Closing Ceremony of the 6th Marrakech Short Film Festival

Marrakech – The curtain fell Wednesday evening on the 6th Marrakech Short Film Festival, after several days of screenings, meetings, and discussions dedicated to short films, with the participation of professionals and filmmakers from numerous countries.

This edition received nearly 400 films from 90 countries, resulting in an international program as well as several events dedicated to industry professionals.

The closing day began with the conclusion of AMANAR, the festival’s new professional platform. Its inaugural edition brought together 12 international professionals for two days to discuss five Moroccan projects within the framework of the Development Lab.

Following the pitch sessions, three projects received awards. These films are “Fragments of an Ordinary Day” by Zahra Berrada, winner of the ZINEBI Industry Award; “Unsettled” by Maria Dobli Bennani, which received the Atlantis Studios Marrakech Post-Production Award; and “Avant Première” by Saad Benidir, which won the AMANAR Award for Best Pitch.

Speaking at the event, the festival’s president and founder, Ramia Beladel, emphasized that this first edition of AMANAR marks a new step in the Marrakech Short Film Festival’s commitment to Moroccan filmmakers and the development of a genuine professional ecosystem around short films.

She noted that the ambition is to support projects beyond their initial screening, offering them opportunities for development, production, and international distribution, highlighting the importance of building bridges between young Moroccan directors and professionals in the global film industry.

The festival’s closing ceremony was marked by the announcement of the winners of this sixth edition, with prizes awarded to directors and films from Morocco and several other countries.

Internationally, the Belarj Award for Best Director went to Giacomo Bendotti for “The Bridge” (Italy), while the Nakhil Award for Best Film was given to “My Brother My Brother” by Abderrahmane and Saad Dnewar (Egypt).

A special mention was awarded to “The Experiment” by Maxim Akbarov (Kazakhstan), while the International Jury’s Jury Prize went to “What If They Bomb Us Tonight” by Samir Syriani (Lebanon).

Nationally, the Belarj Award for Best Director was given to Sanaa El Alaoui for “Aicha.” The Behja Award for Best Actor/Actress was awarded to Sandia Tajeddine for “Invisible Ties,” directed by Aymen Ben Slimane.

The Nakhil Prize for Best Film went to “Two Ways” by Yassine Iguenfer, while the National Jury’s Choice Award was given to “Phone Breaker” by Hamza Atifi.

The Menara Prize for Best Documentary was awarded to Eiman Mirghani for “Villa 187,” while the Festival’s Choice Award went to “Trading Cards” by Radheya Jang (Australia).

This 6th edition highlighted the diversity of perspectives and styles brought together around short films in Marrakech, while also strengthening the festival’s professional dimension through the launch of AMANAR.

The closing ceremony celebrated the works and talents recognized by the various juries, at the end of several days of screenings, meetings, and discussions, confirming the Marrakech Short Film Festival’s mission to be a meeting place for young Moroccan filmmakers and the international film scene.

Organised in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, Morocco World News, the Commune of Marrakech, the Moroccan Cinema Centre and Marrakchi Made, this artistic event, one of the few open-air film festivals, is now establishing itself as one of the leading events dedicated to the promotion of short films in Morocco.