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Egypt Today
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Get your first good look at the Cannes contender AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY
Aisha Can't Fly Away poster. The teaser for Morad Mostafa's highly anticipated film, AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY, was released ahead of its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (running from May 13th to the 24th). Trailer link: The film, which is the first Egyptian film in Cannes' Un Certain Regard in close to a decade, is set to hold seven official screenings throughout the runtime of the festival. Aside from the market screenings at 9:15 am on Thursday, May 15th at PALAIS H and 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 17th at PALAIS J, AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY is set to world premiere at 11 am on Tuesday, May 20th at Salle Debussy in the presence of director Morad Mostafa, producer Sawsan Yusuf, DOP Mostafa El Kashef, and film leads Buliana Simon and Ziad Zaza. After that, it's expected to screen three more times on Wednesday, May 21st — once at 1 pm in Agnès Varda Hall, another at 1:30 pm in Screen X Cinema, and the third at 1:30 pm in Licorne Hall. It's also set to screen one last time at 9:15 am on Thursday, May 22nd, at Cinema Cineum Hall 3. The film follows the story of Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in Cairo, who navigates the complexities of her life amidst the tension between African migrants and local gangs. The film delves into themes of belonging, survival, and the pursuit of dreams in the face of adversity. Director Morad Mostafa shares that 'AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY is not just a migration story; it is a universal tale about the sense of belonging and the need to be seen. It explores the loneliness of the ostracized, who are constantly in survival mode, yet still dare to dream and find light in the darkest of places.' The film stars Buliana Simon, Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza, Emad Ghoniem, and Mamdouh Saleh. It is written by Morad Mostafa, Sawsan Youssef, and Mohamed Abdelkader, with cinematography by Mostafa El Kashef, art direction by Eman Elelaby, costume design by Nayera Eldahshoury, and editing by Mohamed Mamdouh. The film is produced by Morad Mostafa and Sawsan Youssef's Bonanza Films, alongside co-producers Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Shaban of Tunisia's Nomadic Images, Sherif Fathy of Shift Studios, Ahmed Amer of A. A. Films, Faisal Baltayour from Cinewaves, Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab of MAD Solutions — the subsidiary of which, MAD World, is handling the film's world sales — May Odeh and Zorana Musikic of Mayana Films, Laura Nikolov of Coorigins, Abellelah Al Ahmary of Arabia Pictures, as well as associate producer Amjad Abu Alala.
Egypt Today
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Egyptian DOP Mostafa El Kashef wins Best Cinematography at Festival of Austrian Film
Egyptian DOP Mostafa El Kashef wins Best Cinematography at Festival of Austrian Film for his film THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE Marking his second award for the film and further showcasing his exceptional talent, DOP Mostafa El Kashef has won the Best Cinematography Award for his work on the Somali film THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE by Mo Harawe, at the Diagonale - Festival of Austrian Film, held in Graz from March 27th to April 1st. In addition to this award, THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE won Best Fiction Feature at the festival, with the jury praising it for its 'fine sense of nuance, developing its gentle impact in the process.' It also received €15,000 from the Culture Department of the Federal State of Styria, €1,000 donated by streaming platform watchAUT, a €3,000 coupon for ads on watchAUT, and a €4,000 donation as a voucher by The Grand Post – Post Production House. THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE previously won El Kashef the Best Cinematography Award at the Tunisian Carthage Film Festival and has garnered six other awards from various festivals, including Chicago, Sarajevo, Munich, Cork, and Marrakech, along with the Best Austrian Film Award at the Viennale. Set in a windy Somali desert village, THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE revolves around a newly assembled family that must navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Love, trust, and resilience will power them through their life paths - even amidst the throes of civil war and natural disasters. This film marks El Kashef's second feature-length film, which is the first ever film to be shot in Somalia to screen at Cannes and the recipient of a post-production prize from the Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech Film Festival and a Locarno Industry award, enjoyed widespread popularity and a packed world premiere at the festival's Un Certain Regard, with the general audience hailing the film and giving it a standing ovation. The film also took the internet by storm, receiving widespread praise from prominent critics worldwide, who lauded its exceptional cinematography in their reviews. This included Lovia Gyarke of The Hollywood Reporter, who described El Kashef's cinematography as "offering truly striking images," and Nikki Baughan of Screendaily, who highlighted the film's "striking visual literacy." Written and directed by Harawe as his feature-length directorial debut, the film is a poignant take on Somali life that features a cast of emerging Somali actors, including Ahmed Ali Farah, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban, and Anab Ahmed Ibrahim.
