FIFM 2024 Wraps Up with the Sparkling Winners of the Ateliers de l’Atlas

This is where innovation meets opportunity, and the atmosphere crackles with excitement.

Marrakech – The winners of the 7th edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas, a key event of the Marrakech International Film Festival, were revealed on Thursday, with festival patron Jeff Nichols in attendance this year, the Ateliers de l’Atlas distributed nine awards, totaling $132,000 (approximately 1,312,000 MAD).

The Atlas Post-Production Jury, made up of Grégoire Melin (international sales – Kinology), Giona Nazzaro (artistic director – Locarno Film Festival), and Malika Rabahallah (director – Filmfest Hamburg), awarded $26,500 (approximately 260,000 MAD) to Morad Mostafa (Egypt) for his film “Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” produced by Sawsan Yusuf.

Abdallah Al Khatib’s “Chronicles from the Siege” (Palestine), produced by Salah Issaad, received $21,200 (approximately 208,000 MAD), while Cyril Aris’ “It’s a Sad and Beautiful World” (Lebanon), produced by Georges Schoucair, won $10,600 (approximately 104,000 MAD). Moroccan filmmaker Tala Hadid was awarded $5,300 (approximately 52,000 MAD) for her film BARDI, produced by Abdelmonime El Jarib.

The Atlas Development Jury, comprising Yasmine Benkiran (director and screenwriter), Dora Bouchoucha (producer), and Philippe Bober (producer), granted $31,800 (approximately 318,000 MAD) to Fabien Dao (Burkina Faso) for his project Princesse Téné, produced by Moustapha Sawadogo. Linda Lô (Senegal) received $21,200 (approximately 208,000 MAD) for Chanceuse, produced by Didar Domehri (France).

Two films, “Samir, Espion Malgré Lui by Charlotte Rabate (Syria) and produced by Coralie Dias (France), and Ici Repose by Moly Kane (Senegal), produced by Lionel Massol, Pauline Seigland (France), and Ngagne Sankhe (Senegal), each won $5,300 (approximately 52,000 MAD).

The ArteKino International Prize, awarded by the Franco-German network, went to Lina Soualem’s Alicante (Algeria), produced by Omar El Kadi and Nadia Turincev (France).

The 7th edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas gathered 340 international professionals, showcasing 27 projects from a new generation of Moroccan, Arab, and African filmmakers.

The 17 development projects and 10 films in production or post-production, from 13 countries, received tailored support throughout the festival.

Over 170 sessions were organized, including 78 individual consultations, with 32 experts and consultants offering guidance on scriptwriting, character development, cinematography, production, VFX, editing, music, and distribution.

This year’s co-production market saw a record 510 individual meetings between filmmakers and producers.

Since its inception, the Ateliers de l’Atlas have supported 152 projects, including 60 from Morocco, cementing its role as a vital incubator for regional cinema.