'The President's Cake'

Source: Sony Pictures Classics

‘The President’s Cake’

EXCLUSIVE: Film Clinic Indie Distribution has acquired rights in the Middle East and North Africa to The President’s Cake, Iraq’s official submission to the Academy Awards, in a deal with Films Boutique.

The Cairo-based distributor has yet to set a release date but plans to open the film theatrically across the MENA region in 2026.

The feature was the first Arabic-language Iraqi drama selected for Cannes, where it won the Camera d’Or and Directors’ Fortnight People’s Choice Award in May. It more recently won a top prize at Pingyao.

It marks the feature directorial debut of Iraqi writer-director Hasan Hadi and will receive its MENA premiere in competition at Doha Film Festival next month.

Set in 1990s Iraq, the story follows a nine-year-old girl who uses her wits and imagination to make the cake all schools are mandated to prepare to celebrate the birthday of the country’s president, Saddam Hussein.

The cast is led by Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Rahim AlHaj .

Filmed entirely in Iraq, the Iraq-US-Qatar co-production is produced by US producer Leah Chen Baker, whose credits include Sundance 2022 feature Palm Trees And Power Lines. Executive producers include Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth and director Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood). The film is made in association with Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Films and Spark Features.

The President’s Cake received a production grant from the Doha Film Institute’s 2023 fall funding round and participated in its Qumra development lab as a post-production – feature narrative – picture lock title. Sony Pictures Classics acquired all rights in North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, South East Asia and India shortly after Cannes.

Film Clinic Indie Distribution is the distribution arm of leading Egyptian independent production company Film Clinic, led by Mohamed Hefzy. Its latest acquisition means the company is now involved in three submissions from the Arab world for the 98th Academy Awards.

Film Clinic also has MENA distribution rights to Jordan’s entry All That’s Left Of You by Cherien Dabis and co-produced Saudi Arabia’s submission Hijra by Shahad Ameen.

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