Hajar Alnaim
Country: Saudi Arabia, USA
Featuring Maria Zriek and American actor Bradley Gregg, the film highlights the human cost of terrorism and its effects throughout the world.

The Remaining Time
Director: Mohammed Ahmed Al Hammadi
Country: UAE
World premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the film is a story about two people fighting for their ethics, beliefs, and survival against internal and external obstacles.

Nightshift
Director: Marc Salameh
Country: Lebanon
Winner of four international awards: Award of Excellence for First Time Filmmaker at the Canada Film Festival, Silver Medal at the International Independent Film Awards (IIFA), Best Student Director at the Arizona Short Film Festival, and Best Short Film at the Arctic Film Festival in Norway.

Nocturne In Black
Director: Jimmy Keyrouz
Country: Lebanon
Shortlisted for the 2017 Oscars in the Live Action Short category and shortlisted among the three Finalists in the BAFTA Film Awards.

Before We Heal
Director: Nadim Hobeika
Country: Lebanon
Screened at many regional and international film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), Carthage Film Festival (JCC), and the Lebanese Film Festival (LFF).

Five O'clock
Director: Ayman Al-Shatri
Country: Iraq
Received a Special Mention at the Malmö Arab Film Festival, and got selected at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), Carthage Film Festival (JCC), and the Beirut International Film Festival.

Bahiya & Mahmoud
Director: Zaid Abu Hamdan
Country: USA, Jordan, UAE, Lebanon
The Oscar-qualified film won the Best of Festival Award at the Palm Springs International Shortfest.