The Moroccan government has drawn up a draft bill on the film and audiovisual industries.
The aim is to create a legal framework enabling Moroccan film-makers to “accompany the major developments, in particular digital and technological, in the cinematographic sector” and thus create a true film industry.
In particular the bill creates new powers for the Centre cinématographique marocain (CCM), making it responsible for issuing authorisations for film production companies. These authorisations will impose certain conditions, including the obligation to employ Moroccan technicians for new productions. The CCM will also issue authorizations to the distribution sector and to film festivals. A regulatory text defining the required procedures will be published later.
The measures concerning film distribution will include a commitment to programming Moroccan films in cinemas. This will depend on the number of screens available in the country’s cinemas.
There are several other initiatives in this draft bill, including increasing the beneficiaries of subsidies and creating a chronology for marketing films according to their different operating media.
