Taking Arab talent mainstream with slick campaigns and a creative mindset, Mad Solutions celebrates 15 years of creating global superstars
Photo: Louay Nasser
In a vast world characterized by ever-more blurring lines between reality and fiction, three men stand at the center of chaos and magic. Co-founded and led by Alaa Karkouti, Maher Diab, and with Colin Brown joining thereafter, Mad Solutions is the Arab world’s first independent entertainment studio, which has since expanded to become a fully integrated marketing and creative consultancy.
Today, the innovative studio and its subsidiaries represent more than 60 talents from all sides of the Arab world, who work both in front of and behind the cameras.
Karkouti and Diab were inspired by their journalism and marketing experiences to bring the Arab world the same level of service they experienced firsthand in global markets. “There was no proper marketing being done for Arab productions, whether in Egypt or the wider Arab world,” Karkouti explains. “Film releases, for example, were only advertised with a couple of billboards and a trailer on TV channels. Even TV productions hardly received any marketing, and nobody was working with the talent. We understood the market and saw the gap and decided to launch Mad Solutions.” They soon partnered with Brown, while Kareem Samy, also a partner, solidified their vision for Mad Celebrity.
Kareem Samy. Photo: Courtesy Mad Solutions
Karkouti and his team are gearing up for another busy year, starting with the Cannes film festival in May. “In celebration of our 15th anniversary, we are showcasing talents through a series of sessions in collaboration with Marché du film de Cannes,” he shares from his head office in Cairo. “There will be panel discussions with regional and international artists to enable networking across industries and borders. We want to help Arab talents land significant international roles.”
Youssra. Photo: Getty
The Mad portfolio runs deep with talent – including Egyptian superstar Youssra, Jordanian producer and actor Saba Mubarak, Syrian actor Kinda Alloush, Lebanese TV presenter Raya Abirached, Palestinian director, writer, and producer Hany Abu-Assad, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Egyptian Marvel director Mohamed Diab, and Saudi filmmaker and actor Fatima AlBanawi. Its marketing and distribution services have also helped pave the way for numerous acclaimed films, such as Goodbye Julia (2023) and Inshallah A Boy (2023). Karkouti sums up the five subsidiaries currently under their banner: “We have Mad Distribution, which focuses on festivals and Arab arthouse titles around the world; Mad Celebrity that manages Arab talents; Mad Marketing which markets films and companies; Mad Content that produces media content for various platforms; and Mad Culture, which builds edutainment programs for cultural institutions and universities.” Ten years ago, they also established the Arab Cinema Centre, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab cinema internationally, and three times a year they produce a magazine for and about the industry. “We also created the Critic Awards for Arab films, which hosts more than 200 critics from 70 nationalities,” Karkouti adds.
Fatima AlBanawi. Photo: Getty
While the partners have managed to remold the regional market, they have also successfully changed the way it is perceived. “The biggest change we have created is that there was never a regular international presence of any Arab organization before us,” Karkouti says. “The participation of Arab films at the Oscars or Cannes was always by coincidence, depending on the governments and the funding.” To change this, there needs to be a regular Arab presence in the global entertainment industry – which means Arab faces need to be shown and known. “The second step is to keep promoting Arab talents, followed by producing interesting projects that appeal to the international market.”
Saba Mubarak. Photo: Getty
Far from slowing down, they have their eyes set on more international projects. While they are busy planning for the opening of their new branch in Dubai, they also intend to reinforce their international presence from their office in Lisbon. Opened last year, the Portuguese office is focused on expanding the company’s co-production business, bolstering the distribution of Mad films internationally, and helping Mad Celebrity position more of their talents on the global map. The partners cannot help but reminisce when asked about what they are most proud of after 15 years. “Each time we land a big project, a big talent, or a big contract with an international brand for one of our talents, a new milestone is added to our track record,” says Mad Celebrity executive director Samy. “For me, whenever one of our talents signs a contract to become the international face of a global brand, I know we have created another industry first – from Tara Emad signing with Chanel to Fatima AlBanawi and Dhafer L’Abidine signing with Cartier. At the time, Fatima was still an up-and-coming talent from Saudi, so landing a contract with Cartier was one for the books. Securing the position of costume designer for Reem Al Adl on Marvel’s Moon Knight series with Oscar Isaac is another unforgettable achievement. But most importantly, we pride ourselves on our long-term relationships with all our talents.”
Dhafer L’Abidine. Photo: Getty
Originally published in the April 2024 issue of Vogue Arabia
