Travel To Morocco For The International Film Festival Of Marrakech
The International Film Festival of Marrakech is typically held in the fall or winter of each year for a stretch of four days. It is renowned for its prestige in terms of cinematographic production and is comparable to the Cannes film festival in the south of France. The Marrakech Film Festival was established in 2001 and has become Morocco’s largest annual event for the medium of film, which is increasingly gaining recognition as an art form. Last year, over two dozen countries participated and around one hundred twenty films were shown. 

The International Film Festival of Marrakech is a one of the largest events devoted to film in Morocco; a location of the principal photography of many international productions. Traveling to Morocco for the film festival is a great way to begin a tour of Morocco. The jury of the festival gathers film directors, producers, actors, distributors, journalists and personalities from all over the world and endeavors to reward the best Moroccan and foreign productions of feature films and short films. The festival is chaired by Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco.

Apart from being a popular source of entertainment, the films shown at Marrakech’s International Film Festival are used as a powerful tool for educating, and even indoctrinating, the public. Today, the cinema industry is very important to Morocco and production standards are maintained at a very high level. The vast, overwhelming landscapes attract film producers and directors from all over the world. There is a special kind of light that only exists here and this is a major attraction for film makers. Cinema fans are also attracted by the intense and unique colors of the Moroccan landscape. 

Veteran US movie director Martin Scorsese and Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio were guests of honor at the gala opening of the seventh Marrakech Film Festival. Egypt was also recognized for its vast production of films and active directors. Forty of the festival’s films were major Egyptian movies, including Yacoubian Building, featuring famous Egyptian actor Adel Imam. As a result, around ninety Egyptian directors attended the festival.

Previous festivals have attracted leading Hollywood film directors, such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, whose film “Kundun”, based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, was filmed at the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco. When traveling to Morocco a visit to the Atlas Studios offers a fascinating look at how films have been made.

Morocco has also been the setting for famous films such as David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Othello” which was directed by Orson Welles. By attracting film makers from all over the world, The International Film Festival of Marrakech promotes Morocco’s many natural and historical sights in an effort to attract further international movie productions. Morocco’s own developing film and travel industry benefit from the festival and interaction with film makers from other countries.

Many attendants of the Marrakech Film Festival enjoy it because it is more intimate and relaxed than some of the overly crowded or more rushed ones like the Cannes or Berlin film festivals. While the more developed festivals can begin as early as eight thirty a.m. the Marrakesh film festival usually shows its first film at eleven a.m. in the morning. There is also a break for lunch and in the evening there are parties and other exciting events to attend.

The International Film Festival of Marrakech has also played an essential role in educating the public, both in Morocco and abroad, on current issues and events in Morocco. It has raised awareness about Moroccan culture and promotes natural and historical sights in Morocco. Morocco’s own developing film industry benefits from the festival and interaction with film makers from other countries. The festival also helps promote Morocco’s growing travel industry.

The films that are shown have an aim to preserve cultural and historical Moroccan events for future generations. While some of the films are shown in English, many more are created in the native dialect of the actor and are dubbed with subtitles. The opportunity to view dubbed foreign films is a unique opportunity because it gives the audience members a chance to gain insight on issues as seen from the perspective of a native.

Some of the 2007 favorite films included the Estonian movie, Autumn Ball, which won the top Golden Star. The film takes place just before the collapse of the Soviet Union and captures the era portrayed through the lives of seven people. Another hit was Grandhotel, an experimental drama set in Czechoslovakia whose workers are interesting to watch due to their bizarre personalities. Another film that was shown from Japan, Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers, uses dark humor to convey societal problems and dysfunctional family life that has become problematic in Japan. This film gave outsiders insight on “the real deal” about the sometimes seemingly perfect country of Japan.

Each year awards including the Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Audience Awards and Cinema of the South are given out. The award ceremonies create incentives for film makers to create higher quality movies and this ultimately enhances the reputation of the film festival.

Marrakech, with its market square that bustles with storey-tellers, acrobats, dancers and musicians, has proven to be the perfect venue for the festival. Past festivals have been a resounding success and there is every reason to believe that future festivals will be even more exciting. Audiences from all over the world are sure to be entertained by the festival and enthralled by the beauty and mystery of Marrakech.