Hosted before a packed audience at the Marché du Film, the Arab Cinema
Center presented a compelling panel titled ‘Scaling Stories: Co-Productions
Driving Commercial Growth in the Region.’ The discussion underscored the
vital role of co-productions as the primary engine of global film industry
growth, with the Arab world increasingly cementing its place in that
commercial equation.
The panel, moderated by Michael Rosser (Asia & Middle East Editor at
Screen International), addressed a profound structural shift currently
reshaping cinema. Projects are no longer being built within isolated, single
territories; instead, they rely on cross-border partnerships that unlock fresh
financing, expand audience reach, and maximize commercial viability. The
core question is no longer whether co-productions are useful but how they
are actively redefining the very boundaries of regional cinema.
Producer Myriam Sassine shared her firsthand experience: “I understood
very quickly that co-production is not only financial, but it's also something
that is a collaborative creation… So I decided to only work with the partners
who argued back like it was a creative debate that would push the film
further.”
Sassine advised filmmakers to diversify their production sources by
exploring untapped markets in Latin America and Asia. She also lauded the
rise of dynamic Arab entities, specifically highlighting MAD Solutions, for
bridging critical gaps across the supply chain by integrating distribution,
sales, private equity, and financing.
A testament to this evolving landscape is the Iraqi Film Fund, which
received over 400 project submissions upon its launch. Wareth Kareem —
filmmaker, producer, and Executive Director of the Fund — emphasized the
vital necessity of intra-Arab collaboration. “As filmmakers, we need to help
ourselves to get the attention of the people,” Kareem stated. “Thanks to
organizations like the Arab Cinema Center and MAD Solutions, Iraqi
cinema is being thrust into the spotlight. It shows we are no longer fighting
for representation in the media; we are actively supporting one another to
tell our stories.”
Shifting the focus to narrative integrity, actor, writer, producer, and director
Dhafer L’Abidine prioritized creative alignment among partners over the
sheer size of a budget. He argued that a co-production must strictly serve
the creator's vision to birth authentic stories that resonate locally and
endure long after their festival runs.
However, the speakers collectively acknowledged a persistent hurdle:
maintaining narrative control. While foreign production entities often shy
away from war narratives, Arab filmmakers carry a profound repository of
conflict-related stories that demand to be told as a vehicle for collective
healing.
In that sense, Kareem noted, “Iraqi and all Arab filmmakers are not only
looking for funds but are also looking for open windows and more Arab co-
productions. That's why we are making something with MAD Solutions to
focus on that, to bring the Arab co-productions."
Offering a distinct economic lens, Marco Orsini, writer, director, producer,
and Founder of the IEFTA, and Wissam Smayra, director, producer, and
Founder of Clandestino Films, championed integrating private equity into
the co-production model, viewing it as the industry's ultimate catalyst.
Orsini firmly believes that this combination will grant future filmmakers
creative freedom, “allowing filmmakers to choose who to work with and
where to work. Hopefully, we can start working in the home regions with all
of these projects to start really building a formidable industry locally,
meaning the MENA region.”
The panel moderated by Michael Rosser (The Editor of Asia and Middle
East for Screen International) featured Wissam Smayra, director, producer,
and Founder of Clandestino Films; Marco Orsini, writer, director, producer,
and Founder of the IEFTA; Myriam Sassine, producer; Dhafer L’Abidine,
actor, writer, producer, and director; and Wareth Kareem, filmmaker,
producer, and Executive Director of the Iraqi Film Fund.
