Call for applications to MAFF Market Forum
The cooperation between Malmo Arab Film Festival and the Swedish Film Institute continues for the fifth year in a row with the initiative MAFF Development Funding for feature and documentary films. The aim is to support production in the development phase. The projects that are to be considered should contain themes involving Arabic culture, identity and diaspora, or be a co-production between Swedish and Arab creators.
One condition necessary to apply is that the project has one Swedish producer and recipient of the funds that will be disbursed. Additionally, at least one of the below two conditions must be fulfilled:
- The story must have a connection to Arab culture, identity or exile.
- The project must be a co-production between at least one Swedish and one Arab producer.
There are no further conditions as regards to the project’s country of origin, language or themes.
The first day to apply is March 1, and the deadline for applications is May 31. You will be able to apply through the following link here
Malmo Arab Film Festival and the Swedish Film Institute will in August 2019 announce five projects selected for participation in MAFF Development Funding Feature, and three projects for MAFF Development Funding Documentary.
Beauty and the Dogs by Kauther Ben Hania competed for Un certain regard at Cannes Film Festival 2017 and received production support from Malmo Arab Film Festival and the Swedish Film Institute. Photographer/Source: Folkets Bio
Two representatives from each selected feature film project, as well as one representative from each documentary film project, will be invited to the festival to participate in MAFF Market Forum, October 5-8. During these days, the participants will be able to take part in pitching sessions and one-to-one meetings with the committee for MAFF Development Funding. The representatives will also have the opportunity to meet future co-producers from the Nordic region and the Arab world, as well as key individuals for film funds and institutions from all over the world.
The committee will, after hosting individual meetings with the selected participants as well as listening to presentations of their projects, choose one feature film project that will receive SEK 150 000, and one of the documentary film projects to receive SEK 75 000 in development support. The names of the projects selected to receive the support will be announced during the final gala of Malmo Arab Film Festival on October 8.
– We look forward to continued cooperation and ever deeper ties between Sweden and the Arab speaking world, and we hope that we will witness new success stories like the Tunisian-Swedish co-production Beauty and the Dogs, which participated in the Un certain regard category at Cannes 2017, says Magdalena Jangard, head of production support at the Swedish Film Institute.
– We are proud to continue our cooperation with the Swedish Film Institute. Thanks to their support, a good number of films have been co-produced between Sweden and the Arab world, says Mohamad Keblawi, founder and head of Malmo Arab Film Festival and Industry in MAFF.
MAFF Market Forum (MMF) is the world’s first platform for cooperation and co-productions between the Nordic region and the Arab world.