For the ninth year in a row, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) continues to hold its
activities at Venice International Film Festival.
In collaboration with the Venice Production Bridge, the ACC will host, during the
80th edition of Venice, from August 30th to September 9th, two panel discussions
and a networking session.
The first panel discussion, titled’An Amazing Journey Among Film Commissions,
will be led by the Arab worlds most renowned female TV presenter Raya
Abirached on Saturday, September 2nd, at 4:15 pm and is expected to include
several major actors and bigwigs of the MENA regions film industry, such as
Managing Director of NEOM Wayne Borg, Managing Director of the Jordanian
Royal Film Commission Mohannad Al-Bakri, Film Commissioner Arie Bohrer of
Film in Austria and the National Film Commission, and CEO of Vertigo Films Jane
Moore.
Meanwhile, the second panel discussion — titled’The Golden Time for Arab
Talents Regionally and Internationally — will held on the same day at 5:15 pm
and will be moderated by Co-Founder of MAD Solutions Alaa Karkouti. The
panelists will include Borg, Founder of Nomadis Images Dora Bouchoucha,
Founder of Film Clinic Mohamed Hefzy, and Director of Development of Film
AlUla Roua Al-Madani.
In addition to the two panel discussions, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) will be
running a networking session titled “Middle East Networking Session”, in which
some of the region’s most significant players in the film industry will participate.
And as usual, the ACC will be present at the reception ceremony for the Venice
Production Bridge, which will be held on September 3rd.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with Venice for the ninth year in a row. We strive
to promote Arab cinema at some of the worlds most prestigious international
film festivals, be it through panel discussions, screenings, or any other activities.
We are also pleased that Lebanese heartthrob Raya Abirached — one of the Arab
worlds most successful TV presenters — will lead one of our panel discussions,"
said Co-Founders of the ACC Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab.
Head of the Venice Production Bridge Pascal Diot also expressed his happiness for
the long-standing partnership with the ACC, saying: "I am very pleased to
collaborate with the ACC on the organization of a special Middle Eastern event
that will include two panels and a networking session. The first panel, An Amazing
Journey Among Film Commissions, will bring together personalities from the film
and audiovisual industries and will be moderated by renowned TV presenter Raya
Abirached. It will be followed by another panel titled The Golden Time for Arab
Talents Regionally and Internationally and will be moderated by renowned
industry key player Mr. Alaa Karkouti. I look forward to welcoming you in
Venice.”
Established by MAD Solutions in 2015, the ACC is a nonprofit organization
registered in Berlin. The ACC is an international promotional platform for Arab
cinema, as it provides the Arab filmmaking industry with a professional window to
connect with its counterparts from all over the world through a number of events
the center organizes.
The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of
companies and institutions specializing in co-production and international
distribution. The centers activities vary between film markets, stands, and
pavilions; networking sessions, one-on-one meetings bringing together Arab and
foreign filmmakers, and welcome parties; meetings with international
organizations and festivals; and the issuance of the Arab Cinema Magazine, which
is distributed at the leading international film festivals and markets.
Furthermore, a newsletter subscription is now available on the ACCs website,
allowing users to obtain digital copies of the Arab Cinema Magazine as well as
news on the ACCs activities, notifications of application dates for grants and
festivals, and offers from educational and training institutions. This is in addition
to updates on Arab films participating at festivals, exclusive news on the Arab
Cinema Lab, and highlights from the ACCs partners and their future projects.
The ACC also launched an English-language Arab Cinema Guide on its website 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 easily identify Arab film productions.
