The film is produced by Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala in collaboration with producer Mohamed Al-Omda under Station Films.
Mohamed Kordofani’s Sudanese drama, Goodbye Julia, has shattered records in its first commercial release, amassing an EGP 1.02m ($0.033m)in revenues just one week after its Egyptian premiere on October 25. The film’s meteoric rise has seen it outperforming major blockbusters like Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon in the Egyptian box office.
Goodbye Julia, which recently received the prestigious Un Certain Regard’s Freedom Prize at Cannes, has witnessed an exponential surge in its already immense popularity. The overwhelming demand for additional screenings has propelled Goodbye Julia from its initial nine screens to an ever-expanding 26 screens, resulting in more than 13,000 tickets sold in its first week.
The film is also set for a wider release across the Arab World soon, with the film expected to hit the GCC before being released throughout the region. Additionally, Goodbye Julia is slated to release in France on November 8 through its French distributor ARP Sélection.
Goodbye Julia follows the story of Mona, a retired singer in northern Sudan, trapped in a tense marriage and plagued by guilt after covering up a murder. In an attempt to make amends, she invites the deceased’s Southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home. Unable to confess her transgressions to Julia, Mona attempts to move forward, unaware that the country’s turmoil may intrude into her home and put her face to face with her sins.
Previously, Goodbye Julia was selected as Sudan’s official submission for the Best Foreign Film category at the 96th Academy Awards. The film also won the Septimius Awards, clinching the title of Best African Film and competing in various categories, including Best African Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Soundtrack.
Moreover, Goodbye Julia has garnered recognition at over 30 prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Karlovy Vary, BFI London, Melbourne, Vancouver, Warsaw, and most recently, Chicago, where it was honoured with the esteemed Roger Ebert Award.
The film stars Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak, Nazar Goma, and Ger Duany. It is written and directed by Mohamed Kordofani and produced by Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala of Station Films, in collaboration with producer Mohamed Al-Omda. The film is co-produced by Baho Bakhsh and Safei Eldin Mahmoud (Red Star Films), Michael Henrichs (Die Gesellschaft), Khaled Awad and Mohamed Kordofani (Klozium Studios), Marc Irmer (Dolce Vita), Faisal Baltyuor (Cinewaves Films), Ali El-Arabi (Ambient Light), Adham El-Sherif (CULT), and Issraa Elkogali Häggström (RiverFlower). MAD Solutions is responsible for the film’s worldwide sales.
MAD Solutions has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Goodbye Julia.
The film also received support from the Red Sea Fund, the Paris Region, ARRI, and Film und Medienstiftung NRW and won the Malmö Arab Film Festival’s award for Best Project In Development.
