Arab Cinema Center to run Four events at Venice Production Bridge

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 world's 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 region's 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 world's 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 world's 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 center's 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 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 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 ACC's 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.