Fez — Moroccan cinema will be present in the main competition of the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, with Yassine El Idrissi’s “Halima” selected for the festival’s Golden Goblet Awards.
The Moroccan entry is among 12 feature films competing in the main Golden Goblet section, according to the competition lineup reported by Variety. The section brings together films from several countries and territories, with all selected titles set to screen as world premieres.
The Shanghai International Film Festival is scheduled to run from June 12 to 21 according to the Shanghai municipal government, which also describes SIFF as China’s only festival in the International Federation of Film Producers Associations’ “A-Festival” category.
A Moroccan title on a major Asian stage
“Halima” gives Morocco a place in one of Asia’s most visible film events, placing El Idrissi’s work before an international jury and an audience that follows festival cinema across Europe, Asia, and the Arab world.
The Golden Goblet Awards remain the festival’s central competition platform, recognizing feature films as well as documentaries, animation, and short films. For Moroccan filmmakers, selection in such a program can open doors to distributors, critics, and programmers looking for new voices from North Africa.
The main competition jury is chaired by Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, one of Asian cinema’s most internationally recognized figures. The jury also includes Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Chinese director Guan Hu, Kyrgyz filmmaker Aktan Arym Kubat, Mexican filmmaker Fernanda Valadez, Chinese actor Xin Zhilei, and Georgian director Déa Kulumbegashvili, according to SIFF’s official jury announcement.
A wider moment for Moroccan cinema
The selection of “Halima” comes as Moroccan cinema continues to seek stronger international visibility through festivals, co-productions, and emerging directors working across fiction and documentary forms.
While details about the film’s plot and cast were not included in the initial lineup announcement, its presence in the main competition already positions it as one of the Moroccan titles to watch during the June festival calendar.
The Shanghai platform is particularly significant because it connects filmmakers with Asian markets and international industry networks outside the traditional European festival circuit.
