Rabat – After a successful inaugural edition in 2021, the Marrakech Short Film Festival is back this year with a second edition, which will take place between September 23 and 30 in Morocco’s Red City.
The 2022 edition aims to “give value to local talents by showing their short films in competition simultaneously with films by international filmmakers,” said the organizing committee in a press release. The festival also seeks to offer a platform to promote the short film industry and the “heritage of abandoned movie theatres in Morocco,” added the statement.
The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy an open-air screening of several short films across a variety of “mythical places of the Ochre city [Marrakech],” including El Badi Palace, Arsat Moulay Abdessalam garden, Les Etoiles de Jamaa El Fna cultural center, Dar Cherifa, and Mbacha.
The festival was founded by Ramia Beladel, a creative director with experience in organizing cultural events, making it Morocco’s first female-only-organized big film festival.
Local and international participation
The second edition of the festival marks the participation of Palestine as a guest of honor, indicated the press release, adding that the festival will feature “an extensive selection” of Palestinian short films directed by the producer May Odeh, in partnership with the Palestinian Film Institute and the Palestinian Embassy in Rabat.
The festival will also include international participants from several countries, including Ukraine’s Dekel Berenson, France’s Zahra Berrada, Serbia’s Ivan Milosavljevic, Turkey’s Arda Gökçe, Greece’s Sofia Antoniou, Germany’s Christian Niccoli, French-Armenian Louise Martin Papasian, Italy’s Teodora Pampaloni Spielberg, Poland’s Bartosz Kozera, and Israel’s Odelia Atlasovitch.
The Moroccan short films shortlisted for the Nakhil Prize – Best Picture – include “Ultimate Ink” by Yazid Elkadiri, “Mr. Alligator” by Haytam Moukrim, “Charter” by El Houssine Hnine, and “The Dust” by Tarik Rasmi.
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In addition, four Moroccan directors are nominated for the Belarj Prize – Best Director – including Hachem Bastaoui for “Ultimate Ink,” Said Darif for “Charter,” Sanaa Bahaj for “Charter,” and Jalila Talemsi for “Tender Threads.”
The candidates for the Belarj Prize for the best picture include El Houssine Hnine for “Charter,” Haytam Moukrim for “Mr.Alligator,” Yazid Elkadiri for “Ultimate Ink,” and El Houssain Chani for “Parfum.”
Meanwhile, the Moroccan “Out of Competition” selection will feature “Saad” by Mohammed Ech-chaibi, “L’Alliance” by Aziz Lechgar, “L’invisible” by Reda Sabor and Hamza Makdoum, and “Remords” by Ayoub Boudadi.
The festival’s jury will include Moroccan actress Asmaa El Khamlichi, Moroccan photographer Saad Tazi, and Moroccan-German visual artist Younes Atbane.
The Marrakech Short Film Festival offers a diversified program, including conferences and a masterclass program featuring renowned guests, such as Moroccan director Daoud Oulad Siyed, Croatian director Antneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Egyptian Producer Muhammad Taymour, and Palestinian producer and director May Odeh.
