MARRAKECH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2026
A 6th edition shaped by cultural diplomacy, a growing international reach, and a strengthened local presence
Marrakech, August 2026 — The “Marrakech Short Film Festival (MARRAKECHsFF)” unveils the Official Selection of its “6th edition”, taking place from ”25 to 30 September 2026 in Marrakech’.
With more than 400 short films submitted from over 90 countries across five continents, this new edition confirms the festival’s growing international reach and its ambition to position Marrakech as a space for the circulation of films, ideas, and talent.
This sixth edition places cultural diplomacy at the heart of MARRAKECHsFF’s vision. Through cinema and the short film format, the festival builds bridges between countries, encourages dialogue between cultures, and brings together artists, institutions, and industry professionals around a common language: creativity.
This international outlook goes hand in hand with a strengthened local presence. The festival will take place across several emblematic venues in Marrakech, including **El Badi Palace, Cyber Park, The Folk, Institut français de Marrakech, Meydene, and the World Storytelling Café**, bringing cinema into the heart of the city and fostering encounters between international guests, Moroccan professionals, and local audiences.
A National Selection at the Heart of Morocco’s New Generation of Filmmakers
The National Competition remains one of the festival’s central pillars. It highlights a new generation of Moroccan filmmakers and talents while providing them with a platform for visibility and opportunities to connect with international professionals and institutions.
For the Belarj Prize, the selection includes *Fading Candle* by Ismail Ait Lahcen, *Aicha* by Sanaa El Alaoui, *Two Ways* by Yassine Iguenfer, *Mesk Ellil* by Rami Adnane, and *Behind the Curtain’s Edge* by Kacem Skalli.
The Nakhil Prize selection includes *Aicha* by Sanaa El Alaoui, *Two Ways* by Yassine Iguenfer, and *Paradise Garden* by Sonia Terrab.
For the Behja Prize, the selected talents are Aziz Hattab for *Phone Breaker*, Sandia Tajdine for *Les Liens Invisibles*, Khadija Salamadina for *Paradise Garden*, and Mohamed Ben Seltana for *65 Days*.
Four films complete the National Selection Out of Competition: *Quo Vadis Meryem* by Amine Zeriouh, *With the Wind* by Ines Lehaire, *Investigation* by Marwan Chiguer, and *Crawling Birds* by Karim Taj.
An International Competition as a Space for Dialogue
The **International Competition** brings together films and filmmakers from countries including Italy, Iraq, China, Portugal, Australia, Albania, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Spain, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan.
The selected works include *The Bridge* by Giacomo Bendotti, *Where The Balloon Led Me* by Yasmeen Waleed, *The Wind in Ash* by Kun Sun, *Dog Alone* by Marta Reis Andrade, *Trading Cards* by Radheya Jang, *Majonézé* by Giulia Grandinetti, *What If They Bomb Here Tonight?* by Samir Syriani, *The Experiment* by Maxim Akbarov, *My Brother, My Brother* by Saad Dnewar and Abdelrahman Dnewar, *Ciao!* by Iván Melguizo Martín, *Dessert Is Served* by Leyla Hattabi, *A Scream on the Roof* by Jun Cordon, and *A Very Straight Neck* by Neo Sora.
The **International Selection Out of Competition** also features works from Cambodia, France, Saudi Arabia, and Spain.
Through this geographic and artistic diversity, MARRAKECHsFF champions short film as a genuine **tool for intercultural dialogue**, capable of connecting different realities, territories, and perspectives.
Malta, Country of Honour: Cinema as a Tool for Cultural Diplomacy
The festival’s commitment to cultural diplomacy takes on particular significance this year with Malta as the Country of Honour of MARRAKECHsFF 2026.
This invitation reflects a shared desire to strengthen cultural ties between the **Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Malta, using cinema as a privileged space for mutual understanding, dialogue, and cooperation.
The Maltese programme brings together nine short films spanning fiction, animation, and documentary, offering Moroccan audiences an insight into the diversity of Malta’s contemporary creativity and cultural heritage.
In his statement for the sixth edition, the Consul General of the Republic of Malta said:
> “As Consul General of the Republic of Malta I am honoured that Malta is the Guest Country at the 6th Edition of the Marrakech Short Film Festival.”
He describes Malta’s participation as an opportunity to build stronger cultural ties, greater awareness, and friendship between Malta and the Kingdom of Morocco.
Culture provides a particularly meaningful bridge between the two countries, while cinema can reinforce Malta’s distinctive position as a bridge between Europe and Africa.
Featuring films in Maltese and English, the Maltese selection spans drama, animation, and documentary, offering perspectives on the country’s culture, traditions, heritage, and natural and built environment.
Malta’s participation is made possible through the commitment of various Maltese partners and contributors, together with the festival’s experience in developing international cultural collaborations and exchanges, notably with the contribution of the Malta Arts Council and the Centre for the Maltese Language.
An International Ambition, Deeply Rooted in Marrakech
As MARRAKECHsFF continues to expand internationally, its development remains equally grounded in an increasingly strong **local presence**.
Marrakech is not simply the setting of the festival: **the city is an integral part of its identity**. Through screenings, talks, and encounters held across different spaces in the city, the festival seeks to bring cinema closer to audiences and create lasting connections between visiting artists, industry professionals, and the territory that welcomes them.
This relationship between the **international and the local** is one of the defining directions of the sixth edition: welcoming cinematic voices from around the world while creating concrete opportunities for visibility, exchange, and professional development for Moroccan talent.
Through its sixth edition, MARRAKECHsFF therefore affirms an identity built around three complementary pillars: supporting emerging cinematic creation, strengthening its cultural roots in Marrakech, and establishing short film as a vehicle for dialogue and cultural diplomacy between Morocco and the world.
MARRAKECH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL — 6th Edition
25–30 September 2026 — Marrakech
Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall For Short Films.