Fez — The Meknes International Animation Film Festival, known as FICAM, will hold its 24th edition from May 15 to 20 bringing screenings, professional training, and youth-led programming back to the imperial city under the theme “Youth makes its animation cinema.”
Organized by the Aïcha Foundation in partnership with the French Institute of Morocco in Meknes, the festival has positioned itself as outs Youth and New Tech at the Center of Animationne of Morocco’s key annual platforms for animation fans and professionals alike.
This year’s edition places special emphasis on works created by and for young audiences, framing youth not only as viewers but as future creators shaping the industry’s next chapter.
Tributes and headline guests
FICAM 2026 will pay tribute to Fayez Al-Sabbagh, founder and president of the children’s television channel “SpaceToon,” recognizing his long-standing role in supporting youth-oriented programming in the Arab world.
The festival will also welcome renowned French animator Michel Ocelot, described by organizers as a major figure of world animation, who is expected to present a new virtual reality work. The inclusion of VR highlights how animation is expanding beyond the traditional screen into immersive storytelling formats.
Training, careers, and student pathways
Alongside its public screenings, FICAM 2026 will look back on two of its long-running talent development pillars: 10 years of its francophone residency and 20 years of the “Grand Prix Aïcha de l’Animation.” Organizers say the anniversary moments will spotlight past winners and aim to inspire a new generation of Moroccan and francophone creators.
The festival’s “Forum des métiers” (Careers Forum) returns for a fifth edition with a focus on the link between training and employment in animation, including rapid networking sessions that allow students to meet professionals directly.
FICAM is also strengthening its student pathway this year, adding new activities and rolling out a dedicated app designed to connect learning and practice while supporting integration into the animation industry.
Beyond Meknes
Through the network of French Institutes in Morocco, the festival plans to extend select screenings and activities to multiple cities, alongside cultural mediation formats for different ages, including open-air screenings, medina projections, meetings with authors and directors, a festival bookshop, and interactive programming.
With youth as its headline theme and technology, training, and outreach built into its structure, FICAM 2026 is framing animation as both an art form and a growing professional field, positioning Meknes as a meeting point for the next wave of creators and audiences.
