Moroccan cinemagoers declined to 6 millions in 2005
Morocco, Economics, 3/24/2005

Morocco cinemagoers declined to 6 million in 2005 compared to 20 million in the 90's, said Moroccan cinema critic and historian, Ahmed Sijilimassi.

The critic pointed out that the Moroccan 143 movie-theatres are expected to receive 6 million cinemagoers in 2005 compared to the 175 movie-theatres that hosted 20 millions in the 90's and only 80 movie-theatres resist to concurrence by screening Indian movies.

He pointed out that building a movie-theatre is no more a prolific business. Many closed down while others do not meet basic conditions to host a cultural show, with some of them becoming a place of drugs use and prostitution.

Piracy, bad distribution and exploitation, decoded cinema satellite channels and Internet hacking are the last straws that break the Moroccan cinema's back, the critic noted.

On the other hand, he said that Moroccan cinema gives birth each year to 10-12 long feature-length movies and 15-20 short feature-length movies thanks to government subsidies to film production stressing that the kingdom is the first Arab country that subsidies cinema production and challenges Egyptian supremacy.

He called on reforming film production techniques and distribution, rationalising the sector organisation and setting up an urgent plan to restructure the sector which is a vector of economic development.

Previous Stories:
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  Less than 200 movies produced in Morocco in 30 years   (4/17/2004)

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