Morocco will be the first African nation to be a Country In Focus at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), at the market’s 2026 edition. Started
Morocco will be the first African nation to be a Country In Focus at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), at the market’s 2026 edition.
Started in 2017, the Country In Focus programme provides a platform for one country’s film industry every year, allowing that nation to highlight its national and international activities, and providing fresh stimuli and international connections.
“Moroccan cinema has a proud history of storytelling that resonates far beyond its borders,” said Tricia Tuttle, director of the Berlinale. “From auteurs such as Nabil Ayouch, Faouzi Bensaïdi, Asmae El Moudir, Halima Ouardiri or Maryam Touzani to a new wave of emerging filmmakers, Moroccan voices bring distinctive perspectives to the Berlinale and to festivals worldwide.”
“The Moroccan film and media landscape has reached a new level of international visibility,” said Berlinale Pro director Tanja Meissner. “It combines a strong national cinema with an openness to international collaboration, offering high production value, skilled professionals and distinctive locations.”
“Being the country in focus in Berlin is a testament to how culture and coexistence nurture an art form and a language that have become truly universal: cinema,” said Mohammad-Reda Benjelloun, director of the Centre Cinematographique Marocain.
Morocco currently offers a 30% cash rebate for foreign productions, for which it has attractive landscapes including the Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert and cities including Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Casablanca.
The country also hosts the Marrakech Film Festival every winter, taking place from November 28-December 6 this year.
Spain was the Country In Focus at the 2025 EFM.
The 2026 EFM will run from February 12-18; with the Berlinale from February 12-22.
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