In the festival 18 films representing various countries will compete for the “Grand Prix Hassan II” award for best film. Tunisian director Reda Al-Bahi will head the jury that includes Egyptian actress Lubluba, Moroccan singer Sana Moziyan, Iranian scriptwriter Abbas Bakhtiyari and Moroccan director Jamaleddine Al-Dakhisy in addition to artists from Chile and Canada.

The festival, which carries the theme “We are all against Piracy,” will pay special attention to Syrian and Egyptian cinema. A seminar on Naguib Mahfouz, whose novels served as an inspiration to Egyptian films, will also be held. The festival will also feature a short film on the Egyptian people’s 18-day struggle for freedom in their country. A roundtable discussion on the relationship between cinema and novels will be held with the cooperation of the Moroccan Federation of Writers.

The festival will feature a number of short films and documentaries, Al-Watan daily reported.