The presence of these titles from MAD Films at PIFF underscores the company’s expanding footprint in global cinema.
Three films from MAD Films have been officially chosen for screening at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) in India. The selections highlight the growing international recognition of Arab films’ diverse cinematic work and position the titles among a global slate of competing and showcased entries at this year’s event, which runs from January 15 to 22, 2026.
The Egyptian-Sudanese-Tunisian drama Aisha Can’t Fly Away has been named an Official Selection in the Global Competition category, marking a significant milestone for the film following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section earlier in 2025.
The story centres on Aisha, a young woman navigating life in a Cairo neighbourhood home to a large African migrant community, where she must contend with gang violence, personal turmoil and a growing blackmail threat. The film explores themes of migration, economic pressure and the realities faced by marginalized communities.
Aisha Can’t Fly Away is a multi-national co-production involving Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Sudan, and has secured support from major international institutions.
Another film, This Is My Night, has been included in the World Competition lineup, giving it a platform among an international field of features judged for top honours at the festival.
The Syrian feature follows Rabia, a depressed young artist living with her retired father, who confides her suicidal intent during an ordinary afternoon. As they talk about life, family, and death while sharing simple routines, her father struggles to change her mind, leaving the ending unresolved.
Blending psychological and humanistic themes, This Is My Night is a contemplative, dialogue-driven drama. The film marks the directorial debut of Jafra Younes, who also produced and starred in it alongside Hassan Al Saleh, with a screenplay by Kifah Zeini.
In addition to these competitive entries, The Voice of Hind Rajab will be featured as a Special Screening at PIFF. Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, this Tunisian-French co-production has already earned wide acclaim on the festival circuit, having premiered at the Venice International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize and garnered multiple parallel awards, and later being selected as Tunisia’s submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Selected as Tunisia’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards, the docudrama tells the true and devastating story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli fire in Gaza. The film reconstructs her final hours, drawing on real voice recordings of Hind and Palestinian Red Crescent workers who attempted to rescue her after she made an emergency call on January 29, 2024, while trapped in a car under heavy fire.
