Rabat: Kick-off of the 5th Leonard Da Vinci International Short Film Festiva

Rabat – The fifth edition of the Leonard Da Vinci International Short Film Festival opened Wednesday evening at the Bahnini Hall in Rabat, with the participation of film and media professionals from Morocco and abroad.

The opening ceremony of this film event, organized by the Moroccan Association of Free Artists (AMAL), with the United Arab Emirates as the guest country of honor, was marked by a tribute to several artistic figures, including Mohamed El Jem, Hassan Mekkiat, Ahmed Ennaji, and Amal Temmar, as well as director Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi.

In a press statement on this occasion, Hicham Abkari, Director of Arts at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports – Department of Culture, emphasized that the ministry is committed to supporting such artistic events, which offer young artists the opportunity to showcase their talents and develop their skills.

He highlighted the role of civil society organizations in organizing these types of initiatives, noting that the Leonardo da Vinci Short Film Festival provides young filmmakers with a conducive environment to gain initial experience before embarking on feature film production.

The festival director and president of the Moroccan Association of Free Artists, Kamal Tirari, emphasized in a similar statement that this film event aims to support young talents with the goal of developing film projects in the future.

For his part, Emirati producer Mohamed Jaafar Al-Eidrous, a member of this year’s jury, expressed his pride in seeing his country honored at this edition, praising the diversity of the films in competition, some of which are the work of Moroccan students.

Artist Amal Temmar, for her part, welcomed the tribute paid to her, encouraging younger generations to draw inspiration from the artistic experiences of their predecessors.

The program for this year’s festival, which runs until next Saturday, includes film screenings, professional meetings, masterclasses, and discussions bringing together filmmakers and industry professionals.

The jury for this year’s festival is composed of Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi, Iraqi producer Khaled Mohamed Salman, and Emirati producer Mohamed Jaafar Al-Eidrous. The festival prizes will recognize short films made by young Moroccan and international filmmakers.