Strategic partnership unveiled during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival aims to develop, package and connect Arab film and television projec
Strategic partnership unveiled during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival aims to develop, package and connect Arab film and television projects with regional and global markets
MAD Solutions and IRTH have unveiled a new strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the development of Arab film, television and entertainment projects and creating new pathways for them to reach audiences and industry partners across the region and internationally.
Announced during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, the alliance brings together IRTH’s creative development expertise and cross-regional network of Arab writers with MAD Solutions’ established infrastructure in distribution and international sales, production, talent management, marketing and publicity.
The partnership represents a significant expansion of MAD Solutions’ involvement in projects at their earliest creative stages. By combining development, talent, packaging and market access, the two companies plan to build a comprehensive platform capable of supporting stories from initial concepts through to positioning and connections with producers, studios, broadcasters, streaming platforms and international partners.
A Strong MAD Presence in Venice
The announcement comes during a significant edition of Venice for MAD Solutions, which has two films represented in the festival programme.
Al Baraneya, directed by Ashgan El-Hamus, is screening as part of Giornate degli Autori, while Muayad Alayan’s Conversations with the Sea has been selected for the Venice Spotlight section.
MAD Solutions will also present its annual award at Final Cut in Venice, continuing a relationship that has now reached its 12th year. The programme supports films from Africa and the Arab world by providing post-production assistance and opportunities to connect with the international film industry.
Against this backdrop, the IRTH partnership signals a further move into the development stage — with the ambition of helping shape projects long before they reach festivals, markets or distribution.
MAD Solutions co-founders Alaa Karkouti
Bringing Arab Writers and Perspectives Together
IRTH has developed its creative operation around a network of writers and professionals representing multiple Arab nationalities, bringing a broad range of cultures, experiences and perspectives into the development process.
Its activities span original content creation and writing alongside script development, rewriting, script doctoring and creative consultancy for projects at different stages of production.
At the centre of the company is acclaimed Egyptian author, screenwriter and producer Haitham Dabbour, IRTH’s CEO and founder.
Dabbour’s literary career spans novels and poetry, with several works reaching bestseller lists, including Devoured by Seven Lean Cows, Moses Cross and Publication Ban.
His screen credits include Gunshot, which premiered at the El Gouna Film Festival, and Photocopy, which also debuted at El Gouna and won the festival’s Best Arab Feature Film award.
He also wrote and co-produced The Tale of Ahl El Daye, which had its European premiere in the Berlinale’s Generation programme. His short film 32B won the Tanit d’Or at the Carthage Film Festival and the Best Narrative Short Award at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. His upcoming film Bahr is currently in post-production.
Rather than concentrating on one national industry, IRTH’s cross-regional model is designed to originate and develop stories from across the Arab world.
From the First Idea to the International Market
At the heart of the partnership is the combination of IRTH’s writing and development infrastructure with MAD Solutions’ regional and international industry network.
Together, the companies intend to create what they describe as a 360-degree platform, supporting projects from their earliest creative stages through development, packaging and market positioning, before connecting them with potential producers, studios, broadcasters, platforms and other international partners.
The alliance will develop original feature films, television series and other formats. This will include projects created around talent represented by MAD Celebrity, as well as collaborations with third-party producers and filmmakers seeking development support.
That support could range from early-stage writing and creative consultation to rewriting, script doctoring and preparing projects to compete in regional and international markets.
“IRTH has always been about bringing strong writers and different Arab voices together and giving ideas the development they need,” said Haitham Dabbour. “MAD’s regional and international reach gives us the opportunity to take that work further and open new possibilities for the projects and writers we work with.”
MAD Solutions co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab said in a joint statement:
“Development is a key part of MAD’s regional and international expansion, and IRTH brings a strong creative infrastructure and a diverse network of Arab writers to that strategy. Together, we can originate projects while also offering filmmakers and producers the development support they need to strengthen existing ones.”
Creating Projects Around Talent
For MAD Celebrity, the collaboration also creates a closer connection between talent representation and the development of new projects.
Rather than waiting for suitable roles or projects to emerge, the partnership provides an opportunity to involve talent earlier in the creative process and potentially develop films, series and other formats around particular voices and capabilities.
“We don’t only want to find opportunities for our talent; we want to help create them,” said Kareem Samy, executive director of MAD Celebrity. “Working with IRTH allows us to bring talent into the creative process much earlier and develop projects around distinctive voices and capabilities.”
A New Pipeline for Arab Content
MAD Solutions and IRTH are already developing a pipeline that will encompass original productions, talent-driven projects and third-party development and consultancy assignments.
The first individual projects resulting from the partnership are expected to be announced separately.
Founded in 2010, MAD Solutions has grown into a network of specialised companies and initiatives serving different areas of the Arab entertainment industry.
Its operations include MAD World, focused on international sales of Arab films; MAD Distribution, handling sales and distribution across the Arab world; MAD Celebrity, providing talent management and representation for on- and off-screen professionals; MAD Marketing, specialising in entertainment marketing and publicity; and MAD Content.
The group is also behind the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), a year-round networking and promotional platform designed to strengthen connections between Arab cinema and the international film industry through major festivals, markets and industry initiatives worldwide.
With the new IRTH alliance, MAD Solutions is extending that ecosystem further into the creative development process. The partnership’s broader ambition is clear: to help Arab stories and talent move from the first idea on the page to fully developed projects capable of travelling across borders and competing in an increasingly global entertainment market.
