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| Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga | |
|---|---|
| Name | Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga |
| Native name | Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga |
| Location | Khouribga, Morocco |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founders | Union Nationale du Cinéma Marocain |
| Language | Arabic, French |
Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga is a recurring film festival established in 1977 in Khouribga, Morocco, that focuses on African cinema and Francophone film communities. The festival has hosted filmmakers, critics, and institutions from across Africa and the global Francophonie, engaging with organizations such as UNESCO, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, African Union, CNC (France), and Institut Français. The event functions as a meeting point for practitioners tied to Cairo International Film Festival, FESPACO, Durban International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival, facilitating co-productions and distribution with entities like CANAL+, Netflix, Mubi, Arte.
The festival was inaugurated in 1977 with support from Moroccan cultural bodies including Ministry of Culture (Morocco), Union Nationale du Cinéma Marocain, and municipal authorities of Khouribga, drawing early participation from filmmakers associated with Ousmane Sembène, Souleymane Cissé, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Idrissa Ouédraogo, and institutions such as Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée and Institut du Monde Arabe. Across the 1980s and 1990s the festival engaged with networks around Cairo International Film Festival, Vues d'Afrique, Festival de Cannes, Venice Film Festival, and Carte Blanche (festival sections), while showcasing works connected to producers like Youssef Chahine, Abderrahmane Sissako, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Haile Gerima, and financiers such as Channel 4 and European Union. Political, cultural, and industrial shifts involving Apartheid, End of the Cold War, Arab Spring, and regional policies influenced programming and participation, with retrospective shows honoring figures like Agnès Varda and Jean Rouch and collaborations with archives including Cinémathèque Française and British Film Institute.
Festival governance interlinks municipal authorities of Khouribga, national bodies like Ministry of Culture (Morocco), and associations such as Union Nationale du Cinéma Marocain and Fédération Africaine des Cinéastes, working with partners including UNESCO, Institut Français, AFD, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, and broadcasters like RTM (Morocco), ORTM, Espace TV5MONDE. Programming committees have drawn critics and scholars associated with FESPACO, Cairo International Film Festival, TIFF', Sundance Film Festival, Variety, and Cahiers du Cinéma, while technical juries include professionals from CNC (France), Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, European Film Academy, African Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, and distribution companies such as Wild Bunch and Fortissimo Films. Operational divisions cover sections for short films, feature films, documentaries, and restoration projects linked with World Cinema Project and Filmoteca Española, and educational strands coordinate with University of Hassan II, ISADAC, and regional film schools.
The festival program traditionally features competitive sections for features and shorts, documentary showcases, retrospectives, masterclasses, and industry forums mirroring formats from FESPACO, Cairo International Film Festival, TIFF, Locarno, and Sundance. Award categories and prizes have been presented with endorsements from entities such as UNESCO, Institut Français, CANAL+, CNC (France), and private foundations linked to Prince Claus Fund and Ford Foundation. Prizes often include cash awards, distribution deals with CANAL+, festival circuit invitations to Venice Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, and technical support coordinated with World Cinema Project and Fondation Gan pour le Cinéma. The festival has hosted juries composed of representatives from Cahiers du Cinéma, Variety, Screen International, European Film Academy, Academy Awards voters, and African institutions like Union of African Journalists.
Over its history the festival screened and celebrated works by filmmakers such as Ousmane Sembène, Souleymane Cissé, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Abderrahmane Sissako, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Haile Gerima, Idrissa Ouédraogo, Youssef Chahine, Tayeb Saddiki, Nabil Ayouch, Hicham Lasri, Meryem Benm'Barek, Noureddine Lakhmari, Nadine Labaki, Gaston Kaboré, Serigne Leye, Moussa Sene Absa, Amistad (film), The Battle of Algiers, and restorations of works by Alain Resnais and Jean Rouch. The festival has been a platform for debut features that later circulated to Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and streaming premieres on Netflix and Mubi.
The festival has influenced film circuits and cultural policy across Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Tunisia, and broader Africa while attracting attention from international media such as Le Monde, The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC, and trade press including Variety and Screen International. Its reception among critics and scholars linked to Cahiers du Cinéma, Sight & Sound, Journal of African Cultural Studies, and Black Camera highlights contributions to preservation efforts by Cinémathèque Française and distribution pathways via CANAL+ and Arte. Cultural diplomacy outcomes connected to UNESCO and Organisation internationale de la Francophonie have been cited in reports by African Union and European Commission delegations, and the festival’s economic and social effects involve partnerships with OCP Group and municipal projects in Khouribga.
Events take place in venues across Khouribga including municipal theaters, cultural centers, and outdoor screenings coordinated with local authorities and sponsors such as OCP Group, Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (protocol), Ministry of Tourism (Morocco), and institutions like Institut Français and British Council. Festival features include masterclasses led by figures associated with FESPACO, Cairo International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and Festival de Cannes; restoration screenings in partnership with Cinémathèque Française and British Film Institute; market days inspired by Marché du Film and CineMart; and workshops for emerging filmmakers linked to ISADAC, University of Hassan II, and regional film schools. The urban and industrial landscape of Khouribga provides a contextual backdrop referenced in catalogues alongside archival programs from Filmoteca Española and international retrospectives organized with Fondation Gan pour le Cinéma.
Category:Film festivals in Morocco Category:African film festivals