Rags & Tatters Egyptian box office hit

Local exhibitor Al Arabia Cinema decided to extend the film’s run after the strong box office in the first week, during which it grossed $20,000, healthy numbers for an independent production. The film was released on November 20 in seven theatres.

“The success of Rags & Tatters confirms the readiness of the Egyptian film market to accept different genres of films; our goal is to always support Egyptian films in every way, especially those films planned to be showcased in a different way to the ongoing market conditions,” said Al Arabia Cinema co-founder and CEO Isaad Younis.

Local distributor MAD Solutions held test screenings of the film two months prior to release, a new practice in Egypt, to determine the marketing and distribution spend and strategy. The one week-only release was intended to drive audiences to theatres ahead of cable TV and online distribution.

“The one week screening experience achieved many goals; in addition to the high revenues the film achieved in only seven theatres, its success made theatres believe that a good promotional plan for any film can guarantee success, and this will encourage them to support other similar movies,” said MAD Solutions co-founder Alaa Karkouti.

Directed by Ahmad Abdallah, Rags & Tatters combines narrative and documentary techniques in the story of a fugitive who has escaped prison and is seeking shelter in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution. It was co-produced by Cairo-based Film Clinic and Mashrou, a production company founded by Abdallah, Asser Yassin (who stars in the film) and Amr Shama.

Rotana Studios previously acquired a slew of rights to the film, which received its world premiere at Toronto, including Middle East TV and online streaming rights and worldwide in-flight entertainment. A theatrical release in Kuwait is expected following its success in Egypt.