For the eighth year in a row, the Arab Cinema Centre (ACC) will engage in a wide range of activities at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which will be running from 10 to 20 February, accompanied by 10 of its partners that vary between film organisations and international film festivals.
As part of the European Film Market in Berlin, Alaa Karkouti, the Co-Founder of MAD Solutions and ACC, will also moderate a panel discussion titled ‘Decolonising Distribution/Contextualising Visibility’ on 16 February.
During a virtual reception held by the ACC at this year’s Berlinale, the ACC will grant the Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award. The date of the reception and the awarded personality is yet to be announced.
The ACC was founded in 2015 by MAD Solutions and is a non-profit organisation based in Amsterdam. The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialised in co-production and international distribution, among others.
The ACC’s activities include participating in film markets, stands, pavilions, networking sessions, one-on-one meetings bringing together Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, and meetings with international organisations and festivals. This also includes the issuance of the Arab Cinema Magazine, which is distributed in leading international film festivals and markets.
It also launched the Arab Cinema Directory in English on its website, which is a comprehensive cinema directory that provides multiple tools in one place for the first time in order to enhance easy access to information on Arab cinema to film makers inside and outside the Arab world. It also aims to facilitate the connection between Arab films and filmmakers and the international market. It also helps international filmmakers to easily identify Arab Cinema Productions.
