UNESCO/Tamayouz Cinema Foundation Film Residency for young women African Filmmakers
Call for applications
Residency for young women African filmmakers in Morocco 15 September – 27 October 2025
Submission deadline: 31 July 2025
Under the mentorship of internationally acclaimed filmmakers Abderrahame Sissako and Hicham Lasri, this film residency for 10 young women filmmakers from Africa aims to foster creativity, collaboration, and visibility for emerging African women filmmakers.
Apply now!
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I. ABOUT
UNESCO is committed to promoting the diversity of cultural expressions and advancing gender equality within the arts and cultural industries, in line with the principles of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. By supporting initiatives that foster mobility and professional development, UNESCO aims to empower a new generation of African women to create impactful artistic works that are visible, accessible, and recognized.
Tamayouz Cinema Foundation is a Moroccan initiative aiming to build a creative, sustainable, and competitive film industry. Focused on empowering women professionals, it supports a new generation of filmmakers through training, networking, and project incubation. With a growing community, the Foundation seeks to create a lasting collective to represent industry voices, advocate for gender equality, and influence public policy across Morocco, Africa, and the Arab world.
With funding from the People’s Republic of China and in partnership with the Tamayouz Cinema Foundation, UNESCO presents a 6-week filmmaking residency (15 September – 27 October 2025). This unique programme is open to 10 emerging women filmmakers from the five sub- regions of Africa, providing a platform to enhance their skills, amplify their voices, and connect with influential players in the film industry.
This film and artist-in-residence offers an unparalleled opportunity for collaboration, artistic exchange, and professional growth accompanied by a group of experts in filmmaking, from scriptwriting, to filmmaking, and post-production.
The residency will be under the mentorship of:
• Mr. Hicham Lasri
Hicham Lasri, a versatile artist, has been interested in film language and writing since a young age, writing his first plays and short stories. His work is characterised by the exploration of social themes, adopting an avant-garde and experimental approach, both in his books and in his films. All his films are written and directed by himself. His books, like his films, are renowned for their humorous critique of society and their ability to push the boundaries of Moroccan literature. In 2011, he directed his first feature film, The End, which deals with the last days of King Hassan II. In They Are the Dogs (2013), he draws parallels between the Arab Spring of 2011 and the ‘hunger riots’ of 1981 in Morocco, appealing to both Arab and Western audiences and winning acclaim at festivals, accompanied by rave reviews. His third film, The Sea Is Behind, had its world premiere in Dubai in 2014, was presented in Panorama at the Berlinale in 2015 and won several awards at various festivals. STARVE YOUR DOG, the second part of the dog trilogy, was presented at the Toronto Film Festival in 2015 and selected for its European premiere at the 2016 Berlinale. In 2015, he directed HEADBANG Lullaby, followed by Jahilya in 2018, which was screened in the Forum section at the Berlinale. After a long career as a writer, director, novelist and comic book creator, his work continues to challenge conventions and explore new artistic horizons. Hicham Lasri aims to restore more humanity and freedom through his stories. In 2024, his film Moroccan Badass Girl ranked first in Morocco on the Netflix platform. The same year, he was awarded Best Director of a TV Film for his TV movie Batema42 on the national channel Al Oula. His work continues to influence and capture a wide audience, consolidating his position in the film landscape of the MENA region.
• Mr. Abderrhamane Sissako
Abderrahmane Sissako has created a humanistic and socially conscious work that
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explores the complex relations between North and South and the plight of a suffering African continent. Born in Kiffa, Mauritania, he spent his childhood in Mali. In 1983, he enrolled at the renowned VGIK, the State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow. There he made his first two short films: Le jeu and Octobre, which was presented in 1993 in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. Based on a commission for La Fontaine’s fables, he made Le Chameau et les bâtons flottants (1995) and followed it up with a short film from the Africa Dreamings series, Sabriya – Le Carré de l’échiquier. In 1998, he shot La Vie sur Terre, a return to his native country that echoes the writings of Aimé Césaire. In 2002, he directed En attendant le bonheur, which won the International Critics’ Prize at Cannes, the Étalon de Yennenga at Fespaco in and the Grand Prix at the Paris Arab Film Biennale. In 2006, in his family home in Mali, he shot Bamako, which was selected out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, Timbuktu, which was in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, generated great enthusiasm by becoming the first Mauritanian film to compete for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In France, it won seven César Awards, including Best Director and Best Film. He is one of the few filmmakers from sub-Saharan Africa to have achieved international renown.
The Tamayouz Cinema Foundation will partner with the Université Mohamed 6 Polytechnique (UM6P) in Rabat, the Digital Factory in Marrakech, and La Prod, in Casablanca.
This residency represents a transformative initiative to foster artistic innovation, elevate women filmmakers, and contribute to the creative renewal of African cinema.
II. WHO CAN APPLY?
UNESCO invites emerging African women filmmakers aged 21-35 who are passionate about storytelling and have a background in film or audio-visual production to apply.
To ensure regional representation, two applicants will be selected from each sub-region of Africa: Northern Africa, Western Africa, Eastern Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa.
III. WHEN, WHERE AND WHAT?
The residency programme will take place during six weeks from 15 September to 27 October 2025 in the cities of Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco, hosted by the Tamayouz Cinema Foundation.
Residents will collaborate closely with their peers under the guidance of the residency team, benefiting from extensive artistic, technical, and logistical support provided by the Tamayouz Cinema Foundation and their partners. Filming equipment and resources will be made available. The residency combines technical training, short film production, and mentorship.
Theme of the residency
The writer-director Hicham Lasri, the mentoring supervisor of this residency, has agreed to leverage his original idea: a series on Casablanca’s call centres. This imposed theme has the advantage of structuring the exercise but, above all, of maximizing collaborative learning and fostering collective creativity while respecting each participant’s individual artistic voice. Thus, this subject serves as an arena in which each filmmaker can express her national and creative uniqueness while contributing to the project.
Today, Morocco has over 1,200 call centres, representing approximately 90,000 direct jobs, with Casablanca at their epicentre. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the
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presence of young Sub-Saharan workers in these facilities: more than 20,000 Sub-Saharan students and young professionals now live in Morocco, often drawn by opportunities in customer- relations roles. These call centres have become living spaces and sites of cultural exchange, where the accents, references, aspirations, and struggles of an entire continent converge.
Programme
Format: Hybrid (online and in-person)
• August – September: Preparatory activities (online)
• 15 September – 27 October 2025: Six-week residency (in presential in Morocco):
o Session1:Introductionanddevelopmentofscenarios o Session2:Pre-production
o Session3:Production
o Session4:Post-productionandclosingoftheresidency
• October – December: Post-residency follow-up (online)
• The residency programme offers selected filmmakers multiple networking opportunities
to forge lasting connections.
IV. ELIGIBILITY
In order to apply for this filmmaking residency, you must qualify for the following conditions:
1) Identify as a woman
2) A citizen of an African state
3) At least 21 years old and no more than 35 years old before the beginning of the residency
4) At least 2 years of professional film or audio-visual experience
5) Must have written and directed one fiction film (short, medium, or long feature) preferably
showcased at a festival and/or broadcasted
6) Must speak and understand English and/or French fluently
Before submitting your application, please ensure that you meet the following requirements:
V.
• You attest that you are able to travel to and stay in Morocco for the full duration of the filmmaking residency (15 September – 27 October 2025) and are available to travel one or two days after and before.
• You attest that you will be available online to participate in the preparatory activities of the residency.
• You hold a passport that is valid until at least June 2026. SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Motivation: Demonstrate a clear and compelling reason for your interest in participating
VI.
in this filmmaking residency in Morocco.
2. Relevance: Explain how this residency aligns with your professional goals and how it will
enhance your filmmaking skills and capacities.
3. Sustainability: Describe how you plan to leverage this experience to inspire others and
advance opportunities for women in the film industry.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
To apply for the filmmaking residency, applicants must follow these steps:
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1. Complete the Application Form: Fill out the form in English or in French. (Applications received in other languages will not be considered).
2. Attach Required Materials: Include all necessary documents, such as Curriculum Vitae, and a copy of your passport.
3. Sign and Date: Ensure the application is signed and dated.
4. Submit Application: Send the completed application by 31 July 2025 via email to
convention2005.call@unesco.org. UNESCO will confirm receipt via email, and all applicants will be notified.
A selection committee, comprising representatives from UNESCO and the Tamayouz Cinema Foundation, will assess all applications. Successful candidates will be selected based on the eligibility and selection criteria outlined in this call.
After reviewing written applications, shortlisted candidates will be invited to a virtual meeting prior to the final selection.