This year, the Marrakech Short Film Festival (MARRAKECHsFF) has received over 400 short films from more than 90 countries across all five continents, further solidifying its international presence. The festival notably emphasizes cultural diplomacy, utilizing cinema as a medium for dialogue among diverse cultures.
The MARRAKECHsFF will take place in several iconic locations throughout the ochre city, including the Badii Palace, Cyber Park, The Folk, the French Institute of Marrakech, Meydene, and the World Storytelling Café.
A National Competition Showcasing New Moroccan Creations
The national competition remains one of the cornerstone events of the festival. For the Belarj Prize, the selection includes _Fading Candle_ by Ismail Ait Lahcen, _Aicha_ by Sanaa El Alaoui, _Two Ways_ by Yassine Iguenfer, _Mesk Ellil_ by Rami Adnane, and _Behind the Curtain’s Edge_ by Kacem Skalli.
Meanwhile, the Nakhil Prize features _Aicha_ by Sanaa El Alaoui, _Two Ways_ by Yassine Iguenfer, and _Paradise Garden_ by Sonia Terrab. For the Behja Prize, the nominees include Aziz Hattab for _Phone Breaker_, Sandia Tajdine for _Les Liens Invisibles_, Khadija Salamadina for _Paradise Garden_, and Mohamed Ben Seltana for _65 Days_.
Additionally, four films are featured in the national selection outside of competition: _Quo Vadis Meryem_ by Amine Zeriouh, _With the Wind_ by Ines Lehaire, _Investigation_ by Marwan Chiguer, and _Crawling Birds_ by Karim Taj.
An International Competition Featuring Global Talent
The international competition brings together works and filmmakers from countries including Italy, Iraq, China, Portugal, Australia, Albania, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Spain, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan.
Highlighted films include _The Bridge_ by Giacomo Bendotti, _Where The Balloon Led Me_ by Yasmeen Waleed, _The Wind in Ash_ by Kun Sun, _Dog Alone_ by Marta Reis Andrade, _Trading Cards_ by Radheya Jang, _Majonézé_ by Giulia Grandinetti, _What If They Bomb Here Tonight?_ by Samir Syriani, _The Experiment_ by Maxim Akbarov, _My Brother, My Brother_ by Saad Dnewar and Abdelrahman Dnewar, _Ciao!_ by Iván Melguizo Martín, _Dessert Is Served_ by Leyla Hattabi, _A Scream on the Roof_ by Jun Cordon, and _A Very Straight Neck_ by Neo Sora.
The international selection outside of competition also includes works from Cambodia, France, Saudi Arabia, and Spain.
This sixth edition of the festival honors Malta as the guest country, aiming to strengthen cultural ties between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Malta. The Maltese programming features nine short films that blend fiction, animation, and documentary, presented in both Maltese and English.
On this occasion, the Consul General of the Republic of Malta expressed, _“I am honored that Malta is the guest country of the 6th edition of the Marrakech Short Film Festival.”_ The participation of Malta has been made possible through the collaboration of Maltese partners and actors, as well as support from the Malta Arts Council and the Centre for the Maltese Language.
As reported by telquel.ma.
