Morocco actively participates in the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which will take place from November 13 to 22, 2024, with no less than three productions competing in various categories of this major Arab cinema event

Moroccan cinema participates in the competition of the ‘International Critics Week’, with seven films in the running, including ‘Radia’ by director Khaoula Assebab Benomar

In this feature film, produced this year, Radia embodies the journey of women's liberation as they seek to free themselves from the weight of society. The film attempts to answer the question of what the true meaning of success is for the modern Moroccan woman

The jury of this competition is made up of Moroccan actress Nisrin Erradi, Irish director of the Dublin International Film Festival, Grainne Humphreys, and Egyptian director Khaled El Hagar. On the other hand, Morocco participates in the 'Horizons of Arab Cinema' competition with the film 'Marja Zarqa' (Blue Lagoon) by director Daoud Oulad Al-Sayed, alongside 13 other cinematic works.

The 85-minute film tells the story of the orphaned boy Youssef (12 years old), who lives with his grandparents in an isolated desert village, where his grandfather brings him a precious surprise: a camera. The Moroccan film 'Ana Machi Ana,' directed by Hicham El Jabbari, is also on the list of films scheduled for special screenings, which includes 12 feature films. The festival director, Issam Zakaria, highlighted that Morocco has always participated in the different editions of the festival, noting that this constant presence of Moroccan cinema reveals its importance and reach

According to the organizers, the opening ceremony of this film event, which will feature 194 films from 72 countries, will be marked by the screening of the Palestinian feature film 'Passing Dreams' by its director Rachid Machraoui. In total, 17 films are competing in the international section, while the official non-competitive section includes 11 films, and the short film competition features 32 films

The jury of the international competition is chaired by Bosnian director and screenwriter Danis Tanovic, while Egyptian director Sandra Nashaat chairs the jury for the short film competition. The jury for the 'Horizons of Arab Cinema' competition is chaired by Italian producer Enzo Porcelli

Classified in category 'A' by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, the Cairo International Film Festival (November 13-22) is one of the oldest film festivals in the Arab world, Africa, and the Middle East

Article source: lobservateur