DUBAI: Headquartered in Egypt, pan-Arab film studio and distribution company MAD Films will take part in the upcoming Manchester Film Festival with a selection of titles.

Among the films set to be screened are “To a Land Unknown,” “Thank You for Banking with Us!” and “The Village Next to Paradise.” 

Directed by Mahdi Fleifel, “To A Land Unknown” tells the story of a Palestinian refugee living on the fringes of society in Athens who gets ripped off by a smuggler and sets out to seek revenge.

Meanwhile, Laila Abbas’s “Thank You for Banking with Us!” follows two sisters seeking their fair share of an inheritance sum after the death of their father.

In “The Village Next to Paradise,” director Mo Harawe follows a “newly formed family (who) confronts challenges while pursuing individual goals and facing the intricacies of modern life, relying on love, trust, and resilience to guide them,” according to the film’s logline.

The film was one of the breakout debuts from last year's Cannes Film Festival and was hailed as ushering in a new era for Somali cinema by the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Manchester Film Festival will take place from March 19 – 29 and will feature film screenings alongside filmmaker Q&A sessions and industry networking opportunities across the city.

Now in its 12th edition, organisers say the 2026 edition will feature more than 50 feature films in addition to a broad selection of short films and special screenings.

The program will also include several world and UK premieres, reflecting the festival’s ongoing focus on introducing new voices and emerging filmmakers to international audiences.

MAD Films is also taking part in the New African Film Festival and the Movies That Matter Festival in the Hague.