The MedFilm Festival’s Founding President, Ginella Vocca, announced in a press conference held in Rabat that the festival is launching a new prize to be awarded to aspiring young cinema professionals.
Vocca stated that through a collaboration with the Higher Institute of Visual Arts and Cinema Professions (ISMAC) and the Italian Cultural Institute in Rabat, the festival, held under the theme “The Mediterranean… a Sea of Cinema,” will recognize three emerging filmmakers among ISMAC students based on their graduation short films.
“We will offer three scholarships, valued at €2,500, €1,500, and €1,000, respectively,” she added.
The winner of the first prize will also participate in the 30th MedFilm Festival in Rome as part of the Methexis project.
“This is a significant advancement in our program, indicating a strong interest in remarkable stories from our combined communities,” Vocca stated.
ISMAC Director Hakim Belabbes stated that the award, created for students, represents a joint effort to enhance cooperation with respect to cinema production.
“These young individuals serve as ambassadors of our common cultural heritage and will actively contribute to promoting a positive image of the Mediterranean region as an open and diverse space,” Belabbes said.
Belabbes also told Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) that the collaboration between ISMAC and the MedFilm Festival is an illustration of the value of friendship and the role of cinema as an “instrumental force.”
He illustrated the value of music as a medium for cultural exchange, noting its ability to transcend political, geographical, and ideological boundaries.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the MedFilm Festival extends its itinerary across the Mediterranean with forthcoming events in Morocco from September 25 to 29, 2024, at the Renaissance Cinema in Rabat and from October 2 to 5 at the Tangier Cinematheque.
The event will feature film screenings, guest speakers, presentations, masterclasses, and art performances.
The festival program includes a selection of seven Italian films, chosen from the most acclaimed works of 2024.
The event will commence with the opening film, “Me, Captain,” directed by Matteo Garrone. The film chronicles the journey of two young Senegalese individuals striving to achieve their aspirations of a future in Europe. It has received seven David di Donatello awards and has been nominated for the 2024 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
The Italian Embassy in Morocco and the Italian Cultural Institute in Rabat, in collaboration with the Methexis Onlus Association, the Hiba Foundation, the Renaissance Cinema in Rabat, the Tangier Cinematheque, and ISMAC Rabat, jointly co-sponsored the event to showcase the very best of Euro-Mediterranean cinema in Morocco.