Under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, the city of Tétouan will welcome from May 12 to 17, 2025 an exceptional edition of the international comic strip forum (FIBAD). This anniversary edition promises to transform the Andalusian city into the capital of the 9ᵉ Art, through a rich, festive and deeply symbolic programming.
Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in partnership with the National Institute of Fine Arts (Inba) in Tétouan and the association ” Chouf »For the promotion of comics in Morocco, FIBAD stands out as a leading event on the national and international artistic scene.
In a press release reached Hespress FRthe organizers explains that the 2025 edition marks a double anniversary: the 25th anniversary of the creation of the comic strip department within the Inba and the 80th anniversary of this higher education establishment, pillar of artistic training in Morocco. Two founding dates which bear witness to the anchoring of comics in the Moroccan cultural landscape, as well as the visual visual arts visual arts.
Considered one of the major meetings of the genre in Africa and the Middle East, the FIBAD has imposed itself over the years as a real platform for international cultural cooperation specifies the same source, noting that in 2025, this dimension will be more than ever.
For six days, the Center for Modern Art in Tetouan will turn into a real village of comics, welcoming artists, publishers, researchers and enthusiasts from Morocco, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The programming will be as eclectic as it is dense: exhibitions, master classes, professional meetings, creative workshops, projections, youth entertainment, drawn concerts, manga shows, and signing sessions.
The history of Moroccan comics will be celebrated through a large retrospective exhibition entitled “ 25 years of Moroccan comics ». This visual journey will retrace the evolution of a long marginalized art, which has today become a powerful vector of cultural, political, economic and social expression.
Visitors will be able to discover the works of emblematic figures of the contemporary scene, such as Mohammed Amine El Bellaoui (alias Rebel Spirit), Zainab Fasiki, Omar Ennaciri, Brahim Rais, Mehdi Annassi, Malika Dahil, among others.
In addition, supported tributes will be paid to personalities who have shaped the history of the Inba and the Moroccan comics: Oum El Banine Slaoui et Maaté Daoudifirst doctors in visual arts in Morocco and former teachers of the Inba, as well as Youssef Daoudi, an internationally recognized author, and Mina Koraichi, a young author rewarded for the prestigious Raymond Leblanc 2024 prize for young creation.
-The festival will also highlight the international partnerships that contributed to the influence of FIBAD. The Wallonia-Brussels, the French Institute of Morocco and the Institut Cervantes, faithful partners of the festival, will see their cultural support hailed through several highlights.
The spirit of openness and exchange will be embodied by the numerous North-South professional meetings. European, African and Middle Oriental publishing houses, such as Glénat, rue de Sèvres, in 3,000 editions or the HIBA Foundation, will participate in B to B sessions on the co-edition, translation and circulation of works.
Two competitions, one national intended for young Moroccan authors and the other international open to African comics, will feed the creative vitality of the continent and promote new voices.
The 2025 edition is also distinguished by a strong African presence, with the participation of authors and publishers from Togo, Senegal, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These meetings will promote a dynamic south-south dialogue, in resonance with the cultural aspirations of the continent.
Another highlight of the forum: the screening of the documentary ” Bubbles “, directed by Hassan Maananywhich traces the epic of the Fibad and the emergence of comics in Morocco through the testimonies of his pioneers. A precious work that documents an artistic and human adventure.
Saturday, May 17, the closing day, entitled ” Mangas – The After FiBaD », Will offer a vibrant tribute to manga culture. On the program: projections, cosplay competitions, round tables, master classes and workshops led by Moroccan, African and Japanese specialists.
This festive day will end with a drawn concert mixing the bewitching voice of the Italian singer Marta del Great Live illustrations of Cecilia in Valaguas part of the European Project Comics Beyond. An unprecedented artistic performance, a true synthesis of the dialogue between image, sound and narration.
