Since its inception in 2001, the Marrakech International Film Festival has been a beacon for diverse cinematic voices, bridging cultures and genres while celebrating both legendary filmmakers and emerging talents. As the festival gears up for its 22nd edition, director Mélita Toscan du Plantier shares insights with Yabiladi on the artistic choices and support systems that make FIFM a global platform for free expression and a rich tapestry of world cinema. If a promise is a thread of commitments that weaves strong ties, the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) has been honoring that promise since 2001, presenting an eclectic cinema that bridges documentary and fiction, reality and imagination. For more than twenty years, it has celebrated both great masters of the seventh art and emerging voices. In the ochre city, many have been discovered, supported, and rewarded for the quality of their films, true windows onto different worlds. Ahead of the Festival's twenty-second edition (from November 28 to December 6, 2025), the director and advisor to the President of the FIFM Foundation, Mélita Toscan du Plantier, discusses with Yabiladi the artistic choices that celebrate this diversity. The interview is also an opportunity to reflect on the forms of support that make FIFM a space of free expression for cinemas from every continent. The filmmakers and artists featured come from Morocco and all over the world. Is this a way to celebrate cinema in its international dimension? The festival has always welcomed artists from very diverse backgrounds. This year, the presence of the four personalities we are honoring is a perfect illustration: Jodie Foster, whose remarkable career spans over five decades; Guillermo del Toro, whose imagination has profoundly transformed contemporary cinema; Raouya, an essential voice of Moroccan cinema; and Hussein Fahmi, a major figure of Egyptian and Arab cinema. This diversity reflects how cinema circulates today: works, sensibilities, and experiences that intersect and respond to each other from one continent to another. The festival naturally aligns with this movement by creating a space where these voices can meet and be shared with the public. FIFM 2025 features 82 films, more than in recent years. How was this selection conceived? We aimed to build a selection that truly reflects the diversity of forms, writings, and perspectives shaping world cinema today. The 82 films in this edition come from 31 countries and are divided into sections, each serving a specific purpose. The Competition presents 14 first and second features, in line with the festival's commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers, often engaged and formally ambitious. The Galas feature highly anticipated works, world or international premieres, or films by the artists we are honoring this year. Horizons offers a panorama of contemporary cinema through 19 films, combining major names, Park Chan-wook, Claire Denis, Jim Jarmusch, Kelly Reichardt, with a new generation already circulating through major festivals. The 11th Continent gives space to more experimental works or films that explore unconventional forms, whether fiction or documentary. The Moroccan panorama gathers 15 films, fictions and documentaries, that reflect the richness of national creation. It brings together established voices and younger filmmakers with diverse themes and formal approaches. This section is important to us, as it offers audiences and professionals a faithful overview of the country's cinematic landscape. The Young Audience & Family section introduces children to cinema through works tailored to their age yet maintaining real artistic ambition. The higher number of films this year is simply because the quality of the submissions justified it. The selection was built as a coherent whole, with each section contributing in its own way to reflecting the state of contemporary cinema. These films showcase world cinemas, including Arab and Moroccan productions across multiple sections. Is this an artistic choice to break away from a certain vision that has long sidelined them internationally? Yes, it is an artistic choice, but above all a natural evolution. Today, Arab and Moroccan films embrace forms and approaches that dialogue freely with those from elsewhere. It is therefore natural to find them in various sections, Competition, Gala, Horizons, or the 11th Continent, depending on what each film conveys. The idea is not to «break barriers» but to consider these works for what they are artistically. Their place in the festival is determined by their identity, narrative, and cinematic approach, just like any other international film. How has the visibility of Moroccan, Arab, and African cinema evolved through the editions of FIFM? It has grown significantly. A defining moment was 2023, when the Golden Star was awarded for the first time to a Moroccan film: «The Mother of All Lies» by Asmae El Moudir. The film had twice been supported by the Atlas Workshops before being awarded at Cannes, illustrating the continuity of support we aim to provide. That same year, «The Packs» by Kamal Lazraq, also developed at the Workshops, was honored in Cannes and Marrakech. Since the creation of the Atlas Workshops in 2018, we have seen a genuine dynamic emerge in Morocco and throughout the region. Atlas Programs, through its various components (Atlas Workshops, Atlas Station, Atlas Distribution, Atlas Press), now supports films at multiple stages, from development to distribution. This is reflected in the growing and diversified presence of Moroccan films across the festival, first features, works by established filmmakers, documentaries, and fiction films. Regionally, we observe the same vitality: a new generation of Arab and African filmmakers developing unique, powerful cinema that resonates internationally. This evolution is driven by their creativity, the progressive structuring of local industries, and support programs like those developed by the Festival. What do this year's Conversations involve? The Conversations provide a space where artists freely share their journeys, methods, and relationship with cinema. It is an opportunity to hear very different voices, each shaped by a singular experience. This year, we are honored to welcome Bong Joon-ho, the jury president, who will discuss his approach to genre and storytelling. Jodie Foster will reflect on decades of work in front of and behind the camera. Guillermo del Toro will explore his connection to the fantastic. Andrew Dominik will discuss complex characters, between fiction and portrait. Laurence Fishburne will speak as actor, producer, and director. Karan Johar will shed light on Bollywood's production system; Bill Kramer will discuss the role of the Oscars today; Nadine Labaki, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Jafar Panahi, Tahar Rahim, and Yousra will each bring their unique perspectives. Two duos will complete the program: a dialogue between Virginie Efira and Chiara Mastroianni on acting, and another between Asmae El Moudir and Karima Saïdi on how Moroccan documentary reflects on memory. These moments are highly anticipated because they offer direct access to artistic thinking. They are entirely free, like all Festival screenings, registration is all that's needed. Since last year, the Conversations take place at the Meydene Theater at M Avenue, a venue offering excellent conditions for audiences. Beyond the films, this edition also expands its support programs, including the Atlas Workshops. How have these initiatives evolved? What direction are they taking? Atlas Programs has been built progressively, based on the needs we observed among filmmakers and industry professionals in the region. Since 2018, the Atlas Workshops have been at its core: they support projects in development, production, or post-production, offering hands-on guidance that has proven decisive for many Arab, African, and Moroccan films. Over the years, the initiative has broadened to better cover the different stages of a film's journey. Atlas Station now supports young Moroccan producers and directors by giving them a structured environment for exchanges and professional meetings directly linked to the realities of the industry. The recently launched Atlas Distribution Awards encourage the circulation of films across the region. This year, they will be complemented by the Atlas Distribution Meetings, which will bring together distributors from Africa, the Arab world, and Europe to create stronger bridges between markets. We have also developed Atlas Press, a program aimed at journalists and students in Morocco to foster new forms of film writing and encourage a critical, attentive, and open engagement with cinema. The overall direction remains the same: to provide support on several levels while staying attuned to the evolution of practices, expectations, and professional needs. Our ambition is to contribute—on our scale—to strengthening Moroccan, Arab, and African cinematic ecosystems by creating working spaces that foster continuity, knowledge sharing, and cooperation. In recent years, conversation has grown around cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as a driver of human and economic development. Does the evolution of Atlas Programs fit into this dynamic? Yes, absolutely. Today, CCIs play an increasingly important role in many countries, and cinema is a full part of this momentum. By reinforcing support mechanisms, we help structure a favorable professional environment: the transmission of know-how, network development, visibility, and support for distribution. It is a way of reinforcing the ecosystem as a whole—not only the films selected by the festival. Films shown at FIFM are accessible across several venues, to young and first-time audiences, cinephiles, and professionals alike. How has this openness shaped how spectators interact with cinema spaces in Marrakech? It has broadened their habits. Between the Palais des Congrès, the Colisée, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, and the Meydene, different audiences come together, each with their own way of approaching cinema. This variety of venues creates a sense of closeness to the festival and helps make cinema an accessible, shared experience throughout the city.
