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MAD Solutions to show 8 films at 15th Malmö Arab Film Festival
29 March 2025
MAD Solutions, the leading film distribution company in the Arab World, is sending eight films from its extensive distribution slate to the 15th Malmö Arab Film Festival (April 29th to May 1st), including five shorts and three feature-length films, each in line for the festival's official competition with their directors in tow.
Starting off with the feature-length films on the roster; DIARIES FROM LEBANON, written and directed by Myriam El Hajj, is a film in memoir form, where our director recounts four turbulent years in a nation in turmoil, struggling to break free from its shackles. As the country is rocked by unrest, a personal yearning for meaning and survival grows. How can we keep dreaming when the world is collapsing around us? The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.
THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US — written and directed by Palestinian director Laila Abbas — follows estranged sisters Mariam and Noura, whose father's passing leaves behind a substantial sum of fortune. The sisters' plot to claim his inheritance before their younger brother finds out spirals into a chaotic heist, full to the brim with twists and turns. Aside from being wholesome and hilarious, the film is notable for being one of the last shot in Ramallah, prior to the events of the ongoing genocide. It stars Clara Khoury alongside Yassmine El Massry, and had its world premiere at BFI London, with a MENA premiere at El Gouna Film Festival.
Hind Meddeb's documentary SUDAN REMEMBER US captures fleeting moments of jubilant defiance among young Sudanese activists in Khartoum, after the overthrow of a ruthless dictatorship. It then chronicles the subsequent military crackdown and political exiles that followed. This picture-esque and timelessly crucial film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. It was notably lauded with praise from viewers and critics alike.
Now onto the short films, UPSHOT by Maha Haj follows Suleiman and Lubna, an isolated couple living on a remote farm who are mired in quarrels regarding their children. One day, a stranger arrives at their home, delivering a horrifying truth. The film had its world premiere as part of the Official Short Film Competition at Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival, where it won the Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life Award (Jury Prize for Best Short Film), and an Independent Youth Jury Award. This Palestinian short film stars Mohamed Bakri, Areen Omari, and Amer Hlehel.
NYA by Imene Ayadi, is set against the backdrop of the Algerian civil war, in 1994; it follows the story of Anya, a 7 year old girl who has remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil that engulfs her country. Her only wish is that her father, a journalist on assignment, would return in time for Mouloud celebrations. The harsh realities of life, however, gradually begin to threaten the fragile fabric of her childhood. This featurette stars Melissa Benyahia, Meriem Medjkane, Amal Kateb, and Ghyzléne Ben Ali. It screened in festivals worldwide, including Algeria's Bejaia Film Festival, Maghreb Film Festival in the Netherlands, South Africa's FAME Short Film Festival, and Les Nuits Méditerranéennes in France.
Bougainvillea by Yasir Faiz is set in a cramped, isolated prison cell where six women are detained during Sudan’s December 2018 revolution; enduring the oppression of imprisonment and grief, only to reclaim their resistance. The film had its world premiere at the MENA Film Festival in Canada.
ABU JUDY written and directed by Adel Ahmed Yehia, is an Egyptian entry which tells the touching tale of a little girl who regularly accompanies her father to work. Their relationship is put to the test when an unexpected event unfolds. Much like NYA, the film explores the complexities of the father-daughter relationship while delving into the theme of childhood, navigating the delicate balance between retaining innocence and confronting premature adulthood. ABU JUDY had its world premiere at the Cairo International Film Festival. It stars Emad Ghoneim, Janna Farouk, and Nesma Bahy.
And finally, LOSS by Rami Kassis, is a story based on true events which follows a group of migrants traveling to Egypt inside the trunk of an SUV through the desert. At dawn, as the car navigates a rough path, it violently hits a rock, leading to a significant loss. The film had its world premiere at Tunisia's Carthage Film Festival.
Starting off with the feature-length films on the roster; DIARIES FROM LEBANON, written and directed by Myriam El Hajj, is a film in memoir form, where our director recounts four turbulent years in a nation in turmoil, struggling to break free from its shackles. As the country is rocked by unrest, a personal yearning for meaning and survival grows. How can we keep dreaming when the world is collapsing around us? The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.
THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US — written and directed by Palestinian director Laila Abbas — follows estranged sisters Mariam and Noura, whose father's passing leaves behind a substantial sum of fortune. The sisters' plot to claim his inheritance before their younger brother finds out spirals into a chaotic heist, full to the brim with twists and turns. Aside from being wholesome and hilarious, the film is notable for being one of the last shot in Ramallah, prior to the events of the ongoing genocide. It stars Clara Khoury alongside Yassmine El Massry, and had its world premiere at BFI London, with a MENA premiere at El Gouna Film Festival.
Hind Meddeb's documentary SUDAN REMEMBER US captures fleeting moments of jubilant defiance among young Sudanese activists in Khartoum, after the overthrow of a ruthless dictatorship. It then chronicles the subsequent military crackdown and political exiles that followed. This picture-esque and timelessly crucial film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. It was notably lauded with praise from viewers and critics alike.
Now onto the short films, UPSHOT by Maha Haj follows Suleiman and Lubna, an isolated couple living on a remote farm who are mired in quarrels regarding their children. One day, a stranger arrives at their home, delivering a horrifying truth. The film had its world premiere as part of the Official Short Film Competition at Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival, where it won the Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life Award (Jury Prize for Best Short Film), and an Independent Youth Jury Award. This Palestinian short film stars Mohamed Bakri, Areen Omari, and Amer Hlehel.
NYA by Imene Ayadi, is set against the backdrop of the Algerian civil war, in 1994; it follows the story of Anya, a 7 year old girl who has remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil that engulfs her country. Her only wish is that her father, a journalist on assignment, would return in time for Mouloud celebrations. The harsh realities of life, however, gradually begin to threaten the fragile fabric of her childhood. This featurette stars Melissa Benyahia, Meriem Medjkane, Amal Kateb, and Ghyzléne Ben Ali. It screened in festivals worldwide, including Algeria's Bejaia Film Festival, Maghreb Film Festival in the Netherlands, South Africa's FAME Short Film Festival, and Les Nuits Méditerranéennes in France.
Bougainvillea by Yasir Faiz is set in a cramped, isolated prison cell where six women are detained during Sudan’s December 2018 revolution; enduring the oppression of imprisonment and grief, only to reclaim their resistance. The film had its world premiere at the MENA Film Festival in Canada.
ABU JUDY written and directed by Adel Ahmed Yehia, is an Egyptian entry which tells the touching tale of a little girl who regularly accompanies her father to work. Their relationship is put to the test when an unexpected event unfolds. Much like NYA, the film explores the complexities of the father-daughter relationship while delving into the theme of childhood, navigating the delicate balance between retaining innocence and confronting premature adulthood. ABU JUDY had its world premiere at the Cairo International Film Festival. It stars Emad Ghoneim, Janna Farouk, and Nesma Bahy.
And finally, LOSS by Rami Kassis, is a story based on true events which follows a group of migrants traveling to Egypt inside the trunk of an SUV through the desert. At dawn, as the car navigates a rough path, it violently hits a rock, leading to a significant loss. The film had its world premiere at Tunisia's Carthage Film Festival.
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