Warzazat is set to elevate its profile in the global film production landscape with the launch of the International Cinema City project, backed by an investment of approximately 240 million dirhams. This initiative aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem for film production, post-production services, and training, enhancing the city’s appeal to major national and international production companies.
A New Era for Film Production
On Friday, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, officially inaugurated the groundbreaking work for the project, which will cover an area of 10.49 hectares. Designed as a “one-stop shop,” the facility will consolidate various services related to the film industry under one roof.
Comprehensive Facilities
The project will feature five main components, including a 3,000-square-meter filming studio, spaces for post-production, archive preservation, training, and creative technology innovation, as well as facilities for hospitality and cinematic tourism. Bensaid emphasized that the International Cinema City complements the existing services offered by the private sector in Warzazat rather than competing with established studios; it is intended to address gaps in post-production services that have previously led many foreign productions to complete their filming in Morocco before taking the final touches abroad.
Restoration and Cultural Heritage
During the visit, the minister, accompanied by the governor of the Warzazat region, Abdullah Jahiz, assessed the progress of restoration work at Taourirt Kasbah and Ait Benhaddou, part of a program to rehabilitate cultural sites affected by the Al Haouz earthquake. Bensaid revealed that restoration work at Ait Benhaddou is between 80% and 85% complete, with anticipated finalization over the next four months, before transitioning to initiatives aimed at enhancing the site’s appeal as a year-round cultural and tourist destination.
