Venice Film Festival: Morocco Emerges as Strategic Partner in Cinematic Co-Productions

A significant number of successful film projects “illustrate the dynamism of Moroccan-international co-productions and their impact on the visibility of national cinema,” emphasized speakers at a discussion organized by the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) as part of the Venice Production Bridge.

During this panel focused on co-production opportunities, participants highlighted examples such as feature films Calle Malaga by Meriem Touzani, Behind the Palm Trees by Meriem Ben Mbarek, and the in-development projects Out of School and We Could Be Heroes led by Hind Besari. 

Producers from diverse backgrounds—Moroccan, French, Spanish, and Danish—also explored ways to strengthen collaborative prospects, addressing challenges related to funding and distribution while underscoring opportunities presented by intercontinental co-productions. 

Concurrently, three Moroccan feature films were selected for the Venice Gap-Financing Market, a platform dedicated to European and international film projects seeking additional funding. Morocco reaffirmed its prominence with the inclusion of in-development films Tarfaya by Sofia Alaoui, The Black Pearl by Ayoub Qanir, and The Missing Camel by Cheikh N’Diaye within this exchange platform. 

The Venice Gap-Financing Market serves as a nexus connecting selected producers with key global industry decision-makers, including distributors, sales agents, financiers, public and private funds, streaming platforms, broadcasters, and post-production companies. For the first time in its history, Morocco is being honored at the Venice Production Bridge during the 82nd Venice Film Festival, held from August 27 to September 6 in the iconic city of Venice.