The 19th International Transsaharan Film Festival opened Sunday evening in Zagora,bringing together personalities from diverse backgrounds for a celebration of desert-themed cinema running through October 9. Organized by the Zagora Transsaharan Film Association,this cultural event promotes regional cultural,social,economic,and tourism dynamics.
Festival President Khalid Chahid explained the event originated through tourism actors seeking regional promotion before transforming into an international cinema festival centered on singular desert themes. “Considered today as a cultural necessity for animating cultural life and highlighting desert culture through imagery,the festival aims building cultural bridges and relaying universal stakes through cinema language,” Chahid told h24info news outlet.
This edition features Kazakh cinema as guest of honor,with opening ceremonies including artistic performances by Kazakh troupes showcasing cultural heritage richness and beauty. The festival paid tribute to Moroccan director and actor Rachid El Ouali,Italian actress Alessandra D’Elia,and Egyptian director Khaled Youssef.
Organizers programmed diverse activities including roundtables addressing transsaharan cinema topics,training sessions,and thematic workshops. Nine feature films compete internationally: “Deal at the Border” by Dastan Zhapar,“Vortex” by Hadi Mohaghegh,“Red Children” by Lotfi Achour,“Blood Type” by Maksim Brius,“Double or Nothing” by Rachida Saadi,“Salum” by TM Malones,“Sasyq” by Yerden Telemissov,“The Song Sustxotin” by Khusnora Rozmatova,and “Towards an Unknown Country” by Mahdi Fleifel.
Senegalese director Ousmane William Mbaye presides over the official feature film competition jury,while Moroccan director Saad Chraibi and Saudi writer-screenwriter Khalid El Khodari chair short film and screenplay juries respectively.
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