‘I Promise You Paradise’, Morad Mostafa’s refugee drama has made history at the Cannes Film Festival.
Cairo International Film Festival has selected the Egyptian short film I Promise You Paradise (Eissa), by Morad Mostafa, to participate in the short film competition during the 45th edition, which is scheduled to take place from November 15 to 24, 2023, at Cairo Opera House.
I Promise You Paradise will have its MENA premiere, after its participation in the Critics’ Week at Cannes Film Festival 2023.
I Promise You Paradise (Egypt, France, Qatar/2023), starring Kenyi Marcellino and Kenzi Mohamed, is a short film about Eissa, a young illegal African migrant in Egypt in a quest against time to save his loved ones.
The film is an Egyptian-French joint production between Bonanza Films, producer Sawsan Youssef, French producer Margot Laurier, Red Star, Sea Cinema, Shift Studios, and Film Clinic. I Promise You Paradise is distributed internationally by H264.
Amir Ramses, Director of Cairo International Film Festival, said: “After years of following the distinguished director Mourad Mostafa’s journey, we are proud to select the first Egyptian film for this year’s Cairo festival. The film also reached the Cannes Critics’ Week competition.”
Murad Moustafa added: “I am very glad that Eissa is participating in the upcoming edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which I will return to again this year after three years since the screening of my first film, Hennat Ward in its 42nd edition. The Cairo International Film Festival holds dear and vital importance to me, being the first festival that I attended in my life as a teenager to watch international films. It is definitely an honour for any director that his film is selected to be shown among this distinguished audience that crowds cinema halls with a great passion for watching rather amazing movies.”
