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Born in 1976 in the 4th arrondissement of Paris to parents from Oujda, Mohamed Khouna is today proud to say that he grew up in Villiers-le-Bel, in the northern suburbs of the City of Lights. He keeps fond memories of the neighborhood from his schooldays and military service with the French army. With his family that comprises the father, a house painter, the mother, a housewife, three brothers and a sister, he travels twice a year to northeastern Morocco. Between France and Morocco, he discovers cinema through weekly school expeditions at the age of 13.
In front of the big screen, he dives into fiction, or reality recreated by films. Little did he know that one day he would become a key player in the sector in France. «We used to go to the movies, weeks after multiplexes first screened them. Our parents couldn't afford to take us to the big movie theaters. But from a very young age, we were able to see educational films about environmental protection», Mohamed Khouna recalls today.
Marked by many French cinematographic works, referring to Jean Reno, Pierre Richard or Alain Delon, he also learned about image education through pocket-sized films and those of director Luc Jacquet. An aficionado of cinema in Paris, Mohamed Khouna used to also be a client of cinemas in Oujda, during his school holidays. He particularly remembers Vox and Royal cinemas, with their martial art films starring Bruce Lee.
These movie theater escapades were also a family tradition, that consisted of enjoying the city and its street food specialties, such as karan, a chickpeas gratin, and barida, the local lemon juice. In Paris, he also keeps fond memories of the movies he watched at the emblematic Grand Rex cinema and venue. «How could one imagine, as a kid and going to the Grand Rex, one day becoming a partner of this magnificent jewel ?», he told Yabiladi.
Securing the trust of major international studios
Holder of a professional studies certificate (BEP) in electrical engineering, Mohamed Khouna never worked in the field. He decides to drop-out of his studies to focus on the transportation sector. «I didn’t know what I wanted to do, then I joined TNT as a delivery driver», he recalls. «One day, I delivered to a company dealing with cinema film stocks and advertising. I was also offered to work as a driver», he added.
In Paris, Mohamed Khouna delivers to all movie theaters, which allowed him to get familiar with studios and distributors. Thanks to his ability to listen and observe, he quickly learns the tricks of the trade, while waiting for the right time to plunge. And eventually, in 2010, he decides to leave the company he worked for to create Facility Event, starting practically from scratch.
«We were two people, without a business plan, but with a great desire to develop cinematographic culture, through the promotion of films and by focusing on logistics, with a guaranteed service for every actor in the industry in France», he explained. With distributors in Paris, Facility Event becomes «known by everybody, a reliable partner that can solicited and trusted». After 13 years, the company now runs with 24 employees.
The company provides services to Warner, Universal, Disney, Pathé Studios and many more. «We have to think of everything, from the manufacturing of material to shipping to the 2,764 cinemas in France, alongside the entire promotional part, with regard to previews and events around releases», he clarified. His firm also takes care of storage, for Disney as well as Warner and Universal. «We provide our services behind the screen, as a link between the distributor and the cinema», Khouna explains.
«We are lucky that all the theaters in France be them big or small, function the same way. This is also what I plan to do in Morocco. The American box office focuses on the bottom line. We, in France or Morocco, we are more focused on the number of moviegoers. In Morocco, I am lucky that I am not bound to a rights holder who would force me to favor certain movie theaters over others, in terms of distribution».
Mohamed Khouna wants to make this advantage a new possibility to revitalize cinema releases in Morocco, to make different genres of films accessible to the widest possible category of spectators. «When you release an arthouse film, it may be difficult to put it in a multiplex from the start and vice versa, especially in France. But today, a film like Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone will break this barrier, because it is a very strong feature film which speaks to the general public», he believes.
During the 20th Marrakech International Film Festival, held from November 24 to December 2, 2023, it was his company that was also responsible for distributing this feature film, as a regional premiere. It will release it in movie theaters in Morocco at the beginning of next year, along with «Winter Break» by Alexander Payne. Best director at this cinematic high mass, «Banel & Adama» by French-Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy is already in Moroccan movie theaters through the same distributor, in partnership with Pathé BC Afrique.
Awarded by the jury in a tie with the documentary «Bye Bye Tiberias» by the French-Algerian-Palestinian director Lina Soualem, the fiction feature film «Les Meutes», by Moroccan director Kamal Lazraq, will also be released nationwide in 2024.
Mohamed Khouna also ensured the release of the new successful American animated film, «Wish», by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Chris Buck. «In Morocco, I have the chance to release a film, whether it is categorized as arthouse, auteur or blockbuster, to release it to all theaters, as long as the technical and logistical requirements are met. It’s great,» he told Yabiladi during his participation in the 20th FIFM.
Making quality international cinema accessible to the Moroccan audience
Mohamed Khouna is increasing the number of broadcasts of international films in Morocco, the establishment of a local subsidiary of his firm having helped to gain a foothold with national operators. «I have worked on the Cannes festival for 23 years. Every year, I would go visit the Moroccan pavilion, with the pride knowing our country is represented there. The years from 2017 to 2019 were very good for all film distribution. I said to myself that it would be time to do something for the country, on my end», he recalled. The Royal speech calling on Moroccans from around the world to invest more in the motherland was a wake-up call to him.
«Along with the Green March, the Royal speeches of His Majesty King Mohammed VI are the two great moments that we, Moroccans living abroad, love to watch each time with our parents. The King's speech is important for the nation. We grew up in France and Morocco remains our homeland. When it comes to the country, we are constantly listening. We are very sad when a tragedy of the magnitude of the recent earthquake occurs. We also wish to contribute to the development of our Kingdom. It was this emotional attachment that made me consider the project».
Mohamed Khouna thus decides to make a contribution, «not from a financial standpoint, but above all to create synergy, employment, and a network, especially since our youth is talented and it deserves to be supported, without us Moroccans living abroad behaving as know-it-alls, since we are there first to share what we have learned, each in their own fields», he explained. In this sense, the distributor believes that «the values carried by our society and its cohesion have allowed it to emancipate and we greatly need it, in Morocco, for the development of our artistic sectors and our film industry».
In Morocco, Mohamed Khouna created Film Event Consulting in Oujda, his area of origin. Beyond family ties, the founder chose to set foot in the Oriental region, to contribute to the influence of an often forgotten region. «Some people were surprised to see that my film distribution firm is registered in Oujda, but to me it is a way of decentralizing this type of structure, often based in either Casablanca and Rabat, then to create employment in my hometown», he emphasized.
In Oujda, the company is ran by «four very responsible employees, who know how to handle the mission». Beyond the entity he created, Mohamed Khouna is also involved with the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), where he heads the commission in charge of digitization, modernization and creation of cinemas. «Through the CCM, I found a team that I am proud to support with the Minister of Culture, it makes for a great cultural momentum», he told Yabiladi.
Within Film Event Consulting, however, he confides to us that «[his] dream is that, in 5 years, [he] would no longer be needed», in the sense that «the job would be done» and that «a new wave of distributors would be autonomous, in a collective logic of synergy between production, distribution and cinema operators».
In Meknes, Mohamed Khouna was able to make this dynamic possible, with the reopening of the Cinema Camera. «We are a family and one cannot move forward without the other. This is what I am trying to bring to Morocco today», he told us, with the ambition of establishing the same quality of distribution among all cinemas, beyond any categorization.
