Marrakech Short Film Festival

Born from the crossroads of trade routes, Marrakech has been a hub of storytelling and creativity for hundreds of years. Abounding with iconic shooting locations, from the mystical Medina to its palm-filled hinterland, cinema is a crucial thread woven into the city’s cultural fabric. The advent of COVID19 and the resulting closure of cinemas has left local audiences with a thirst for the therapeutic pleasure of film-going. Founded during the pandemic, the MARRAKECsFF's mission was to slowly and safely reopen Marrakech’s ability to savoure the seventh art. We envision a weeklong open air festival with a daily audience, showcasing short films by emerging and established directors. The two hour ticketed events will include the screening of works selected by our jury, whose age, gender and ethnic diversity will reflect the inclusivity of Marrakech’s cultural scene. The short form will promote emerging filmmakers’ first cinematic outputs while leaving ample time for audience discussions. Though open to foreign submissions, our festival will focus on Moroccan talent, embodying the crucial lesson the current crisis has taught us about consuming local products, which includes visual culture. In an era where creatives across the globe are being told to abandon the pursuit of their dreams, we say that there has never been a greater need for them to keep on fighting through their art, and we are determined to create a platform to promote extraordinary cinematic talent. Our mission is to create a bridge between Marrakech and the world of short film. We want to showcase local talent while sharing the work of international filmmakers. To create a platform for the short film industry in Marrakech, Morocco and abroad and to highlight the heritage of abandoned cinema halls Marrakech /Morocco.