mad world acquires international sales rights to the massalha brothers’ cairo shadows ahead of marrakech international film festival

MAD World has officially acquired global sales rights for CAIRO SHADOWS, the debut feature collaboration co-directed by brothers Rani and Salem Massalha, leading up to its world premiere at the 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival, taking place from November 20th to the 28th.

Welcoming the project to their slate, MAD Solutions Co-Founders Maher Diab and Alaa Karkouti stated:

"We are thrilled to extend our creative partnership with Rani and Salem on CAIRO SHADOWS, having previously teamed up with Rani as he produced GAZA MON AMOUR and ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA by Tarzan and Arab Nasser. It is an honor to stand beside them on this new venture. CAIRO SHADOWS offers a deeply human, courageous perspective on a story born straight from the heart of Egypt, and we are proud to champion the film as it launches its journey with a world premiere at Marrakech, one of the region's premier cinematic stages."

Inspired by true events, the film follows Salem as he returns to the Zabaleen district of Manshiyet Nasser after a prolonged absence. Upon his return, he finds his father broken by circumstances and his sister married to a local recycling entrepreneur. As Salem takes charge of his family’s former pig farm, he begins to rebuild his personal life and reconnect with the local community. However, as global panic over the swine flu outbreak escalates, government authorities order a total cull of all livestock in the area, forcing Salem and his neighbors to defend their livelihoods amidst the crisis.

The drama features an ensemble cast led by Hassan Malek, Tara Emad, Kamel El Basha, Hamza El Eily, Gehad Hossam El Din, Karim Adriano, and Mina Momtaz. Co-directed by the Massalha Brothers, the screenplay was co-written by Gladys Marciano, Valerie Maureau, and Rani Massalha, with Muriel Merlin, Habib Attia, Ahmed Fawzy, Isabelle Moulin, and Rani Massalha serving as the main producers. Key creative team members include cinematographer Éric Devin, editor Julia Gregory, original score Amine Bouhafa, and sound crew Bruno Schweisguth, Antoine Francois, and Fred Demolder.

This project marks the first feature collaboration between the Massalha brothers. Rani Massalha began his directing career with his short film ELVIS OF NAZARETH, which received the UniFrance Jury Prize at Cannes 2011, and his debut feature, GIRAFFADA, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013. Meanwhile, Salem Massalha makes his feature directorial debut, bringing a background as a social entrepreneur, environmental innovator, and international development consultant, having worked across climate and community initiatives prior to entering filmmaking.

Reflecting on the partnership and festival selection, directors Rani and Salem Massalha stated:

"It was important for us to have a sales agent who understands our culture. Being Egyptian, having an Egyptian sales agent aligned with our cultural identity helps us position the film for the market while defending its very essence. MAD Solutions will fight to ensure the film reaches audiences, and we are thrilled to host its world premiere at an international Arab film festival. The Marrakech International Film Festival is bold, modern, and ambitious in its drive to shine in the global film industry; we simply love it!"

The film is a joint international effort between France, Belgium, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar that is produced by Les Films du Tambour, with international sales handled by MAD World.