HIBAPRESS – Ahmed Al-Musaed
The activities of the thirteenth session of the International Film and Migration Festival were opened on Saturday evening, November 8th, at the Mohammed VI Theater in Oujda, under the slogan "The Role of Cinema in Promoting Culture and Social Awareness of Peoples".
This cinematic event is organized by the Solidarity Association for Development and Migration, and will continue until November 11th, with a rich and diverse program. In addition to the speeches that emphasized the cultural, social and economic role of cinema, as a means of education, shaping collective memory, as well as stimulating imagination, and raising awareness of social issues, the opening ceremony was distinguished by musical performances, and the presentation of the members of the official competition jury for feature and short films. The opening ceremony witnessed the honoring of cinematic and artistic figures, in appreciation of their cinematic and artistic career. This concerns the actress Laila Al-Fadili, the director of the Maghreb International Film Festival in Oujda, Khalid Sali, the singer and actress Tahira Hamamish, and the actress and director Khadija Saidi. In his opening speech, the festival director and president of the organizing association, Abdellatif Derif, stressed that the International Film and Migration Festival, which increases its radiance with each session, constitutes an open space for dialogue and interaction between cultures, and a celebration of cinematic experiences that address social issues such as immigration, identity, and belonging. He added that cinema is not just an art of entertainment, but rather a refined human language that conveys values, builds bridges between peoples, and contributes to promoting a culture of tolerance and coexistence, pointing out that through the topic of immigration, "we seek to shed light on the stories of Moroccans residing abroad, and highlight their contributions in defining the image of Morocco as an open country, rooted in its history, and looking forward to the future." This session sees the participation of 16 films (long and short) in the two official competitions, representing countries including Morocco, Rwanda, India, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Syria, the United States of America, and Spain. Four films have been chosen to compete in the feature film category for the festival awards, which include the Grand Prize, the Jury Prize, the Directing Prize, the Screenplay Prize, the Best Actor Award, and the Best Actress Award, while 12 films compete in the official competition for short films for the Grand Prize, the Directing Prize, and the Screenplay Prize. The competing films are evaluated by a jury headed by the French director Patrick Atally, and include figures from Moroccan and international cinema, including the French producer and director Hamon Kevin, the French director Alexandra Leduc, the Moroccan actress residing abroad Rachida Shabani, the Belgian actress and director Khadija Al-Saidi, and the Moroccan director Wadih Sharad. In addition to the competitions, the festival program includes a round table, training workshops in cinema professions, and a "master class" session, in addition to screening a film outside the competition for the benefit of Mohammed VI Preparatory High School students. This cinematic event is organized in partnership with the Regional Directorate of Culture in the Oriental region, and with the support of the Prefecture of the Oriental region, the Moroccan Cinema Center, the Oriental Region Development Agency, the Municipality of Oujda, and the Oriental Region Council, in addition to other partners.
