EXCLUSIVE: Mad World, the film sales arm of Cairo-based Mad Solutions, has acquired worldwide sales rights to Egyptian drama Al Baraneya ahead of its premiere in Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori.

The debut feature of Dutch-Egyptian filmmaker Ashgan El-Hamus, the film follows the fate of Al Amal, a pregnant young woman living with her extended family in the Egyptian village of Al Baraneya.

When the family is offered the chance to sell their land, long-held certainties begin to unravel, leaving Amal torn between the traditions that shaped her and the promise of a different future in the city.

Produced by Frank Hoeve of Amsterdam-based Baldr Film; Kesmat Elsayed of Berlin-based Seera Films, and Eurydice Gysel of Brussels-based Czar Film, Al Baraneya is a Dutch-Egyptian-Belgian-Saudi co-production.

The acquisition marks Mad World’s second collaboration with Seera’s Elsayed after their collaboration on Mohamed Rashad’s Berlinale 2025-selected The Settlement.

Amsterdam-based Baldr Film has built an international reputation for championing auteur-driven cinema, with recent credits including the Oscar-nominated documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d’État; Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine as Light; Willem van Ewijk’s Venice Giornate degli Autori Best European Film winner Alpha, and Torino Film Festival winner The Garden of Earthly Delights.

Al Baraneya is El-Hamus’ feature directorial debut following a series of acclaimed short films, including Birdland. Drawing from her own family’s experiences, she cast her Egyptian relatives alongside actress Reem Amer to create an authentic portrait of family, womanhood, and belonging.

“I wanted to tell a story about belonging, womanhood, and the quiet tension between tradition and change through characters whose relationships feel lived rather than performed,” she says of the film.

“We’re delighted to bring Al Baraneya to international audiences,” said Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, co-founders of Mad Solutions.

“Ashgan El-Hamus has crafted a deeply personal and emotionally resonant debut that reflects the richness of Arab storytelling through a universal lens. We are proud to partner with the filmmakers as the film begins its international journey with its world premiere in Venice.”

“If you decide to be a producer in the independent world, don’t do it for the money.” Producer Marco Perego didn’t mince words during a Locarno Pro keynote appearance. If money is all you care about, “go [work for] a bank.”

The Italian native, conceptual artist and movie lover made his feature directorial debut in 2023 with The Absence of Eden, starring his wife, Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña. Perego then launched the production company Leaf Entertainment with Michael Cerenzie. Its goal: back the best global auteurs to help them get their projects made. 

At Cannes this year, Perego had three competition films: Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner Fjord, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur, and James Gray’s Paper Tiger.

On Sunday night, he appeared at the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on stage with Gray, who was honored with the Swiss festival’s Career Leopard ahead of a huge Paper Tiger outdoor screening. Just hours before that, he shared his take on the role of a producer at industry strand Locarno Pro in a session that was well-attended despite the busy weekend. Among the people in the audience was Saldaña.

“Independent film is for people who take risk,” Perego emphasized. “It’s about respecting the vision, and the vision is not yours. … Just let [directors] do what they want.” You want to support them, and you may every now and then help with suggestions, but in general, step back and let the creatives do the magic, he said. Emphasizing the significance and importance of ensuring and maintaining artistic integrity, the producer highlighted: “We need to be sure that we really protect the filmmaker.”

Money may talk, but Perego didn’t talk about money details beyond sharing: “I invest quite a lot.” He signaled that he has no strict rules for the size of investments.

“I’m a disruptor. I’m a radical,” Perego also told the Locarno crowd, adding that he wasn’t afraid of slipping up. “I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail so many times, but I promise, I will stand up.”