Morocco for making cinema a plus value sector

There is a real political will in Morocco to make of cinema a plus value sector, said adviser to king Mohammed VI, Andre Azoulay, at a colloquy held on the sidelines of the Marrakesh Film Festival (FIFM) under the theme "cinema between creation and industry."

Azoulay, assistant vice-president of the FIFM foundation, said "there is in Morocco a great cinema project, initiated by the state's highest authority," which is evidenced, he said, by the set up by King Mohammed VI of the FIFM foundation, and naming at its head Prince Moulay Rachid.

Morocco is currently liberalizing the audiovisual sector and image-related enterprises in the framework of a partnership between the public and private sectors, Azoulay said, adding that constant efforts are made to reach a partnership between the different parties involved in cinema industry.

Participants in the colloquy said the lack of funding and structures hampers the development of a genuine film-making production in developing countries.

They stressed the need to set up an audiovisual strategy that takes into consideration the stakes of the cinema industry and contributes to its development.

The meeting also touched on film piracy, an obstacle to the development of cinema, agreeing that eradicating it should be part of the reform.