Opening of the 18th edition of the International Women’s Film Festival in Salé.

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist and support him, the 18th edition of the International Women’s Film Festival of Salé kicked off on the evening of Monday, September 22.
The festival, organized by the Bouregreg Association with the support of the municipal council of the city of Salé, will run until the 27th of this month, and features the participation of a distinguished group of renowned cinema figures from around the globe.

The opening ceremony, which was attended by Mr. Omar Sentissi, President of the Salé Commune, along with several political, cultural, and media personalities, began with a welcoming speech by Mr. Noureddine Chamaou, President of the Bouregreg Association.

The event also included a tribute to four prominent women from the world of cinema and media: Moroccan actresses Souad Nejjar and Farah El Fassi, Egyptian actress Hanan Motawie, and Moroccan journalist Sabah Bendawoud.

Ten feature-length fiction films are competing in the festival’s official competition, representing a blend of new productions that explore a variety of women’s issues. These films come from Morocco, France, Spain, Germany, China, the Czech Republic, Norway, Austria, Brazil, and Senegal.
The jury for this category is chaired by Brazilian director Sandra Kogut, and includes French filmmaker Valérie Massadian, Lebanese actress Takla Chamoun, Moroccan actress Sanae Alaoui, and Rwandan filmmaker Myriam Uwiragiye Birara.

The competition also includes a Best First Work award, Best Actress and Best Actor awards, in addition to the Grand Prize and the Special Jury Prize.
The festival also awards the “Other Shore” Prize for producers, as well as two Youth Audience Prizes for Best Moroccan Film (feature and short).

In the women’s documentary film competition, five feature-length documentaries are participating, representing France, Belgium, Canada, and South Africa, all produced in the current year. The jury is chaired by French producer Annie Ohayon-Decler, and includes Belgian-Gabonese director Nathalie Pontalier and French screenwriter Laetitia Kugler.

The festival also features a number of panel discussions on various topics, including “Cinema and Censorship” and “The Legacy of Salé’s Women in Culture and Heritage,” as well as a dialogue session between directors Khawla Asbab Benomar and Raouf Sabah, and a commemorative tribute to the late Moroccan artist Mohamed Choubi.

As part of the book presentation segment, the festival will host Professor Najat Narsi, a researcher at Hassan II University in Casablanca, to present her book “Gender and Women’s Studies: Key Concepts”. This dictionary-style work is important as it seeks to fill a gap in the field of specialized terminology for women’s and gender studies by standardizing and precisely defining key terms and concepts.