In a resounding move within the grandeur of the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony orchestrated by the Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) is calling Moroccan producers to apply for the prestigious Oscar for Best International Film.
The rendezvous with the coveted Oscar ceremony entails a meticulous pre-selection competition that warrants the careful attention of Moroccan filmmakers.
In a recent press release, the Moroccan authority, CCM, explained the prerequisites for participation.
Prospective candidates must present films that meet the exacting criteria stipulated by the Academy.
Accompanying the formal request for participation must be several documents: the obligatory registration form, a copy of the film’s distribution agreement, and an avowal of its commitment to commercial exploitation.
Eligible contenders are feature films that span a duration of no less than 40 minutes, produced outside the tapestry of the United States of America and its encompassing territories with a dominance of a foreign language spoken in the film other than English.
This competition opens its arms to not just feature films but also extends its embrace to animated films and documentaries.
These cinematic creations must have been presented on theater screens in Morocco, witnessing the warm applause of audiences, for a duration spanning seven consecutive days.
The Oscars website offers a deeper understanding of all registration requirements and terms.
The responsibility of selecting Morocco’s cinematic envoy to the Oscars rests on the shoulders of a distinguished panel, comprising pioneers of the Moroccan cinema scene, this selection committee will have the final say.
With a discerning eye, they shall view the submissions and convene on September 2023.
The submission deadline is August 28, 2023, by which all contenders must have finished the registration procedure.
In retrospect, the echoes of last year resonate. “The Blue Caftan,” the creation of Maryam Touzani, was Morocco’s 2022 submission to the grandest stage of cinematic accolades.
Yet, it was a choice that sparked controversy.
A spotlight was cast by Moroccan film critics and professionals alike, on one of the Oscars’ preconditions, a main requirement that the film, representing a nation, must have been screened in its homeland’s theaters during the stipulated eligibility period, for at least a continuous span of seven days.
Touzani’s film hadn’t yet graced Moroccan theaters when it was bestowed with the honor of the preselection, only receiving its official premiere during the International Film Festival of Marrakech in November 2022.
The Blue Caftan made it to the Oscars short list of international movies that went through the voting stage making it the only Arab movie to do so last year.
Despite the short-lived Oscars run, the movie received international claims and won several awards.