The answer to the question: Why is there no Arab film festival within the lineup of Moroccan film festivals is astonishment and confusion, as is the same for the city of Casablanca, where most of the national and international productions are shot, but no grand film festival is held. This question spurred “Imtidad”- the association for culture and development – to think of establishing a major film festival fit for this city with Arab film as it’s theme.
The idea of organizing the Casablanca Film Festival occurred almost two years ago, but has been facing obstacles until the city council of Casablanca came aboard by becoming the first partner of the festival.
The city of Casablanca will then be welcoming Arab filmmakers from the 10th to the 15th of December 2018 to the first edition of the Casablanca Arab Film Festival.
This edition will feature an official competition in which the most important Arab productions of 2017 and 2018 will compete before a committee consisting of the some of the greatest Arab filmmakers.
The festival will also include a panorama of Arab and Moroccan films, workshops and round tables discussing the reality of Arab cinema and the prospects of cooperation among its various components under the circumstances defined by the Arab world, as well as the variables experienced by the creative works of these countries and the difficulties restricting their reach.
The festival will further take great care to involve the young keen to enter the world of cinema, by creating opportunities to meet with professionals and enable them to develop their abilities and knowledge in this field.
Additionally, the festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Communication and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.