In a note published on the official website of the Festival on the occasion of its 21st edition, which will take place from November 29 to December 7, His Royal Highness, in this sense, wrote that in accordance with the Guidelines of His Majesty King Mohammed VI , may God assist Him, during the creation of the festival, “our desire to promote and support our young cinematographic talents has not weakened over the years and has allowed us, at the end of various initiatives in favor of development and training, to give birth to the Atlas Workshops”.
This program, launched in 2018 by the Festival Foundation, to support young emerging Moroccan, Arab and African filmmakers, has become a true incubator of regional talents, said HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, adding that it has supported hundreds of project leaders and encouraged the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers, including the young Moroccan director Asmae El Moudir who, for the first time in the history of the Kingdom and the Festival, obtained the Golden Star in Marrakech. “His film, The Mother of All Lies, had previously been supported by the Ateliers de l’Atlas, where it had won two awards,” said His Royal Highness.
HRH Prince Moulay Rachid maintained that this experience, which will certainly be a source of inspiration for future generations keen on cinema, “constitutes a logical continuation of the evolution of the cinema industry in Morocco, where the number of films produced in our country increased to 34 last year.
“In our drive to continue strengthening the national cinematographic ecosystem, this year we developed the Atlas Workshops program by launching, among others, Atlas Station, a new initiative aimed at young national professionals, which will support them in the development of their skills, with the aim of opening up internationally,” continued His Royal Highness.
HRH Prince Moulay Rachid further affirmed that film critics and journalists “are also at the heart of our development strategy, because their contribution is essential for the career of a film”, noting that “We have thus programmed development sessions for these professionals, to support the evolution of our industry.”
Her Royal Highness also noted that the artistic program of this 21st edition will be marked by three strong tributes: the late Naïma Elmcherqui, great lady of Moroccan cinema, the double Oscar-winning American actor and director Sean Penn, as well as the Canadian filmmaker cult David Cronenberg, noting that the jury, which will have the precious mission of discovering the most promising talents, will be chaired by Luca Guadagnino, a gifted Italian director, with an aesthetic sublimated, without forgetting the Conversations which will aim to bring festival-goers even closer to the experiences of great cinema professionals, such as the great directors Tim Burton and Alfonso Cuarón.
“Thus, the Marrakech International Film Festival is pleased to welcome you, to make this moment of culture and altruism a receptacle of emotions and sharing, and a message of dialogue and peace in the world,” said concluded HRH Prince Moulay Rachid.
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