The International Comic Strip Forum (FiBaD) returns to Tetouan for its 18th edition, taking place from May 12 to 17 at the Center for Modern Art. Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, in partnership with the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) and the Chouf Association, the event aims to be «artistic, educational, and symbolic», celebrating «25 years of Moroccan comic art and the richness of international collaborations». Organizers emphasize that FiBaD is one of the «major events of its kind in Africa and the Middle East». This year's edition is a double celebration, marking both the 25th anniversary of the founding of INBA's comic strip department and the 80th anniversary of the Tetouan School of Fine Arts. These milestones «reflect the ministry's pioneering commitment to the narrative visual arts, both in Morocco and across the African continent». Special focus will also be given to longstanding partnerships that have shaped FiBaD's journey, particularly cultural collaborations with Wallonia-Brussels, the French Institute of Morocco, and the Cervantes Institute—partners whose continuous support has helped expand the festival's international reach. The program includes tributes to key figures in Moroccan comic art, such as Oum El Banine Slaoui and Maaté Daoudi—the first Moroccans to hold doctorates in visual arts and former INBA professors—as well as author Youssef Daoudi (known for Moroccans of the World) and Mina Koraichi, a young creator and winner of the 2024 Raymond Leblanc Prize. A major exhibition, «25 Years of Moroccan Comics», will highlight a quarter-century of national creativity. This retrospective explores the evolution of a once-marginalized art form that has become a powerful medium of social, cultural, economic, and political expression. Featured artists include Mohammed Amine El Bellaoui (Rebel Spirit), Zainab Fasiki, Omar Ennaciri, Brahim Rais, Mehdi Annassi, Malika Dahil, and others. FiBaD will also host North-South professional meetings, bringing together publishers from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East—including Glénat, Rue de Sèvres, En 3000 Editions, and the Hiba Foundation—to discuss co-publishing and translation. «The African dimension will be particularly strong this year», organizers note, with authors and publishers from Togo, Senegal, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo engaging in dialogue with their Moroccan and European peers. Cinema also has its place in the program, with a screening of Bubbles, a documentary by Hassan Maanany that traces the origins of the festival and the development of comics in Morocco. Finally, festival-goers can look forward to «Mangas – The After FiBaD», a closing event featuring Moroccan manga specialists as well as guests from other African countries and Japan. A live drawing concert will cap off the program, bringing together Italian singer Marta del Grandi and illustrator Cecilia Valagussa as part of the Comics Beyond project.
