Accompanied by 10 of its partners of institutions, companies, and festivals, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) launches its intensive activities at the 78th Venice International Film Festival for six-year in a row.

The activities of the Arab Cinema Center and its partners vary between participation in the festival’s parti-colored programs and sections, releasing the Arab Cinema Magazine, and organizing a panel discussion and receptions. Furthermore, this year, the festival will have a solid Arab presence.

The partners who will join the ACC at the Venice International Film Festival include (in alphabetical order): Arab Radio & Television (ART) (Saudi Arabia), Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) (Egypt), El Gouna Film Festival (Egypt), Film Clinic (Egypt), Gemini Africa (Egypt), The Imaginarium Films (Jordan), Lagoonie Film Production (Egypt), MAD Solutions (Egypt, UAE), Rotana Group (Saudi Arabia, Egypt) and The Royal Film Commission (Jordan).

Four Arab films will take part in the festival. These include Amira, by director Mohamed Diab, which will compete within the Orizzonti competition. The film is produced by Film Clinic, associated with The Imaginarium Films, and distributed by MAD Solutions and Lagoonie Film Production. Also, Costa Brava, by director Mounia Akl, will compete within the Orizzonti Extra section, and two films will be shown as out-of-competition screenings, including the Republic of Silence, by Diana El Jeiroudi, and Don’t Get too Comfortable by Shaima Al Tamimi.

On the sidelines of the Final Cut in Venice workshop, MAD Solutions will grant its special award, which comprises promotional and distribution services in the Arab world, to one of the Arab films participating in the festival. Also, El Gouna Film Festival will present a cash award ($5,000) within the workshop, in addition to an invitation for the winning project to participate in the CineGouna Platform.

As part of its activities at the Venice International Film Festival, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) organizes a panel discussion titled “The New Finance of the Arab World.” The discussion will be attended by a group of significant names within the international cinema industry to explore the most important directions and ways of film funding in the Arab world.

Taking place on Monday, September 6 at 5:00 PM, the discussion will feature Wayne Borg, Managing Director at Neom, Stephen Strachan, Film Commissioner at Film AlUla, Assem Ramadan, Director of Operations at Rotana Group, Mohannad Al-Bakry, Managing Director at Royal Film Commission- Jordan, Rula Nasser, Founder of The Imaginarium Films, Adly Thoma, and Chairman &CEO of Gemini Africa. In addition, Alaa Karkouti, Managing Partner of Arab Cinema Center and MAD Solutions, will moderate the discussion.

It’s worth mentioning that reception for Gemini Africa will follow the panel in collaboration with the Arab Cinema Center. Updates on the film activity of Gemini Africa will be announced.

The Arab Cinema Center will reveal its latest edition of the Arab Cinema Magazine, which features the 101 Most Influential Personalities in the Arab Film Industry, the Arab films participating in the world’s most prominent festivals, and an overview of the activities of the Arab film industry since the Covid-19 outbreak.

Organized by MAD Solutions in 2015, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is a nonprofit organization registered in Amsterdam. The ACC is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema. It provides the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with their counterparts from all over the world through several events that it organizes. 

The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution. The ACC‘s activities vary between film markets, stands, and pavilions, networking sessions and one-on-one meetings bringing together 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.

Furthermore, a newsletter subscription is now available on the ACC’s website, allowing users to obtain digital copies of the Arab Cinema Magazine and news on the ACC’s activities, notifications of application dates for grants, festivals, and offers from educational and training institutions.

The ACC also launched an English-language Arab Cinema Guide, available on its website. This comprehensive cinematic guide comprises various 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 easily identify Arab film productions.