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.”
