Renowned Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, who clinched the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, will serve as the patron for the eighth edition of the Atlas Workshops, a key component of the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival (MIFF), scheduled from November 28 to December 6. The industry platform of the MIFF 2025 will unfold from November 30 to December 4, showcasing 28 Moroccan and international works. These will benefit from enhanced support programs and the collaborative efforts of the Atlas Programs. According to an official statement, the lineup includes «12 projects in development (10 fiction and 2 documentaries, with 5 being debut feature films) from 9 countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Mozambique, Palestine, and Tanzania; 10 films in production or post-production (9 fiction and 1 documentary, with 5 debut feature films) from 7 countries: Egypt, Ghana, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Yemen; 5 Moroccan projects in the Views on the Atlas section (5 fiction films in development, all debut features); and 1 Moroccan film in final editing in the Atlas Film Showcase section, seeking a festival premiere». This edition will spotlight the latest work by Palestinian directors Scandar Copti (Golden Star of MIFF 2024 for Happy Holidays) and Maha Haj (Personal Affairs, Mediterranean Fever), the adaptation of Augustin Sondé Coulibaly's novel «Les Dieux délinquants» (1982) by Burkinabe filmmaker Boubacar Sangaré (Or de vie, Atlas Workshops 2022), as well as projects by Egyptian directors Jad Chahine (The Call of the Brook, Cinef – Cannes 2023) and Mohammed Hammad (Withered Green, Locarno 2016), among others. From Lebanon, the selected projects feature talents like Vatche Boulghourjian, Rami Kodeih, Mounia Akl, and Michèle Tyan. Representing Morocco, the selection includes Basma Rkioui, Zineb Wakrim, Laïla Marrakchi, and Asmae El Moudir (Golden Star of the MIFF 2023), as well as Mohamed Zineddaine in the Atlas Film Showcase section. Additionally, the Views on the Atlas section will feature five feature film projects in development by Moroccan filmmakers Halima Elkhatabi, Reda Lahmouid, Zahoua Raji, Ayoub Layoussifi, Shaden Safieddine Tazi, and Leyna Tahiri. This year, the professional program Atlas Station continues its mission to elevate the skills of young national producers. A new session will focus on short film projects by Moroccan directors, whether in production or post-production, as highlighted by the organizers. Launched in 2023, the Atlas Distribution Awards aims to boost the circulation of films in the Arab world and Africa, further enriched by the Atlas Distribution Meetings. This initiative will gather around sixty distribution experts from Africa, the Arab world, and Europe, with the goal to «encourage exchanges, stimulate regional cooperation, and enhance the visibility of regional cinemas».
