release date May 16 2024
Two MAD Shorts bag two awards at the Imedghassen Film Festival
Two films from MAD Solutions’ extensive short film slate — Aziz Zoromba’s SIMO and Nejib Kthiri’s TRINOU — have grabbed a reward each at the Imedghassen Film Festival in Algeria, which ran from May 11th to the 15th.
The winning films were announced at the end of the festival’s Short Film Competition, with SIMO winning Best Scenario and TRINOU winning Best Editing.
Aziz Zoromba’s Canadian short SIMO — which held its international premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and its European premiere at the 73rd Berlinale — has screened at over 25 prestigious film festivals worldwide, and won 8 awards.
SIMO has also received support from the Société de Développement des Entreprises Culturelles, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, CALQ-Government du Quebec, and CAC when it was still a project.
The short tells the compelling story of the complex brotherhood between Simo and Emad, filled with competition and jealousy.
In a desire to prove his popularity and his capabilities to his older brother, Simo sneakily takes over Emad's online gaming. However, his actions take a dangerous turn that may seriously impact their family's future.
SIMO was directed, written, and co-edited by Aziz Zoromba alongside Omar Elhamy, and lensed by Alexandre Nour Desjardins. The film stars Basel El-Rayes, Seif El-Rayes, and Aladeen Tawfeek — known for his roles on X-MEN: APOCALYPSE and THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT. MAD Distribution handles the film’s Arab-speaking region distribution.
As for Nejib Kthiri’s British-Tunisian short TRINOU, the film tells the story of Omar — a young boy who escapes his failing body and secluded life by traveling in dreams he creates from magazines his mother used to give him.
When his stepfather urges his wife to change her approach towards her son and stop giving him magazines, both mother and son take an important and life-changing step.
TRINOU world premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival and screened at over 17 international film festivals.
TRINOU also received a Special Mention at the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, as well as winning a Jury Award for Best Short Arab Film at the Amman International Film Festival and a Special Mention for Best Actor at the Avanca International Film Festival among other things.
The cast for TRINOU includes Max Pemberton — who guest-starred as Dalton in the first episode of Tim Burton's Netflix series Wednesday — as the lead, alongside Mohamed Grayaa, Kaouther Dhaouedi, and Eleanor Crowe.
The short film was written and directed by Nejib Kthiri, lensed by Jamie Touche, and edited by Christian Radclyffe. The film is a co-production between Seventh Age Pictures Limited, SVP Tunisia, and London Film & TV, with MAD World - A MAD Solutions company - handling the film’s worldwide distribution.
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