Marrakech already looks cinematic. Now the city is literally turning itself into a cinema.
The Marrakech Short Film Festival returns for its sixth edition from September 25 to 30, bringing Moroccan and international short films into some of the city’s most iconic spaces.
And we’re not talking about sitting inside the same dark screening room for six days.
The festival is taking cinema across Marrakech, with locations including Palais El Badii, Palais Bahia, Cyber Parc and Les Étoiles de Jamaa El Fna becoming part of the experience.
This year’s edition is also getting noticeably more international. Organizers say more than 400 films representing over 90 countries were submitted, while Malta joins the festival as its guest country.
Turkish actress Tuba Büyüküstün will preside over the international jury, while Moroccan, African and international filmmakers will compete and participate in screenings, talks and industry events.
But one of the festival’s most interesting elements is what happens beyond the screenings.
Through initiatives such as AMANAR, the festival is creating more space for emerging filmmakers and helping connect Moroccan and African cinema with the international industry. Its documentary component, Bridges of Reality, adds another layer for audiences interested in stories beyond traditional fiction.
For young Moroccan filmmakers or anyone whose Notes app currently contains “make a short film someday” that makes the festival much more than a cute cinema night.
It’s a place to watch, meet, learn and potentially get your own work moving.
Six days. Marrakech. Hundreds of films. Main-character energy basically included.
