ABOUT KASBAH FILMS
Kasbah Films is a Production Service Company based in Morocco. It was founded in 2005 by Karim Debbagh and is today the most successful player in the country with the highest turnover and the best results on the Moroccan Cash Rebate incentive.
Kasbah Films not only excels in the production of artistically ambitious films like Cherry by the Russo Brothers, or Terrence Malick latest film The Way of the Wind, but also on studio-backed projects like the massively big television series Wheel of Time, or the Men In Black franchise.
In the meantime, German fellow Michael Dreher has joined Karim Debbagh in the management team and so Kasbah Films always has the possibility to supervise several projects at the same time.
Both have been trained at prestigious European Film Schools and have gained experience on countless productions, learning how to keep costs down and add high production values at all budget levels. Michael: „We begin our collaborations by understanding your creative requirements – which enables us to assist in streamlining your production and cut unnecessary costs.“ Karim adds: „Our international backgrounds help significantly to manage cultural differences, integrating local crew with their foreign heads of department.“
We have unparalleled local knowledge and expertise. We are hands-on passionate filmmakers ourselves. We run an ethical business and are fully transparent.
MEET THE OWNERS
Karim Debbagh
Producer / Line Producer / Owner
Michael Dreher
Producer / Managing Director / Co-Owner
MOROCCO IMPRESSIONS
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
JOE RUSSO
DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER @ AGBO
Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, The Gray ManOne of AGBO's very first projects was MOSUL, written and directed by Matt Carnahan, shot entirely in Morocco, and excellently supervised by KASBAH FILMS. The collaboration with MICHAEL and KARIM was incredible and delivered outstanding results for our director and our film. When we had the opportunity to go back to the Kasbah team a couple years later with CHERRY, we jumped at the chance. Without a doubt we could not have pulled off what we did in those sequences without Kasbah at our side. They and their team are amazing and have consistently delivered unique locations, a strong crew and the best Morocco has to offer. We look forward to our next collaboration with them!
RAFE JUDKINS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / SHOWRUNNER
Uncharted, Wheel Of TimeOn WHEEL OF TIME, we’re always pushing to show the audience things they’ve never seen before. This season, when we went to Dakhla
in the far south of Morocco, I was blown away by the lagoon there, but skeptical if anyone could actually pull of shooting there. Thanks to KASBAH FILMS, and the local support, things went very well, and we achieved our goal of putting something on film that no one’s ever
done before.
SANAA HAMRI
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / DIRECTOR
Empire, Shameless, NashvilleIt was truly a pleasure and an experience of a lifetime! It is a filmmaker’s dream to be able to shoot in beautiful locations with amazing people. The care and the love in the work showed tremendously and we are all so grateful. Thanks to everybody at KASBAH FILMS for collaborating with us and being such a team player. Many thanks to all! Allah y ateekoom saha!!
E. BENNETT WALSH
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
The Great Wall, Kill Bill, Robin HoodAfter fifty days in London, we've arrived to Marrakech over the weekend and started to shoot right away with 1st and 2nd units on both ends of town as well as throughout the country. Thanks to KARIM and MICHAEL’s crew, all locations for MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL were superbly prepared prior to our arrival, so there were no minimal issues. Also their accounting team proved to be excellent, as we’ve received the maximum amount from the Moroccan Rebate which was in the early stages of being rolled out. It would be great teaming up with them again!
PATRICK NEWALL
PRODUCER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
The Gray Man, Extraction 2, Electric StateMOSUL has been my second film with KARIM and MICHAEL. It was also my first time with AGBO, so I have very fund memories of this project. We were shooting an ambitious war film in Marrakech, all Arab language and the Director MATT CARNAHAN was very keen on getting all details right. Kasbah managed to excel on every level of the production: they got us spectacular locations, incredible support from the Moroccan Army, and did a stellar job on the Moroccan Cash Rebate which has just been established. I came back to work with them a year later on CHERRY, and I have to say that we’ve truly become friends over these seven years that we’ve known each other.
MICHELLE MACLAREN
EP & DIRECTOR
Breaking Bad, The Morning Show, Shining GirlsKASBAH FILMS is an exceptional team in every way. We had a spectacular shoot in beautiful, challenging, remote locations that Kasbah made possible. We shot with helicopters, drones, unusual vehicles with large groups of people and the production not only ran smoothly but everyone was an absolute joy to work with. I am grateful to KASBAH FILMS for making our shoot in Morocco such a successful experience!
JOSH JETER
PRODUCER
The Way of the Wind, A hidden LifeKASBAH FILMS was an excellent partner for our work in Morocco, as we shot in and around the Ouarzazate area. A one stop shop with deep local knowledge, reliable logistics, and a capable team, KASBAH met and exceeded expectations on the ground. I would strongly recommend MICHAEL and KARIM to anyone thinking about future work in Morocco.
Tom Tykwer
Director
A Hologram for the King, Cloud Atlas, The InternationalFollowing our great experience with Kasbah Films in Morocco, I insisted on having Karim Debbagh as supervising producer when we shot the diving scenes in Egypt three months later – it's a solid proof of my appreciation for his work.
Brad Anderson
Director
The Machinist, The Wire, Boardwalk EmpireKarim and Michael were absolutely essential for helping me get my film produced in Tangier. They are the best show in town by far, seem to know EVERYBODY worth knowing, and assisted us in all departments, making our shoot a huge success for all involved. Would work with them again in a heartbeat!
Peter McAleese
Producer
Unknown, Bridget Jones, The GunmanI had the great pleasure to work with Karim Debbagh as the Moroccan Line Producer on "The Red Tent". It was a difficult and extremely ambitious show which carried the weight of huge expectations from both the Broadcasters and the International Studio which financed it. Karim always proved himself to be totally professional in terms of his commitment to carrying out his responsibilities. Together with Michael Dreher he runs their company Kasbah Films with an enviable combination of good humour and steely resolve in a way which completely delivers on the honesty and transparency expected of any outfit seeking to compete in today's very competitive International Marketplace. Karim and Michael's joint contribution to the successful execution of "The Red Tent" was enormous.
Steve Saeta
Producer
Hitman: Agent 47, Spider-Man, The IslandFor years I heard of only two production service companies in Morocco and was surprised to find Kasbah, who came highly recommended. The other companies were not as receptive as I had expected while Kasbah was hungry for the opportunity. I have always been a believer in finding new talent; neither Karim nor Michael ever disappointed me. In fact they exceeded my expectation. Whatever was needed, however we needed to proceed, they were there to persevere, both willing and able. I never doubted their veracity and ultimately had great trust and respect for both of them. I hope to return to Morocco so we may continue the collaboration
Marcus Loges
Line Producer
Cloud Atlas, The Cut, A Hologram for the KingWhether you're shooting with A-list talent in rural areas or in the uncontrollable chaos of a city like Casablanca, you absolutely need a local production services company, who understands the big picture in order to make it happen. Karim, Michael and their team from Kasbah Films allowed us to make the best possible version of our film "A Hologram for the King", and ensured we had a great time doing it!
Alexandre Moors
Director
The Yellow Birds, Blue Caprice, Kendrick LamarKasbah Films runs a tight ship. They understood the limits of our budget and delivered production services above and beyond to help us achieve the kind of scope our film needed. Moreover, Karim and Michael are true film lovers and they created a wonderful work environment for our team.
Shea Kammer
Line Producer
American Hustle, To the Bone, TedI was deeply impressed with Karim and Michael's ability to simultaneously prep shooting units in Morocco and Germany for our multi-country film. They were true collaborators throughout production, and often made miracles happen that at first glance seemed impossible. I would highly recommend them to any filmmaker looking for production services in both Morocco and Germany.
Kristina Aberg
Producer
Metropia, Apflickorna, The Nile Hilton IncidentI´m so happy that Kasbah film and Karim Debbagh came in as production service company in Casablanca. The project has had a lot of bad luck before, but when we meet Karim that was a turning point. I really like to go back to Morocco and would love to work with Kasbah again and again ….
Tom Spiess
Producer
LommbockMichael and Karim gave us advice of great expertise during preparation and location scouting in Morocco. They responded helpfully and honestly to questions regarding budget requirements, and organised a perfect shoot in three different cities, on a tight schedule. Michael and Karim have met our project needs with a high degree of professionalism. Their sense of humor, coupled with well-honed expertise ensured we had an enjoyable time, and a successful shoot in Morocco.
PROJECTS IN SPOTLIGHT
MEN IN BLACK :
INTERNATIONAL 2019
Director : Gary Gray
Writers : Matt Holloway, Art Marcum
Stars : Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Liam Neeson, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE).
BEIRUT 2018
Director : Brad Anderson
Writers : Tony Gilroy
Stars : Jon Hamm, Jay Potter, Khalid Benchagra, Ania Josse ShivHans Pictures, Radar Pictures.
TRUST 2018 TV SERIE
Director : Simon Beaufoy
Stars : Harris Dickinson, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Swank, Cloud Eight Films, Decibel Films, FX Productions.
FUR MEINE TOCHTER 2018 TV FILM
Director : Stephan Lacant
Writers : Michael Helfrich, Sarah Schnier
Stars : Dietmar Bär, Anna Herrmann, Adam Bay, Bavaria Fiction.
THE NILE HILTON INCIDENT
Director : Tarik Saleh
Writers : Tarik Saleh
Stars : Fares Fares, Mari Malek, Yasser Ali Maher,Ahmed Selim, Hania Amar, Mohamed Yousry, Slimane Dazi, Ger Duany, Hichem Yacoubi.
THE RED TENT
Director : Roger Young
Writers : Anita Diamant
Stars : Minnie Driver, Iain Glen, Will Tudor, Rebecca Ferguson, Morena Baccarin, Debra Winger, Vinette Robinson, Agni Scott.