Marrakech is a wonderful destination for the holidays, offering visitors exhilarating scenery with a variety of outdoor adventures, cultural events, jeep tours and shopping excursions.

One of Marrakech’s leading attractions is Souk, which welcomes about one million shoppers each year. With more than 300 specialty boutiques and exclusive artisan galleries as well as holiday festivities, shopping becomes a joyful revelation of fabulous art and distinctive gifts around every corner.

Festivals…
The end of the year is a very active period in Marrakech. On 4 December the 9th Edition of the Marrakech Film Festival begins and will end on 12 December. The famous Place Djemaa El Fna, where you usually find snake-charmers, story-tellers and other spectacles, will be transformed into an open-air cinema.
This is followed by the 4th edition of the Marrakech International Laugh Festival. It will take place from the 18th till 20 December at the Royal Theater. This meeting of the world humor will be sponsored by Mohamed El Khiyari, the famous Moroccan comedian.

Aid Aladha
In this Aid… Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Aid prayer (Salatu’l-`id) in any Mosque. This is a very special time where families come together in peace, harmony and to share. We wish all a happy Aid Aladha and encourage those that have never experienced it to come to Marrakech and join us all.

Ski Atlas
Marrakech is surrounded by the Atlas Mountain, the nature offers all its beauty to the red city. In the summer, the city center is crowded and hot but in the winter, the summits of the Atlas cover themselves with a white coat. Here, the end of the year is announced and the period of ski begins. Have you ever ski on the highest (2,600m) ski resort in Africa? Then allow Terre Resort & Spa to invite you to experience it. During this special period, we offer special packages to ski in Oukaimeden which is only 75 km from Marrakech. Bring in the new decade in true style and beauty.

When you purchase three consecutive nights between Monday, November 2 and Thursday, December 17, Terre Resort and Spa will include an additional night at no charge! In addition to enjoying a three-night stay for the price of two, guests will receive complimentary transportation to and from the city, complimentary breakfast daily as well all applicable taxes are included. Nightly rates for this offer start from 140 Euros, based on double occupancy.

source-http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/news-articles/marrakech-for-the-holidays-14212.php

In Africa, movies can be more than a night out; they can be a step up. Making and watching films can change lives and empower individuals with information and ideas.

Outdoor cinema is an ideal medium for people in many parts of Africa and is growing in its use.

To show a film, they don’t have to own the land or build a building-the screens can be set up in an open field.

A provider of large inflatable movie screens, Open Air Cinema is making it possible to provide this medium for NGOs and small business owners in Africa at a discounted rate.

With the inflatable screens, projectors, speakers, sound equipment and generators everything is completely transportable.

For example, in Rwanda, Open Air Cinema has partnered with the Rwanda Cinema Center which has a program to showcase the talent of the brilliant local filmmakers at several locations across the country.

Meanwhile, Open Air Cinema, the world leader in outdoor cinema equipment, is announcing a humanitarian effort that includes a subsidized program to provide Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and small business owners in Africa with its inflatable movie screens to show films in an outdoor environment.

The Open Air Cinema CineBox product comes equipped with everything needed to offer NGOs a portable, durable solution to distribute information, education and entertainment via outdoor movie screens.

The systems are simple enough to set up and use for small events with a few people, yet large enough to easily accommodate gatherings of several thousand people.

“With the infrastructure challenges that are common throughout Africa, we are offering NGOs an effective and enticing new medium to deliver critical information and needed entertainment,” said Stuart Farmer, president of Open Air Cinema.

“Our inflatable movie screens and systems can be made available anywhere, even in the bush, so NGOs can now deliver consistent messages-through training films about AIDS awareness or women’s rights or an entertaining movie to help elevate the morale of those in the audience.”

Inflatable movie screens from Open Air Cinema have been used by the United Nations and FilmAid in refugee camps in Kenya and Tanzania.

The screens are also used for “Hillywood,” the traveling Rwandan film festival. Movies featuring filmmakers from Rwanda and other African states are shown on the inflatable screens in seven locations over seven days.

Up to 10,000 people attend each showing. Each community has the opportunity to feature their own stories, in their own voice.

“We take our film festival to remote areas of Rwanda to bring the magic of cinema to a people who desperately need it,” said Eric Kabera, founder of the Rwanda Cinema Center.

“Many people in this region have never seen a film, and we are working to educate and inspire them and open their eyes to the world of achievable possibilities.”

“Outdoor cinema is an ideal medium for many parts of Africa,” Farmer said.

“To show a film, you don’t have to own the land, it can be in an open field.

“Everything can fit in a Land Rover including the screen, projector, speakers, a sound mixer and a generator for remote outdoor viewing.”

The Open Air Cinema subsidized program is for use by NGOs and other organizations that desire to use the cinema equipment for humanitarian efforts in Africa.

The program includes detailed training, technical support and reduced pricing for participating organizations.

To apply for the program and for more information, visit www.openaircinema.us/humanitarian.htm

November is the beginning of the rainy season in coastal north Africa, and Morocco’s third city needed something to draw visitors during the inclement weather. So King Mohamed VI decreed that an outdoor film festival should be brought into existence. Today, the event is run by Public Système Cinéma, a French company that specializes in creating festivals.

Film is a natural here: Marrakesh has a long cinematic history, both as the centre of local production and as the geographic star of productions ranging from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much to The Mummy, not to mention one of the finer episodes of the British TV comedy Absolutely Fabulous.

The focal point of the event is the city’s famed Jemaa El Fna, a vast square where free open-air screenings are held each evening. Luminaries in attendance in past years have included directors Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, Francis Ford Coppola and David Lynch and stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Connery. This year, director Barry Levinson heads the jury that will judge a selection of international titles. The festival will pay tribute to actresses Sigourney Weaver and Michelle (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) Yeoh.

Also at this year’s event: retrospectives on 40 years of British cinema and 50 years of Moroccan cinema, and on Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Joseph Losey. Director Hugh Hudson will present a master class at the Marrakesh Graduate School of Visual Arts – with limited free tickets available to the public.

Runs until Nov. 22. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.festivalmarrakech.info.

Excerpt from “Cinema in Paradise” by Denis Seguin. Read full article at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081119.wfests19/BNStory/specialTravel/home

Outdoor movies and inflatable movie screens have been appearing in locations all around the world. Over time we will be adding links to articles about outdoor movies and open air cinema events. These articles are listed according to the country where the inflatable movie screen has been set up or the country where the outdoor movie event takes place.

A

• Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia
• Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia – Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK overseas territory)
• Åland – Åland Islands (Autonomous province of Finland)
• Albania – Republic of Albania
• Algeria – People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
• American Samoa – Territory of American Samoa (US territory)
• Andorra – Principality of Andorra
• Angola – Republic of Angola
• Anguilla (UK overseas territory)
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina – Argentine Republic
• Armenia – Republic of Armenia
• Aruba (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• Ascension Island (Dependency of the UK overseas territory of Saint Helena)
• Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
• Austria – Republic of Austria
• Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan

B

• Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas
• Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain
• Bangladesh – People’s Republic of Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus – Republic of Belarus
• Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
• Belize
• Benin – Republic of Benin
• Bermuda (UK overseas territory)
• Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan
• Bolivia – Republic of Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana – Republic of Botswana
• Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil
• Brunei – Negara Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burma – Union of Myanmar
• Burundi – Republic of Burundi

C

• Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia
• Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon
• Canada
• Cape Verde – Republic of Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Central African Republic
• Chad – Republic of Chad
• Chile – Republic of Chile
• China – People’s Republic of China
• For “China, Republic of”, see Taiwan
• Christmas Island – Territory of Christmas Island (Australian overseas territory)
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands – Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australian overseas territory)
• Colombia – Republic of Colombia
• Comoros – Union of the Comoros
• Congo – Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Congo – Republic of the Congo
• Cook Islands (Associated state of New Zealand)
• Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
• Côte d’Ivoire – Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
• Croatia – Republic of Croatia
• Cuba – Republic of Cuba
• Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus
• Czech Republic

D

• Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark
• For “Dhekelia”, see Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti
• Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica
• Dominican Republic

E

• East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
• Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
• Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
• El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea – State of Eritrea
• Estonia – Republic of Estonia
• Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

F

• Falkland Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Faroe Islands (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of Denmark)
• Fiji – Republic of the Fiji Islands
• Finland – Republic of Finland
• France – French Republic
• French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity)

G

• Gabon – Gabonese Republic
• Gambia, The – Republic of The Gambia
• Georgia
• Germany – Federal Republic of Germany
• Ghana – Republic of Ghana
• Gibraltar (UK overseas territory)
• Greece – Hellenic Republic
• Greenland (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of Denmark)
• Grenada
• Guam – Territory of Guam (US organized territory)
• Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
• Guernsey – Bailiwick of Guernsey (British Crown dependency)
• Guinea – Republic of Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana

H

• Haiti – Republic of Haiti
• Honduras – Republic of Honduras
• Hong Kong – Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Area of special sovereignty)
• Hungary – Republic of Hungary

I

• Iceland – Republic of Iceland
• India – Republic of India
• Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
• Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran
• Iraq – Republic of Iraq
• Ireland – Ireland
• Isle of Man (British Crown dependency)
• Israel – State of Israel
• Italy – Italian Republic
• For “Ivory Coast”, see Côte d’Ivoire

J

• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jersey – Bailiwick of Jersey (British Crown dependency)
• Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

K

• Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan
• Kenya – Republic of Kenya
• Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati
• Korea, North – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Korea, South – Republic of Korea
• Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo
• Kuwait – State of Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic

L

• Laos – Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Latvia – Republic of Latvia
• Lebanon – Republic of Lebanon
• Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
• Liberia – Republic of Liberia
• Libya – Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
• Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
• Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania
• Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

M

• Macao – Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Area of special sovereignty)
• Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia
• Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar
• Malawi – Republic of Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives – Republic of Maldives
• Mali – Republic of Mali
• Malta – Republic of Malta
• Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
• Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius
• Mayotte – Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte (French overseas collectivity)
• Mexico – United Mexican States
• Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia
• Moldova – Republic of Moldova
• Monaco – Principality of Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat (UK overseas territory)
• Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
• Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
• For “Myanmar”, see Burma

N

• Nagorno-Karabakh – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh)
• Namibia – Republic of Namibia
• Nauru – Republic of Nauru
• Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
• Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Netherlands Antilles (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• New Caledonia – Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies (French community sui generis)
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
• Niger – Republic of Niger
• Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Niue (Associated state of New Zealand)
• Norfolk Island – Territory of Norfolk Island (Australian overseas territory)
• Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Northern Mariana Islands – Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US commonwealth)
• For “North Korea”, see Korea, North
• Norway – Kingdom of Norway

O

• Oman – Sultanate of Oman

P

• Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Palau – Republic of Palau
• Palestine – Palestinian Territories
• Panama – Republic of Panama
• Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
• For “People’s Republic of China”, see China
• Peru – Republic of Peru
• Philippines – Republic of the Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands – Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Poland – Republic of Poland
• Portugal – Portuguese Republic
• For “Pridnestrovie”, see Transnistria
• Puerto Rico – Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (US commonwealth)

Q

• Qatar – State of Qatar

R

• Romania
• Russia – Russian Federation
• Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda

S

• Saint Barthélemy – Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy (French overseas collectivity)
• Saint Helena (UK overseas territory)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin – Collectivity of Saint Martin (French overseas collectivity)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon – Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French overseas collectivity)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa – Independent State of Samoa
• San Marino – Most Serene Republic of San Marino
• São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
• Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Senegal – Republic of Senegal
• Serbia – Republic of Serbia
• Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles
• Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
• Singapore – Republic of Singapore
• Slovakia – Slovak Republic
• Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia – Somali Republic
• Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland
• South Africa – Republic of South Africa
• For “South Korea”, see Korea, South
• South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia
• Spain – Kingdom of Spain
• Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
• Sudan – Republic of the Sudan
• Suriname – Republic of Suriname
• Svalbard (Territory of Norway)
• Swaziland – Kingdom of Swaziland
• Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
• Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
• Syria – Syrian Arab Republic

T

• Taiwan – Republic of China
• Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan
• Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
• Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
• For “Timor-Leste”, see East Timor
• Togo – Togolese Republic
• Tokelau (Overseas territory of New Zealand)
• Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga
• Transnistria – Transnistrian Moldovan Republic
• Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
• Tristan da Cunha (Dependency of the UK overseas territory of Saint Helena)
• Tunisia – Tunisian Republic
• Turkey – Republic of Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Tuvalu

U

• Uganda – Republic of Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• United States – United States of America
• Uruguay – Eastern Republic of Uruguay
• Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan

V

• Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu
• Vatican City – State of the Vatican City
• Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
• Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam
• Virgin Islands, British – British Virgin Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Virgin Islands, United States – United States Virgin Islands (US organized territory)

W

• Wallis and Futuna – Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands (French overseas collectivity)
• Western Sahara – Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Y

• Yemen – Republic of Yemen

Z

• For “Zaire”, see Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Zambia – Republic of Zambia
• Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe