The documentary film The Band by Iraqi director Albaqer Jafeer received a Special Mention at the Oran International Arabic Film Festival in Algeria, which closed its activities on Monday, July 31, 2017. The film's world premiere witnessed its first awardwithin the Official Competition for Documentary Films.

Written and directed by Albaqer Jafeer, The Band will be distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions. 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's Special Mention marks the second award for a film distributed by MAD Solutions as it distributes four of the films competing in the festival's official competition.

Albaqar Jafeer is an Iraqi director who studied filmmaking at the Iraqi Independent Film Center in 2009. Later on, Jafeer participated in filmmaking workshops inside and outside Baghdad where he studied screenwriting, directing, editing and production management. Albaqar Jafeer's filmography includes the short documentary film Rafa't Alam (Rising the Flag) and Ghorbat Ghajar (Strangeness of the Gypsies) and the experimental film 50mm Lens. The Band is Jafeer's debut feature documentary film.