The 10th edition of MAFF Industry Days will be held from April 23-26, 2024.
The MAFF Industry Days (MID) has revealed its lineup of 14 selected film projects representing 14 different countries. These chosen projects are set to vie for coveted cash prizes and valuable in-kind awards during the festival’s Industry Days, coinciding with the 14th edition of the Malmö Arab Film Festival scheduled from April 22 to 28.
Taking place from April 23 to 26, 2024, the 10 edition of MAFF Industry Days will showcase a diverse array of projects selected from a pool of 38 submissions spanning 16 countries. These selected projects will compete across three categories: developing short films, developing feature fiction films, and films in post-production. The primary objective of the MID grant programme is to bolster exceptional filmmaking initiatives and foster collaborations between Sweden and Arab countries.
MAFF Industry Days (MID) stands as a unique platform in both the Nordic and Arab worlds, aiming to stimulate cooperation, co-production, and distribution opportunities. Through seminars, workshops, and panel discussions, MID brings together producers, funds, and film distributors. It also offers various funding initiatives for Arab-European co-productions, promoting collaboration between Nordic countries and the Arab world while supporting a wide spectrum of film projects.
Mouhamad Keblawi, Founder and Artistic and Business Consultant of MAFF, expressed his enthusiasm for this year’s programme, underscoring the importance of supporting these remarkable projects and their contribution to the cinematic landscape. Keblawi emphasised the milestone of celebrating the 10th edition of MID, emphasising its pivotal role in nurturing Swedish-Arab co-productions and transforming them from distant aspirations into an annual tradition.
Among the Feature Fiction Film Projects in Development are titles such as Behind Closed Doors (Qatar, Sweden) by Hend Fakhro, Dogmas (Algeria, France, Sweden) by Salah Issad, Running with the Beasts (Lebanon, Czech Republic, Sweden) by Leila Basma, and Tkallem (Tunisia, UK, Sweden) by Nejib Kthiri.
The development fund for feature films offers a $5,000 cash grant from the Royal Film Commission – Jordan, another $5,000 cash grant from The Imaginarium Film, and $5,000 worth of script development from Sard – Mariam Naoum.
The Short Film Projects in Development category includes projects like Elsewhere (Sweden) by Issraa El Kogali Häggström, I See You in Full Colour (Sweden, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt) by Mohammed Al-Majdalawi, and The Albatross (Norway) by Mike Malajalian.
Awards for the short film development fund comprise a 30,000 SEK cash grant from Film i Skåne, along with a 30,000 SEK cash prize and a 20,000 SEK consultancy grant from Kinana Films AB.
For the Post-production Platform, projects like Spring Came on Laughing (Egypt and France) by Noha Adel, My Mother’s Glasses (Tunisia) by Moncef Dhouib, and She Was not Alone (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and USA) by Hussein Al-Asadi have been selected.
Post-production Platform Awards include a worldwide distribution award starting at $30,000 as MG from MAD Solutions – Egypt, post-production facilities awards worth $20,000 from Ambient Light – Egypt, colour grading services worth $20,000 from Rum Pictures – Jordan, and sound mixing and design services worth $15,000 from Unison Studio AB – Sweden.
