Event: 10 May 2026
In cinema, some distinctions recognize technical excellence, while others recognize the ability to transform reality into a story that resonates with audiences. The latter is often the greater challenge. It is therefore a notable achievement that Hassan Maanany, a Master’s student in Multimedia Engineering and Digital Creativity at the Center of Excellence in Design and Applied Arts of Ibn Tofail University, has been awarded the Grand Prize in the Short Documentary Film Competition at the 4th Atlas International Film Festival for his documentary He, She, and the Cats.
Held in Imouzzer Kandar, the Atlas International Film Festival provides a platform for filmmakers whose works explore human experiences, social realities, and contemporary issues through the language of cinema. Bringing together productions from different creative backgrounds, the festival celebrates works distinguished by their artistic quality, originality, and narrative depth. Within this competitive environment, He, she, and the Cats stood out among the documentary entries and received the highest award in its category, a recognition that places the film among the most remarkable documentary productions presented during this edition of the festival.
The significance of this distinction lies not only in the award itself but also in documentary filmmaking. Unlike fictional narratives, documentaries require creators to engage directly with reality, identify meaningful stories, and translate them into visual experiences capable of informing, questioning, and moving audiences. Such work demands a combination of observation, research, technical mastery, narrative structure, and artistic sensitivity. Receiving the festival’s top documentary prize, therefore, reflects the successful integration of these different dimensions within a single creative project.
For Hassan Maanany, this achievement represents the culmination of a process that bridges technology and artistic expression. As a student specializing in multimedia engineering and digital creativity, he operates within a field where storytelling increasingly relies on advanced audiovisual tools while remaining fundamentally rooted in human experience. The recognition awarded to He, She, and the Cats illustrates how emerging creators can use contemporary digital media not merely to produce content but to craft meaningful narratives capable of engaging broader audiences and participating in cultural dialogue.
The award also highlights the role of the Center of Excellence in Design and Applied Arts in fostering creative experimentation and interdisciplinary learning. By combining artistic practice with technological training, the center provides students with opportunities to develop projects that extend beyond the classroom and engage with professional and cultural ecosystems. Achievements such as this demonstrate the value of educational environments that encourage students to transform ideas into tangible cultural productions and to present their work on competitive national and international platforms.