Fez – Saïd Hamich Benlarbi’s “La Mer au loin” took the top honor at the 25th National Film Festival (FNF) in Tangier, adding Best Director to its haul. The honor was announced at the Palais des Arts et de la Culture on October 25. The film is a Marseille-set drama following Nour, a 27-year-old Moroccan living without papers as his life tilts after meeting a police officer and his wife. Hamich Benlarbi also got theBest Director prize at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2024. 

The jury’s Special Prize in the feature competition was split between “Mauvais temps” by El Ghazouani Madane and “Everybody Loves Touda” by Nabil Ayouch. “Mauvais temps” also won Best First Feature, while Abdenbi Beniwi took Best Actor for the same film and Nisrine Erradi won Best Actress for Ayouch’s Casablanca-bound musical drama. 

Technical awards highlighted the craft behind “Everybody Loves Touda,” with Virginie Surdej winning Best Image and a joint team of Nassim El Mounabbih and Saïd Radi taking Best Sound. Daoud Aoulad Syad’s “Le Lac bleu” secured Best Production and Best Screenplay, shared with Abdelmjid Seddati and El Houcine Chani. Editor Ilyas Lakhmas won for “Les Commandements,” which also received a special mention. 

Beyond features, the shorts Grand Prix went to “L’MINA” by Randa Maaroufi, with “Miroir à vendre” taking the Special Jury Prize and the screenplay award going to Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji for “Chikha-Queen.” For the documentary category , Mohamed Akram Nemmassi’s “Fiers, Suspendus et Obstinés” claimed the Grand Prix; Special Jury Prizes went to “I will remember you” by Mohamed Rida Gueznai and “Les mille et un jour du Hajj Edmond” by Simon Bitton. “The Departure” by Sidi Mohamed Fadel El Joummani won the Creation Prize, while Loubna El Younssi’s “Prisonniers de l’attente” received a mention. 

The festival also spotlighted emerging voices from schools and institutes: “Les Tangérois” by Achraf El Afia won the Grand Prix, “Le dernier silence” by Mahmoud El Asri earned a Special Jury Prize, and “Au gré du vent” by Ines Lehaire received a mention. 25th edition ran from October 17 to 25 in Tangier, marking a milestone year under royal patronage. 

Other awards at a glance: 

  • Best Sound: Nassim El Mounabbih and Saïd Radi, “Everybody Loves Touda”
  • Best Production: “Le Lac bleu” (Daoud Aoulad Syad)
  • Best Screenplay: Abdelmjid Seddati, El Houcine Chani, Daoud Aoulad Syad, “Le Lac bleu”
  • Best Editing: Ilyas Lakhmas, “Les Commandements.” 

With “La Mer au loin” leading the winners and “Everybody Loves Touda” sustaining its awards run after Cannes and Morocco’s Oscar submission, the FNF 2025 list signals a confident, craft-driven moment for Moroccan filmmaking.