Latest news with #DohaFilmInstitute
Egypt Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Official poster for AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY reaches finals of 2nd Prix Luciole
The official poster for Morad Mostafa's AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY — which held a resounding world premiere on May 20th at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and three more well-watched screenings throughout the event — was one of 22 entries that reached the finals of the second edition of Cannes' first independent award celebrating the art of film posters: The Prix Luciole. Designed by Abanoub Shenouda and Maher Diab, the poster depicts the film's protagonist, Aisha, as she wears a cheap Batman mask on top of her hijab, framing the glaring absurdity within her life and displaying the convergence of cultural forces affecting her livelihood. AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY received glowing reviews after its Cannes premiere, with Eoghan Lyng of Dirty Movies calling it a 'Filthy genius movie' and Mohamed Tarek of Chroum lauding it as 'a landmark cinematic moment.' Meanwhile, Olivia Popp praised its cinematography, calling it 'visually slick.' The film follows Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in a neighborhood in the heart of Cairo where she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and other groups. Unwittingly, she becomes involved with an Egyptian gang that blackmails her into stealing her patients' keys so that they can rob them. A co-production between Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Sudan, the film has garnered significant support, including grants from the Doha Film Institute, Cultural Resource Fund, El Gouna Film Festival, Locarno Academy, Cannes' Cinéfondation and La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. It also notably swept a top award at Red Sea Lodge, five at Venice's Final Cut, as well as the Atlas Award at Marrakech International Film Festival. The creative team behind AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY features several returning faces from Mostafa's I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, including cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, who also worked on last year's Cannes entry THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE, which also made its way to Toronto; production designer Eman Elelaby, who earned a FIPRESCI Prize for her work on FEATHERS; costume designer Nayera Eldahshoury; sound engineer Mostafa Shaban; and editor Mohamed Mamdouh. Produced by Sawsan Yusuf's Bonanza Films, the film is co-produced alongside Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Shaban of Tunisia's Nomadis Images, Sherif Fathy of Shift Studios, Ahmed Amer of A. A. Films, Faisal Baltayour from Cinewaves, Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, May Odeh and Zorana Musikic of Mayana Films, Laura Nikolov of Coorigins, Abellelah Al Ahmary of Arabia Pictures, and associate producer Amjad Abu Alala. AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY boasts a stellar cast, with Buliana Simon taking on the lead role of Aisha alongside Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza — in his first feature-length appearance — Emad Ghoniem, and Mamdouh Saleh.
ILoveQatar.net
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- ILoveQatar.net
"After The Game" Exhibition
This exhibition highlights the engagement of photographers and filmmakers with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, showcasing diverse artistic perspectives that reflect each creator's unique vision and emotional response to the unfolding events — both inside the stadium and beyond, among fans, around the clock, and across every corner of Qatar. The exhibition also features a selection of short films about football, produced through the 'Made in Qatar' program by the Doha Film Institute, which aims to discover and support passionate local filmmakers. Participating Artists: Abdulhalim Saad Albader Asmaa Al Abdulla Iyed Ibrahim Exhibition timings: Saturday – Thursday: 9 am - 7 pm Friday: 1:30 pm - 7 pm Source: Tasweer Note: The details mentioned in this event listing are sourced from the organizers' official announcements and are subject to change. Please check with the organizer directly before making plans.
The National
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Tunisian film Promised Sky takes an unflinching look at undocumented individuals
What makes a film French, Tunisian or any other nationality? That is one question occupying the mind of Erige Sehiri, director of Promised Sky, which has just been unveiled at Cannes Film Festival. 'When you come to Cannes, you also represent a country,' Sehiri tells The National, speaking on the Unifrance terrace just yards from the buzzy Croisette. 'It's not just about the director.' In this case, Promised Sky is being recognised as a Tunisian film, despite being a French-Tunisian co-production, with money from Qatar and support from the Doha Film Institute. 'I agree with that because it's a Tunisian story, shot in Tunisia,' Sehiri continues. 'It's mainly Tunisian technicians and I'm a Tunisian director also. Marie, the film's central character, is played by a French actress, Tunisian people are secondary characters and West Africans are main characters. But they all represent Tunisia!' Sehiri herself was born and raised in France, after her Tunisian parents emigrated there. The migrant experience is very much at the core of Promised Sky, a heartfelt, honest look at the undocumented. The story takes place in Tunis, following Marie (Aissa Maiga), an Ivorian pastor whose dilapidated home has become a shelter for others. Among them are young mother Naney (Debora Christelle Lobe Naney) and the resolute student Jolie (Laetitia Ky). A former journalist, who brought a similar semi-documentary approach to her well-received 2021 film Under The Fig Trees, Sehiri says her own media connections led to the story. 'I had coffee with a journalist from Ivory Coast who was based in Tunis, and she worked at a small radio station. I didn't have the idea of the film then. But we talked, and I said: 'How do you make a living working in a radio station in Tunisia?' And she said: 'I have another job, as a pastor.' "I didn't even know it's a job. I didn't even know a woman can be a pastor. No Tunisian goes to Evangelical churches, they're not allowed.' Co-writing with Anna Ciennik and Malika Cecile Louati, Sehiri was particularly inspired by the notion of "the other". 'In Tunisia, the communities of people coming from sub-Saharan countries, from North Africa, are called 'the Africans'.' Indeed, Marie's landlord refers to her 'African cake' when she's baking, only to be told that he too is African. 'It's not necessarily a bad intention, but it's something we say all the time, to say 'the other'. But we are the other," says Sehiri. Sehiri began to think of the way fear surrounds stories of immigrants. 'We hear that France will be invaded by African, Arabian immigrants and so on,' she says, pointing out that the statistics say otherwise. 'Twenty per cent of immigrants from Africa migrate to Europe. Eighty per cent of them migrate within Africa from one country to another, and that also gives you another perspective. This is far away from the image that we get in Europe. It's a global issue, how to treat migrants and how not to treat them.' Bringing the film to Cannes, where it was selected to open the Un Certain Regard sidebar, a strand that features films directed by Hollywood stars Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson this year, was also a huge honour. 'I feel that is the best thing that happened to the film,' Sehiri says. 'It was unexpected.' It also puts her in good company, with fellow Tunisian directors Kaouther Ben Hania (who was in Cannes with Four Daughters) and Meryam Joobeur (whose film Who Do I Belong To played at the Berlinale). Certainly, it's been a phenomenal time for female filmmakers from her country. 'I am part of the movement. I'm very happy seeing the reaction of the Arab media, which is not just about Tunisia but the whole region, how we portray ourselves, how we make films," Sehiri says. "It's really moving because I was born in France. I grew up there, and then suddenly I'm part of a movement from the Arab region.' A fan of such naturalistic-leaning directors as Ken Loach, Andrea Arnold and Sean Baker, the Oscar-winning director of Anora, Sehiri is now plotting her next move. 'I have another project that I haven't talked about at all. I really hope to do a triptych after Under the Fig Trees and Promised Sky. I would love to have a third film of people I found being stereotyped or invisible. And I'll say it will be young male Arab characters," she says. As for Promised Sky, how does she anticipate the reaction from those back home? 'Hopefully, it will open their eyes a bit,' she smiles. 'Just a bit.' The Cannes Film Festival runs until Saturday
Egypt Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Egyptian Cinema Soars Again: Aisha Can't Fly Away Stuns at Cannes
Aisha Can't Fly Away made a powerful debut at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, May 20th, premiering in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section. The buzz was undeniable, with festival-goers, celebrities, and media figures scrambling to grab tickets for one of the film's four hotly anticipated screenings. The premiere concluded to thunderous applause and a well-earned standing ovation—an early sign that Aisha Can't Fly Away is one of the breakout highlights of this year's festival. Attending the premiere alongside the film's cast and crew, director Morad Mostafa expressed how humbled he was to be at Cannes again before the film's screening, stressing that he wouldn't have made it this far as a director 'without the Egyptian film industry,' and that he is 'very proud to be representing Egypt in the official selection of Cannes this year.' He also thanked the film's co-producers, and crew, along with 'paying a special tribute' to the film's producer and his partner, Sawsan Yusuf. On stage with him were film stars Buliana Simon and Ziad Zaza's producers, Yusuf, Dora Bouchoucha, Sherif Fathy, Ahmed Amer, Alaa Karkouti, and Maher Diab, and crew members Mohamed Mamdouh and Mostafa Kashef. The film will have three additional screenings during the festival: two on Wednesday, May 21st, at 1 pm (Agnes Varda Hall) and 1:30 pm (Cinéma ScreenX), followed by a third on Thursday, May 22nd, at 9:15 am (Cinéum Salle 3). Directed by Morad Mostafa, the premiere of the film marks Egypt's first participation in Un Certain Regard since the 2016 film CLASH by Mohamed Diab, almost a decade prior. Aisha is a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in a neighborhood in the heart of Cairo where she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and other groups. Unwittingly, she becomes involved with an Egyptian gang that blackmails her into stealing her patients' keys so that they can rob them. A co-production between Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Sudan, the film has garnered significant support, including grants from the Doha Film Institute, Cultural Resource Fund, El Gouna Film Festival, Locarno Academy, Cannes' Cinéfondation and La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. It also notably swept a top award at Red Sea Lodge, five at Venice's Final Cut, as well as the Atlas Award at Marrakech International Film Festival. The creative team behind Aisha CaN't Fly Away features several returning faces from Mostafa's I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, including cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, who also worked on last year's Cannes entry THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE, which also made its way to Toronto; production designer Eman Elelaby, who earned a FIPRESCI Prize for her work on FEATHERS; costume designer Nayera Eldahshoury; sound engineer Mostafa Shaban; and editor Mohamed Mamdouh. Produced by Sawsan Yusuf's Bonanza Films, the film is co-produced alongside 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, May Odeh and Zorana Musikic of Mayana Films, Laura Nikolov of Coorigins, Abellelah Al Ahmary of Arabia Pictures, and associate producer Amjad Abu Alala. AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY boasts a stellar cast, with Buliana Simon taking on the lead role of Aisha alongside Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza — in his first feature-length appearance — Emad Ghoniem, and Mamdouh Saleh.
Qatar Tribune
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
DFI unveils programme for Doha Film Festival
Tribune News Network Cannes (France)/Doha (Qatar) Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced the programming and awards sections for the upcoming Doha Film Festival (DFF), reaffirming its commitment to fostering bold, original storytelling and spotlighting underrepresented cinematic voices and diverse perspectives from around the world. The announcement was made during the 78th Cannes Film Festival which marks the 15th anniversary of Doha Film Institute, first announced in Cannes in 2010 by DFI Chair HE Sheikha Al Mayassa. With a total prize money of over $300,000, DFF will feature a dynamic official selection of films in four competition strands: International Feature Film Competition, showcasing powerful new works by emerging and established filmmakers from around the world; International Short Film Competition, highlighting innovative storytelling in a concise format; Ajyal Film Competition, judged by the festival's unique youth jury that offer fresh, generational perspectives; and the Made in Qatar Competition, dedicated to celebrating the creativity and talent of filmmakers based in Qatar. Running from November 20-28, 2025, the festival will also feature industry sessions, community screenings with a special programme for youth, and a range of engaging events, transforming Doha into a vital global meeting point for filmmakers, thought leaders, artists and audiences passionate about thought provoking cinema. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, chief executive officer of Doha Film Institute and festival director, said: 'Doha Film Festival is not only a celebration of cinema, but a platform for purpose-driven storytelling amplifying important voices that are redefining the global film landscape with depth, nuance, and truth.' 'It is the next chapter in our continued mission to nurture independent filmmakers, inspire new perspectives and foster cultural dialogue through cinema. The festival will offer a vibrant meeting point for film lovers, a stage for powerful stories and a launchpad for a new generation of cinematic talent. DFF is an expansion of the strong foundation we built with Ajyal Film Festival as a unique platform for self-expression and creative empowerment, and we look forward to guests celebrating the unifying power of film with us in Doha this November.' she added. DFF will retain popular elements of Ajyal while introducing new dimensions and represents the next step in Qatar's journey of cultural leadership, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and dialogue to benefit the global film community. Selected films will span a wide range of genres and themes, unified by a shared commitment to authenticity, artistic vision, and cultural relevance. Each competition will present awards that recognize excellence in filmmaking and provide meaningful support through funding and international exposure. At the heart of the festival are four main competition sections, each with distinguished international juries: the International Feature Film Competition jury will consist of five industry experts selecting winners in Best Narrative (with a prize money of US$75,000), Best Documentary (US$50,000), Best Artistic Achievement for feature narrative or documentary (US$45,000), and Best Performance (US$15,000) categories. A certificate of Special Mention will also be presented to a feature narrative or documentary. In the International Short Film Competition, judged by a three-member jury, films will compete for Best Film – Narrative or Documentary (US$20,000), Best Director (US$12,000), and Best Performance (US$7,000). Made in Qatar Competition will celebrate talent based in Qatar with awards for Best Short – Narrative or Documentary (US$15,000), Best Director (US$10,000) and Best Performance (US$5,000) reinforcing DFI's commitment to celebrating homegrown storytellers. Continuing the proud legacy and tradition of Ajyal, Ajyal Film Competition with a youth jury aged 16-25 will have an important presence at Doha Film Festival presenting awards for Best Feature – Narrative or Documentary (US$35,000) and Best Short – Narrative or Documentary (US$12,000). An Audience Award will also be presented during the festival with the winner receiving a certificate and trophy. Doha Film Festival will transform iconic locations across Doha into dedicated festival venues. Katara Cultural Village will host red carpet events and premieres, while Msheireb Downtown Doha will become the central hub for industry sessions and special events. The Museum of Islamic Art will present an intimate setting for short film screenings. The complete festival programme, jury members and competition titles will be announced in the coming months. For more information about Doha Film Festival, visit and
