Since the beginning of 2017, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) has made 13 stops at international festivals and markets. The festivals attended are the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR), Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), Beirut Cinema Platform (BCP) held within the Beirut Cinema Days, Istanbul Film Festival, Tripoli Film Festival, the 34th WIPO SCCR in Geneva, Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Eurasia International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and the 3rd Film and Television Careers Connection.
Managed by MAD Solutions, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), which operates for the third year, is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with their counterparts from all over the world through a number of events that it organizes. The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others. The Center's activities vary between film market main wings, introduction and networking sessions for Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, as well as meetings with international organizations and festivals, and the issuance of the Arab Cinema Magazine to be distributed at the leading international film festivals and markets.
Organized by MAD Solutions, the ACC continues to be part of international film festivals and markets as it is currently taking part in the 65th San Sebastian International Film Festival (22-30 September, 2017) as the only Arab entity to participate in the festival.
Managing Partner of the GCC Representative Bureau of MAD Solutions, the company in charge of organizing Arab Cinema Center, Abdallah Elchami represents the company by attending discussion panels and workshops organized within the Industry Club, especially the events run by Europa Distribution for independent film distribution companies around the world, as MAD is a member of the association as well.
Europa Distribution is the association of independent film distributors, with more than 140 leading independent distributors representing 28 countries in Europe and beyond. Since its creation, Europa Distribution has accompanied and reinforced the integration and collaboration process between its members through brainstorming and training sessions and information. The network's aim is to strengthen the existing ties to improve the curation, promotion and distribution of independent films around the world.
MAD Solutions is the first Pan-Arab independent studio and fully integrative marketing and creative consultancy for the Arab film and Entertainment Industry. Under the umbrella of MAD Solutions, the studio is supported by five pillars: MAD Marketing, MAD Content, MAD Distribution, MAD Culture and MAD Celebrity, which together are helping to usher in an exciting new generation of Arab filmmakers and entertainment talent.
Furthermore, newsletter subscription is now available on the ACC's website, allowing users to obtain digital copies of the Arab Cinema Magazine, as well as news on the ACC's activities, notifications of application dates for grants, festivals and offers from educational and training institutions, updates on Arab films participating at festivals, exclusive news on the Arab Cinema LAB, and highlights from the ACC partners and their future projects.
The ACC also launched an English-language Arab Cinema Guide, available on its website, which is a comprehensive cinematic guide that comprises a variety of tools presented collectively for the first time to offer information on Arab cinema to filmmakers inside and outside of the Arab world. It also aims to facilitate filmmakers' access to international markets and help film industry representatives to easily identify Arab film productions.
Thierno I. Dia
