Opening of the 30th edition of the Tetouan Mediterranean Film Festival

Tetouan – The 30th edition of the Tetouan Mediterranean Film Festival (FCMT) opened on Sunday evening, in the presence of a host of filmmakers, critics, and cinema enthusiasts from Morocco and abroad.

The opening ceremony of this event, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, was organized by the Festival Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), and other partners. The evening paid a vibrant tribute to Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch and Jordanian actor Eyad Nassar.

Held at the Español Cinema in the presence of the Governor of Tetouan Province, Abderrazzak Mansouri, the ceremony was also an opportunity to introduce the members of the official feature film competition jury, chaired by Italian director Leonardo di Costanzo, and composed of Moroccan filmmaker and screenwriter Asmae El Moudir, French actor and playwright Serge Barbuscia, Portuguese producer Isabel Machado, and Egyptian director and screenwriter Amir Ramses.

During the evening, which also featured musical interludes, the audience was introduced to the members of the Mustapha Mesnaoui Jury for Film Criticism, composed of Moroccan journalist Fatima Ifriqui, French film critic Cédric Lépine, and Italian journalist and critic Francesco Pontiggia.

The members of the jury for the third edition of “Les Ateliers de Tétouan”, a program dedicated to supporting fiction and documentary feature film projects in development, were also presented.

This jury includes writer and screenwriter Layali Badr (Palestine/Jordan), Moroccan writer and academic Mohamed Noureddine Afaya, German producer Christoph Thoke, and Spanish director and producer Ignacio Vuelta.

Ten recent feature films and documentaries are competing this year for the festival’s top honors. Coming from eight countries, these films explore a wide range of genres—from intimate fiction to socially engaged documentaries.

The selected films include:

• “Vermiglio” (The Bride of the Mountains) by Maura Delpero (Italy, France, Belgium),

• “Le Lac Bleu” by Daoud Aoulad-Syad (Morocco),

• “Soundtrack to a Coup d’État” by Johan Grimonprez (France, Belgium),

• “Evcilik” by Ümit Ünal (Turkey),

• “Il Tempo che ci Vuole” by Francesca Comencini (Italy, France),

• “La Guitarra Flamenca de Yerai Cortés” by Antón Álvarez (Spain),

• “Le Royaume” by Julien Colonna (France),

• “Mammifère” by Liliana Torres (Spain),

• “Sonate Nocturne” by Abdeslam Kelai (Morocco),

• “İdea” by Tayfun Pirselimoğlu (Turkey).

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Housni, President of the FCMT Foundation, reaffirmed the festival’s commitment to remaining a cinematic platform promoting intercultural dialogue and solidarity, emphasizing that this edition—marked by the strong presence of filmmakers from the Arab world and Europe—will continue to inspire and engage future generations.

The evening concluded with a screening of “Il ladro di bambini” (The Stolen Children) by Gianni Amelio (Italy, 1992), an iconic work of Italian cinema acclaimed for its powerful direction and profound portrayal of childhood.

In addition to the official competition, the festival’s program features several sections, including “Coup de Cœur”, tribute screenings, and a selection of emblematic works that have marked the history of the festival.

Panels, meetings, and workshops will also explore themes related to creation, aesthetics, and knowledge transmission, led by renowned directors, critics, academics, and artists.

Among the topics addressed are:

• “Women Filmmakers in the Mediterranean: The New Wave”,

• “Comedies in the Mediterranean: Norms and Deviations”, and

• “The Geopoetics of Mediterranean Cinema”.

Since its creation in 1985 by the “Friends of Cinema of Tetouan” Association (ACT), the FCMT has continuously promoted Mediterranean cinema and upheld the values of a diverse and demanding cinephilia.

Renowned for its commitment and contribution to the dissemination of Mediterranean cinema, the festival remains above all the festival of a city—Tetouan, a cradle of the arts that, from music to visual arts, has long nurtured and continues to foster artistic movements whose influence extends far beyond the region.