Six MAD films to screen at 25th Rotterdam Arab Film Festival

release date May 28 2025

MAD Solutions, the leading film distribution and sales agency in the Arab world, is bringing six powerful short films to this year’s Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, running from May 28th to June 1st.

MAD’s lineup this year includes LAST NIGHTS OF SUMMER, LOVE BITES, MADONNA, UPSHOT, NYA, and BORN A CELEBRITY — films from across the Arab region that explore themes like family, identity, freedom, and memory.

Kicking things off is LAST NIGHTS OF SUMMER, which follows three cousins — Farah, Rana, and Leila — as they return to their childhood home in Jordan for one final time, two years after their grandfather’s death.

Written and directed by Yasser, the film explores how time and distance reshape relationships. It stars Tara Emad, who also serves as executive producer, alongside Shahd El Shater and Farah Aboughattas, with cinematography by Mohamed Ashraf Koushi and music by Donia Wael.

Following that is LOVE BITES, which centers on two brothers who clash over how to prepare their deceased sister’s body after discovering love bites, risking a family scandal as mourners gather outside. The film stars Sedky Sakhr, Mahmoud Zain, Sohila Alanwar, Nadia Hassan, Mahmoud Yehia, Sara Alaaeldin, and Rowan Alaa Eldin, with cinematography by Moamen Alameldin and editing by Mohamed Mamdouh.

Next comes MADONNA, set in Egypt, where monastery abbots cover up the theft of an archaeological artifact, sparking tension between Father Maurice and Francis. Suspicion falls on the chef, Suad, whose daughter urgently needs surgery — but a dramatic twist soon changes everything. Directed by John Fareed Zaki and co-written with Abanoub Nabil, the film stars well-known actor Karim Kassem, Abd El-Aziz Makhyoun, and George Sassine, with cinematography by Filopater Morad and editing by Sara Abdullah.

Moving into darker, more psychological terrain, UPSHOT transports viewers to an isolated farm in Gaza, where Suleiman and Lubna live in retreat, haunted by personal loss. When a stranger arrives, the fragile reality they’ve built begins to unravel. Directed by Maha Haj and produced across Palestine, Italy, and France, the film features powerhouse performances from Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari, and Amer Hlehel, exploring themes of memory, grief, and confrontation.

Shifting perspectives, NYA invites audiences into the innocent world of seven-year-old Anya, who navigates everyday joys in a 1994 Algerian suburb, blissfully unaware of the civil war around her. But as violence begins to close in, her childhood slowly fractures. Directed by Imene Ayadi and featuring a standout young performance from Melissa Benyahia, NYA is a quiet, poetic reflection on the fragile boundary between innocence and reality.

Rounding out the slate is BORN A CELEBRITY, a poignant portrait of Kamel, a 25-year-old Palestinian man suffocated by the constant attention of his tight-knit community. Longing for solitude and personal freedom, his journey becomes a subtle rebellion against social expectations and conformity. Directed by Luay Awwad, who also wrote, edited, and co-produced the film with Nour Abukamal, the short stars Munther Bannourah and Khaled Masso in nuanced, introspective roles.

Each of these six films is represented internationally by MAD World, with MAD Distribution handling sales across the Arab World, continuing the company’s ongoing commitment to amplifying diverse, powerful voices in Arab cinema.