‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ ft. Ziad Zaza Selected for Cannes Film Festival

Egyptian director Morad Mostafa returns to Cannes with his debut feature-length film ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’, a social thriller starring Buiana Simon and Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza. The film will premiere as part of the Un Certain Regard section, marking the first time in nearly a decade that an Egyptian film has been featured in this competitive sidebar.

‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ tells the story of Aisha, a Sudanese refugee navigating a precarious life in Cairo’s Ain Shams district. Set against the backdrop of economic hardship and systemic marginalisation, the film follows her search for agency and safety as she becomes entangled in a labyrinth of threats, mistrust, and survival.

This is Ziad Zaza’s third acting project following ‘60 Egyptian Pounds’ and the crime-comedy series ‘Prestige’, both directed by Amr Salama. ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ also features Emad Ghoniem, and was shot by award-winning cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, known for his work on ‘Feathers’ and ‘Soula’.

The feature marks Mostafa’s transition from acclaimed short films—like ‘Henet Ward’ and ‘I Promise You Paradise’, which screened at festivals like Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs, and the Cannes Semaine de la Critique—into full-length cinema. Known for his emotionally grounded and socially conscious filmmaking, Mostafa continues to centre the lives of marginalised individuals in Egypt’s overlooked communities.

‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ is the first Egyptian film since ‘Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim’ (2016) to be included in the Un Certain Regard programme, which focuses on bold voices and emerging talent in world cinema.

The 78th Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 14th to the 25th, 2025.