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MAD Solutions drops teaser trailer for AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY ahead of Cannes premiere
15 May 2025
Pan-Arab entertainment powerhouse MAD Solutions just released the teaser for Morad Mostafa's highly anticipated film, AISHA CAN'T FLY AWAY, on the company's Instagram page, MAD Films, along with global entertainment news website IndieWire, ahead of its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (running from May 13th to the 24th).
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 Abdelader, 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 Nomadis 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.
No stranger to Cannes, Morad Mostafa is an Egyptian director with an impressive repertoire of experience under his belt; working on several independent films, including Aytin Amin’s SOUAD — serving as a first assistant director — which was an official selection of both the Cannes and Berlin international film festivals. An alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, and Locarno Academy, Mostafa wrote and directed three short films, all of which were selected in Clermont-Ferrand over three consecutive years and were screened in more than 300 festivals worldwide, winning several awards. His latest short film, I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, was selected for the 2023 edition of Cannes’ Critics Week and the César Awards.
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 Abdelader, 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 Nomadis 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.
No stranger to Cannes, Morad Mostafa is an Egyptian director with an impressive repertoire of experience under his belt; working on several independent films, including Aytin Amin’s SOUAD — serving as a first assistant director — which was an official selection of both the Cannes and Berlin international film festivals. An alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, and Locarno Academy, Mostafa wrote and directed three short films, all of which were selected in Clermont-Ferrand over three consecutive years and were screened in more than 300 festivals worldwide, winning several awards. His latest short film, I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, was selected for the 2023 edition of Cannes’ Critics Week and the César Awards.
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