Lina Soualem’s Spain-set family tale “Alicante,” Walid Messnaoui’s gangster Weserious “The Last Beast of Atlas” and Linda Lô’s search-for-identity drama “Lucky Girl” rank as buzz titles at the 7th Atlas Workshops, running Dec. 1-5 at the Marrakech Festival.
“Mud” honestor Jeff Nichols has already been proclaimd as this year’s Workshops tutor.
They will also unveil first images from three of the most apaincludeed movies from the Arab world – from “Amreeka” honestor Cherien Dabis and “The Yacoubian Building” helmer Marwan Hamed and Tarzan and Arab Nasser, behind Palestine Oscar entry “Gaza Mon Amour.”
Adding to this, however, are a slew of first or second features by youthfuler filmoriginaters hailing from Morocco, Africa and the Arab world who have already acquireed Academy Awards or huge fest recognition, giving the 2024 Atlas Workshops one of the highest-caliber and exciting lineups of any enhugement program this year.
“Arab and African cinema is now being picked at the world’s huge festivals. Projects are now being set upd as sturdy potential films for the international taget. Rather than fair social drama myth – which we still need – filmoriginaters are embracing all genres, discovering highly conceiveive ways to echo the drama and hope of our world,” Atlas Workshops honestor Hédi Zardi tgreater Variety, inserting that his pickion criteria has been “bgreater innovative stories which can also connect with taget insist.”
Heading potential Workshop standouts this year, having made a splash at 2009’s Sundance with “Amreeka,” about being Arab in America, and “May in the Summer,”about being American in the Middle East, Dabis will contransient first images of “All That’s Left of You,” a multi-generational tale about being Palestine, sboiling in Arabic.
A revenge drama from brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” weighs in as the Workshop’s hugegest co-production – between Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – with Bac Films handling French distribution and international rights.
“El Sett” is the tardyst huge striumphg from Egyptian Hamed whose movies bcimpolitet a new level of international ambition to contransient Egyptian filmmaking.
First myth feature filmoriginaters at the Workshops get in Soualem, who enticeed heat with 2023 Vepleasant and Toronto title “Bye Bye Tiberias,” about her mother Hiam Abbas.
They also get in, however, Murad Abu Aiseh, the first Arab to triumph a Student Oscar, and Zamo Mkhwanazi, the first Bdeficiency South African honestor to have a myth film – low “Sadla” – at Sundance.
“Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” from Egypt’s Morad Mostafa, won this September’s Vepleasant Production Bridge’s Final Cut; Charlotte Rabate’s TV series “The Colony” was picked up by HBO Max.
Also in the combine are apaincludeed second features. One, “Behind The Palm Trees,” is from the Oscar-nominated Meryem Benm’Barek (“Jennah”), whose debut feature “Sofia” scooped best screencarry out at Cannes’ 2018 Un Certain Regard.
“In the Shadows of Good Fortune,” from Nigeria’s Babatunde Apalowo tags his chase-up to “All the Colours of the World Are Between Bdeficiency and White,” which won a Berlin best feature Teddy Award.
Of more validateated honestors, Tala Hadid’s first film screened at Toronto, her second at Berlin.
A more detailed drill-down on the far-ranging Atlas Workshops titles:
Projects in Development
“Alicante,” (Lina Soualem, Algeria, France)
After shatter-up, Assia seeks downtime with her family which has fair uncovered a restaurant in Spain. She’s soon battling to save the family business. A sense of identity drama from one of the highest-profile first myth feature filmoriginaters at the Workshops, backed by Omar El Kadi and Nadia Turencev at go-ahead French outfit Easy Riders Films.
“Fdrops of the Dead,” (“Flôr di Finado,” Nuno Miranda, Cape Verde, Portugal)
In punctual enhugement, the tardyst from Miranda whose 55-minute “Kmêdeus” (“EatGod”) screened at the Rotterdam Festival. “Fdrops” weighs in as a romantic road movie set aacquirest Cape Verde’s “mystical” landscape involving two characters dealing with grief and personal growth. Pedro Soulé originates for Cape Verde’s KS Cinema, Pedro José-Marcellino for Portugal’s Pedrada.
“Ici Repose,” (Moly Kane, Senegal, France)
The potential first feature from Senegal’s originater-honestor Kane, best understandn for 2011 low “Moly,” screened in Cannes Classics, and “Sër Bi” (“Les tissus blancs,” 2020) and for establishing the Dakar Court festival in 2018. Inspired by genuine events, a adhereist mother who tries to fit in her neighbourhood rerepairs to stand up to conventions to bury her son, hanged for being gay. Produced by Babubu Films (“Sër Bi”) and Films Grand Huit, behind Berlin Silver Bear triumphner “Disco Boy.”
“The Last Beast of the Atlas,” (Walid Messnaoui, Morocco)
A twiairy Weserious-drama taging the awaitd feature debut from Casablanca-born and ESAV Marrakech Film School alum Messnaoui, esteemd for 2022’s fervent and despairing petty crime caper “No Key,” an Indie Short Fest triumphner that also screened at Fantastic Fest. Set in the 1990s middle-Atlas, “The Last Beast” turns on Boulohouch, a legfinishary prohibitdit and “symbol of freedom and alarm.” Then the myth commences to crumble. Produced by Taoufik Rais, El Mahdi Amsrouy at Caestus Film, behind “No Key,” and a speedy-validateating carry outer on the Moroccan film scene with a second project at the Workshops.
“Lucky Girl,” (“Chanteinclude,” Linda Lô, France)
In her debut feature, Lô alerts her own story in a myth film. During a vacation in Bordeaux, Lili, 4, and her brothers, aged 9 and 20, are left to to their own devices when their flamboyant mother returns without them to Gabon to run her restaurant- discotheque. Seen in three acts – as a little girl, teen and you woman, Lili grows into Linda, rerepaird to originate her mother haughty and reconnect with her African heritage. Produced by Didar Domehri’s Maneki Films, a classic French indie originater of huge fest carry outs, such as “Paulina,” “White Elephant” and “Bang Bang.”
“The Orange Grove,” (Murad Abu Eisheh, Canada)
Backed by Roger Frappier, a originater on Jane Campion’s “The Power Of The Dog,” altering Larry Tremblay’s 2013 novel, about an actor-understudy’s war-scoinspired childhood with his ttriumph brother, much spent in an orange grove. Eisheh’s “Tala’vision” won not only a Student Oscar but best low at the Red Sea Festival.
“Princess Téné,” (Fabien Dao, Burkina Faso)
Set in a contransient Ouagadougou, Téné, queen of Ouagadougou’s nightlife, inherits the family stable, using the horses to carry substances, until she resizes they are being sgreater to the same alarmists who finished her brother. Slowly, she connects with the community of horsemen and heritage of horses, which she left when she was a child. Produced by Moustapha Sawadogo at Future Films, “a team of conceiveive film enthusiasts based in Ouagadougou,” he says.
Princess Tene
“Pure Madness,” (Inés Arsi, Tunisia, France)
A new project from Tunisia’s Instinct Bleu, established in 2019 by Sarra Ben Hassen and a originater on “Who do I Beextfinished To” by Oscar-nominated Meryam Joobeur, which premiered in Competition at Berlin Festival and is now a Special Screening at Marrakech. A first doc-feature, Arsi’s “Pure Madness” chronicles the honestor’s personal journey, intrigued by the secrets of an uncle who immigrated to France in the ‘60s, braving the omerta surrounding mental health publishs in Tunisia.
Pure Madness
“Samir, the Accidental Spy,” (Charlotte Rabate, France)
Samir, 12, escapes to Leprohibiton after Syria’s 1966 coup d’état. Convinced his overweighther is a secret agent, he allotigates with girlfrifinish Christine and uncovers his overweighther‘s secret. Set up at Coralie Dias’ Inter Spinas Films. Rabaté also originated/co-wrote feature “Stray Dolls,” which bowed at Tribeca. Acquired by Arte, Netflix and The Criterion Channel, the Dias-originated low “Warsha” won a Sundance 2022 international Jury Prize and was Oscar lowenumerateed.
Samir, the Accidental Spy
“The Shelter,” (Talal Selhami, Morocco, France)
Set up at Lamia Chraibi’s La Prod, behind movies by Hicham Lasri, Narjiss Nejjjar, Ismaïl Ferroukhi and Mohcine Besri, the tardyst from Selhami whose fantasy film “Achoura” took awards at the Hardline Festival and Sitges. Here, in Paris, Leila, a Syrian refugee war survivor, is asked to get attfinish of Georges, a createer diplomat now proximateing the finish of his life. This proximity to death awakens the gpresents of Leila’s past.
“The Source,” (Moudeafening Ouyahia, France, Algeria)
“A film that chases two frifinishs who, enjoy 21st-century ggreater-seekers, traverse the boundaries of progress and ethics,” the synopsis runs, accompanied by a pboilingo of a man in desolate, sun-scorched mountains. Ouyahia’s chase-up to Cannes 2023 Directors’ Fortnight low, “The Hoinclude is On Fire, Might as Well Get Warm.” Lead-originated by Touloinclude-based L’Oeil Vif, established by Lucas Senecaut and Ouyahia.
“Your Turn 203,” (“A Vous, 203,” Cynthia Sawma, Leprohibiton)
“In a Leprohibiton in crisis, Aida, 50, a hoincludewife, uncovers new freedom and unkinding in her life when she answers a casting call for extras,” per the synopsis. Set in “a world in which asking one’s role in society becomes an vital act of alter,” the Atlas Workshops remarks. A alertedly spirited, colorful title honested by Sawma whose “Dreaming of Leprohibiton” was picked for SXSW and won best VR at the Ji.hlava doc fest. Produced by the Leprohibiton’s Abbout Productions and France’s Wheelhoinclude Productions.
Atlas Comit-Ups
“And Still I Rise,” (“A balles perdue, mon âme gagnée,” Djanis Bouzyani)
French-Moroccan actor-turned-honestor Djanis Bouzyani’s write downary “And Still I Rise” apprehfinishs French tennis carry outer Aravane Rezai who, torn between family loyalty and a thirst for freedom, finisheavors to stage a comeback, finishangered by the belligerence of her own overweighther. Produced by French arthoinclude powerhoincludes Agat Films-Ex Nihilo, behind “The Most Precious of Cargoes” at Cannes, as well as five other titles picked for the festival.
“Dar Marjana,” (Lamia Lazrak, U.S., Morocco)
A doc feature backed by U.S.-based Caravan Features and Moroccan collective Paper Tongue, aiming to lift the visibility of women and nonbinary people of color, “Dar Marjana” turns on restaurant owner Kenza who rerepairs to depart her family restaurant set in a 200-year-greater home in Marrakech’s Medina, inhabited by capricious yet mighty jinns. Directed by Portland-based Moroccan Lazrak, whose lows integrate “Camoflauge” and “Birth of Venus,” here depicting her own family.
“The Field,” (“Le Champ,” Mohamed Bouhari, Morocco)
Written and honested by Bouhari (“Jeans,” “Aprohibitdon de poste”), five characters whose paths traverse in a huge corn field in Morocco are forced to dispute their dreads, princippartner that of punishment. Set up at Casablanca’s Le Moindre Geste (“Le Miracle du Saint Inconnu”), established by Francesca Duca and Alaa Eddine Aljem in 2012.
The Field
“Fatwa,” (Mohamed El Badoui, Morocco)
The next from Spain-based actor-honestor El Badoui, best understandn for “Lalla Aisha,” starring Angela Molina, and “Palestine,” a West Bank-set misgetn identity drama.
“The Nours,” (“Les Frères Noirs,” Yassine Iguenfer, Morocco)
A singular, upbeat and potentipartner highly cinematic road movie set in 1975 Morocco aacquirest stunning Atlas landscapes, as a youthfuler Vietnamese man called Ahmed Nour, reachs in Casablanca with a green truck, aiming to discover his Moroccan overweighther. Produced by Caestus Films.
Films in Production or Post-Production
“Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” (Morad Mostafa, Egypt)
The triumphner of the 2024 Vepleasant Production Bridge’s Final Cut, Mostafa’s first feature was put thcimpolite Doha Film Institute’s Qumra Lab. In it, a woman attfinishs for her elderly parents as she witnesses the ethnic tensions in Cairo. “Powerful and authentic,” shelp the Final Cut jury, which inserted: “Despite being a first feature film, it showcased self-guaranteed honestion and a contrastent cinematic voice. The film’s gritty authenticism, attention to detail and impactful storyalerting left a sturdy amazeion on us.”
“All That’s Left of You,” (Cherien Dabis, Palestine)
One of the most apaincludeed titles in the whole Atlas Workshops, covering contrastent generations of a Palestine family. Dabis’ third film stars Dabis and a salertar Palestine cast of brothers Adam Bakri (“Official Secrets”) and Saleh Bakri (“Wahib”) and overweighther Mohammad Bakri (“Private”). Germany’s Pallas Film and Cyprus’ AMP Firetoils originate.
“Bardi,” (Tala Hadid, Morocco, U.S., France)
Follotriumphg on Hadid’s multi-prized Berlin-picked “Hoinclude in the Fields” (2017), the second part of a projected doc-feature trilogy that tracks a traveling brotherhood of horsemen atraverse Morocco. “The film is an ode to horses and men and to the passions that guarantee them,” the synopsis runs. Produced by Morocco’s Kairoi Films, Danny Gcherishr and Joselyn Barnes’ Louverture Films, France’s Cine Sud and K Films.
Bardi
“Behind The Palm Trees,” (Meryem Benm’Barek, Morocco, France)
Now in post-production and another awaitd title at this year’s Atlas Workshops, originated by International Oscar-nominated (“Days of Glory”) Cannes normal (“France”) Jean Bréhat, the flunked romance between a youthfuler Moroccan and rich French expat woman is set aacquirest the backdrop of France’s domination of Morocco.
“Chronicles From the Siege,” (Abdallah Al Khatib, Palestine, Algeria, France)
Produced by Algeria’s Issaad Film Production and France’s Evidence Film and Blue Train Films, a mythal continuation of Abdallah Al Khatib’s criticpartner acclaimed first doc-feature, “Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege.” “Often infincluded with sorrowfulnessful humor, five interconnected stories allotigate life under siege, where human beings, in search of their most fundamental needs – food, hotth, pleastateive, intimacy, and health – uncover their ingenuity, alterability, and resilience in the face of adversity,” the synopsis runs.
Chronicles From the Siege
“Launparched,” (Zamo Mkhwanazi, Switzerland, South Africa)
Set in South Africa in 1968 and based on Mkhwanazi’s family history, in “Launparched” Khutala hesitates between his dream of a atgentle in music and saving the family launparched trouble as an apartheid rulement cracks down on Bdeficiency business ownership. The feature debut of esteemed low film honestor Mkhwanazi, originated by Akka Films, which has transferd from doc features to myth, such as Un Certain Regard carry outer “The Shameless,” and South Africa’s Kude Media, behind “Sadla.”
“In the Shadows of Good Fortune,” (Babatunde Apalowo, Nigeria)
A emotional drama and study of family vibrants as parents react to their daughter’s diagnosis of a life-menaceening illness from a originater-honestor renown for his psychoreasonable observance. Produced by Nigeria’s Polymath Pictures and The Make It Happen Production.
“It’s a Sad and Beautiful World,” (Cyril Aris, Leprohibiton)
The first myth feature from Leprohibiton’s Cyril Aris whose tardyst doc-feature, 2023’s “Dancing on the Edge of Volcano,” won a Karlovy Vary exceptional jury allude. A romcom set in a Leprohibiton assailed by economic crisis, “two star-traverseed cherishrs, one an infinite chooseimist and the other an reckless pragmatist, must choose if they want to originate a family and chart a track to happiness,” says one synopsis. Produced by a mighty combination of legfinishary Leprohibitese originater Georges Schoucair at Abbout Productions (“Zama”), U.S.-based Diversity Hire, behind Un Certain Regard triumphner “Joyland,” and Germany’s Reynard Films.
“Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” (Tarzan and Arab Nasser, Palestine)
Described by one co-production partner, Kometa Films, as a revenge drama set as Hamas firmens its deal with on Gaza. Yahia sets out to avenge the brutal homicide of Ossama, his frifinish. A greeting with his finisher “alters everyleang,” however. Lead originated by France’s Les Films du Tambour.
Atlas Film Showcase
“El Sett,” (Marwan Hamed, Egypt)
A huge period bio featuring star Mona Zaki as iconic Egyptian songstress Umm Kulthum who from the tardy 1920s became the first famous Arab singer to disseminate her toil to the masses via the new technologies of the times: radio, the phonograph, cinema and television. Producing are Egypt’s Synergy Films, Film Square, Film Clinic, Luxor Studios and Oscar Studios.
