Casablanca – Cinema is taking over Tetouan this October as the 31st Tetouan Mediterranean Film Festival kicked off on Saturday, running through October 10.
The festival welcomed figures from across the Mediterranean film scene and honored several distinguished names, including Moroccan filmmaker Hicham Lasri, Moroccan actor Mohamed El Jem, Cypriot actress Popi Avraam, and Italian director Peter Marcias, alongside filmmakers, artists, and festival guests.
The opening also featured “Décalage,” a performance created and directed by Moroccan actor and filmmaker Yassine Ahajjam, blending theater, visual storytelling, and the spirit of cinema.
A program built around Mediterranean cinema
Speaking to Lifestyle magazine on the sidelines of the event, Abdellatif El Bazi, General Secretary of the Tetouan Festival Foundation, said that programming remains one of the defining strengths of the festival.
He pointed to this year’s official competition, which features 10 films from diverse backgrounds selected for their originality and quality. He also highlighted the festival’s tribute sessions, which honor the careers of actors, actresses, artists, and filmmakers.
El Bazi also drew attention to the festival’s cultural dimension, particularly as Tetouan and Matera were named Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue.
As part of the celebrations, the festival invited Italian film professionals and directors to meet with Moroccan filmmakers and explore opportunities for collaboration and joint production.
Looking toward the future of cinema, El Bazi emphasized the importance of allowing young filmmakers to develop their scripts and pitch them to panels of Mediterranean and international professionals.
‘Boldness allows us to see the flaws in our society’
The festival’s conversations also turned to the social questions that continue to shape Moroccan cinema.
Moroccan filmmaker Hicham Lasri opened up about the importance of moving beyond a patriarchal society and recognizing women’s role in shaping it.
For Lasri, supporting women’s place in society goes beyond words. His own work, he noted, reflects his focus on women’s role in society, an approach that also earned him a Tilila Award promoting gender parity.
He also spoke about the importance of boldness when approaching social issues, arguing that it allows society to confront its shortcomings openly rather than avoid difficult conversations.
“Being bold means being able to approach any phenomenon in our society openly, without tension and without ideology,” Lasri explained
For Lasri, that openness can also create disagreement, as people do not always approach social questions from the same perspective. Yet he sees that tension as part of the value of boldness, as it can expose the issues that need attention.
“If we do not acknowledge that we have flaws and that we are lacking in certain areas, we cannot fix them or address them,” he concluded.
The perspectives shared throughout the opening reflect the festival’s broader role as a meeting point for filmmakers and ideas from across the Mediterranean.
Through its competition, tributes, professional exchanges, and focus on emerging talent, the 31st edition places both the present and future of Mediterranean cinema at the center of its program.
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