Latest news with #MARRAKECHsFF
Morocco World
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Inside the Marrakech Short Film Festival: A Conversation with Founder Ramia Beladel
Rabat – Every year, the Marrakech Short Film Festival (MARRAKECHsFF) brings together filmmakers and film lovers to celebrate the art of short films. Since its creation five years ago, this festival has become an important platform for international cinema and for supporting young Moroccan filmmakers. Morocco World News spoke with Ramia Beladel, the founder and director of the festival, to learn about this year's edition, taking place between September 26 and October 1. It promises to be even more exciting, with new programs and a strong focus on nurturing local talent. 'This year, we introduced two major new programs,' Beladel said. The first is the International Competition. Each year, the festival receives hundreds of film submissions from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The quality was exceptionally high this year, Beladel says, making it very hard for the selection committee to choose the best films. The festival wants to bring fresh, unique, and authentic stories that Moroccan audiences have never seen before, Beladel said. The second new program is the Low Budget Film Program, which is returning this year with a short film by Moroccan director Ayoub Boudadi. Produced in partnership with NADACOM, this program supports emerging Moroccan filmmakers by giving them a chance to showcase their work. 'Some of the most renowned and influential platforms in the global short film industry will be joining us this year, making this edition a truly international meeting point,' Beladel said. Nurturing Morocco's next generation of filmmakers When asked why supporting Moroccan filmmakers is so important, Beladel gave an insightful response. 'I would actually reframe the question: Why are there so few platforms supporting young filmmakers?' From the very beginning, the festival's priority has been to create a safe space, what they call the MsFF Family, where young Moroccan artists can grow, learn, and connect. Only after building this strong local foundation did the festival add the International Competition to introduce Moroccan audiences to new global voices. 'Our mission is not only to support emerging Moroccan talents, but also to create a safe space where they can grow, connect, and evolve,' she added. The Marrakech Short Film Festival was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when cinemas were closed and local audiences were craving the joy of watching films together. Among its missions was to revive Marrakech's strong tradition of cinema. Choosing the international films and guest countries is no easy task. The festival team is committed to finding unique voices from places that Moroccan audiences may not be familiar with, she indicates. 'Sometimes we find them through our open call for submissions; other times, we actively seek them out at major festivals such as Berlinale, Clermont-Ferrand, Dresden Short Film Festival, La Mostra, Cannes, and others,' Beladel shared. This effort makes the Marrakech Short Film Festival a true meeting point for diverse cinematic cultures from around the world. Beladel has a clear vision for where she wants the festival to be in five years. 'Closer to its mission, and even closer to its family,' she says. A meeting point for African and global cinema For her, the festival is more than just a yearly event. The team works year-round, developing programs, presenting the festival abroad, and building networks to help grow the short film industry in Morocco and the wider region. One of the MARRAKECHsFF's important ongoing projects is raising awareness about Morocco's abandoned historic cinemas. In partnership with SCIM, the festival hopes to restore at least one old cinema and dedicate it entirely to short films within five years. Creating a permanent home for short films in Morocco is a dream Beladel is working hard to achieve. Held in iconic outdoor venues like Palais Badii, Cyber Park, and The Source Hotel, the week-long event features daily two-hour screenings of short films chosen by a diverse jury, followed by discussions with the audience. Beyond screenings, the festival also aims to highlight the heritage of Marrakech's abandoned cinema halls, support emerging filmmakers, and eventually grow into a larger platform for African and global cinema. It is one of the rare open-air film festivals in the region created by a woman. It aims to offer an intimate, high-quality cultural experience for both audiences and the film industry. Tags: filmMarrakech short film festivalRamia beladelShort film
Morocco World
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Marrakech Short Film Festival is Back with New International Competition and Expanded Low-Budget Program
Fez– The Marrakech Short Film Festival (MARRAKECHsFF) is back this year with more ambition, more countries, and a stronger focus on storytelling that crosses borders and budgets. For its fifth edition, the festival introduces a brand-new international competition into its programming, its most significant step yet toward becoming a truly global space for short films. The 2025 edition brings together filmmakers from across the world. We are talking Morocco, Palestine, France, Poland, Jordan, India, Iran, Ghana, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Mexico, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Iraq, Belgium, DR Congo, Sri Lanka, and El Salvador, this year's Guest Country, all represented. It's a lineup that speaks clearly to the festival's aim which is to make short films a vehicle for cultural dialogue, not just entertainment. The new international competition is designed to do just that. It offers filmmakers from underrepresented regions a place to show their work on an international stage, right here in Marrakech. It's not just about screening films, it's about opening up space for creative voices that are often overlooked, and giving them the attention they deserve. For a city known for its ties to global cinema, this feels like a natural next chapter. While the international section is a new addition, the festival continues to support Moroccan cinema in its own way, especially through its low budget film program. Introduced in 2023, the program focuses on supporting young Moroccan filmmakers working with minimal resources. It offers production grants, mentorship, and a chance to premiere their films as part of the official selection. This year, the spotlight falls on 'The Nest', a moving social drama by director Ayoub Boudadi and producer El Meftahi Abdeslam. Funded through the 2025 grant, and developed in partnership with NADACOME, the film takes on the subject of gender-based violence in a rural Moroccan village. Quietly intense and rooted in lived experience, the film reflects the kind of raw, unfiltered storytelling the low budget program was built to encourage. The initiative itself is not just a footnote in the festival's lineup – it's a central part of its identity. At a time when Moroccan cinema is evolving fast, this inclusive program has become a way to nurture bold, independent voices that might not otherwise find the support to get started. 'This is our most ambitious edition so far,' said Ramia Beladel, founder and director of the festival in a press release. 'With the international competition and the return of our production support, we're creating a space for new ideas, for collaboration, and for giving visibility to filmmakers who are usually left out of the spotlight,' Beladel continued. The Marrakech Short Film Festival is building a space that celebrates short films not as a stepping stone, but as a powerful form in their own right. With each roll of the credits, the gathering is connecting Morocco to the world, quietly, thoughtfully, and with intent. Tags: festivalMarrakechShort film
