'Don’t Let the Sun Rise on Me,’ ‘Chapa 1000’ Win Top Awards at Atlas Workshops'

The Atlas Workshops, held from November 30 to December 5 as part of the Marrakech Film Festival, awarded their premier prizes to Dont Let the Sun Go Up on Me and Chapa 1000. The post-production grant of 25,000 ($26,409) went to the winner, Dont Let the Sun Go Up on Me, directed by Asmae El Moudir. The film explores the life of Fatimazahra, a young woman born with a rare genetic condition that made sunlight life-threatening. She lived a nocturnal life and established a community known as the Children of the Moon, which later relocated to Norways Lofoten Islands after her passing in 2023 to embrace the safety of the polar night.

El Moudir remarked, Were dealing with a rare illness with a powerful antagonist: the sun. What normally symbolizes joy becomes a danger. For this community, light can kill. The project is like a real-life vampire story, portraying a hidden society that most people are unaware of, without casting them as victims.

This marks El Moudirs second win at the Atlas Workshops. Her prior film, The Mother of All Lies, won awards at Cannes and Marrakech, including the Un Certain Regard directing prize and the Etoile dOr, making history as the first Moroccan film to achieve that honor. She is preparing for another production ahead of a 2027 release.

Additional post-production grants included 20,000 ($23,343) for Laila Marrakchis La Mas Dulce, depicting two Moroccan women confronting exploitation while working in Andalusian strawberry fields. Mohammed Hammads Safe Exit and Elis Sawasawas Goma Enough Is Enough received $10,579 and $5,279, respectively, highlighting stories of PTSD recovery and civilian resistance in Congo.

On the development side, Ique Langa earned top recognition for Chapa 1000, a romantic tale about elderly street vendors in Mozambique that evolves into a magical realist narrative. Other supported projects included Boubacar Sangars Les Dieux Delinquants, Scandar Coptis A Childhood, and Kamy Laras Vanda.

The workshops also hosted 60 distributors from the Middle East and North Africa during the Atlas Distribution Meetings, promoting informal networking opportunities. Atlas director Hdi Zardi emphasized the importance of maintaining a boutique atmosphere to encourage spontaneous interactions among industry professionals.

This years mentor, Palme dOr winner Cristian Mungiu, advised filmmakers to avoid overdevelopment, stressing the value of moving from feedback to production. He highlighted the workshops role in showcasing underrepresented regions and breaking stereotypes through cinema.

Since 2018, the Atlas Workshops have supported 180 projects, including over 70 Moroccan films. Post-production winners since 2020 have gone on to debut at major festivals like Cannes and Berlin, continuing the programs legacy of elevating emerging filmmakers.

Author: Lucas Grant