Martin Scorsese returns to Marrakech
A familiar face in Morocco and at the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM), Martin Scorsese is back for his sixth appearance at the event. The American filmmaker will be in the ochre city from November 24 to December 2 to take part in the 20th edition. With this in mind, Scorsese has agreed to be the patron of the sixth edition of Ateliers de l’Atlas, the festival’s industrial program dedicated to talents from the region.
Martin Scorsese will thus be the first major personality to be invited to sponsor an edition of Les Ateliers, and to lend his name to its graduating class. A legendary director and ardent defender of the movies industry, Martin Scorsese has been one of the world’s most influential artists for over 40 years. A long-standing supporter of the Marrakech Festival, the director of the legendary Irishman trilogy declares: “I’m always delighted to return to the Marrakech Festival, which is so dear to me. When I’m not there in person, I’m there in spirit. For this very special anniversary edition of the Festival, I’ve been entrusted with a precious mission: to exchange with young filmmakers and help guide them on their path. I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends and making new ones” .
As an industrial talent development program initiated in 2018 by the Marrakesh International Film Festival, the Ateliers de l’Atlas event supports the emergence of a new generation of Moroccan, Arab, and African filmmakers and creates a space for exchanges between international professionals and regional talent. Through a dense program, the Ateliers offer filmmakers the chance to accelerate production, gain a better understanding of the market, and strengthen their network. After five editions, the event, which has grown to become a veritable factory for the regional seventh art, has supported 111 projects and films, including 48 Moroccan projects and films. In recent years, several films supported by Ateliers de l’Atlas have been selected and been awarded prizes at major international festivals, confirming the role of Ateliers de l’Atlas as a key incubator and platform for the region. At the last Cannes Film Festival, four films supported by Les Ateliers were present in various sections: “The mother of all lies” by Asmae El Moudir (A Certain Glance section of the Cannes Festival- Director’s Award, Oeil d’or for Best Documentary), “Les meutes” by Kamal Lazraq (A Certain Glance section – Prize of the Jury), “Inshallah a boy” by Amjad Al Rasheed (Critics’ Week – GAN Foundation Distribution Award) and “Désert” by Faouzi Bensaïdi (Cinematographers’ Fortnight ).
The next edition of the Ateliers de l’Atlas is already promising to be an exceptional one, with the presence of Martin Scorsese, who will take part in several sessions with the selected project leaders. He will also be inaugurating a new festival tradition: each year, a major figure in world cinema will sponsor the workshops. Each year’s class of winners will bear the name of the celebrity who sponsored them. The class of 2023 will thus be called the “Martin Scorsese class” . The sixth edition of Ateliers de l’Atlas will be held from November 27 to 30, in conjunction with the twentieth Marrakech International Film Festival.
A.BO
