Seven films distributed/marketed by MAD Solutions are going to be screened at the 28th Carthage Film Festival (JCC) in Tunisia (November 4-11). The films are: Sheikh Jackson by Amr Salama, Until The Birds Return (En Attendant Les Hirondelles) by Karim Moussaoui, the documentaries Separation by Hakar Abdulqader, 17 by Widad Shafakoj, Gaza Surf Club by Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine, in addition to the short films Kindil el Bahr by Damien Ounouri and Mare Nostrum by directors Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf.

Sheikh Jackson and Until The Birds Return will be competing in the official competition for feature films, while 17 and Separation will be competing in the official competition for feature documentaries, Kindil el Bahr and Mare Nostrum are screening in the Short Films Out of Competition, and Gaza Surf Club will be screening in the World Cinema section. The screenings are going to be attended by directors Widad Shafakoj and Hakar Abdulqader along with producer Stephanie Yamine.

The 28th Carthage Film Festival (JCC) will witness the participation of 180 Tunisian, Arab and foreign films, in addition to the screenings that are going to be held in Tunis and other cities under the slogan "Returning to Southern Cinema".

About Sheikh Jackson:

Sheikh Jackson is written and directed by Amr Salama and co-written by Omar Khaled. The film stars Ahmad Al Fishawy, Maged El Kedwany, Ahmed Malek, along with guest stars Amina Khalil, Dorra, Basma and Mahmoud El Bezawy. Sheikh Jackson is co-produced by The Producers, Film Clinic and iProductions, with Daniel Ziskind asassociate producer. MAD Solutions is handling the film's marketing.
The events of the film take us back to June 25, 2009 as the news of Michael Jackson's death took the world by storm affecting many, especially a preacher who is dubbed "Jackson" during his school days. But, what does a preacher have in common with the King of Pop? More importantly, can he now go back to his normal life, or will his memories and relationships with his loved ones raise the most prominent question in his mind? Is he the Sheikh, Jackson, or both?

Sheikh Jackson landed its world premiere at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival, its Arab world premiere at the first edition of El Gouna Film Festival, and its European premiere at the 61st BFI London Film Festival. The Egyptian Cinema Syndicate selected Sheikh Jackson to be Egypt's official submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign-Language Film.

About Until The Birds Return (En Attendant Les Hirondelles):

Past and present collide in the lives of a newly wealthy property developer, an ambitious neurologist impeded by wartime wrongdoings and a young woman torn between the path of reason and sentiment.
The film won the Wihr d'Or and Best Director awards at the Oran International Arabic Film Festival and was selected at the Un Certain Regard of the Cannes Film Festival 2017. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

About Separation:

Written, directed and edited by Hakar Abdulqader, Separation is produced by Duhok Cinema Directorate (Producer Shamal Sabri), supported by the Council of Women's Affairs - Kurdistan Regional Government, and distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Separation made its world premiere at the Duhok International Film Festival, where it competed for the Best Kurdish Documentary Film award. The film won the MAD Award at the Final Cut in Venice at the Venice International Film Festival 2015.

After fleeing their town, Shingal in Iraq, which is under siege from Isis, thousands of Yazidi Kurds find themselves without food or water at the top of Shingal Mountain. Faced with no other choice, three men leave to seek sustenance for their families, unaware that an almost safe passage to Kurdistan has been recently opened. The documentary reveals the story of their wives and children who, having reached the refugee camp, remain anxiously awaiting news of their husbands, while at the same time learning to adapt to life in a new setting.

About Kindil el Bahr:

Kindil el Bahr is directed by Damien Ounouri, who also co-wrote the film with Adila Bendimerad. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions. Kindil el Bahr made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and won eight awards at many international festivals.

Dealing with violence against women, Kindil el Bahr follows, Nfissa (Adila Bendimerad), 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.

About 17:

The film is directed by Widad Shafakoj, produced by Muna Fityani and distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions. 17 follows the Jordanian under-17 women's football team as they prepare for the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016. Coming from different backgrounds, each of the girls has faced a different set of challenges as a national team player. But now they come together to face their biggest challenge yet.

17 is a social exploration into the lives of young women who are passionate about a sport they have been told was only for men. Will Anoud make it in the final squad? Will Leen be ready to play in this world-class event with so little time to prepare? Will the odds finally start working for the team?


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. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Mare Nostrum made its world premiere at the Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CINEMED) in France in October 2016. The film won eight awards including the Best Short Film at the BBC Arabic Festival in London and the First Prize at the Rencontres du Cinéma Européen de Vannes (Vannes European Film Meetings) in France. The film also took part in the Muhr Short competition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in 2016, the short film competition of the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, the short film competition of the Sharm El-Sheikh Arab and European Film Festival and screened at the 1st Cairo Cinema Days.

About Gaza Surf Club:

Trapped in "the world's largest open-air prison" and ruled by war, a new generation is drawn to the country's coastline. Sick of occupation and political gridlock, they find their own personal freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean - they are the surfers of Gaza.

Directed by Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine and co-produced by Stephanie Yamine, Gaza Surf Club is a feature documentary film that stars Sabah Abu Ghanem, Mohammed Abu Jayab and Ibrahim Arafat.
MAD Solutions is handling the film's distribution in the Arab world. In 2013, the film project received the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The film landed its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was nominated for the Social Justice Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The film took part in several film festivals including the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

Screening Times of films distributed/marketed by MAD Solutions at the Carthage Film Festival (JCC) (GMT-1)

Sheikh Jackson
Monday, November 6, 06:45 PM
Wednesday, November 8, 06:15 PM

Gaza Surf Club
Tuesday, November 7, 01:15 PM
Friday, November 10, 05:45 PM
Saturday, November 11, 02:15 PM

17
Sunday, November 5, 03:45 PM
Monday, November 6, 04:15 PM

Separation
Tuesday, November 7, 03:45 PM
Wednesday, November 8, 07:00 PM

Kindil El Bahr
Monday, November 6, 02:00 PM
Saturday, November 11, 09:00 PM

Mare Nostrum
Wednesday, November 8, 02:00 PM
Friday, November 10, 03:30 PM