During the 79th edition of the Cannes
Film Festival, Morocco’s presence was marked by several highlights, including
two official selections and numerous notable projects:
·
La Más
Dulce by Laila Marrakchi, selected in the Un
Certain Regard section;
·
In
Search of the Grey Bird with Green Stripes by Saïd
Hamich Benlarbi, presented at the Directors’ Fortnight;
Both screenings were sold out.
La Más Dulce by Laila Marrakchi received strong recognition in the international
press (Variety, Screen, Télérama, Cineuropa, The Hollywood Reporter,
etc.).
Officially presented projects at the
Marché du Film included:
·
Wolfmother
(The Sons of the She-Wolf) by Ismaël El Iraki,
presented at the Investors Circle;
·
The
Left Behind by Kenza Tazi, selected for La Fabrique
Cinéma of the Institut Français.
Samia Zerrou also presented her
project Loucham during a pitch session organized by the Kourtrajmé
school. She will also present the project as part of the Moroccan delegation at
the next edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The presentation of the film La
Bataille de Gaulle by Antonin Baudry, partially shot in Morocco,
illustrated the renewed confidence of international productions in the Kingdom,
driven by the quality of its infrastructure, the diversity of its natural
landscapes, the expertise of its professionals, as well as the Moroccan cash
rebate program implemented by the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM).
Morocco’s presence was also highlighted
through participation in several international conferences and roundtables
organized during the Festival and the Marché du Film.
Mohamed-Reda Benjelloun, Director of the
Moroccan Cinematographic Center, and Mohamed Khouna, President of the CCM
Cinema Support Commission, participated in the roundtable — the first Cinemas
Club event of the Marché du Film organized by Boxoffice International:
“Middle East and Africa: New Lands of
Opportunity for Movie Theaters?”, held at the Lérins Cinemas Club.
Director Leïla Marrakchi participated in
the discussion:
“Plural Mediterranean: Renewed Narratives
and Aesthetics,” organized in partnership with La Fabrique Cinéma and France
Médias Monde.
Producer Lamia Chraïbi took part in a
CNC-organized roundtable dedicated to supporting emerging talents, alongside
several major international industry players.
The Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech
International Film Festival were also presented at the AfroNova Pavilion during
a panel dedicated to new models of international co-production.
All project holders present were able to deepen opportunities for
co-production and international financing.
The project Wolfmother (The Sons of the She-Wolf) by
filmmaker Ismaël El Iraki, presented at the Investors Circle, generated strong
interest among international professionals and investors attending the Marché
du Film. The project secured new financing opportunities and strengthened its
prospects for development and international co-production, reflecting the
growing interest in new Moroccan cinematic storytelling.
As for The Left Behind by Kenza Tazi, previously presented at
the Moroccan Pavilion during the renewal of the Morocco-France co-production
agreement at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the project benefited from the La
Fabrique Cinéma program of the Institut Français and continues to explore
numerous co-production opportunities, supported by funding from the Moroccan
Cinematographic Center support fund.
The project Remontada by director Reda Lahmouid also achieved
significant progress during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Following initial
agreements initiated during the European Film Market in Berlin, the project was
able to finalize co-productions and secure the support of an international
sales agent.
These projects, among many Moroccan initiatives presented at the
Marché du Film, illustrate the ability of Moroccan productions to mobilize
international partners and integrate into structured international financing
dynamics.
On the occasion of the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the
Kingdom of Morocco strengthened its presence within the Marché du Film through
the Moroccan Pavilion, located at the International Village — a key space for
promotion, professional meetings, and international cooperation.
From May 12 to 20, 2026, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM)
deployed a strategic presence aimed at promoting the national film industry,
supporting Moroccan talent, and reinforcing Morocco’s positioning as an
international platform for filmmaking and production.
The Moroccan Pavilion welcomed more than fifty Moroccan
professionals each day — including producers, directors, screenwriters,
distributors, actors, institutions, and project leaders — who held professional
meetings with international partners, making the Pavilion a central hub for
networking, co-production, and visibility for Moroccan cinema.
Among the Moroccan professionals present were:
·
Leïla
Marrakchi — Director
·
Saïd
Hamich Benlarbi — Director and producer, Montfleuri Productions
·
Karim
Debbagh — Director
·
Ismaël El
Iraki — Director
·
Reda
Lahmouid — Director
·
Nabil
Ayouch — Director
·
Maryam
Touzani — Director
·
Asmae El
Moudir — Director
·
Yasmine
Benkiran — Director
·
Karim
Aïtouna — Producer
·
Hakim
Belabbes — Director, President of FISMAC
·
Kenza Tazi
— Director
·
Ayoub El
Jamal — Producer
·
Lamia
Chraïbi — Producer, La Prod
·
Mohamed
Nadif — Director
·
Ilham El
Alami — Director
·
Faiçal
Benaghrou — Director
·
Samia
Zerrou — Director
·
Oumaima
Zekri Ajerrai — Producer, May Studio
·
Mohamed
Khouna — Distributor, CEO, Film Events
·
Hajar
Marouani — Distributor, Film Events
·
El
Houssine Hnine — Producer, Atlantis Films
·
Mariam Lee
Abounouom — Producer
·
Talal
Selhami — Director
·
Ayoub
Boudadi — Director, Trio Film
·
Yasser
Zougari — Director
·
Mustafa El
Mesoudi — Distributor
·
Kawtar
Tazrouti — Producer
·
Nisrine
Erradi — Actress
·
Fatima
Attif — Actress
·
Hind Braik
— Actress
·
Hajar
Graigaa — Actress
·
Oussama
Oussous — Actor
·
Hicham
Falah — Director of FIDADOC
·
Mohamed
Beyoud — Audiovisual and Cinema Officer, Institut Français du Maroc
·
Jihane
Bougrine — Audiovisual Industry Professional
·
Asmae
Graimiche — Producer
·
Said El
Mazouari — Film Critic and Professor
·
The team
of the Marrakech International Film Festival
The Moroccan institutional and professional presence was also marked
by the participation of representatives from the country’s leading audiovisual
organizations:
·
Omar
Benhammou — President of the Moroccan Federation of Audiovisual and Cinema
Industries
·
Mohamed
Belghouate — Secretary General of the Federation
·
Abdelilah
El Jaouhary — President of URAM (Union of Moroccan Directors and Authors)
·
Hicham
Haydar — President of the National Chamber of Professionals of the Film
Industry
This
edition enabled stronger exchanges with professionals from numerous countries,
including:
France,
Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany,
Switzerland, India, Egypt, Chile, Australia, Poland, China, Iceland, and Iraq.
Institutional
partners and international organizations met during the event included:
·
Gaëtan
Bruel — President of the CNC (French National Center for Cinema and the Moving
Image)
·
Sidy
Lamine Bagayoko — Director of the National Cinema Center of Mali
·
OIF —
International Organization of La Francophonie
·
Hussein
Fahmy — President of the Cairo International Film Festival
·
Clermont-Ferrand
International Short Film Festival
·
El Gouna
Film Festival Platform
·
Red Sea
Film Festival
·
As well as
several international festivals, platforms, production companies, and
audiovisual organizations.
Through
this rich and diverse participation, Morocco confirmed at Cannes 2026 the
dynamism of its film industry, the excellence of its talent, and its
determination to sustainably strengthen its international influence.