Cinéma Sans Frontières Festival in Saïdia: Full 11th Edition Winners
Saïd Hamich's film "La Mer au loin" won the Grand Prize "La Perle Bleue" at the 11th edition of the Cinéma Sans Frontières festival, held at Saïdia Marina from August 26 to 30, 2026, with 12 films from Morocco, the Arab world, Africa and Europe competing.
Director Saïd Hamich's film "La Mer au loin" won the Grand Prize "La Perle Bleue" at the 11th edition of the "Cinéma Sans Frontières" festival, held at Saïdia Marina by the Al Amal Association for Coexistence and Development from August 26 to 30, 2026. Twelve films, both features and shorts, competed from Morocco, the Arab world, Africa and Europe.
Feature Film Awards
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Grand Prize "La Perle Bleue" | "La Mer au loin" by Saïd Hamich |
| Best Actor (tied) | Ayoub Gretaa for "La Mer au loin" and Anas El Baz for "Casablanca-Dakar" |
| Best Actress (tied) | Fatima Zahra Baladi for "Un amour à Dakhla" and Tunisian actress Afaf Ben Mahmoud for "Le 13e Round" |
| Best Screenplay | Abdelilah Hamdouchi for "Un amour à Dakhla" |
| Best Director (tied) | Saâd Chraïbi for "Le silence des violons" and Ahmed Boulane for "Casablanca-Dakar" |
| Special Jury Prize | "Le 13e Round" |
| Special Mention | Azelarab Kaghat for his performance in "Le silence des violons" |
Short Film Awards
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Grand Prize "L'Orange" | "Aïcha" by Sanaa El Alaoui |
| Best Screenplay (tied) | "Une autre fin" by Tarek Rasmi and "Miroir à vendre" by Hicham Amal |
| Best Director | "Chikha" by Ayoub Layoussifi and Zahoua Raji |
The Jury and Competition Scope
The jury was chaired by director Adil Fadhili, with members including actor Hicham Bahloul, writer-journalist Abdelaziz Koukass, actress Jalila Talemsi and academic Fouzia Borj. Twelve films competed, six features and six shorts, from Morocco, Arab countries, Africa and Europe.
Why It Matters
Now in its 11th edition, the "Cinéma Sans Frontières" festival cements Saïdia's place as an annual film destination in Morocco's Oriental region, away from the traditional film hubs of Casablanca and Rabat. Open to Moroccan, Arab, African and European productions, it gives emerging talent a platform alongside established names like Saâd Chraïbi and Ahmed Boulane.