MAD launches Arab Cinema Centre at Berlinale

A new international platform for Arab cinema, Arab Cinema Centre (ACC), launched at this year’s European Film Market in Berlin, representing 11 Arab production companies and organisations.

Organised by Egypt’s MAD Solutions, the ACC delegation included Egyptian production companies such as Film Clinic, The Producers, X-Rated, Crystal Dog and Middle West Films, as well as Jordan’s The Imaginarium Films, Lebanon’s Screen Institute Beirut, UAE’s Emirati Cinema Campaign, Sweden’s Malmo Arab Film Festival and Arab Cinema in Sweden.

The MAD Solutions’ team included CEO Alaa Karkouti, Creative Director Maher Diab, Managing Partner for its GCC bureau Abdallah Al Shami and Director of International Operations Colin Brown. In addition, Jane Williams, former Director of Dubai International Film Festival’s Dubai Film Connection (DFC), is working as an independent consultant for the ACC.

“We met with more than 20 films festivals from around the world. Our objective is to have more space for Arab cinema on the festivals’ programmes,” said Alaa Karkouti.

The ACC’s activities in Berlin included hosting screenings of Arab films, organising networking sessions and meetings with international film companies and organisations and publishing the Arab Cinema Guide to be distributed among the festival’s guests.

One of the breakthroughs for MAD Solutions at the Berlin Film Festival was a deal to release the Egyptian film Factory Girl (the Egyptian official entry to the Oscars) in cinemas in Sweden. The company is now in talks to release it in other countries in Europe. Warda, a short horror film, was also screened at the festival. Karkouti added that there are four new projects in the pipeline, which will be announced in coming months.