HRH Prince Moulay Rachid officiates reorganization of MIFF Foundation

Marrakech-Morocco, October 14, 2007 -- His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, Founder and President of Marrakech International Film Festival (MIFF) Foundation, has announced that the foundation will get new headquarters, which is already under the construction.

The announcement made within the framework of foundation’s pilot projects, the aim of the reorganization is to maximize its principles, while ensuring sustained improvement in order to meet foundations goals.

The Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation was established in 2001 by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid and was endowed with the presidency of His Royal Highness. The Foundation is not-for–profit organization and was incorporated due to lack of opportunities for creative talents in cinematography.

The Foundation is distinguished for hosting the most renowned annual Marrakech International Film Festival.

Extraordinarily, the Foundation does not restrict its activities only to the famous festival, and specializes in the preservation and promotion of cultural wealth. The Foundation’s aim is to provide assistance to the diverse talents in front of and behind the camera. Social welfare projects also fall within its domain.

The purview of MIFF Foundation is very broad. Under the brave leadership of His Royal Highness, the foundation showcases and promotes work of diverse filmmakers and artists to Moroccan and International audiences. Its goal is to encourage and train new artists of all faces and to prepare them to reach ultimate victory.

To hundreds of young filmmakers dream came true due to generosity of His Royal Highness and his decisive contribution to the intellectual training of those who might play a leading role in cinematography.

Under the direction of His Royal Highness, the Foundation brings together emerging film talents from diverse Moroccan, African, Arab and International communities to network, dialogue, share, support and critique each other’s work.

For that reason, the Foundation has focused its activities to facilitate a forum where filmmakers and other film artists can interact and pitch their ideas to producers and investors. The Foundation is a main sponsor, along with European Union, of annual workshop of MEDA Films Development in Marrakech, with the aim of offering the opportunity to scriptwriter and producer teams to learn new ways of creating innovative ideas, expanding on them and collaborating to realize them as feature films.

In 2005, the Foundation has joined forces with the Tribeca Film Institute to create a pioneering filmmaking exchange program. The Marrakech/Tribeca Filmmaker Exchange was held in Marrakech in conjunction with film festival that brought together eight New York film students and eight emerging Moroccan directors. One of America's most honored film directors Martin Scorsese and Iran's Abbas Kiarostami has offered master classes, which were among the program's core offerings.

The preservation and promotion of intercultural understanding is also foundation’s mission furthering the vision of His Royal Highness. The Foundation also contributes in various ways to the promotion and enhancement of the contemporary artistic scene in Morocco and aboard. It also endorses the endeavors of other organizations on behalf of the cultural and scientific development.

Children being close to His Royal Highness heart, the foundation has been supporting non-governmental organizations by subsidizing the implementation of social welfare projects. Exclusively, the foundation has run the “Schoolbags Actions” to ease the financial burden of low-income families with children and to help them with basic education fees.

Under the leadership of His Royal Highness, the foundation works in the belief that knowledge and exploitation of the cultural heritage constitute a firm foundation for the future and for the preservation of the historic identity of Morocco, particularly during the unfavorable times following the 911.

The Foundation's Info:

The Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation Bureau provisoire : Théâtre Royal de Marrakech Adresse : BP 14212 – Riad Laarouss – Marrakech – Maroc Tél : +212 (0) 24 43 24 93/94 Fax : +212 (0) 24 43 25 11

E-mail : ffifm@lafondation.ma Site web : http://www.festivalmarrakech.info/