The film production “Made in Morocco” causes a sensation at the Venice Film Festival
Hibapress
The national film production bearing the “Made in Morocco” label caused a sensation in Venice, Italy, as part of the 81st edition of the Mostra, the oldest film festival in the world.
A large Moroccan delegation, chaired by Mr. Abdelaziz Bouzdaini, director of the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) and secretary general of the Communication department, is present at the Venice Film Festival, which is being held from August 28 to September 7.
Hosting a panel on the 7th national art, on the second day of the festival, representatives of four Moroccan film production houses highlighted the Kingdom’s strengths, particularly in terms of production and filming.
In this regard, they highlighted the rise of Moroccan cinema and production, highlighting the sublime settings and landscapes as well as the imperial cities that the Kingdom contains, many of which have served as the setting for world cinematic masterpieces such as “Galdiator”, “Kingdom of Heaven”, “Spy Game”, “Inception” or the cult series “Game of Thrones”, to name just these blockbusters.
From the endless expanses of desert sand to the labyrinthine alleys of the medinas, there are plenty of attractions to attract filmmakers from all over the world.
This meeting, of which Mr. Bouzdaini is one of the initiators, was also an opportunity to exchange with foreign cinema professionals, the objective being to find opportunities for “Made in Morocco” cinematographic production with a view to concluding agreements.
This dynamic in which national cinema is now part, in accordance with the High Royal Directives, has become increasingly strong in recent years thanks to its presence at the festivals that count the most in the world of the 7th art.
Thus, Moroccan delegations led by Mr. Bouzdaini were present at the most prominent international cinema events, notably in Cannes in 2023 and 2024 and at the Berlinale in 2024.
Last June, a delegation composed of production directors from the Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision (SNRT) and 2M, as well as production companies and project leaders, went to the Annecy Festival in France to explore the field of animated cinema, a cinematographic genre that the Kingdom aims to develop.
Morocco is also carving out a place of choice among Arab countries in the field of cinema and film production thanks to a policy of support and consolidation of the cultural and economic role of this industry.
After the Venice Film Festival, several national film events will be held, including the Tangier National Festival and the Marrakech International Film Festival, which, during the previous edition, honoured a Moroccan film for the first time by awarding the Golden Star to director Asmae El Moudir.
Furthermore, this 81st Venice Film Festival is also marked by the participation of Moroccan director and screenwriter Yasmine Benkiran as a member of the jury of the “International Critics’ Week” selection, an independent and parallel section of the Film Festival, organized by the Italian Film Critics’ Union (SNCCI).
