The long read · Moroccan cinema
The New Wave of Moroccan Cinema and Its Global Stars
Morocco has long been Hollywood’s favourite desert, but its own film-makers are now the story. Here is Moroccan cinema, from Trances to the Cannes prizewinners of today, and where to watch in Marrakech.
Updated November 2026
From Trances to Cannes
Moroccan cinema found its voice after independence. Ahmed El Maânouni’s Trances (1981), a portrait of the band Nass El Ghiwane, became a cult classic and was the first film restored by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation. From 2000 Nabil Ayouch’s Ali Zaoua, about the street children of Casablanca, announced a new generation.
That generation now wins at Cannes: Maryam Touzani’s The Blue Caftan took the critics’ prize in 2022, and in 2023 Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies and Kamal Lazraq’s Hounds both won in the Un Certain Regard section. Meanwhile the studios of Ouarzazate, on the edge of the Sahara, keep welcoming the world’s epics.
Must-watch films
To understand Moroccan cinema, start with these.
- Trances (1981): Ahmed El Maânouni’s electrifying film about the band Nass El Ghiwane.
- Ali Zaoua (2000): Nabil Ayouch’s moving fable of Casablanca’s street children.
- Casablanca Beats (2021): Ayouch’s hip-hop drama in a Casablanca youth centre, in competition at Cannes.
- The Blue Caftan (2022): Maryam Touzani’s tender story of a master tailor in the medina of Salé.
- The Mother of All Lies (2023): Asmae El Moudir rebuilds her family’s memories with miniature figures.
The stars
Actors with Moroccan roots shine in France and far beyond.
- Roschdy Zem and Jamel Debbouze: shared the best actor award at Cannes in 2006 with their co-stars of Days of Glory.
- Saïd Taghmaoui: from La Haine to Three Kings and Wonder Woman.
- Gad Elmaleh: the comedian born in Casablanca, a star of French cinema.
- Lubna Azabal: the Belgian-Moroccan star of Incendies and The Blue Caftan.
Where to watch in Marrakech
The Marrakech International Film Festival, founded in 2001, brings the world’s directors and stars to the Red City each year, awards its Étoile d’Or and holds free open-air screenings on Jemaa el-Fna. All year, the Pathé cinemas show new releases, and a day trip to Ouarzazate takes you to the studios where so many desert epics were made.
Our advice: join the crowd for a festival screening on Jemaa el-Fna, then read our Marrakech on Film feature.
Marrakech International Film Festival Pathé cinemas in Marrakech Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate’s film studios Marrakech on film
Morocco and the world
Moroccan talent shapes French cinema, from Roschdy Zem and Jamel Debbouze to the directors Nabil Ayouch and Maryam Touzani, who work between Casablanca and Paris. And for a century the country itself has starred in films from around the world: read our Marrakech on Film feature for the full story.
Questions and answers
When is the Marrakech International Film Festival?
It is held each year, usually in late November or early December, with screenings at the Palais des Congrès and on Jemaa el-Fna.
Which Moroccan films have won at Cannes?
The Blue Caftan won the critics’ prize in Un Certain Regard in 2022; The Mother of All Lies and Hounds both won Un Certain Regard prizes in 2023.
Join the conversation
Which Moroccan film or star do you love most? Share your favourite scenes and the films we should add.
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Sources: the Centre Cinématographique Marocain, the Marrakech International Film Festival, the Festival de Cannes and the Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, checked on 6 November 2026. The trailers are from Strand Releasing’s, Kino Lorber’s and Outsider Pictures’ official channels.