The Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) is getting ready for a year filled with new film productions by co-producing five Arab films that are expected to be released during 2018. ART will be closing this year by taking part in the Dubai Film Connection (DFC), held within the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which the network sponsors.
ART's participation in the Dubai Film Market comes as part of its partnership with the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) and Dubai Film Connection (DFC). This year, ART will continue to grant its award to the winning film project selected at the DFC. In 2016, the ART award was given to the project Farha by Darin J. Sallam, and in 2015, to the project The Maiden's Pond by Bassem Breich.
ART is currently co-producing the new film Capharnaum by Nadine Labaki that will also be distributed by the company in the Arab world. The film is expected to be released in September 2018. Besides, the companyis co-producing the feature film By Chance by director Bassem Christo, which features singer Carole Samaha in her first cinematic role.
ART's co-produced film Writing on Snow by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi opened the 28th Carthage Film Festival (JCC) with the attendance of its director and stars including Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud, Egyptian actor Amr Waked, Lebanese actress Yumna Marwan, Palestinian actor Ramzi Maqdisi and Palestinian actress Areen Omari.
The ART 2018 lineup also includes the film Beirut Hold'em by Michel Kammoun, starring Saleh Bakri in the main role and the light comedy film State of Agitation by Elie Khalife featuring many upcoming Lebanese actors. After the great success of the feature film Tramontane, gaining both critical acclaim and commercial success, ART is continuing its collaboration with Abbout Productions by co-producing the new film All this Victory by director Ahmad Ghossein.
Organized by MAD Solutions in 2015, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) 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 19 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), Days of Cinema in Palestine, MedFilm Festival in Italy and the LatinArab Co-Production Forum.
