Moroccan Cinema Industry Faces Crisis as COVID-19 Restrictions Slash Revenue by 90%

In their joint letter, the Moroccan Chamber of Cinema Halls, the cinema distributors represented by the Moroccan Chamber of Film Distributors and the cinema producers represented by the Moroccan Chamber of Film Producers expressed their growing distress in the face of the consequences of this health crisis on their sector, reports Hespress.

Noting the importance of vaccination to accelerate the return to normal and in turn the sustainable recovery of their sector, the professionals in the cinema sector indicated that according to the figures of the Ministry of Health, more than 10 million Moroccans, almost all over 30 years old, are fully vaccinated and ready to consume in sectors weakened by the pandemic such as catering, leisure and culture.

Cinema in Morocco directly employs more than 5,000 Moroccans, and supports 30,000 people including employees’ families, they recalled in the letter, adding that the cinemas have experienced 15 months of administrative closure.

Furthermore, the signatories informed El Othmani of the unfulfilled promise of state support for the sector. Indeed, they specify, the aid received by cinema operators only covers 8 months of fixed charges, partially, and only 3 months of aid have been paid to them to date. As a result, the sector is bankrupt, plunging 30,000 people even further into precariousness, without notice, and from one day to the next.

In conclusion, cinema operators are asking the government to find the solution to reactivate the 10 million fully vaccinated people who are presumably out of danger. Because, they point out, these people represent the category of the population with the most purchasing power. A crucial category for the economic recovery of Morocco.