FICAM pays tribute to Beyoud at closing ceremony

MEKNES - The 23rd edition of the Meknes International Animated Film Festival (FICAM) closed its curtains on Wednesday with a tribute to its former artistic director Mohamed Beyoud.

Charle Ariel Devico, President of the Aicha Foundation, said that this edition witnessed a great success thanks to its rich programme.

“During the last six days, Meknes has been turned into a laboratory of exchange of expertise while the public enjoyed an unprecedented projection of animated films besides professional workshops of animated cinema,” said Devico.

An intense and magical week was dedicated to the art of animation. This festival, renowned for its ability to bring together emerging talents and masters of animation, enabled an exhilarating fusion of animation and video games, where creatives and enthusiasts shared their love for dynamic and innovative animated cinema.

This edition was marked by an exceptional moment: the Moroccan premiere of Gints Zilbalodis's film “Flow”, a cinematic UFO acclaimed for its immersive aesthetic and contemplative storytelling. 

Presented in partnership with Gebeka Films, Flow captivated festivalgoers with its unique visual language, a perfect fusion of animated film and video game experience. This landmark screening embodied the DNA of FICAM: exploring the bridges between art forms and inviting new visual narratives.

FICAM paid a special tribute to its former artistic director Mohamed Beyoud for his tremendous hard work throughout many years to put the festival on the world map.

“I would like to thank the Aicha Foundation and Devicho in particular for his immense contribution to the festival,” said Beyoud.

“We managed to give FICAM this African touch in line with King Mohammed VI’s vision,” he added.

Alexis Shigeru Hunot, the festival’s presenter, told Middle East Online that Beyoud created a major share of the selection and left FICAM a beautiful heritage.

“We enjoyed the participation of award-winning Swiss director Claude Barras, "Flo", a film by Gints Zilbalodis, which won the French César Award for Best Animated Film last February and other incredible movies,” said Hunot.

“FICAM presents simply the pleasure of meetings which make the venue a unique place for sharing talent and experiences,” he added.

The closing ceremony, held at the French Institute of Morocco in Meknes, revealed a rich list of winners, demonstrating the diversity and excellence of the works presented during this edition.

The Grand Jury Prize for Short Film Competition (€3,000) was awarded to: Pubert Jimbob by Quirjin Dees, a work of rare inventiveness. A Special Mention was awarded to Les belles blessures by Raphaël Jouzeau

The Youth Prize was awarded to Los Carpinchos by Alfredo Soderguit

The Audience Prize went to Cracher dans la soupe by Chantal Peten, acclaimed by language students at the French Institute of Morocco in Meknes.

The Student Prize went to Intermission by Milo Bonnard

The Junior Jury Prize (students from the Lycée Paul Valéry and members of the Théâtre des Chamâtes) honored La légende du Colibri by Morgan Devos

The Short Film Audience Prize went to Cracher dans la soupe by Chantal Peten, revealing the emotional engagement of the audience.

In the feature film category, the Junior Jury Prize (€2,000) went to Léonard Cohen's The Scent of Iraq for its visual and narrative richness, while the Audience Award went to Hola Frida by André Kadi and Karine Vézina, a true crowd favorite.

Finally, the second edition of the international VR animation competition confirmed the success of this new section. The VR Audience Award was awarded to The River by Anbela Costa.

The VR Jury Special Mention was awarded to Play Life by Žilvinas Naujokas, Vilius Petrauskas, Mantas Pronckus, and Donatas Ulvydas.

Finally, the VR Jury Grand Prize – €3,000 was awarded to Address Unknown: Fukushima Now by Arif Khan.