Fez – Morocco’s Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) has approved MAD 5.49 million (approximately $549,000) in financial support for 28 film festivals and related events, in a new funding round aimed at sustaining cinema culture across the country.
The decision followed meetings held on March 25-26 at the CCM headquarters in Rabat, where the support commission reviewed 30 applications and heard presentations from festival organizers defending their projects.
The funding package covers a wide geographic spread, from Khouribga, Meknes to Dakhla, Agadir, Casablanca, Chefchaouen, and Tangier, reflecting the continued role of festivals in bringing film programming beyond Morocco’s largest urban centers.
At the top of the list, the 26th edition of the International African Cinema Festival in Khouribga received MAD 1.2 million (over $120,000).
The 14th edition of the Dakhla International Film Festival followed with MAD 750,000 (around $75,000).
The 24th edition of the Meknes International Animation Film Festival and the 17th edition of the Agadir International Documentary Film Festival were each awarded MAD 600,000 (approximately $60,000).
Other festivals selected for support include the 5th edition of the Casablanca Arab Film Festival, which received MAD 300,000 (approximately $30,000), as well as several events granted MAD 200,000 (approximately $20,000) each, including festivals in Chefchaouen, Casablanca, and Assa-Zag.
Additional allocations ranged from MAD 150,000 (around $15,000) to MAD 40,000 (about $4,000), covering a mix of educational, Amazigh, environmental, archaeological, youth, and equality-focused film gatherings.
A cultural network beyond major film capitals
The results suggest that Morocco’s public film support system continues to treat festivals as more than one-off events.
Beyond screenings, many of the selected platforms serve as cultural meeting points, training spaces, and regional showcases that help maintain year-round engagement with cinema.
That includes festivals focused on children, schools, documentary film, Amazigh cinema, and local short films, areas that often receive less commercial visibility but remain important for audience development.
The commission that approved the funding was chaired by a diversity of members, including Khadija Alami Laaroussi, Sabah El Faiçali, and Malika Maalainine.
The latest allocations also build on a broader national support mechanism through which the CCM regularly funds film production, exhibition, and festivals.
These grants form part of a wider effort to sustain Morocco’s cinema ecosystem across multiple levels.
They help ensure that the industry remains active not only through major institutions, but also through regional events that bring film culture closer to local audiences.
