This cultural and artistic event, organised on the 30th and 31st of last December by the Federation of Cinema and Audiovisual Professionals in the Sahara, aims to build bridges of communication between filmmakers and facilitate the exchange of their experiences with cinema professionals, students, and enthusiasts of the field.
The opening ceremony of this edition was marked by a series of seminars and meetings focusing on "The image of the Sahara in Moroccan cinema", "The Sahara as a space for literary and cinematic creativity", "The role of professional actors in strengthening cinematic action in the southern provinces", and "The Sahara as a space for creativity in screenwriting".
On this occasion, producers, directors, filmmakers, and actors emphasised the importance that the diversity of the Saharan landscape and the richness of the Hassani cultural heritage bring to professionals for drawing inspiration and creating distinguished cinematic productions.
In this context, the speakers called for continued support for cinematic and media production dedicated to the Hassani heritage in all its aspects, as well as to the Saharan space as a creative field, which has inspired many filmmakers around the world with its infinite vastness.
They also stressed the need to document Hassani culture and activate training programmes dedicated to the seventh art, especially documentary film, calling on directors and filmmakers to encourage filming in Saharan spaces, diversify their productions, and exchange their experiences in order to produce high-quality documentary films.
They pointed out that the documentary film is the most suitable cinematic genre for promoting Hassani heritage in its various components, as it recounts the reality of events.
In his speech on the occasion, the President of the Federation of Cinema and Audiovisual Professionals in the Sahara, Said Azarbie, confirmed that the Federation aspires for this festival to be an annual meeting place to promote the Saharan space, learn about the assets of the Kingdom's southern regions, the spaces they contain, and the opportunities available for filming cinematic works.
In this context, he called for trusting the capabilities of directors and producers from the southern provinces and providing them with more opportunities to unleash their potential, citing in this regard the Moroccan director Ahmed Bouchkala, who won an award in London last November during the fifth edition of the "London Arthouse Film Festival".
The opening ceremony of the Sahara Film Festival was marked by honouring the dean of cinema in the southern provinces, Mouloud Zohair, in recognition of his contributions to this field.
The festival, which concluded its activities last Monday, featured screenings of documentary films by directors from the southern provinces on the subject of the Sahara, as well as the organisation of training workshops and meetings with filmmakers and producers.
