Meeting at Venice Film Festival discusses ways to develop foreign film industry in Morocco

The 81st session of the Mostra Film Festival in Venice witnessed great interest in Moroccan film production and the national film industry, which has begun to attract international filmmakers.

A special source revealed to Hespress that the session hosted a meeting that discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field of film production, within the framework of promoting Moroccan cinema. It was chaired by the Director of the Moroccan Cinema Center, Abdel Aziz Al-Boujdaini, who represents four Moroccan production houses that are famous on the international level.

The same source stated that the relevant roles are “DUNE Films”, represented by producer Sanaa Al-Kilali, which has produced many international films in Morocco, such as the second part of the movie “Gladiator”, and “ZAK Productions”, represented by producer Zakaria Al-Alawi, among its productions is the international movie “Indiana Jones”, the fifth part of which was shown in 2023, and the movie “Mission Impossible 5” starring international actor Tom Cruise.

The Moroccan production companies represented also included “AGORA Films”, represented by producer Souad Al-Mariqi, who specializes in Moroccan-French film production, such as the film “LA DARONNE” and the film “INDIGO”; and “KASBAH Films”, represented by producer Karim Al-Dabbagh, who has presented many foreign works, such as the film “Men in Black 2”.

In this symposium on Moroccan cinema, entitled “Morocco: A welcoming land for foreign film production through the cash support program,” the Moroccan representation highlighted the country’s great potential in the field of film production, and highlighted the remarkable development witnessed by the film industry in Morocco through the diversity of natural landscapes as well as historical cities, such as Ouarzazate and Essaouira, which have attracted many international film productions.

A Hespress source highlighted that the Moroccan participation in the Venice Festival, which included film industry professionals, shows the strengthening of ties between government bodies and the film industry by recommending more incentive measures (such as tax exemptions and simplification of licensing procedures), making Morocco a more attractive destination for international filmmakers.

The same source added that this program has contributed significantly to encouraging international filmmakers to choose the Kingdom of Morocco as a destination for their productions in light of the great competition with many Arab countries that have also entered the foreign production market.

Moroccan cinema and the international film industry in Morocco have been experiencing increasing dynamism in recent years thanks to royal directives and the support of the National Cinema Center, headed by Abdelaziz Boujdaini, for national production companies, and thanks to the cash support program that aims to benefit production companies from compensation for fees and taxes, which encourages international filmmakers to choose the Kingdom of Morocco as a destination for filming their works.