Morocco is undergoing a profound transformation within the global film industry, transitioning from a celebrated backdrop for international productions to a burgeoning creative powerhouse poised to tell its own stories on the world stage. This strategic evolution is being spotlighted by the European Film Market (EFM), which has selected Morocco as its 2026 Country in Focus, signaling a new era for Moroccan cinema driven by an export-minded generation of filmmakers and producers.
For over a century, Morocco has captivated international filmmakers with its unparalleled versatility. Its diverse landscapes — where the majestic Atlas Mountains can convincingly double for snow-capped peaks, the vast Sahara desert mimics the Middle East, and historic cities like Marrakech and Casablanca effortlessly shift through eras — combined with its unique light and robust infrastructure, have made it a preferred location for countless cinematic endeavors. However, the current shift marks a coming of age, with the nation now asserting itself as a vibrant creative engine.
A Bridge Between Continents: Morocco’s Cinematic Rise
Tanja Meissner, Director of Berlinale Pro, underscores Morocco’s pivotal role. "Morocco has established itself as a dynamic bridge between Africa, the Arab world, and Europe," Meissner states, highlighting the visibility and strength of contemporary Moroccan cinema. She cites acclaimed filmmakers such as Sofia Alaoui, Hicham Lasri, Maryam Touzani, and Nabil Ayouch, noting the significant rise of women directors within the industry. This convergence of "creative momentum, industrial capacity, and openness to international collaboration" makes this an opportune moment for the EFM to shine a spotlight on Morocco, fostering a broader dialogue about its expanding role in global line production and, crucially, in originating its own narratives.
The journey of Karim Debbagh, founder of Kasbah Films, exemplifies this national evolution. His presence at the Berlinale this year represents a poignant full-circle moment, spanning three decades. Debbagh recounts his entry into the film industry at 19, working on a German film based on Paul Bowles’ stories. "In 1995, the film premiered in Berlin; I was invited, and it won the Critics’ Prize. Now, after 30 years, I am back in Berlin to present my own project for the first time. It means a lot to me," he shares.
From Service Provider to Storyteller: A Personal and National Arc
Debbagh’s career trajectory mirrors Morocco’s strategic pivot: international training, a conscious return to local storytelling, and a pragmatic engagement with global production capital. After studying film at the German Film Academy in Ludwigsburg, Debbagh initially sought to build a life in Germany. However, a profound realization guided him back home. "I realized that I am not the one who’s going to tell the stories of Germans. I would rather go back to my country, where I identify with my culture and tell our story," he explains.
Upon his return, Debbagh discovered limited local financing opportunities for films, which led him into the vital realm of production services. In 2005, he established Kasbah Films with a dual mission: to support Moroccan and international auteur cinema and to provide executive production services for major foreign productions filming in Morocco. This blend of local artistic commitment and international industry expertise has become a hallmark of the Moroccan industry.
Kasbah Films quickly became a trusted partner for global projects. Its portfolio includes servicing American films like Dan Myrick’s The Objective (2008), and later, high-profile international TV series and films such as The Wheel of Time, Men in Black: International, and A Hologram for the King. Simultaneously, Kasbah Films has been instrumental in producing significant Moroccan works, including Fyzal Boulifa’s The Damned Don’t Cry, which garnered international acclaim at the Venice Film Festival in 2022; Al Hadi Ulad Mohand’s Life Suits Me Well, a grand jury prize winner at the Tangier National Film Festival in 2022; and Sean Gullette’s Traitors, which received awards at multiple international festivals.
At the current Berlinale, Debbagh is showcasing new projects, including Eternal Peace, directed by Boulifa, Looking For Bacchus by Ali Essafi, and Interzone, a series created by Michael Dreher. These projects are central to Morocco’s Country in Focus programming, which includes a Producers’ Spotlight on February 13, where Debbagh and nine other producers are presenting a diverse slate of fiction, documentary, and series projects that embody contemporary Moroccan storytelling.
Forging Exportable Intellectual Property: The Series Revolution
A key strategic shift for Morocco is its transition from merely being a service destination for others’ stories to becoming a prolific creator of exportable intellectual property, particularly in the realm of television series designed for international co-production from their inception. This evolution will be critically examined at the Berlinale Series Market Showcase on February 16, titled "Moroccan Series on the Rise: From Local Success to Global Ambitions."
The event promises a comprehensive overview of Morocco’s TV fiction landscape, encompassing drama, comedy, and crime genres. A central question guiding the discussions will be: What structural shifts are necessary to propel local successes into globally oriented productions? Industry leaders will address this query. Salim Cheikh, CEO of broadcaster 2M, is slated to discuss audience success, production figures, and the crucial role of public broadcasters in cultivating a robust production culture and regulatory framework.
Producer Khadija Alami will offer insights from her series K-1, delving into genre choices, innovative production models, and strategies for achieving international visibility. Karim Debbagh will present Interzone as a model for international co-production. Producer Lamia Chraibi will share her approach, which emphasizes auteur-driven and pan-African projects. The session will be moderated by Hind Bensari, the Moroccan documentary producer behind 475: Break the Silence.
Oasis Studios: A Vision Inspired by Skywalker Ranch
Khadija Alami, a monumental figure in the Moroccan film industry, launched her production services company in 1998. Her career began in 1985, working on major Hollywood productions such as John Landis’s Spies Like Us and Elaine May’s Ishtar. A pivotal moment arrived during her work on George Lucas’s early-1990s television show, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. "I was working as a coordinator on a show and they invited me to Skywalker Ranch," Alami recalls. "It was mind-blowing and I discovered this whole new world… the scale is so big compared to what we have in Morocco. [I started thinking] it would be great to have a facility like this [in Morocco]."
Inspired by this vision, Alami began acquiring land in Ouarzazate, affectionately known as the "Hollywood of Morocco," eventually culminating in the establishment of Oasis Studios in 2015. This state-of-the-art facility caters to both international and domestic productions, solidifying Morocco’s reputation as a top-tier production hub. Alami’s dedication and influence were further recognized in 2017 when she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the first Arab woman producer and the second Moroccan filmmaker to receive this esteemed distinction. She now serves as vice chair of the Academy’s international committee, cementing her role as a global ambassador for Moroccan cinema.
Her series K-1 is also slated for Berlinale Series Selects screenings on February 16 and 17. The show follows an elite police unit traversing Morocco, battling organized crime while confronting personal struggles that sculpt them into "deeply human and empathetic characters." Alami, serving as the showrunner, applied all the expertise gleaned from years of working with foreign productions to create this authentic Moroccan narrative. "I’m using all the things I learned with foreign productions… to do something Moroccan. I’m the showrunner. I had the writing room. I had three different directors. It’s a limited series, eight episodes," she elaborates.
A Trifecta of Appeal: Incentives, Talent, and Versatility
By most industry metrics, Morocco presents a compelling trifecta for international film, television, and streaming productions: robust financial incentives, a highly skilled technical workforce, experienced executive producers, and an unparalleled diversity of filming locations and casting pools. Structurally, these advantages are bolstered by a competitive 30 percent cash rebate for foreign productions, numerous official co-production agreements with partner countries, and local initiatives such as the Ateliers de l’Atlas, which actively fosters emerging Moroccan and regional filmmakers.
Through the Moroccan Cinema Center, foreign producers can recover up to 30 percent of eligible in-country expenses. This includes a wide array of costs such as equipment rental, local crew wages, transportation, logistics, set construction, and post-production services. Additional benefits include simplified customs clearance for equipment, symbolic tariffs for filming at historic sites and monuments, VAT exemptions on goods and services acquired in Morocco, and air transport rebates from Royal Air Maroc. Government support extends to crucial agencies like the Royal Armed Forces, Royal Moroccan Air Force, and Royal Moroccan Navy, offering streamlined logistics for productions involving military elements or weaponry.
Alami highlights the financial flexibility available to productions, noting that they can open temporary foreign accounts for project-specific entities, maintain full control over their funds, and close the account once filming concludes. "You don’t have to pay taxes here, you don’t pay fringes on crew, you have your own bank account, and you get a 30 percent cash rebate on the eligible spends in Morocco," she explains. The rebate, which significantly rose from 20 percent in 2018 to 30 percent three years later, requires shoots of at least 18 days and a minimum in-country spending of 1 million euros ($1.1 million), verified through an audit.
Kasbah Films played a pivotal role in one of the early beneficiaries of this enhanced incentive: the Netflix film Mosul, produced by Joe and Anthony Russo. The company later collaborated on Cherry, another Russo-directed feature for Apple TV+, and contributed to major global projects including Amazon’s fantasy series The Wheel of Time. More recently, Kasbah Films’ work has extended to upcoming productions such as Matchbox and the eagerly anticipated sequel Lords of War, starring Nicolas Cage.
Bianca Gavin, Head of Production for Scripted at Vice Studios and Chair of the Production Guild of Great Britain, recently collaborated with Kasbah Films on 2025’s Atomic, a five-part action-thriller series for Sky Atlantic. "We did a lot of feasibility studies looking at different countries and Morocco was by far the right place for us," Gavin affirms. "Morocco has exactly the kind of mixed terrain and architecture in a relatively small area to double for many different countries without crossing borders. The skills that [their filmmaking] legacy builds make working in Morocco really attractive, because you know they can achieve complex shoots… they’ve done it before." She further praised the rebate system, noting, "once we had our shooting permit, there’s no ceiling, so you just know that whatever is qualifying, you’ll get back."
Looking Ahead: Nurturing New Voices and Global Positioning
In a significant strategic move, the Moroccan Cinema Center recently appointed Mohamed Reda Benjelloun as its director, setting a forward-looking agenda centered on nurturing emerging talent and strengthening global positioning. "Moroccan cinema has a long, rich and diverse history, and that legacy is extremely important," Benjelloun states. "But from the moment I stepped into this role, I felt it was essential to rebalance our focus toward the future — toward young and emerging talents, new voices, new forms of writing and innovative narrative formats — while positioning Moroccan cinema more strongly on the international stage."
Benjelloun points to the European Film Market’s selection of 10 project holders — "the majority of them women" — spanning fiction, documentary, and series, as clear evidence of an intergenerational shift that effectively connects established professionals with rising creators. He firmly believes Morocco is reaching a moment of cinematic maturity, enabling it to fully embrace its narrative sovereignty. "This allows us to reclaim our own narratives — to tell our stories ourselves, to share our realities, imaginations and plural identities with the world, rather than having them defined from the outside," Benjelloun concludes, encapsulating the profound ambition driving Morocco’s vibrant film industry forward.
