Fez — Organized under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, the 14th edition of the Oujda Film Festival launched with an evening that balanced ceremony and celebration, situating Moroccan artists at the center of the program while welcoming guests from across the Maghreb and beyond.
Coverage of the curtain-raiser emphasized the festival’s humanistic and personal tone and its ambition to make cinema a meeting place for ideas as well as for premieres.
Akaaboune’s homage recognized a career that has traveled between Morocco and international sets, a path that earned her a place among the country’s most visible screen performers; festival reports highlighted her cross-border résumé and influence.
Kati, a familiar face to Moroccan TV and film audiences, was also honored on opening night; an acknowledgment of sustained work that bridges national productions and wider Arab audiences.
Organizers framed both tributes as part of a broader effort to celebrate artists whose trajectories carry Moroccan stories to regional and international screens.
The festival introduced its juries to the public during the ceremony, with the Feature Film Jury chaired by Moroccan academic Omar Halli and the Short Film Jury led by producer-screenwriter Mohamed Bouzko—two local figures whose presence anchors the week’s competitions. Program notes point to screenings across multiple venues, alongside roundtables and training activities designed to put filmmakers and audiences in direct conversation.
Over the week, Oujda will host 18 films in competition between features and shorts, with additional out-of-competition titles and a Saturday morning family screening rounding out the schedule. Local business and culture outlets underline the festival’s citywide footprint, a reminder that Oujda’s fall calendar now reliably draws national attention.
Beyond formalities, opening-night coverage captured a lively house and an audience keen to celebrate Moroccan screen culture at home. As the program unfolds, the spotlight on Akaaboune and Kati sets an unmistakably local tone for an edition that also welcomes regional guests—an approach that mirrors the festival’s goal of building bridges from Oujda outward.
