The 27th edition of the Rabat International Festival of Auteur Cinema will pay tribute to four iconic figures in cinema from November 17 to 24.
The directors are, Jean-Pierre Améris (France), Gaston Kaboré (Burkina Faso) and Nabil Ayouch (Morocco), then the Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakherji.
This edition, taking place as part of the celebration of Rabat, capital of African culture and the Islamic world, will also dedicate moments of recognition to the Omani actress Fakhriya Khamis, as well as the Moroccans Noura Skalli and Farid Regragui.
According to the Festival’s organizing committee, These tributes are intended to reward the work and efforts of these artists in the audiovisual sector. Then, to honor the position of the festival as a prestigious film event that celebrates names that offer very important moments in the history of world cinema, and at the same time encourages young talents working in the fields of culture and art».
Hence the choice of the Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch whose distinguished presence, through his cinematic creations, from his feature film «Maktoub» to his last film «High and strong», was gratified by dozens of national and international awards. As for the famous French director Jean-Pierre Améris, he will be honored at the festival for his remarkable presence in the European and international film scene, both through his intellectual writings and his criticism in the cinema. But also, for his films that respect the artistic and technical dimensions, with creative visions that dedicate to the image a place as a means of expression and power.
In addition, the tribute of Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakherji comes to reward Syrian cinema and its great representatives, Knowing that Sulaf is an artist whose presence has left its imprint in many Arab films through various characters that she embodied with great mastery, courage and professionalism. This has earned her dozens of awards at Arab and international festivals.
However, as this edition takes place as part of the celebration of Rabat, the capital of African culture, the festival chose to pay tribute to Burkinabé director Gaston Kaboré, one of the pioneers of African cinema who established the true African identity. Knowing that the films of this Burkinabe director were made with very limited means, but with real artistic visions that established the position of his country, Burkina Faso, as a destination for the seventh art, and a space to celebrate films from the African continent in general during the activities of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival, hosted by Ouagadougou since 1969.