Rabat – Morocco’s Prince Moulay Rachid, President of the Foundation of the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM), whose 19th edition will be held from November 11 to 19, said that the magic of cinema brings together the enthusiasts of the festival after two years of absence due to the pandemic.
In his traditional editorial presenting the new edition, the prince stressed that the “global health crisis has had huge consequences on our ecosystems both nationally and internationally.”
“We must recover from all the losses. In this particular situation, we greatly appreciate the efforts made by our partners through their generous contributions, though they have also suffered from the pandemic too. Without their support, our festival could not be held,” he wrote.
“The values that we have always shared are more than ever essential to humanity: to discover other people and cultures, to create a dialogue among civilizations and to live together in harmony,” the prince added.
Italian director Paolo Sorrentino presides over a jury who will judge the Official Competition in which world cinema will shine through the first and second works of directors who are shaping the cinema of tomorrow, Prince Moulay Rachid stressed, noting that alongside this competition, festival-goers will enjoy a wide-ranging program of films from different countries.
The diverse program will be shown in Marrakech through Gala Screenings attended by their cast members, Special Screenings, the 11th Continent program of avant-garde cinema, the Moroccan Panorama, screenings of popular movies on the Jemaa El Fna Square and educational sessions for young audiences, he said.
This year, the festival pays tribute to four great names of the seventh art whose careers are “as brilliant as they are inspiring”: iconic Scottish performer and producer Tilda Swinton; US director James Gray and his remarkable works of contemporary cinema; Farida Benlyazid, a pioneer of Moroccan cinema whose career as a producer, director and screenwriter has brought us several classics of Moroccan cinema; and the talented Indian actor Ranveer Singh, whose rise to fame has made him one of today’s most iconic representatives of Bollywood, the prince stressed.
The festival’s “In Conversation With” series continues with exceptional personalities coming to Marrakech to discuss their vision and professional practice, he went on to say.
Regarding the Atlas Workshops, Prince Moulay Rachid noted that the “Festival’s professional platform launched in 2018, will continue to assist and promote emerging talents from Africa and the Arab world”.
For the past two years, the program was conducted online and many of the films that took part in this platform have since been selected and won awards at some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, he said.
“The magic of Cinema is once again here in Marrakech for all,” the prince wrote, wishing a “very warm welcome back to the Marrakech International Film Festival.”
MWN with MAP
