Fez — The weeklong program places independent creation at its core, gathering filmmakers, critics, and audiences across screenings, talks, and industry meetups. Organizers say the 2025 edition — among the region’s longest-running events dedicated to auteur cinema — is designed as a space for dialogue and discovery.
This year’s tributes honor Egyptian screen icon Laila Eloui, Burkinabé filmmaker Apolline Traoré, Lebanese actor-playwright Georges Khabbaz, and Moroccan scholar Noureddine Afaya. Festival communications and Moroccan media highlighted Eloui’s presence at opening events, underscoring the festival’s Arab-African focus.
The Sultanate of Oman is showcased as Guest of Honor, represented by the Oman Film Society and a dedicated sidebar on Gulf cinema. Omani officials confirmed the country’s participation at the opening ceremony on November 9.
Competitions span shorts and features, with the international jury chaired by French actor-director Jean-Claude Barny alongside producer Karim Debbagh, producer Elaheh Nobakht, director Maïmouna N’Diaye, filmmaker Marjolein de Koning, Moroccan director Khaoula Sebahi, and filmmaker Hicham Lasri. A new documentary competition debuts this year under the presidency of award-winning Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir.
The festival opened its official selection with the world premiere of the Italian feature “Quazi Grazia” by Pietro Marcello, and added a film market for the first time, expanding professional networking alongside masterclasses and roundtables. An African focus runs through the week’s line-up, with curators emphasizing the diversity of form and storytelling across the continent.
Among the spotlight events, the documentary “Traces nomades: parcours de l’artiste et chercheur en esthétique Brahim El Haissan,” directed by Oulaya Touir with support from the Moroccan Cinema Center, screens Wednesday, November 12 at 16:00 at Salle du 7e Art. The film traces El Haissan’s practice from his Agadir studio to Laâyoune, weaving desert-inspired imagery with critical reflections on art and place.
Marking three decades of programming, Rabat’s festival reiterates the capital’s growing role as a hub for auteur cinema — a meeting point for new voices, established names, and an engaged public. With its expanded sections, guest country spotlight, and tributes led by Eloui, the 30th edition aligns the city’s cultural ambitions with a broad, internationally-minded film conversation.
