Latest news with #FIPRESCI
Broadcast Pro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Egyptian film ‘Aisha Can't Fly Away' wins FIPRESCI Award at Golden Apricot
The film centres around Aisha, a 26-year-old Somali caregiver living in a Cairo neighbourhood populated by African migrants. Egyptian film Aisha Can't Fly Away, by Morad Mostafa, went home with the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award at the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in Armenia. The festival ran from July 13th to the 20th. The Egyptian film Aisha Can't Fly Away, directed by Morad Mostafa, has claimed the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award at the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in Armenia, which took place from July 13 to 20. This marks another significant milestone for the film, which has been steadily gaining acclaim on the international festival circuit. The film first made headlines with its world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and had already made an impression by winning the Final Cut Award and several post-production prizes at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. The film is a multi-national co-production with backing from Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Sudan. It has attracted major international support, including grants from 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. Aisha Can't Fly Away has already made waves on the festival circuit, taking home top honours at the Red Sea Lodge and multiple awards at Venice's Final Cut, as well as the Atlas Award at the Marrakech International Film Festival. Returning collaborators from Mostafa's short I Promise You Paradise are central to the project, including cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef (The Village Next to Paradise), production designer Eman Elelaby (Feathers), costume designer Nayera Eldahshoury, sound engineer Mostafa Shaban and editor Mohamed Mamdouh. The ensemble cast is led by Buliana Simon as Aisha, with Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza making his feature film debut, alongside Emad Ghoniem and Mamdouh Saleh. The production is spearheaded by Sawsan Youssef (Bonanza Films), alongside an international team including Tunisia's Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Shaban (Nomadis Images), Amjad Abu Alala, Faisal Baltayour (Cinewaves), Ahmed Amer (A.A. Films), May Odeh and Zorana Musikic (Mayana Films), Laura Nikolov (Co-Origins), Sherif Fathy (Shift Studios) and Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab of MAD Solutions — whose subsidiary MAD World is handling global sales. Born in Cairo in 1988, Morad Mostafa brings over a decade of industry experience as an assistant director.
See - Sada Elbalad
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Aisha Can't Fly Away" Wins FIPRESCI Award at Golden Apricot
Yara Sameh The Egyptian film "Aisha Can't Fly Away", directed by Morad Mostafa, won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award at the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in Armenia. The festival ran from July 13th to 20th. Before, "Aisha Can't Fly Away" had a stellar world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival after winning the Final Cut Award, along with a host of other post-production awards, at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. The film has since lit up screens at South Africa's Durban International Film Festival. 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 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, 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. Morad Mostafa is an Egyptian film director born in Cairo in 1988 who has worked as an assistant director in the film industry for over ten years. He is also a graduate of Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, Locarno Academy, and Cinéfondation Cannes and has been named one of the Arab Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International Magazine in 2023. Last year, he was chosen as one of the top 100 influential cinema personalities in the Middle East in an annual list published by the Arab Cinema Center. Mostafa has also participated in several international jury panels, the most recent of which was at the Cairo International Film Festival. He is most known for writing and directing "Ward's Henna Party", "What We Don't Know About Mariam", "Khadiga", and "I Promise You Paradise", all of which were selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the most important short film festival in the world. These films have been screened at over 400 festivals worldwide and have won around 150 local and international awards. His latest short film, "I Promise You Paradise", was selected for the 77th Cannes Film Festival's Critics' Week, where it won the Rail d'Or. It also participated in the Locarno International Film Festival and made it to the shortlist of the César Awards. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Cannes 2025: Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound is a timely, trenchant testament to our times
Neeraj Ghaywan first came to Cannes in 2012, as part of a huge crew festooned with colourful gamchhas, for the premiere of the Anurag Kashyap's Gangs Of Wasseypur. In 2015, he was selected in Un Certain Regard for his debut feature, 'Masaan', which won the FIPRESCI prize. And now he's back in the same section with Homebound, a film as intensely personal, dealing with issues as crucial, or perhaps even more so in new India where the fissures between the privileged and the marginalised are deepening with every passing day. Starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, Janhvi Kapoor and a strong supporting cast, the film has been produced by Dharma, with Martin Scorsese finding a very honourable mention on the credit list. The genesis of the film tells us how current 'events' can become not just the superstructure of the film, but also part of its texture. In 2020, the New York Times published staff writer Basharat Peer's lengthy investigation pieced from a photograph which began being shared on social media platforms during an early Covid lockdown. No one knew who took the picture; without saying a word, it told a stark story: on a highway, there sat two young men, one cradling the other in his arms, trying to revive him. It was a time when migrant workers were forced to walk thousands of miles to get to their homes, as their workplaces had shut down. As Peer followed the story of these two young men, one Dalit, the other Muslim, he found that they were Surat mill workers, sending their earnings home to a village in UP, the first to help build a 'pucca' house, and the other to fund an operation for his father, without which he had become unable to walk. Ghaywan's concerns have never been hidden, right from his full-length feature Masaan to the short Juice, to a novella-length Geeli Pucchhi. He is clearly on the side of those who do no have power, and how those structures are skewed through accidents of birth and generational wealth. Also Read | At Aranyer Din Ratri's Cannes' premiere, Sharmila Tagore says, 'I, Simi Garewal are the only survivors' 'Poora naam kya hai, beta? Chandan? Aage kya likhte ho? Kumar. (What is your full name, son?)' As soon as Chandan comes up with that little telling detail, the government official gets that knowing look. 'Sher ki khaal pehnene se suar sher nahi bann jaata. (Wearing a lion's skin cannot make a pig a lion).' A post shared by Shubhra Gupta (@shubhragupta) While Chandan no-surname Kumar can get by with hiding the details of his non-existent surname, Shoaib Ali has nothing to hide behind. His name is a dead giveaway, and in today's India, being Muslim, and dirt-poor deposits you on the margins of the already marginalised. His struggle to find gainful employment will find resonance in the countless instances where 'kaagaz' proving your identity, and consequently, fealty to the nation, have become the only way to get a foot into the door. Homebound's buddy film elements are placed on the highly volatile intersection of caste, class and gender, with religion added to the mix. And though there's not much subtlety with which the film communicates its message, it is a timely, trenchant testament to our times. Here's hoping it finds a release soon back home. Meanwhile, the premiere, attended by the cast and crew (with producers Karan Johan, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra in their red carpet best) ended with a nine-minute standing ovation. Could this mix of mainstream production muscle and arthouse sensibility be the beginning of a new innings for Indian cinema? Should we live in hope?
See - Sada Elbalad
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Cairo International Film Festival celebrates FIPRESCI's centenary
Ali Abo Deshish _ Pasant Elzaitony Today, the Egyptian Pavilion at Marché du Film, part of the 78th Cannes Film Festival (13–24 May 2025), will host a reception marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Just days ago, Cairo International Film Festival and FIPRESCI launched a historic agreement that will result in the publication of a special book on the federation. This book will be the outcome of a research seminar involving members of FIPRESCI and the Egyptian Film Critics Association, addressing a topic of importance to the history of cinema. The seminar will be held as part of the 46th edition of Cairo International Film Festival, scheduled for 12–21 November 2025. The event will also include the presentation of the 'FIPRESCI 100 – Lifetime Achievement Award' to a prominent cinematic figure. Commenting on the collaboration, actor Hussein Fahmy, President of Cairo International Film Festival, said: 'We at Cairo International Film Festival are proud to be part of FIPRESCI's centenary celebrations and to strengthen our cooperation with the federation at this historic moment. We believe film criticism is a fundamental partner in the industry's development, and our role as a festival goes beyond screening films to include supporting cultural dialogue and enhancing artistic standards. This partnership is a step forward in boosting the status of Egyptian and Arab cinema on the global map and in opening broader horizons for young talents and creatives.' Mohamed Tarek, Artistic Director of Cairo International Film Festival, stated: 'This collaboration with FIPRESCI is a significant milestone in the journey of Cairo International Film Festival and reflects our ongoing commitment to deepening the dialogue between filmmakers and critics worldwide. We believe film criticism is one of the pillars of industry development. Through publishing the book and organizing the seminar in the upcoming edition, we aim to create a broader space for sharing experiences and documenting the history of film criticism, contributing to the growth of Egyptian and Arab cinema.' Ahmed Shawky, President of FIPRESCI, added: 'Cairo International Film Festival has always been a strategic partner to FIPRESCI. It was the first Arab festival to host a FIPRESCI jury, which highlights the depth of the relationship between the two institutions. Moreover, many of the festival's successive artistic directors and programmers have been members of the Egyptian Film Critics Association and FIPRESCI. This new partnership with Cairo International Film Festival is therefore a key highlight of our centenary celebrations, and we hope it paves the way for broader cooperation between critics and filmmakers across the Arab world and globally.' Founded in 1976, Cairo International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious festivals in the Arab region and Africa. It holds an official international 'Category A' status from the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), making it the only festival in the Arab world and Africa with this accreditation. Founded in 1925, the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) includes national organizations of film critics from over 50 countries worldwide, in addition to individual representation from 36 countries. It aims to promote and develop film culture and protect the professional interests of critics. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
