Latest news with #AyoubLayoussifi
Daily Tribune
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
France, Bahrain Boost Film Ties
TDT | Manama The cultural bridge between Bahrain and France is set to grow stronger as the Bahrain Film Festival and the Embassy of France to Bahrain launch the second edition of the 48h Film Challenge, running from September 11th to 13th. Supported by Bahrain's Ministry of Information and the renowned French film school ESRA, the event blends competition with intensive training, drawing on the expertise of French and Bahraini cinema professionals. Organised ahead of the 5th Bahrain Film Festival, the challenge targets Bahraini nationals and residents aged 18 to 30, regardless of experience level. Participants will receive preliminary workshops in scriptwriting, directing, editing, and production before embarking on the two-day filmmaking sprint. They will work under the guidance of French cinema experts, including Camille Varenne, programmer and jury member of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and multi-award-winning French-Moroccan filmmaker and actor Ayoub Layoussifi. The completed films will be showcased at the Bahrain Film Festival from October 30 to November 4, with the winning team announced at a special closing ceremony. The top prize is a fully funded one-month summer school at ESRA's Paris campus in July 2026, including flights, accommodation, and tuition. Organisers say the scholarship offers a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the French film industry and build international networks.
Ya Biladi
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
Morocco's Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji named best directors in Rotterdam for «Chikha»
Moroccan filmmakers Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji have won the Best Director award at the 25th Arab Film Festival Rotterdam, held in the Netherlands from May 28 to June 1, for their short film Chikha, which was shot in Azemmour, Morocco. The festival honored the two directors for «the skillful direction of the actor and the masterful creation of a fully realized world that places the viewer in a revealing play of mirrors». «Very happy and proud to receive this distinction. Thanks to the jury for these words. Thank you, Rotterdam Festival. Thanks to our friends and families who supported us», Layoussifi wrote on social media Monday. Chikha (2024) tells the story of 17-year-old Fatine from Azemmour. After completing her baccalaureate exams, Fatine faces a difficult choice: to follow her family's artistic legacy, her mother is a professional chikha, a traditional Moroccan singer and dancer, or to pursue a more conventional life with her boyfriend Youssef, who disapproves of her cultural heritage. The film reflects the deep research and personal passion of its creators. Zahoua Raji, born in Brussels to Moroccan immigrant parents, brings a rich background in makeup, costume design, photography, and fine arts. Her fascination with Moroccan chikhates led her to conduct extensive interviews and research that inspired Fatine's story. Now based in Paris, Raji co-wrote Chikha alongside Ayoub Layoussifi and Yamina Zarou. Originally from Casablanca, Ayoub Layoussifi is an accomplished actor, writer, and director trained in Paris. His diverse work includes both documentary and fiction, with acclaimed films such as Tikitat-ASoulima and Dis-moi Mohammed…. Layoussifi is also deeply involved in education, teaching cinema and theater, and mentoring students in narrative filmmaking. His collaboration with Raji on Chikha showcases their shared creative vision and personal partnership, bringing an authentic and heartfelt perspective to the film's themes.
Ya Biladi
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
Morocco's Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji named best directors in Rotterdam for «Chikha»
Moroccan filmmakers Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji have won the Best Director award at the 25th Arab Film Festival Rotterdam, held in the Netherlands from May 28 to June 1, for their short film Chikha, which was shot in Azemmour, Morocco. The festival honored the two directors for «the skillful direction of the actor and the masterful creation of a fully realized world that places the viewer in a revealing play of mirrors». «Very happy and proud to receive this distinction. Thanks to the jury for these words. Thank you, Rotterdam Festival. Thanks to our friends and families who supported us», Layoussifi wrote on social media Monday. Chikha (2024) tells the story of 17-year-old Fatine from Azemmour. After completing her baccalaureate exams, Fatine faces a difficult choice: to follow her family's artistic legacy, her mother is a professional chikha, a traditional Moroccan singer and dancer, or to pursue a more conventional life with her boyfriend Youssef, who disapproves of her cultural heritage. The film reflects the deep research and personal passion of its creators. Zahoua Raji, born in Brussels to Moroccan immigrant parents, brings a rich background in makeup, costume design, photography, and fine arts. Her fascination with Moroccan chikhates led her to conduct extensive interviews and research that inspired Fatine's story. Now based in Paris, Raji co-wrote Chikha alongside Ayoub Layoussifi and Yamina Zarou. Originally from Casablanca, Ayoub Layoussifi is an accomplished actor, writer, and director trained in Paris. His diverse work includes both documentary and fiction, with acclaimed films such as Tikitat-ASoulima and Dis-moi Mohammed…. Layoussifi is also deeply involved in education, teaching cinema and theater, and mentoring students in narrative filmmaking. His collaboration with Raji on Chikha showcases their shared creative vision and personal partnership, bringing an authentic and heartfelt perspective to the film's themes.
