Morad Mostafa began his career as an assistant director, working in the industry for over a decade before emerging as a filmmaker in his own right. An alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, Locarno Academy, and Cannes Cinéfondation, he has steadily built an international profile. He has written and directed four short films — HENET WARD, WHAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT MARIAM, KHADIGA, and I PROMISE YOU PARADISE — all of which screened at Clermont-Ferrand and collectively traveled to over 500 festivals worldwide, earning around 200 awards. His last short, I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, premiered at Cannes’ Critics’ Week, where it won the Rail d’Or, before continuing its run at major festivals including Locarno and BFI London, and earning a César Awards shortlist spot. He was named one of Screen Daily’s Arab Stars of Tomorrow in 2023 and included in the Arab Cinema Center’s 100 Most Significant Cinematic Figures list, while also serving on juries at festivals including Cairo International Film Festival.
AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY: After becoming the first Egyptian project to win the Final Cut Award, along with a few others, Mostafa’s debut feature world premiered at the 78th Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, marking the first Egyptian film to screen in the section in nearly a decade.
Aisha Flew All Over: AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY ended up going the distance in the festival circuit, eventually Arab World premiering at the Marrakech International Film Festival and winning the FIPRESCI Award at Yerevan, Best Film at Villa del Cine, the Grand Jury Award at the Mostra de València, and a Special Jury Award at Namur.
