Director of sales and acquisitions, MAD World
- Graduated with a masters degree in management from HEC Paris
- Worked as audiovisual co-operation officer at the French Institute in Jerusalem in 2022-23
Paris-based Deny is championing Arab cinema around the world as director of international sales and acquisitions at MAD World, the sales division of Cairo-based pan-Arab outfit MAD Solutions, which launched at Cannes last year.
Joining at its inception marked the culmination of Deny’s academic and work experience to date. While studying film history and analysis at the University of Southern California’s school of cinematic arts in Los Angeles, she landed an opportunity to assist the international sales team at Studiocanal during AFM. “This is how I discovered the world of international sales, at the heart of a market,” recalls Deny. “The sales team was also exclusively women, so I got inspired.”
It spurred her to apply for a role at SND, the film arm of French broadcaster M6, where she worked as an international sales assistant before joining Paris-based Federation Studios on the acquisitions and co-production team — a new side to the business. “I analysed the artistic and commercial potential of projects,” says Deny.
Moving to Jerusalem for two years introduced her to Arab film and Palestinian cinema in particular — “I was inspired to bring these voices to the international stage” — while the launch of MAD World offered the perfect opportunity to return to sales and acquisition, where she now oversees a fast-growing catalogue of more than 500 titles.
After seeing Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama’s Têtes Brûlées and Mohamed Rashad’s The Settlement premiere this year at the Berlinale, one of her latest titles is Morad Mostafa’s Aisha Can’t Fly Away, selected to screen in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. “We are very excited by its prospects,” she says.
Contact: Jeanne Deny
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