Tangier Film Festival Unveils Its International Fiction Short Film Competition Selection, Strengthening the City’s Openness to World Cinema

From 11 to 14 November 2026, the festival’s 15th edition will bring together films from 19 countries in Tangier, reaffirming its international outlook and commitment to cinematic diversity.

Tangier is preparing to become a crossroads of international cinema from 11 to 14 November 2026, as it hosts the 15th edition of the Tangier Film Festival. Organised in partnership with the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre, the Tangier Wilaya, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University and the Tangier Municipality, the event aims to enhance the city’s cultural profile and promote artistic exchange through the seventh art.

Ahead of the upcoming edition, the festival’s management has unveiled the official selection for its international short film competition in the fiction category. A total of 20 films representing 19 countries have been selected, offering a panorama of contemporary filmmaking and diverse perspectives on human, social and cultural realities.

The selection brings together productions from Spain, the United Kingdom, Palestine, France, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, Portugal, Uruguay, Finland, Greece, Sweden, Ireland, Kuwait, Bangladesh, China, Russia, Haiti and Morocco. This geographical diversity reflects the festival’s ambition to bring different artistic sensibilities into dialogue and encourage films to circulate across borders.

Among the selected films are There Is a God in Us, directed by Olivia Ramírez, representing Spain, and The Healer, by Will Joel, from the United Kingdom. The programme also includes I’m Glad You’re Dead Now, by Tawfik Barhom, and A Pale Sun, co-directed by Adrien Dolan and Jawhen Zenthar, representing France. Brazil will participate with Aline, directed by Dikiel Berenson.

Egypt will be represented by two productions: Zizou, directed by Khaled Maayt, and Blocked, by Bahi Taha. South Africa will enter the competition with The Eagles, by Dian We S, while Portugal will present Prayer, directed by Sofia Jefiler. Uruguay will take part with Good Manners, by Lulu Carmila.

The programme also highlights collaborations and cinematic perspectives from other parts of the world. Finland and Greece will be represented through All the Love in My Body, directed by Carmen Baltazar. The selection also features the Swedish film 175, by Sepehr Nosrati, and the Irish short film Mary Has Disappeared, directed by Aisling Byrne.
Kuwait will be represented by Your Excellency, directed by Musaed Al-Qudaifi, while Greece will also feature in the competition with The Last Tropical Orbits, directed by Thanasis Troupoukis.

Asian cinema will be showcased through Ali, by Bangladeshi director Adnan Al Rajiv, and The Hippopotamus, by JJ Lin, representing China. Russia will present Rebound, directed by Dmitri Marin. Haiti will be represented by Blue Heart, by Samuel Souffrin, while Morocco will compete with Caravaggio’s Shadow.

The festival’s management paid tribute to the members of the committee responsible for selecting the fiction short films, commending their work in assembling a programme that brings together cinematic perspectives from different regions of the world. The selection will give audiences in Tangier the opportunity to discover distinctive cinematic worlds, varied narrative approaches and artistic styles reflecting the vitality of international short filmmaking.

Beyond the competition itself, the programme forms part of a broader ambition to strengthen Tangier’s position as one of Morocco’s leading cultural and cinematic destinations. By bringing films, filmmakers and audiences together, the festival seeks to encourage creativity, support emerging cinematic voices and foster dialogue between cultures.

With its 15th edition, the Tangier Film Festival is reaffirming its commitment to international openness, grounded in the diversity of film productions and the richness of artistic exchange, while contributing to the city’s cultural dynamism and the development of short filmmaking in Morocco.