Arab Cinema Center Organized by MAD Solutions

What better time and place than Cannes, the annual parade of cinema’s superpowers, to reveal who in the Arab film industry has mattered most in the past twelve months? So here it is, our inaugural CANNES 100. Over the following pages you will see names of the golden hundred talents and entities – plus one extra thrown in for good measure at the end – that the world really needs to know based on our assessment of their recent business history in Arab film. They are not ranked, please note, but ordered alphabetically by first names and grouped together alongside their immediate peers. And just to be clear, for those wondering why someone like Algerian-born Sofia Boutella is not on the list just as she is making a splash on the Croisette with FAHRENHEIT 451, the names were all chosen for their recent contributions to Arab-language cinema. This also means that the emergent powers from Arab television and digital media will have to wait for future editions when we take measure of their particular contributions to Arab storytelling. Let the debates begin!

The 100 Most Important Names in the Arab Film Industry includes industry professionals that either represent themselves or entities they work for. The names were all chosen for their contributions to Arab-language cinema in the past twelve months, which is why Arab names who participated in international films/TV series are not on the list. They are ordered alphabetically by first names and grouped together alongside their immediate peers.

the DIRECTORs

AMR SALAMA

DIRECTOR & WRITER

EGYPT

ANNEMARIE JACIR

DIRECTOR & WRITER

PALESTINE

FERAS FAYYAD

DIRECTOR, WRITER & EDITOR

SYRIA

HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR

DIRECTOR & WRITER

SAUDI ARABIA

HANY ABU-ASSAD

DIRECTOR, WRITER & PRODUCER

PALESTINE

HICHAM LASRI

DIRECTOR, WRITER & PRODUCER

MOROCCO

KAOUTHER BEN HANIA

DIRECTOR & WRITER

TUNISIA

MARWAN HAMED

DIRECTOR

EGYPT

MAHDI FLEIFEL

DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER & CINEMATOGRAPHER

LEBANON-PALESTINE

MIR-JEAN BOU CHAAYA

DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER & EDITOR

LEBANON

MOHAMED AL DARRADJI

DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER, EDITOR & CINEMATOGRAPHER

IRAQ

MOHAMED BEN ATTIA

DIRECTOR & WRITER

TUNISIA

MUAYAD ALAYAN

DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER & CINEMATOGRAPHER

PALESTINE

NABIL AYOUCH

DIRECTOR, WRITER & PRODUCER

MOROCCO

NADINE LABAKI

DIRECTOR, ACTRESS & WRITER

LEBANON

RAED ANDONI

DIRECTOR & PRODUCER

PALESTINE

RASHID MASHARAWI

DIRECTOR, WRITER & PRODUCER

PALESTINE

ZIAD DOUEIRI

DIRECTOR AND WRITER

LEBANON

the writers

AHMED AMER

WRITER & DIRECTOR

EGYPT

BASSEL GHANDOUR

WRITER & PRODUCER

JORDAN

RAMI ALAYAN

WRITER & PRODUCER

PALESTINE

the Gatekeepers

MOHAMED BIN SALMAN

CROWN PRINCE, SAUDI ARABIA

SAUDI ARABIA

AHMED BIN AQEEL AL-KHATIB

CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT AUTHORITY

SAUDI ARABIA

NOURA AL-KAABI

MINISTER OF CULTURE & KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT

U.A.E

the Actors

ADEL KARAM

TV PRESENTER & ACTOR

LEBANON

ALI SULIMAN

ACTOR

PALESTINE

AMR WAKED

ACTOR

EGYPT

MOHAMMAD BAKRI

ACTOR

PALESTINE

SALEH BAKRI

ACTOR

PALESTINE

ADAM BAKRI

ACTOR

PALESTINE

ASHRAF BARHOM

ACTOR

PALESTINE

DIAMAND ABOU ABBOUD

ACTRESS

LEBANON

DHAFER L’ABIDINE

ACTOR

TUNISIA - UK

HIAM ABBASS

ACTRESS

PALESTINE

KAMEL EL BASHA

ACTOR

PALESTINE

MAISA ABD ELHADI

ACTRESS

PALESTINE

MENNA SHALABY

ACTRESS

EGYPT

SABA MUBARAK

ACTRESS & PRODUCER

JORDAN

YASMIN RAEIS

ACTRESS

EGYPT

the PRODUCERs

AYMAN JAMAL

PRODUCER, DIRECTOR & WRITER

SAUDI ARABIA

DORA BOUCHOUCHA

FOUNDER & MANAGER OF NOMADIS IMAGES

TUNISIA

GEORGES SCHOUCAIR

FOUNDER AND CEO OF ABBOUT PRODUCTIONS

LEBANON

HABIB ATTIA

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CINETELEFILMS

TUNISIA

DANIEL ZISKIND

FILM CLINIC REPRESENTATIVE IN EUROPE

FRANCE

MOHAMED HEFZY

Writer, Producer, Festival President of CIFF & FOUNDER MANAGER OF FILM CLINIC

EGYPT

HANI OSAMA

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE PRODUCERS

EGYPT

ROMAN PAUL

CO-FOUNDER OF RAZOR FILM PRODUKTION

GERMANY

RULA NASSER

FOUNDER OF THE IMAGINARIUM FILMS

JORDAN - CANADA

TALAL AL-MUHANNA

FOUNDER AND MANAGER OF LINKED PRODUCTIONS

KUWAIT

the festivals

ABDULHAMID JUMA

PRESIDENT OF DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (DIFF)

U.A.E

MASOUD AMRALLA AL ALI

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (DIFF)

U.A.E

SHIVANI PANDYA

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (DIFF)

U.A.E

ANTOINE KHALIFE

DIRECTOR OF ARAB PROGRAMMING AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (DIFF)

LEBANON

ELIAS KHLAT

PRODUCER & FOUNDER OF TRIPOLI FILM FESTIVAL

LEBANON

JAD ABI KHALIL

DIRECTOR OF BEIRUT CINEMA PLATFORM

LEBANON

MAMDOUH SALEM

CEO OF ROWAD MEDIA & CINEMA 70

SAUDI ARABIA

MOHAMED KEBLAWI

DIRECTOR OF MALMO ARAB FILM FESTIVAL & ARAB CINEMA IN SWEDEN

PALESTINE-SWEDEN

NAGUIB SAWIRES

FOUNDER OF EL GOUNA FILM FESTIVAL & IPRODUCTIONS

EGYPT

INTISHAL AL-TAMIMI

MANAGER OF EL GOUNA FILM FESTIVAL

IRAQ

NAJIB AYAD

DIRECTOR OF CARTHAGE FILM FESTIVAL

TUNISIA

ORWA NYRABIA

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM (IDFA)

SYRIA

ROSH ABDELFATAH

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF ROTTERDAM ARAB FILM FESTIVAL

SYRIA

SERGE BAKALIAN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ARAB FILM FESTIVAL & ARAB FILM AND MEDIA INSTITUTE

LEBANON - U.S.A

SHIRIN GHAREEB

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WASHINGTON DC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & FESTIVAL DIRECTOR OF ARABIAN SIGHTS

U.S.A

YOUSSEF CHERIF RIZKALLAH

FILM CRITIC & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF CAIRO FILM FESTIVAL (CIFF)

EGYPT

the exhibitors and distributors

Ahmad Golchin

Founder and Director of Phars Film

U.A.E

Hania Mroue

Founder and Director of Metropolis and CEO of MC Distribution

LEBANON

Alaa Karkouti

Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MAD Solutions

SYRIA - EGYPT

Maher Diab

Co-founder and Managing Partner

LEBANON - CANADA

Colin Brown

Managing Partner-International

U.S.A

Abdallah Al-Shami

Managing Partner-GCC

LEBANON - U.A.E

Cameron Mitchell

CEO of VOX Cinemas

U.A.E

Jacques Kruger

General Manager

U.A.E

Toni Massih

Director of Film Content and Distribution

U.A.E

Hisham Al-Ghanim

Chairman and CEO of International Film Distributor

KUWAIT

Gianluca Chakra

Managing Partner of Front Row

LEBANON

Mario G. Haddad

CEO of Empire International

LEBANON

Marianne Khoury

Producer, Director, Distributor and Exhibitor

EGYPT

Youssef Shazli

Managing Director of Zawya Cinema

EGYPT

Selim Ramia

Chairman of Selim Ramia & Co. Holding

LEBANON

Selim Aazar

CEO of Gulf Film

QATAR

Zaid Fadel

CEO of Iraqi Cinemas

IRAQ

the Platforms

Al Waleed bin Talal

Owner of Rotana Media Group

SAUDI ARABIA

Turki Al-Shabana

CEO of Rotana

SAUDI ARABIA

Hadeel Kamel

Managing Director of ART

SAUDI ARABIA

Martin Stuart

CEO of OSN

U.A.E

Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim

Founder and Chairman of MBC

SAUDI ARABIA

Raya Abirached

TV Presenter

LEBANON

Husam Sam Asi

Member of Golden Globes and TV Presenter on BBC Arabic

PALESTINE - UK

Lana Al Jundi

TV Presenter in Sky News Arabia

SYRIA - U.A.E

the funders

Fatma Al Remaihi

CEO of Doha Film Institute

QATAR

Khalil Benkirane

Head of Grant Unit of DFI

QATAR

Abdel Muttalib Al Hammadi

Deputy Chairman of the Ministry of Interior’s Cinema Awards (MOICA)

U.A.E

Rima Mismar

Director of AFAC (The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture)

LEBANON

Vincenzo Bugno

Project Manager of World Cinema Fund

GERMANY

Frank Albers

Head of Film Prize of Robert Bosch Stiftung

GERMANY

Alessandra Speciale

Head of Final Cut in Venice

ITALY

michel merkt

Producer, KNM Productions

SWITZERLAND - MONACO

the Commissions

Jamal Al-Sharif

Chairman of Dubai Studio City and Dubai Film Commission

U.A.E

Jassim Al Nowais

Manager of Abu Dhabi Film Commission

U.A.E

Princess Rym Ali

Commissioner, Royal Film Commission of Jordan

JORDAN

George David

Managing Director of RFC

JORDAN

Nada Doumani

Communication and Culture Programing of RFC

LEBANON

Sarim Fassi Fihri

Director of Moroccan Cinema Center (CCM)

MOROCCO

the internationals Sales

Eric Lagesse

CEO of Pyramide

FRANCE

Francois Morisset

Head of Salaud Morisset

FRANCE AND GERMANY

Frederic Corvez

President and Founder of Urban Distribution International

FRANCE

Hedi Zardi

CEO of Luxbox

FRANCE

Sarah Chazelle

Co-Owner of Jour2Fete

FRANCE

Etienne Ollangier

Co-Owner of Jour2Fete

FRANCE

Ida Martins

CEO of Media Luna

GERMANY

Vincent Grimond

CEO of Wild Bunch

FRANCE

Vincent Maraval

Chief Content Officer of Wild Bunch

FRANCE

the Organizations

Chiraz Latiri

General Director of CNCI (The National Center of Cinema and Image)

TUNISIA

Huda Kanoo

Founder of ADMAF (Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation

U.A.E

Hanna Atallah

Artistic Director of FilmLab: Palestine

PALESTINE

Maryam Al-Mheiri

CEO of Media Zone Authority - Abu Dhabi and twofour54

U.A.E

Sawsan Darwaza

creative director of Al Ma3mal 612 Think Factory

JORDAN

Talal Afifi

Curator of Sudan Film Factory and President of Sudan Film Festival

SUDAN

Sam Lahoud

Founding Director and Artistic Director of NDU International Film Festival

LEBANON

Nicolas Khabbaz

Founding Director and Artistic Director of NDU International Film Festival

LEBANON

Mohamed Al Mubarak

Chairman, Image Nation Abu Dhabi

U.A.E

Michael Garin

CEO

U.A.E

Ben Ross

Head of Narrative Film and Television

U.A.E

Zeina Sfeir

Co-Founder of Beirut DC and Artistic Director of Beirut Cinema Days

LEBANON

Edgardo Bechara El Khoury

Executive Director

ARGENTINA

Christian Mouroux

Managing Director of Latin-Arab Film Festival and Latin Arab Co-Production Forum

ARGENTINA

the Pathfinder

The brainchild of MAD Solutions (see above), the ACC was created as an umbrella presence at film events to advocate – and where necessary agitate - on behalf of Arab cinema and culture the world over. This very magazine is one visible expression of that commitment, and so also are all the new avenues that are opening for Arab projects and filmmakers in countries where not so long ago they were invisible.