Students grapple with costs in Marrakech film fest one shot ticket to industry dreams

Moroccan students flocked to this year’s Marrakech International Film Festival enticed by free tickets and the chance to meet their favorite creators in one of the world’s few events that offers the public free access.

Filled with students who call Marrakech home or those who save diligently all year to partake in the festivities, the event saw this year a sweeping youth presence. 

“Celebrate them while they’re alive,” said Youssef Sebti, a local artist studying in Rabat and a four-time FIFM attendee who came to the festival to meet and pay tribute to artists like Farida Belyazid, 75, and Tilda Swinton,63.

But with strict dress codes and high booking rates, students resort to pooling resources or seeking alternative lodging options to be able to attend the festival.

Many told Hespress EN that accommodation prices in Marrakech shooted up. Limited options and high demand, particularly during events like the Film Festival, make it tough for students to find budget-friendly stays. 

A simple blowout starts at 70 dh, an espresso at 30 dh, and the entire stay could cost up to 4,000 dh.

But it’s all worth it for attendees like Ahmed El Moutaallik Billah who sees the event as a one time chance to meet familiar faces on the TV, and most importantly advance his own career.

“This year was so special, I got to meet many stars who I grew up watching on TV shows. Meeting them and spending some time in their presence was enough to give me more motivation that one day I can be sitting on that chair, and that I can create my own cinema,” he said.

The festival’s master classes with industry stars provide students with the chance to ask questions, fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals, filled with the same passion for film.

FIFM has become a flash forward into the future for cinema students, a future that seems within reach as they witness young talents applauded at the festival. 

Financial struggles, language barriers, and various hurdles become obsolete  as the students become driven by the hope that one day, they will be the ones receiving FIFM’s tribute, the Etoile d’Or.

The event “allows notoriety and all that comes with it of access to grants/funds and opens doors to more opportunities to realize art,” Sebti said, behind him the emotional impact of FIFM tributes is palpable, with audiences capturing their feelings through videos and pictures.