The Marrakech International Film Festival closed the 5e edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas which took place from November 14 to 17 in Marrakech.
The 5e edition of the Atalas Workshops brought together 250 international professionals around a selection of 23 projects and films, carried by a new generation of Moroccan, Arab and African filmmakers.
The 16 projects in development and 6 films in shooting or post-production benefited from tailor-made support representing nearly 150 hours of mentoring » by script, production, distribution, editing and music consultants. A Moroccan film was selected as part of the Atlas Film Showcase and screened to an audience of festival directors.
The Ateliers de l’Atlas co-production market has generated an ever-increasing number of requests for individual meetings with the selected directors and producers, 350 of which have been officially organized, illustrating the strong interest of professionals for cinemas on the continent. African and Arab world, explain the organizers of the FIFM in a press release.
For its fifth edition, the Ateliers de l’Atlas distributed eight prizes and five scholarships representing an overall endowment of €106,000. The five Moroccan projects participating in the Regards sur l’Atlas program automatically benefit from a development grant of €3,000.
The jury of the 3 Atlas prizes for post-production, composed of Gaia Furrer (Venice Days), Eric Lagesse (Pyramide Films) and Sébastien Onomo (Spécial Touch Studio), rewarded the films ” Inshallah A Boy » by Amjad Al Rasheed – Jordan, « African Disco “by Luck Razanajaona – Madagascar and” A Golden Life by Boubacar Sangaré – Burkina Faso.
The jury of the 4 Atlas development prizes, made up of producers Lamia Chraibi (La Prod), Nicole Gerhards (Niko Film) and Farès Ladjimi (Supernova Films), rewarded the projects » The sea in the distance by Said Hamich – Morocco, “ Pigeon Wars » by Dania Bdeir – Lebanon, « Demba » by Mamadou Dia – Senegal and « LENDE by Katy Lena Ndiaye – Senegal.
Furthermore, the price ARTEKINO International awarded by the Franco-German channel was given to the project in development “ Whale Belly by Sameh Alaa – Egypt.
In five editions, the professional program of the Marrakech International Film Festival has supported 111 projects and films, including 48 Moroccan projects and films. Proof of the success of this platform, many films that participated in it were then selected and awarded at prestigious festivals.
This year, 5 films supported by the Ateliers de l’Atlas were selected by the Cannes Festivals (Ashkal by Youssef Chebbi, Under the Figs of Erige Sehiri), Venice (queens by Yasmin Benkiran The Damned don’t cry by Fyzal Boulifa) or Locarno (Fragments from Heaven by Adnane Baraka), before being presented in the Middle East and Africa premiere during this 19e edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival.
Winners of the 5th edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas
Atlas Prize for post-production: endowed with €25,000, was awarded to INSHALLAH A BOY by Amjad Al Rasheed – Jordan, produced by Rula Nasser – Jordan.
The Atlas Prize for post-production, endowed with €15,000, was awarded to DISCO AFRIKA by Luck Razanajaona – Madagascar, produced by Jonathan Rubin – France.
The Atals Prize for post-production, endowed with €10,000, was awarded to A GOLDEN LIFE by Boubacar Sangaré – Burkina Faso, produced by Faissol Gnonlonfin – Benin.
The price Development Atlas, endowed with €15,000, was awarded to THE SEA IN THE DISTANCE by Saïd Hamich – Morocco, produced by Sophie Penson – France.
The Atlas Prize for Development, endowed with €10,000, was awarded to PIGEON WARS by Dania Bdeir – Lebanon, produced by Pierre Sarraf – Lebanon.
the Atlas Prize for Development, endowed with €5,000, was awarded to DEMBA by Mamadou Dia – Senegal, produced by Maba Ba – Senegal.
the Atlas Prize for Development, endowed with €5,000, was awarded to LENDE by Katy Lena Ndiaye – Senegal, produced by Oualid Baha – France.
The Artekino International Prize, endowed with €6,000, was awarded to WHALE BELLY by Sameh Alaa – Egypt, produced by Mark Lotfy – Egypt.