Ahmed El Maanouni

Writer, director, cinematographer, and producer Ahmed El Maanouni emerged with Alyam Alyam, the first Moroccan feature selected for the Cannes Film Festival. His musical documentary Trances, presented by Martin Scorsese, premiered at Cannes Classics, and both films were restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project. His autobiographical Burned Hearts won the Grand Prize and the Critics’ Award at the 2007 National Film Festival, while his comedy Fadma received the Best Director Award in 2017. Moving between fiction and documentary, his work explores Morocco’s contemporary history, illuminating collective memory. He also leads international filmmaking workshops and gives masterclasses on cinematic language, storytelling, and the creative process.