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The second edition of the Cinema Festival will take place from September 11 to 14 across 20 cinemas and multiplexes nationwide, organizers announced Wednesday evening during a launch ceremony at Casablanca’s Pathé Californie multiplex.
Organized in partnership with the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) and the Moroccan Chamber of Cinema Halls, the festival aims to make the seventh art accessible to all audiences while reinforcing the role of cinema in Morocco’s cultural life.
For four days, cinemas will transform into spaces for cultural exchange, featuring a program of more than 50 Moroccan and international films, all screened at a flat rate of MAD 30 ($3).
“This second edition confirms our commitment to making cinema an open space for everyone. We want theaters to be places of life, culture, and encounter,” said Frédéric Godfroid, Pathé Cinemas’ Africa operations director, in his opening remarks.
“The popular success of the first edition showed that there is a genuine demand, a real expectation.”
The opening night featured the premiere of “Sonate Nocturne”, directed by Abdeslam Kelai, with the film’s team in attendance.
“It is a great honor for me to open this second edition with ‘Sonate Nocturne’, a film I wanted to address to young people, their questions, and their relationship with love and emotional life,” the director told MAP.
“I warmly thank the festival organizers. Thanks to them, cinema becomes more accessible, more vibrant, and closer to the public. It is a strong act in favor of culture.”
The Cinema Festival targets a broad audience, including students, families, enthusiasts, and professionals, bringing them together around a shared passion.
Its goal is to create intergenerational moments of exchange, foster cultural dialogue, and celebrate the love of cinema.
Supported by partner cinemas, the initiative notes Morocco’s commitment to promoting and valuing the art of film. It unites industry stakeholders, including institutions, distributors, and professionals, around a common goal: strengthening cinema’s role in Moroccan culture and offering audiences an accessible, inclusive, and memorable experience.
As part of this second edition, partner organization Association Yed Najma will implement a program providing cinema outings for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This initiative will allow many young people to experience their first screening in a theater, reflecting the festival’s commitment to broadening cultural access and democratizing the seventh art for new generations.
MWN with MAP
