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This year is shaping up to be a pivotal one for Morocco’s tourism sector, with the country preparing to host major global and regional events, including the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2025), which kicks off on December 21. Morocco is also drawing renewed attention from professionals in the film industry. For many of them, the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) is one of those key gatherings that not only spotlights emerging talent but also fosters long-lasting connections around the seventh art, especially in a market that ranks among the most important in Africa.
Concluding last weekend, the 22nd edition of the FIFM, held from November 28 to December 6, offered an opportunity for many directors to present debut films in development through the Atlas Workshops, as well as completed works making their world premieres. Nationally, the event remains a valuable platform for producers, distributors, and programmers seeking to invest in a rapidly expanding sector.
Among these professionals is Tom Abrami, who oversees Universal Pictures International’s activities in Francophone Africa, including Morocco, now one of the company’s key markets. Universal’s slate for the kingdom includes Chloe Zhao’s new film Hamnet, unveiled at FIFM 2025, as well as a wide catalog of international releases screened in Morocco simultaneously with the European market, and sometimes even before the U.S. release.
A synergy between Moroccan and international distributors
To meet the growing momentum of the Moroccan market, Universal Pictures International works closely with Benjamin Turpin, marketing project manager at Universal Pictures Entertainment, and its Oujda-based sub-distributor Film Event Consulting, which specializes in foreign releases. On the ground, the distribution process is coordinated by Mohamed Khouna, who also heads Facility Event in France.
«We work year-round on films screened during FIFM, as well as the rest of our lineup, which is one of the most extensive and carries strong potential in Morocco», says the French-Moroccan distributor, who also chairs the Commission for the Fund for Digitization, Renovation, and Creation of Cinemas within the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM).
Mohamed Khouna
Khouna acknowledges existing challenges related to theater profitability and national release scheduling, but remains optimistic. According to him, professionals and institutions are increasingly aligned in their efforts to develop practical, sustainable solutions. «We’re already looking ahead to 2026, which will be a major year for Universal releases with extremely strong potential, both in Morocco and elsewhere», Tom Abrami told Yabiladi.
Beyond festivals, Khouna and his partners bring «around twenty films a year to theaters across the kingdom, whether Mégarama, Pathé, Cinéatlas, Cinerji, Dawliz, La Renaissance, or independent cinemas like Alcazar and Camera».
They also draw on a catalog of more than 500 titles under the «Universal Vintage» label, which are screened at venues such as the Cinémathèque de Tanger, the Moroccan Cinémathèque in Rabat, and theaters wishing to highlight heritage films.
«All films deserve their moment in the spotlight»
Since the start of the year, 43 films have already been released in Morocco. National productions are gaining ground too and are increasingly integrated into the distribution lineup, an encouraging trend as the industry expands toward 2026.
«For the country, this is excellent news. As a Moroccan living abroad, you don’t immediately grasp the reality of the sector, the local dynamics among professionals. The more we invest, the more we understand how to work within that context. We learn to listen, to respond to expectations, and to help amplify the reach of national productions while offering international content», Khouna explains.
In addition to Universal titles, the distributor also handles releases from the Walt Disney Company France, including animated films, genre films, and auteur cinema, among them Hamnet and Sirât by Franco-Spanish director Óliver Laxe, which arrives in Moroccan theaters on December 10, 2025 and is among several Oscar-nominated works. Major productions such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, which surpassed 8,000 admissions in Morocco, are also part of the lineup.
Universal Pictures International France has created a label for art-house films, with Céline Demoulin and Tom Abrami
Universal Pictures International France has also created an art-house label, led by Céline Demoulin and Tom Abrami, aimed at strengthening the presence of auteur cinema in various markets.
For Abrami and Khouna, the priority is to «represent films from every background and every country» in theaters across Morocco, highlighting the diversity of cinematic creation rather than focusing solely on award-winning titles. The distribution of Moroccan and foreign films is expected to benefit from the upcoming opening of new theaters in Kenitra, Rabat, Casablanca, Beni Mellal, Marrakech, and Saïdia.
A growing audience and rising revenues
Many moviegoers still prefer watching films on the big screen. According to figures released in February by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Moroccan theaters generated 127 million dirhams in 2024, compared to 89 million in 2023 and 77 million in 2022, a 42% year-on-year increase. Attendance also jumped to 2.2 million spectators in 2024, up from 1.7 million the previous year.
Distributors and exhibitors are enthusiastic, aiming to support both multiplexes and independent venues while seeking financial balance in what remains a hybrid ecosystem. «With the rights holders we work with, there’s no barrier regarding ticket prices. If a film is released, we offer it everywhere, without exception», Abrami says.
«As for profitability, it’s a question of balancing ticket prices and attendance, but that’s not a constraint as long as screenings remain accessible and films find their audience».
For Khouna, the priority is to continue developing theaters by offering premieres, special events, and initiatives capable of revitalizing interest not only in cinema halls but also in the films themselves. He also stresses the importance of establishing a coordinated Moroccan release calendar.
According to him, the key challenge is synchronizing international releases with successful Moroccan films, or staggering them appropriately, to ensure all new works remain visible. This helps reach diverse audiences and «build cinephilia», with long-term benefits for the sector.
«We will continue supporting this momentum in the coming months», Khouna and Abrami told Yabiladi, expressing their «commitment to strengthening and expanding» their work in Morocco’s growing film landscape.
