Rabat International Film Festival (Festival International du Film de Rabat)

Overview

The Rabat International Film Festival is Morocco's second major international film festival, held annually in October in Rabat, Morocco's political capital. Founded in 2011, the festival complements the more glamorous and internationally prominent Marrakech International Film Festival by focusing specifically on Arab and African cinema rather than the broader international program that Marrakech presents.

Rabat's identity as Morocco's government capital gives the festival a different character from Marrakech's tourism-driven glamour. Programming at Rabat tends toward more politically engaged and socially relevant cinema that engages with Arab and African realities.

Morocco has one of the most active film industries in the Arab world, and the combination of the Marrakech and Rabat festivals provides Moroccan cinema with two significant domestic platforms.

Key Sections

• Arab Film Competition -- films from the Arab world competing for jury prizes
• African Film Competition -- films from across Africa
• Moroccan Cinema -- a showcase for new Moroccan films
• Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
• Short Films -- Arab and African short programs

What Filmmakers Should Know

The festival accepts open submissions. For Arab and African filmmakers, Rabat provides a competitive platform distinct from Marrakech's more glamour-oriented programming. The festival's focus on Arab and African cinema creates a more targeted competitive environment for films from these regions.

Major Awards

• Laayoun d'Or (Gold Award) -- Best Arab or African Film
• Special Jury Prize
• Best Moroccan Film
• Audience Award

Festival History

The Rabat International Film Festival was founded in 2011 with a deliberate focus on Arab and African cinema as distinct from Marrakech's more internationally oriented programming.

See Also

For North African cinema, see International Film Markets. For Marrakech, see Marrakech International Film Festival.