Kick-off for the 17th Salé International Women’s Film Festival
The curtain was raised on the 17th edition of the Salé International Women’s Film Festival on the evening of Monday 23 September 2024 at the Hollywood cinema, in the presence of the Governor of the Salé Prefecture, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Hungarian Ambassador, a number of diplomatic, artistic and community figures, representatives of the elected councils of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and a large audience of citizens.
Organised from 23 to 28 September by the Bouregreg Association under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Festival provides a platform for female filmmakers from a variety of backgrounds to share their respective experiences, debate the challenges facing their profession and issues relating to the status of women through cinema.
In a welcoming speech, Noureddine Chemaou, President of the Bouregreg Association and President of the Festival, pointed out that this 17th edition of the Festival coincides with the rehabilitation and enhancement of the material heritage of the city of Salé, and that the public will have the opportunity, for the first time as part of the Festival, to attend open-air screenings in the different areas of the old medina of Salé.
Mr Chemaou also highlighted the diversity of screening venues and the wealth of daily activities organised as part of this cinematic event, underlining the special place that the Festival has given to young people in its programming, notably through training workshops.
For his part, Omar Sentissi, President of the Salé Local Council, emphasised that the organisation of the festival, like other events in the city, was part of the drive to strengthen Salé’s role in the Kingdom’s cultural development, particularly in the film industry.
He also added that over the years, this cultural event has acquired a high profile both nationally and internationally, thanks to its constant openness to Moroccan and foreign women’s films.
The opening ceremony of this 17th edition was marked by a tribute to pioneering female filmmakers from Morocco and elsewhere, notably the Egyptian actress Dalia El Beheri for her remarkable career in cinema and television, and the Moroccan actress Saâdia Ladib for her outstanding cinematographic career.
At the same ceremony, the members of the jury for the Official Feature Film Competition, chaired by Moroccan actress and director Maryam Touzani, the jury for the Documentary Film Competition, chaired by Danielle Davie from Lebanon, and the jury for the Young Audience Award, chaired by director and producer Narjisse Tahiri, were introduced.
The audience was then treated to a portrait of the director and pioneer of Hungarian cinema, Márta Mészáros, as well as extracts from films in the Festival’s general programme.
