FIFM: 23 projects and films selected for the 5th edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas

Twenty-three projects and films have been selected for the 5th edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas, scheduled for November 14-17 as part of the 19th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM).

This year, the Ateliers de l’Atlas will offer 16 projects in development and 6 films in post-production from 11 countries, selected from 240 applications received from the African continent and the Arab world, announces a press release from the FIFM.

The 23 projects and films selected will benefit from tailor-made support from script, production, distribution, editing and music consultants before participating in the co-production market bringing together nearly 250 accredited international professionals, explains the same source, adding that juries will award financial prizes totaling 106,000 euros in cash, including the ArteKino Prize.

This selection presents new talents such as Sameh Alaa (Egypt), winner of the Palme d’or for short films at the Cannes Film Festival, alongside filmmakers already noticed on the international scene, such as Meryem Benm’Barek (Morocco), awarded at the Cannes Film Festival with his first feature Sofia; Rafiki Fariala (Central African Republic) and George Peter Barbari (Lebanon) discovered at the Berlinale with their films “We, students!” and “Death of a Virgin and the Sin of Not Living” or Mamadou Dia (Senegal) awarded at the Locarno Festival for his film “Le Père de Nafi”.

In addition, the Moroccan filmmaker Faouzi Bensaïdi will unveil excerpts from his new film “Deserts” to festival directors, as part of the Atlas Film Showcase, specify the organizers.

This year, 7 films, including 5 Moroccan, previously supported by the Ateliers de l’Atlas at the development and/or post-production stage, will be presented in the program of the 19th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival: “Les Damnés don’t cry” by Fyzal Boulifa (Morocco), “Reines” by Yasmine Benkiran (Morocco), “Fragments from Heaven” by Adnane Baraka (Morocco), “Abdelinho” by Hicham Ayouch (Morocco), “Poissons rouges” by Abdeslam Kelai (Morocco), “Ashkal” by Youssef Chebbi (Tunisia) and “Sous les figs” by Erige Sehiri (Tunisia).

During this 5th edition, the Ateliers de l’Atlas will also present two round tables with a focus on screenwriting, retracing the careers of established filmmakers and screenwriters, then a panel bringing together several key distributors from the Arab world. In parallel, professionals will share their experiences on the questions of sound, casting, archives and production within the framework of the Atlas Station workspace, it is indicated.

The industry platform of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which now plays an essential role in the regions it covers, has set itself the task of supporting a new generation of Moroccan, Arab and African filmmakers by exhibiting their projects internationally. , the statement concludes.
Here is the list of projects and films selected for the Ateliers de l’Atlas:

Projects in development:

Behind The Palm Tress – Meryem Ben M’barek (Morocco) – 2nd film

Children Of God (Benimana) – Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo (Rwanda) – 1st film
Congo Boy – Rafiki Fariala (Central African Republic, DRC) – 2nd film
Demba – Mamadou Dia (Senegal) – 2nd film
Ghost Ship – Moïse Togo (Mali, Cameroon) | Doc – 1st movie
Lende – Katy Lena N’Diaye (Senegal) – 2nd film
The Sea in the distance – Saïd Hamich Benlarbi (Morocco) – 2nd film
Pigeon Wars – Dania Bdeir (Lebanon) – 1st film
So The Lovers Could Come Out Again – George Peter Barbari (Lebanon) – 2nd film
The Passport – Rakan Mayasi (Palestine) – 1st film
Whale Belly (18) – Sameh Alaa (Egypt) – 1st movie
Glimpses of the Atlas: (Moroccan development projects)

Ali – Younes Bouab (Morocco) – 1st film
The Arab Apocalypse – Samy Sidali (Morocco) – 1st film
Mercury – Ish Aït-Hamou & Monir Aït-Hamou (Morocco) – 1st film
The seasons of silence – Abdeslam Kelai (Morocco) – 2nd film
Other people’s sun – Asmae El Moudir (Morocco) | Doc – 3rd movie

Films in production or in post-production:

Bye Bye Tiberias – Lina Soualem (Palestine) | Doc – 2nd movie
Cabo Negro – Abdellah Taïa (Morocco) – 2nd film
Chopped – Karam Ali & Casey Asprooth-Jackson (Palestine) | Doc– 1st movie

Disco Afrika – Luck Razanajaona (Madagascar) – 1st movie

Inshallah a Boy (Inshallah Wallad)
– Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan) – 1st film
Or De Vie – Boubacar Sangare (Burkina Faso) | Doc – 1st movie
Atlas Film Showcase (films at the end of editing in search of a premiere in festivals)