The fourth edition of the Cairo Shorts Film Festival will be held from December 17 to 22.
MAD Solutions has sent four films from its distribution slate to compete in the Official Competition of the fourth Cairo Shorts Film Festival.
The screenings will be held at the Artistic Creativity Center, Cinema Al-Hanager, and Al-Hadara Cinema at the Cairo Opera House free of charge.
The films are Ward Kayyal’s Hamza: Chasing The Ghost Chasing Me, Mohamed Fawi’s Buzz, Murad Abu Eisheh’s Tala’vision, and Said Zagha’s Lovesick in the West Bank.
Previously, two of MAD Solutions’ films won awards at the third Cairo Shorts Film Festival, those being Medhat Maged’s 18/11, which won the Best Egyptian Short Film Award, and Suzannah Mirghani’s AL-SIT, which won the Best Arab Short Film Award.
The film follows Hamza, a middle-aged man, who refuses to abandon a routine he has kept since his release from an Israeli jail. He goes into the woods every day to chase a lion that the locals don’t think exists.
Despite his wife’s pleadings and the villagers’ contempt, Hamza sets his bait and traps in the forest, hoping to defeat the mysterious threat, finding refuge in his journey after each battle.
In the woods, Hamza is free to act according to his beliefs, fighting his own battle to heal an open wound and confront horrific memories of torture and guilt.
Ward Kayyal’s Hamza: Chasing The Ghost Chasing Me premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF). The film is written by Majd Kayyal and stars Kamel El-Basha, Ruba Blal, Motaz Malhes, and Khulood Basel.
Produced by the makers of You Will Die at Twenty and its director Amjad Abu Alala, Buzz is directed by Mohamed Fawi – who also co-wrote the script with Ahmed Shaweesh and Noura Adil – and stars Jasour Abuelgasim, Zahra Mansour, and Ali Abdalgafar.
Tala’vision follows the story of eight-year-old Tala, who lives in a war-torn reality. She, however, finds her solace and salvation in watching television – a banned activity that later escalates to a matter of life and death.
The monumental short won Best Narrative Film at the Student Academy Awards competition of the Oscars, going down in history as the first Arab film to do so. Also, it garnered the Golden Yusr for Short Films at the Red Sea Film Festival and Best Short, Best Male Director, and Best Cinematography awards at the Indie Short Awards Cannes in France. The film is available on Netflix.
Written and directed by Murad Abu Eisheh, the film stars Ziad Bakri, Aesha Balasem, and Khalid Al-Tarifi. The film was co-produced by Jordan’s Tabi 360 and Germany’s Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
Lovesick in the West Bank is based on true events and starring Ali Suleiman, a Palestinian family hosts a young American tourist after a simple misunderstanding. But as chaos unfolds in their village, it doesn’t take too long for them to become part of the absurd mayhem that immediately ensues.
Said Zagha’s Lovesick in the West Bank world premiered at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, where it was nominated for Best Narrative Short Film. It also held its Arab world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Short Film.
Written and directed by Said Zagha and produced by Nomadic Film House (Mais Salman), the film stars Ali Suliman, Nisreen Faour, Laith Zuaiter, and Nabil Koni.
