The eighth edition of the Atlas Workshops, which ran from 30 November-4 December within the Marrakech International Film Festival, has concluded with the announcement of this year’s award winners. The workshops presented eight awards with a total prize fund of €120,000, highlighting emerging talent from Morocco, Arab countries and Africa. Over the past few editions, the Atlas Workshops has supported 179 projects and films, 68 of which were from Morocco. Many of these films have gone on to participate in major international festivals.

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In the Atlas Post-production section, the €20,000 prize was awarded ex-aequo to two Moroccan projects in progress: Don’t Let the Sun Go up on Me, a hybrid documentary directed and produced by Asmae El Moudir, and La Más Dulce, directed by Laïla Marrakchi. The jury for this section consisted of Beatrice Fiorentino (Venice International Film Critics’ Week), Martin Gondre (Best Friend Forever) and Hania Mroue (Metropolis Cinema). The post-production prizes of €10,000 apiece went to the documentary Goma Enough Is Enough, directed by Elisé Sawasawa from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Egyptian project Safe Exit, directed and produced by Mohammed Hammad.

In the Atlas Development category, the top prize of €30,000 went to Chapa 100, directed by Ique Langa from Mozambique, as decided by the jury composed of Karim Aitouna (Haut les Mains Productions), Ama Ampadu (BFI Filmmaking Fund) and Olivier Père (Arte France). The €20,000 Development Prize went to Les Dieux Délinquants, directed and produced by Boubacar Sangaré from Burkina Faso, while €5,000 prizes were awarded to the hybrid documentary A Childhood, directed by Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti, and Vanda, helmed by debutant filmmaker Kamy Lara from Angola.

This year’s edition brought together 350 professionals around 28 projects and films at various stages of development, including 17 projects in development, and 11 in production or post-production from 12 countries. Eleven participants in the Atlas Station for short films, alongside several Moroccan professionals, also benefited from support before and during the festival. A total of 185 sessions were organised, including 90 individual consultations with 35 experts and consultants covering topics from screenwriting and cinematography to VFX, editing, music and distribution. The Atlas Workshops Co-production Market facilitated a record 525 individual meetings between participating directors and producers. Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu served as the patron for this year’s edition.

Here is the full list of winners at the eighth edition of the Atlas Workshops:

Atlas Post-production Prizes - €20,000 (ex-aequo)
Don’t Let the Sun Go up on Me – Asmae El Moudir (Morocco/France/Denmark)
Producers: Asmae El Moudir (Insight Films), Emma Lepers (Haut et Court Doc), Monica Hellström (Ström Pictures)

La Más Dulce – Laïla Marrakchi (France/Morocco/Spain/Belgium)
Producers: Juliette Schrameck (Lumen), Saïd Hamich Benlarbi (Mont Fleuri Production), Adrià Monès Murians (Fasten Seat Belt), Elisa Heene (Mirage Films)

Atlas Post-production Prize - €10,000
Goma Enough Is Enough – Elisé Sawasawa (France/Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Producers: Marianne Dumoulin, Jacques Bidou (JBA Production), Christian Bitwaiki (Molakisi Films)

Atlas Post-production Prize - €10,000
Safe Exit – Mohammed Hammad (Egypt/Tunisia/Qatar)
Producers: Khouloud Saad, Mohammed Hammad (Pareidolia Productions), Dora Bouchoucha (Nomadis Image), Ibrahim El Batout

Atlas Development Prize - €30,000
Chapa 100 – Ique Langa (Mozambique/South Africa)
Producers: Sousa Domingos (Better Audiovisual), Khalid Shamis (Tubafilms)

Atlas Development Prize - €20,000
Les Dieux Délinquants – Boubacar Sangaré (Burkina Faso/France)
Producers: Boubacar Sangaré (BES Ciné), Madeline Robert (Les Films de la Caravane)

Atlas Development Prizes - €5,000
A Childhood – Scandar Copti (Palestine/France/Denmark)
Producers: Jiries Copti, Tony Copti (Fresco Films), Jean Bréhat (Tessalit Productions), Rita Dagher (Senorita Films), Maria Westergren (ToolBox Film)

Vanda – Kamy Lara (Portugal/Angola)
Producers: Fernanda Polacow (Wonder Maria Filmes), Kamy Lara (Uika Filmes)