Casablanca opens 3rd Film Festival with Nabil Ben Yadir’s “Les Baronnes”

The 3rd edition of the Casablanca Film Festival opened on Wednesday night with a screening of “Les Baronnes” by Belgian-Moroccan director Nabil Ben Yadir, in a fresh push to bring Moroccan audiences back into movie theatres.

Casablanca Film Festival aims to win back audiences

Running until 13 September, the Casablanca Film Festival brings together distributors, theatre operators and film professionals around one clear goal: boosting attendance and securing a long-term place for this event in Morocco’s cultural calendar.

Throughout the festival, families, students, film buffs and newcomers can watch all films on show in partner multiplexes across the country, at a flat price of 30 MAD per screening.

According to the organisers, this 3rd edition seeks to build on the success of the first two and to reaffirm the movie theatre as a key space for cultural transmission and shared emotions.

A convenient cultural stop for visiting Moroccans

For Moroccans living abroad who are back home in September, the Casablanca Film Festival is an easy way to reconnect with local cinemas, which have often fallen out of favour in the age of streaming platforms.

With tickets capped at 30 MAD, a cinema night remains an affordable option for:

• a family outing or evening with friends during a short stay,
• introducing children born abroad to movie theatres in Morocco,
• discovering the offer of multiplexes in different cities.

Screenings are held in several partner complexes, in Casablanca and other major cities, allowing visiting Moroccans to take part even during a brief trip.

“Les Baronnes”: an opening film driven by women’s voices

Serving as the opening title of the this case, “Les Baronnes” comes fifteen years after “Les Barons”, Nabil Ben Yadir’s earlier hit. This time, the filmmaker switches perspectives and gives centre stage to women through a social comedy that is both sharp and moving.

Co-directed with Mokhtaria Badaoui, the film portrays mothers and daughters from diverse backgrounds who decide to take control of their own lives. The cast includes Saadia Bentaieb, Rachida Riahi, Rachida Boughanem, Halima Amrani and Sanya Sridi.

The feature was released the same day in cinemas across Morocco, increasing its visibility and resonating with members of the Moroccan community abroad who have closely followed Nabil Ben Yadir’s work.

Keeping Moroccan cinemas alive

For industry professionals, the stakes go far beyond an opening night. Many theatres still face fragile attendance figures, despite the presence of modern multiplexes in several cities. The this issue therefore aims to reintroduce audiences to the movie-going experience beyond red carpets and major festivals.

If the initiative proves popular, it could pave the way for other discounted campaigns or annual cinema events that benefit both residents and Moroccans abroad when they return home.

No official attendance figures for this 3rd edition have been released yet, but organisers are counting on the combination of flat pricing, a varied line-up and public curiosity to restore momentum to the seventh art in Moroccan theatres.

For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.

For official updates, readers can check the relevant official source.