A regional branch of the Higher institute of Audiovisual and Film Professions (ISMAC) was inaugurated on Monday in Dakhla, at a ceremony chaired by Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.
The new facility will strengthen the region’s audiovisual and film training offer by providing young people with a range of specialized training courses, including filmmaking, scriptwriting, production, sound engineering, editing and special effects.
In a statement to the press, Dati noted that the inauguration of the ISMAC regional branch in Dakhla is the result of a cooperation agreement signed between Morocco and France in Cannes, aimed at giving new momentum to their collaboration in the areas of co-production and film exchanges.
This cooperation will cover various cultural fields, including cinema, media, audiovisual, new technologies, and AI, among others, she said, adding that it will benefit trainers, teachers, and students in the region.
“My visit as the French Minister of Culture to Dakhla carries a very strong political significance,” Dati emphasized, noting that the inauguration of this new facility reflects the shared ambition of both countries to continue strengthening their solid partnership in various fields, particularly in culture.
For his part, Bensaid stressed, that “today, we are implementing one of the cooperation agreements signed between Morocco and France in the field of cinema,” recalling the particular interest that His Majesty King Mohammed VI attaches to strengthening human capital in the cultural sector.
Bensaid also noted that the goal of this agreement is to enhance the skills of young people in the cinematographic field, adding that with the inauguration of this institution, an important cultural momentum will be launched in the city of Dakhla, which boasts enormous natural potential, thus attracting numerous national and international filmmakers.
“Our partnership with France constitutes a significant opportunity to learn from the French experience in this field and acquire new cinematographic techniques, which will strengthen the training of young people in the cinema and audiovisual professions,” the minister highlighted.
MAP: 17 February 2025
