Mad Solutions, Irth Strike Pan-Arab Content Deal in Venice — SkimNews
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- Mad Solutions and Haitham Dabbour's Irth platform announced a strategic partnership at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday to "develop, package and support film, television and other entertainment projects from across the Arab world for regional and international markets," per their joint statement.
- Irth, officially launched at the 2025 Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, is described as the first collaborative writers' room bringing together writers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.
- Mad Solutions, Cairo-based and founded in 2010 by Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, runs a network of specialized units including Mad World (international sales), Mad Distribution (Arab-world distribution), and Mad Celebrity (talent management).
- The partnership establishes a pipeline spanning original Arabic projects, talent-driven projects, and third-party development and consultancy assignments, with the first projects from the partnership yet to be announced.
- Mad Solutions is marking a significant Venice presence this year with two films: Egyptian rural family drama "Al Baraneya" (directed by Ashgan El-Hamus) in Venice Days, and Palestinian drama "Conversations with the Sea" (directed by Muayad Alayan) in the Venice Spotlight section.
- Mad Solutions will also present its annual award at the Final Cut in Venice platform, which supports films from Africa and the Arab world through post-production and international industry opportunities.
- Dabbour is a bestselling Egyptian author whose novels include "Devoured by Seven Lean Cows" and "Moses Cross," with screenwriting credits including El Gouna prizewinner "Gunshot" and "The Tale of Ahl El Daye," which had its European bow in the 2025 Berlinale Generation section.
Why it matters: The deal pairs Mad Solutions' established regional and international distribution infrastructure with Irth's cross-Arab writers' room, creating a direct development-to-market pipeline for Arabic projects at a moment when Gulf-backed initiatives like the Red Sea Film Festival are actively reshaping regional content production. Mad Solutions' simultaneous two-film presence in Venice and its Final Cut award show the company is positioning itself as the Arab world's primary export conduit.
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