'Xoftex' is set in a Greek refugee camp named Xoftex, where Syrian and Palestinian asylum seekers anxiously await news of their refugee status.
MAD World will be making its first festival appearance post-debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival with its latest acquisition, Noaz Deshe’s surrealist refugee drama Xoftex. The film will have its world premiere at the 58th Karlovy Vary Film Festival, competing for the Crystal Globe.
MAD Distribution, the MENA-based sales and marketing arm of MAD Solutions, will handle the film’s distribution in the Arab-speaking region.
Xoftex tells the story of Palestinian Syrian teenager Nasser and his older brother Yassin, who are living in a Greek refugee camp while awaiting a decision on their asylum application. To pass the time, they create comedy sketches and dream of making zombie films and moving to Sweden. However, Nasser feels increasingly trapped in the camp, and rising tensions push him into another world.
Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, Co-Founders of MAD Solutions, said: “Blending the realism of refugee crises, the surrealism of being both stuck between two worlds and aching to move forward while looking back, and the experimental nature of art-house films lends this thought-provoking and introspective air to Xoftex that we found mesmerising.”
They added: “Refugee films nowadays have become so common, the term might as well become a main genre. So, it’s not every day that you find a film that tackles a very real problem from a fresh, yet-to-be-seen angle, and we think Noaz Deshe has done just that.”
Xoftex is a multifaceted creation by Noaz Deshe, who not only wrote, directed, and shot the film but also took on the roles of editor, composer, and producer. Deshe shares production credits with Andro Steinborn, Jordan Tappis and Beau Willimon. The film also has Christophe Audeguis as a co-producer, with executive producers including Majd Hafiry, Osama Hafiry, Babak Jalali, Patrick Schorn, Grischa Sautter, Gabriel Stavenhagen, Zachary Guglin, Julian Chavez, Eve Gabereau, Maria Drandaki and Didar Domehri.
The cast features first-time actor and rapper Abdulrahman Diab, alongside actor and director Osama Hafiry. Additional cast members include Jalal Albaroudi, Hazem Saleh, Mouataz Alshaltouh, Mohamad Al Rashi, Amal Omran, Lujain Mustafa, Ramadan Hamoud, Mohammad Dibo and Yasin El-Harouk.
Commenting on the film’s acquisition, Xoftex producer Steinborn stated: “Having MAD Solutions representing our film internationally is exciting to me and the dream scenario for the film. MAD will bring the film to the audience we have made the film for. The intention of making Xoftex was to add a new perspective to the narrative about migration in Europe and the so-called ‘refugee crisis,’ and having a sales agent that has the intention to reframe the distribution of Arab cinema in the world is consistent with our approach. I am looking forward to the collaboration and what I can learn from them.”
Deshe commented: “I’m excited that a film about the borders we impose, will have no borders with MAD solutions, and can only dream now of where it might reach.”
The film will be holding its world premiere at 8 pm on July 1 at the Grand Hall. It is also scheduled to screen three more times — once at 1 pm on July 2 at Pupp Cinema, another at 9 pm on July 3 at Lazne III and the last at 4 pm on July 4 at Congress Hall.
