Imouzzer Kandar: International Festival of Peoples’ Cinema screens films from seven countries

Imouzzer Kandar will host the 22nd edition of the International Festival of Peoples’ Cinema from Thursday, Nov. 12, to Sunday, Nov. 15, with films from seven countries competing. The Imouzzer Cinema Club Association organises the event.

The official competition brings together entries from Morocco, Syria, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Iraq and Cyprus. Four awards are at stake: the festival’s Grand Prize, the Best Cinematography Award, the Award for Promoting a People’s Culture, and the Audience Award, which lets viewers weigh in directly on a winner.

Moroccan actor Malik Akhmis chairs the jury this year, alongside young director Wadih Charad and actress Sanaa Bahjaj. Organisers will also pay tribute to Moroccan actress Saadia Azkoun, honouring her career and her contribution to Moroccan television drama and cinema.

Beyond the screenings, critics, researchers and industry professionals will take part in a discussion titled “Alternative film criticism: towards a plural reading of peoples’ cinema and voices from the margins.” The Higher Institute of Audiovisual and Cinema Professions and the Afra Foundation for Studies and Research supervise the session.

The programme also features the signing of “Cinema and Artificial Intelligence,” the 17th title published by the Imouzzer Cinema Club Association. Screenings and interactive activities for local school pupils close out the edition, meant to introduce young audiences to the language of film.