Morocco- The 16th International Women’s Film Festival Salé (FIFFS), organized by the Bouregreg Association with the aim of promoting women's cinema and highlighting women in cinema, kicked off in Morocco yesterday. The festival will last until November 18. The festival gives women filmmakers from Arab and African countries the opportunity to discuss similar issues.

On the first day of the festival, Moroccan actress Naima Ilyas, Mexican film director María Novaro and German actress Nastassja Kinski were honored with the Distinguished Career Achievement Award. In a video speech, María Novaro said that her film career started at the end of the seventies in Mexico women had no presence in cinema. “Although Mexican cinema had an international reputation, there were only three women film directors. I want to defend the values of equality and freedom and to erase the stereotypes that women suffer from in my country,” she added. María Novaro also said that she participated in the festival with her film, “Tesoros”.

Moroccan actress Naima Elias expressed her happiness for receiving the award in her speech. Speaking about her four-decade career, she stressed that she still has a lot to offer to cinema lovers.

The festival comprises competitive sections for documentary films, feature-length films and short films. The feature films, documentary films and short films directed by women from many countries, will compete at the festival. The films to be screened at the festival focus on the women’s struggle for equality and against all forms of discrimination.

The juries will award a total of nine prizes, including the “grand prize” of the International Women’s Film Festival of Salé. At the festival, debates, workshops and presentations on the festival and cinema in Morocco will be held.