The 7th Edition of the Atlas Workshops: A Promising Cinematic Event in Marrakech
The 7th Edition of the Atlas Workshops Set to Take Place in Marrakech
The 7th edition of the Atlas Workshops will be held from December 1 to December 5 in Marrakech, showcasing 17 development projects and 10 films either in production or post-production from 13 countries. This selection was made from 320 submissions from Africa and the Arab world, highlighting powerful and diverse stories.
Among the participants, Lina Soualem returns with her debut fiction film, Alicante-Algérie, while Moly Kane presents Ici repose-Sénégal. Murad Abu Eisheh adapts the poetic narrative The Orange Grove from Jordan, and Djanis Bouzyani, a former actor turned director, reveals his documentary And Still I Rise. Yassine Iguenfer represents Morocco with The Nours.
New talents are emerging, such as Mouloud Ouyahia with The Source from Algeria and Nuno Miranda from Cape Verde with Flowers of the Dead, both exploring themes of grief and exile. Other notable projects include the captivating The Last Beast of Atlas by Walid Messsnaoui and the modern western Princesse Téné by Fabien Dao from Burkina Faso.
The Atlas Workshops will also provide exclusive insights into previously selected projects, such as Behind the Palm Trees by Meryem Benm’Barek and Laundry by Zamo Mkhwanazi. The return of Cherien Dabis with All That’s Left Of You from Palestine will also be highlighted, alongside the highly anticipated biopic El Sett about Oum Kalthoum from Egypt by Marwan Hamed, as well as Once Upon a Time in Gaza by the Nasser brothers from Palestine.
Enhancing Support Programs
This year, the Marrakech International Film Festival is expanding its support programs, focusing on young Moroccan, Arab, and African filmmakers. The Atlas Workshops will now span five days, allowing for deeper exploration of artistic and professional fields.
Initiated last year, the Atlas Distribution Awards will continue to support film distribution, with a day of exchanges planned. Additionally, the Atlas Station program has been launched to help young Moroccan directors and producers develop their skills and expand their international reach, featuring a first cohort of ten talents benefiting from a program designed specifically for them.
This edition is set to be a vibrant platform for creativity and the development of the film industry in the region.
