Blog: Film festivals

“Memory of the Future / La mémoire de l'avenir”

The Center for Common Memory for Democracy and Peace (CMCDP), a national human rights association with international reach, hereby opens the call for film submissions for the 15th edition of the International Festival of Cinema and Common Memory (FICMEC), to be held in the city of Nador from October 30 to November 4, 2026.

The CMCDP operates within the following fields of action:

Issues related to memory and shared memory as knowledge and expertise;

Dissemination of a culture of peace, coexistence, and democracy;

The fight against all forms of extremism;

Defense of human rights and contribution to the dissemination of its culture;

Issues of identity and linguistic and cultural diversity;

Consolidation and development of values of solidarity and constructive dialogue between peoples and nations;

Support for all generations of human rights.

Each year, FICMEC proposes a thematic reflection linked to memory. In this edition, the central theme will be "Memory of the Future," inspired by Victor Hugo’s words: “The future is a door, the past is the key,” and Roman Krznaric’s idea that the future is not a place we are going to, but a place we are creating.

Memory is not an exercise in nostalgia nor a gaze anchored in the past. It is a collective responsibility. Preserving, explaining, and transmitting historical episodes—especially the most painful ones—is the duty of both institutions and society as a whole: families, associations, human rights defenders, artists, and educators. Understanding the past is a conscious act of preparing for the future.

"Memory of the Future" proposes a permanent dialogue between remembrance and projection, between justice and social transformation. The struggles against injustice, the processes of truth and reconciliation, the defense of human dignity, and the consolidation of democratic values constitute the foundations of a fairer tomorrow. Remembering is not about perpetuating resentment, but about generating awareness, preventing the repetition of violations, and strengthening a culture of peace.

New generations hold a central place in this vision. They are not merely repositories of inherited narratives but active agents capable of reinterpreting, questioning, and projecting memory toward the future. Intergenerational transmission, critical thinking against historical manipulation, and commitment to human rights are essential elements of this construction.

In the artistic and cultural sphere, cinema—whether documentary or fiction—becomes a privileged vehicle for making silenced memories visible, denouncing injustices, opening spaces for dialogue, and contributing to social transformation.

Thematic Conditions for Participation:

Feature films and short films (fiction, animation): open theme.

Documentaries: must specifically align with the theme of the "Memory of the Future" concept note, addressing issues related to memory, human rights, justice, intergenerational transmission, reconciliation, identity, or democratic construction from a reflective and proactive perspective.

Filmmakers of all nationalities are invited to submit works that contribute to thinking about the future through historical awareness, promoting values of justice, peace, equality, coexistence, and the role of youth in this process.

Film submissions are accepted exclusively through official festival registration platforms.

Through this call, the CMCDP and FICMEC reaffirm their commitment to an active, ethical, and transformative memory, convinced that only those who assume responsibility for the past can contribute to building a more humane and democratic future.