Christian Mungiu to Atlas Marrakech Workshops, full project list

Romanian director and Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Cristian Mungiu, has been selected as the 2025 sponsor of the Atlas Workshops at the Marrakesh International Film Festival, following in the footsteps of Jeff Nichols last year.

Mungiu is considered a major figure in contemporary European cinema, and won the Palme d’Or in 2007 for his film. 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 daysalong with other award-winning films including beyond the hills, graduationand Ramen.

Created in 2018, Atlas Workshops are the heart of Atlas Programmes, a recently created banner in Marrakesh that brings together all the professional initiatives supported by the Festival Foundation.

As patron of the workshops, Mungiu will guide 28 projects in this year’s selection, with their directors known as the “Christian Mungiu Class”.

“I am very happy to return to Marrakesh, a vibrant festival that uses the power of cinema to strengthen and unite people from different parts of the world,” Mungiu said.

“I gladly accept the position of patron of the 2025 Atlas Workshops, with the hope that through this encounter, the filmmakers I will meet and I personally will have a lot to learn,” said Mungiu. “I believe that cinema is a great tool for investigating reality and learning about the other despite all the stereotypes, and that we should use it as a tool to help us focus on what unites us rather than on the differences in opinions that we may have.”

This year’s selections include 12 projects in development, 10 of which are filming or in post-production; Five Moroccan debut feature films are in development in the Atlas Close-Ups sidebar and one Moroccan film is nearing completion and seeking a festival premiere in the Atlas Film Showcase section.

Includes projects under development childhood By Palestinian director Iskandar Copti, who won the Grand Prix in Marrakesh, the Gold Star, last year for his film. Happy holidays; Hold me (if you want)It is the second feature film by Lebanese actress and director Mounia Akl after Costa Brava, Lebanonand Under her eye By Jordanian Amjad Al-Rasheed, which is his second film after that Hopefully a boy.

The collection for films being filmed or in post-production includes documentaries Don’t let the sun shine on me By the names of the director [pictured above]who made history at the 2023 festival as the first Moroccan director to win the Golden Star for her film, which was celebrated by the Cannes Film Festival. The mother of all lies.

Other highlights in this section include the upcoming bank robbery drama from Lebanese director Rami Kodeih Wolves.

In addition, the “Atlas Station 2025” workshop sidebar, which is a starting point for young Moroccan producers and directors, will support seven emerging Moroccan film professionals as well as four short films.

Selection 2025

Projects under development
Akal – Basma Rkiwi (Morocco) | 1^street Distinctive documentary film
Chaba 100 – Ek Langa (Mozambique) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination advantage
Shentian – Suha Arraf (Palestine) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination feature
Childhood – Alexander Copti (Palestine) | 3^Third Distinctive documentary film
LES DIEUX DÉLINQUANTS – Boubacar Sangari (Burkina Faso) | 1^street Imagination feature
Carry Me (If You Want) – Monia Akl (Lebanon) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination advantage
The Last Cow – Emil Shivji (Tanzania) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination feature
Marches – Vache Bolgourjian (Lebanon) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination advantage
Simone Idris – Zeinab Wakrim (Morocco) | 1^street Imagination feature
Under a green sky – Gad Shaheen (Egypt) | 1^street Imagination feature
Under Her Eyes – Amjad Al-Rasheed (Jordan) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination feature
Vanda – Kami Lara (Angola) | 1^street Imagination advantage

Films being filmed or in development
Don’t Let the Sun Shine on Me – Asmaa Director (Morocco) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Distinctive documentary film
GOMA ENOUGH IS ENOUGH (GOMA TROP C’EST TROP) – Elisé Sawasawa (DRC) | 1^street Distinctive documentary film
GRAY GLOW (LUEUR GRISE) – Michel Tian (Lebanon) | 1^street Imagination feature
La Mas Dulce – Leila Marrakchi (Morocco) | 3^Third Imagination feature
Orient Adagio (Qatar Al-Sharq Al-Batin) – Maha Haj (Palestine) | 3^Third Imagination feature
Safe Exit – Mohamed Hammad (Egypt) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Imagination advantage
Station – Sarah Ishaq (Yemen) | 1^street Imagination feature
A Trip to Jerusalem – Michel Zarazir and Gaby Zarazir (Lebanon) | 1^street Imagination feature
Vagabonds – Amartey Armar (Ghana) | 1^street Imagination feature
Wolves – Rami Kodeih (Lebanon) | 1^street Imagination feature

Atlas Film Gallery
EARTH AND ASHES (TERRE ET CENDRES) – Lina Tahiri (Morocco) | 1^street Imagination feature
IN THE BLUE NIGHT (version of LA NUIT BLEUE) – Halima Al Khattabi (Morocco) | 1^street Imagination feature
Remontada – Reda Lahmouid (Morocco) | 1^street Imagination feature
Tangawi (LE TANGÉROIS) – Zahoua Raji and Ayoub Al-Youssoufi (Morocco) | 1^street Imagination feature
I am 25 years old today – Shaden Safi Al-Din Al-Tazi (Morocco) | 1^street Imagination feature

Atlas Film Gallery
UNTIL DAWN (JUSQU’À L’AUBE) – Mohamed Zinedine (Morocco) | Imagination feature

2025 Atlas Station participants and short films

Participants
Lamia Benjelloun
Barada Omar sweater
Ines Liher
Linda Quba
Zainab Rabaa
His Eminence Taha
Omaima Zakri Al-Ajari

Short films in post-production
Isthmus (Isthmus: Le Monde Intermedière) – Kenza Tazi (Morocco) | 2^{Second abbreviation} Short narrative film
Bride of Rain (Taslit Nounzar) – Idriss and Omar (Morocco) | 1^street An animated short film is in production
Deserted Streets (RUES DÉSERTES) – Batoul Benazou (Morocco) | 1^street Short narrative film
Night Musk – Adnan Rami (Morocco) | The third short feature film