The Egyptian film Aisha Can’t Fly Away, directed by Morad Mostafa, has been awarded the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award at the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in Armenia. The festival, which took place from July 13 to 20, showcased a variety of international cinema.
This recognition is another significant achievement for Aisha Can’t Fly Away, which has already garnered attention on the global festival stage, having premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and won the Final Cut Award, along with several post-production accolades, at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
The film is a multi-national co-production involving contributions from Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Sudan. It has received substantial international support, including grants from organisations such as the Doha Film Institute, Cultural Resource Fund, El Gouna Film Festival, Locarno Academy, Cannes’ Cinéfondation, La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. It has also excelled on the festival circuit, earning prestigious awards such as the Atlas Award at the Marrakech International Film Festival and top prizes at Venice’s Final Cut and the Red Sea Lodge.
Key collaborators from Mostafa’s previous short film, I Promise You Paradise, have been integral to this project. These include cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef (known for The Village Next to Paradise), production designer Eman Elelaby (Feathers), costume designer Nayera Eldahshoury, sound engineer Mostafa Shaban, and editor Mohamed Mamdouh.
The film stars Buliana Simon in the lead role of Aisha. Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza, in his first film performance, is also featured alongside actors Emad Ghoniem and Mamdouh Saleh.
The production is led by Sawsan Youssef of Bonanza Films, supported by a diverse international team, which includes Tunisia’s Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Shaban (Nomadis Images), Amjad Abu Alala, Faisal Baltayour (Cinewaves), Ahmed Amer (A.A. Films), May Odeh, Zorana Musikic (Mayana Films), Laura Nikolov (Co-Origins), and Sherif Fathy (Shift Studios). Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab of MAD Solutions oversee the global distribution through their subsidiary, MAD World.
Morad Mostafa, born in Cairo in 1988, brings over a decade of experience in the film industry, having worked as an assistant director before stepping into the directorial spotlight.
