Festival Handifim Cinéma et Inclusion (19)

Festival start: 03 December 2026      Festival end: 05 December 2026

The Rabat Handifilm Festival is an annual artistic and socio-cultural event. In addition to promoting cinema through films addressing disability, it aims to develop a constructive approach to the representation of people with disabilities in film and art in general, and to foster a culture that embraces diversity.
By building communication, networking, mutual support, and partnerships with similar events both nationally and internationally, Handifilm works to raise awareness of Morocco, its unique characteristics, and its potential in cinema and culture as a whole.

A jury appointed by the organizers from among professionals in film, health, education, and disability organizations will award one of the following prizes to the films in competition, without the possibility of ties or multiple awards:

- the Grand Prize,
- the prize for best awareness message on disability,
- the Jury Prize,
- the prize for best documentary,
- the prize for best animated film,
- any other prize or honorable mention.

Article 1: The Rabat Handifilm Festival is an annual artistic and socio-cultural event. In addition to promoting cinema through films addressing disability, it aims to develop a constructive approach to the representation of people with disabilities in film and artistic works in general, and to foster a culture that embraces diversity.

By building communication, networking, mutual support, and partnerships with similar events nationally and internationally, Handifilm works to raise awareness of Morocco, its unique characteristics, and its potential in cinema and culture in general.

Article 2: The 19th edition of the Rabat Handifilm Festival will be organized by the Handifilm Association from December 3rd to 5th, 2026, in Rabat.

Article 3: The Festival program includes:

- an Official Competition section,
- a Special Junior Competition section,
- a Panorama section,
- thematic conferences, masterclasses, and workshops,
- discussions about the films screened.

Article 4: Films submitted for selection and competing in the competitions must be:

- produced after December 2024,

- have disability as their main theme or be directed or acted by people with disabilities,

- less than 20 minutes long for the Official Competition and less than 15 minutes long for the Special Junior Competition,

- subtitled or dubbed in Arabic or French if the original language is not one of these two languages. Exceptionally, english subtitles may be accepted upon a reasoned decision by the selection committee.

Article 5: To be eligible to participate in the special junior competition, films must meet one of the following two conditions:

- be written and directed collaboratively by high school students,

- be written, directed, and filmed by young people under 24 years of age.

Article 6: Applications must be submitted no later than August 31, 2026, to the following address: Association Handifilm, 4 Rue du Caire, Corner of Rue Gandhi, Résidence El Menzah, Apt. 17, Rabat – MOROCCO, by email to handifilm@ymail.com, or via dedicated online platforms.

Applications must be accompanied by the following:

- the film on a suitable medium or a download link,

- the registration form duly completed and signed by the producer or director,

- a copy of the filming permit issued by the Moroccan Cinema Center for films shot in Morocco,

- two stills from at least two sequences of the film and all promotional materials,

- a photo and the director's filmography or CV.

Article 7: A jury appointed by the organizers from among professionals in film, health, education, and associations working in the field of disability will award one of the following prizes to the films in competition, without the possibility of ties or multiple awards:

- the Grand Prize,
- the prize for best awareness message on disability,
- the Jury Prize,
- the prize for best documentary,
- the prize for best animated film,
- any other prize or honorable mention.

Article 8: The Panorama section is open, without any restrictions regarding duration or production date, to fiction films, documentaries, and reports related to the Festival's theme.

Article 9: Anyone submitting a film guarantees the accuracy of the information provided on the registration form. The selection of a film does not imply the provision of a representative for its production. This support remains at the sole discretion of the Handifilm association, based on its budgetary resources.

Article 10: Once submitted and selected, a film cannot be withdrawn from the program.

Article 11: The Handifilm association reserves the right to use these films free of charge for Handifilm-branded programs, undertaking to notify the rights holders of the work.

Article 12: The Handifilm association promotes, supports, and assists the films in the official selection, as well as those in the parallel sections, by screening them at other partner cultural events.

Article 13: Any situation not covered by these regulations remains the responsibility of the organizers.

Article 14: Participation in the 19th Rabat Handifilm Festival implies full acceptance of these regulations.