“The festival’s self-designation as “international” naturally suggests, even demands, diversity across its lineup, jury composition, and honorees.
Yet, while some measure of global representation should be expected, the festival’s pronounced Western focus remains striking.
This orientation becomes particularly noteworthy when considered against the current state of Africa’s fragmented, uneven, and globally underrepresented cinemas – a context that might reasonably lead one to expect a major festival on the continent to favor, or at least more robustly support, African filmmaking across all sections.
This assessment of the Marrakech International Film Festival isn’t necessarily a call for a major overhaul of its existing strategies.
Instead, it offers a straightforward analysis, grounded in facts, that illustrates the festival’s current state—somewhere between embracing its African/Arab roots and aspiring to Western recognition.”
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