Look out Dreamworld, here comes Morocco. Plans are in the works to turn Ouarzazate into a Morocco Hollywood with plans to spend 43 million dirhams to turn the southern Moroccan city into a international film center by 2016. The plan looks to promote Ouarzazate as a concept for film makers–similar to Warner Brothers Studio in Hollywood or Dreamcity Film City in Capetown.
Improvements to the city’s movie industry infrastructure should attract more and more filming operations every year. Ouarzazate is proposing pre- and post-production diversified services. A number of film schools have opened in the area to train local Moroccan people for work in international productions. Improving the local resources for the international film industry will make Ouarzazate capable of producing 38 films per year compared to the 11 it is currently able to produce. This means 180 million euros in annual income for Morocco and 8000 new job opportunities, according to the proposal from the Moroccan Cinema Centre and Sous Masse Dera’a Council.
Improvements would include the availability of technical equipment, building a cinema village and conference facilities. Health care services would be set up as well as improving emergency response capability. Creation of an effective transportation system and building lodging for crews would be included. Incentives such as nominal fees for filming in historic places, tax exemptions for goods and services paid for in country and reduced tariff rates for the temporary imports of cinema equipment are proposed to stimulate production. Other incentives being looked at are reduced air transport costs, and the availability of official state forces for cinematic purposes. Morocco film industry has seen much action in recent years.
Abdul Ilah Jawhari, a film critic is optimistic about Morocco’s investment to boost the movie industry. He says that Morocco will probably succeed in attracting cinema projects if it is protected by legal disciplines from intruders and brokers inside the city. The area’s economy is tied to tourism and the cinema industry with more than half the population employed in film making industry through playing secondary roles. Recently, a Morocco Visual Arts school opened up in Marrakech. Mr. Jawhari thinks that the investment will have a positive affect in this historical region of Morocco.
Film buffs call Ouarzazate the Morocco Hollywood and have turned it into an international capital of the art. It is located about four hours driving time from tourists boomed Marrakech. Film directors and producers come to southern Morocco in search of sunshine and an oriental touch for their productions. Ouarzazate has been named sister city to Los Angeles. Both cities offer oasis, multicolored landscapes, towns and outstretched hills needed for filming.
Morocco has been the destination of choice for international film makers for more than 50 years. “Lawrence of Arabia†was filmed in the kingdom in the early 1960s. Ridley Scott just recently finished shooting Body of Lies starring Leonardo DeCaprio. Ait Benhaddou has been the setting of numerous films, including the hit “Gladiator.” The first film studio was built in 1983 from sets let after the filming of Cleopatra. The newest studio was built under the joint venture of Morocco’s Sanam Holding, Dino De Laurentis and Italy’s Cinecitta and is considered a major contribution to the film industry by 2016. Morocco filming demands are sure to increase as the years come.
by Carole Morris
