International Film Festival of Marrakech 2007

The International Film Festival of Marrakech, which first took place in 2001, is one of Morocco’s biggest annual events for the medium of film, which is increasingly gaining recognition as an art form. Apart from being a popular source of entertainment, films are used as a powerful tool for educating, and even indoctrinating, the public. Films serve to preserve cultural and historical events for future generations, just as films of past events have proven to be invaluable to present generations. Ever advancing technology opens up endless possibilities for the modern film maker. The visual aspect of films promotes universal appeal, which is further enhanced by subtitles or dubbing into many languages. This has resulted in many films becoming popular world-wide irrespective of culture and language groups.

The International Film Festival of Marrakech is designed along lines similar to the Cannes Festival. Previous festivals have attracted leading Hollywood film directors, such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, whose film “Kundun”, based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, was filmed in Morocco. Morocco has also been the setting for famous films such as David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Othello” which was directed by Orson Welles. By attracting film makers from all over the world, The International Film Festival promotes Morocco’s many natural and historical sights in an effort to attract further international movie productions. Morocco’s own developing film industry benefits from the festival and interaction with film makers from other countries.

Marrakech, with its market square that bustles with storey-tellers, acrobats, dancers and