Arab Cinema Center Encourages Co-Production with Mediterranean Countries at MedFilm Festival in Italy

Arab Cinema Center Encourages Co-Production with Mediterranean Countries at MedFilm Festival in Italy
16 November 2017:

The Arab Cinema Center (ACC) continues its tour of international film festivals by participating in MedFilm Festival in Rome, Italy. Managing Partner of the GCC Representative Bureau of MAD Solutions, the company in charge of organizing Arab Cinema Center, Abdallah Al Shami, participated in a panel discussion on international co-production.

During the panel, Al Shami discussed the role of Arab Cinema Center in presenting Arab films at various international film festivals to introduce them to larger audiences. He also commented on how the Center encourages co-production between Arab and Mediterranean countries.

MedFilm Festival is the first festival in Italy dedicated to the promotion of Mediterranean and European cinema. Established in 1995 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of cinema, MedFilm Festival is based on the idea of diversity and it encourages relations, cooperation and the development of the film industry between neighboring countries.

Organized 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.

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.

Since the beginning of 2017, the ACC has made 18 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, Festival del film Locarno, Venice International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Film and Television Careers Connection (FTCC), San Sebastian International Film Festival, Malmo Arab Film Festival, Cape Town International Film Market & Festival (CTIFMF), the Days of Cinema in Palestine, and MedFilm Festival in Italy.