Between 25 and 30 September, the Consulate General of the Republic of Malta, together with Arts Council Malta and the Ċentru tal-Ilsien Malti, participated in the 6th edition of the Marrakech Short Film Festival, in which Malta was the guest country. The Marrakech Short Film Festival is an event organised by the “Association Carrefour des Culturel(le)s”, a cultural association led predominantly by young Moroccan women engaged in the performing arts, under the leadership of Ms Ramia Beladel.

Malta’s country programme brought together nine short films from various artists and production houses. The selection ranged from intimate family dramas to psychological horror and animation, with films presented in Maltese and English. Together, they offered audiences a glimpse into the rich diversity of Maltese culture, traditions, built and natural environment, customs and intangible heritage. Moroccan participants were particularly intrigued by the similarities between the Maltese language and the local Moroccan dialect, as well as the cultural and social similarities to Moroccan life reflected in the films shown.

The Consul General, together with a delegation of Maltese film directors and actresses, was present in Marrakech throughout the festival, actively representing Malta’s growing creative and audiovisual sector. Among the participating Maltese artists were acclaimed film directors Mike Bonello Ghio and David Grech, as well as actresses Antonella Axisa and Marama Corlett, all of whom contributed to showcasing the diversity, quality and international appeal of contemporary Maltese short films. They were also joined by a delegation from Arts Council Malta, led by Director for Internationalisation Ms Annabele Stivala.

During their stay in Marrakech, the Maltese delegation had the opportunity not only to present their work and engage with festival audiences, but also to take part in various workshops, panel discussions and professional networking activities organised as part of the festival. These encounters provided a valuable platform for cultural exchange, enabling Maltese participants to establish meaningful connections with Moroccan cultural institutions, local artists and international guests attending the festival.

The Consul General also expressed appreciation to the Maltese and Moroccan sponsors, including Alizes Travel, Take a Break Travel, Alla Tours, Fun and Motivation Travel, and Yarah Holdings, whose support made Malta’s participation in the Marrakech Short Film Festival possible.