The 21st Marrakech International Film Festival launches tonight, promising nine days of cinematic exploration that bridges the West with Asian, African and North African cultures, celebrates artistic innovation, and showcases emerging talent from around the world.
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With a stellar lineup of international talent that make the trek here without remuneration, thanks to the efforts of festival director, Melita Toscan du Plantier, and a distinguished jury led by Italian director Luca Guadagnino, this year’s festival promises to be another highlight on the annual film festival calendar.
The festival will run from November 29 to December 7, and features 14 films making their world or MENA region premiere in competition and vying for the prestigious Étoile d’Or award.
It’s my personal festival of the year. A dreamy 1001 Nights setting. An outstanding line up of talent easy for the press to access and interview in the leafy courtyards of the legendary La Mamounia. And a fascinating selection of filmmaking talent from North Africa and Africa milling about at the beautiful Beldi Country Club for the Atlas Workshops market.
Where else do you find fest regular Tilda Swinton flitting about in Chanel dresses and Somalia’s next cinematic hope in the same space?
Highlights of the Festival
The program boasts a great roster of international cinema luminaries, including an astounding number of conversations with directors and actors such as Tim Burton, David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuarón, Ava DuVernay, and Sean Penn. The list continues with Brazil’s Walter Salles, British thesp Gemma Arterton, US filmmaker Todd Haynes, and Palme d’Or winner Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”).
A special highlight this year is the tribute to the late Moroccan actor Naïma Elmcherqui, an icon of Moroccan cinema who died last month
Another special event in this year’s program is Monica Bellucci’s documentary “Maria Callas Monica Bellucci: An Encounter,” which will be featured in the 11th Continent section.
This section is known for showcasing audacious and innovative films. The film explores the life of the iconic opera diva through an intimate lens. Bellucci will attend the fest.
The Atlas Film Market: Nurturing New Talents
The 7th edition of the Atlas Workshops, running from December 1 to December 5, represents a crucial industry platform for emerging filmmakers from Morocco, the Arab world, and Africa. This year, US filmmaker Jeff Nichols (“The Bikeriders”) serves as the patron, bringing his expertise to support a new generation of storytellers.
The workshops will present 17 projects in development and 10 films in production or post-production, selected from 320 applications.
Notable projects include Lina Soualem’s first fiction film “Alicante,” Moly Kane’s “Ici repose,” and Moroccan filmmaker Yassine Iguenfer’s “The Nours.”
Jury and Competition
The nine-member international jury, representing five continents, will decide on the Étoile d’Or award. Led by Guadagnino, the jury includes distinguished figures like Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi (“Holy Spider”), Indian filmmaker Zoya Akhtar (“Luck by Chance”), and US talent Patricia Arquette, and Andrew Garfield.
The festival continues its tradition of honoring cinema’s most influential artists, with special tributes to Sean Penn and David Cronenberg, recognizing their significant contributions to global filmmaking.
The festival’s Official Competition section presents a lineup of 14 first and second films that explore complex global narratives through diverse cinematic perspectives, selected by the festival’s artistic director Remi Bonhomme and his team.
The films offer a rich tapestry of storytelling, ranging from intimate family dramas to broader social commentaries across different cultural contexts.
Geopolitical and social themes emerge strongly in films like Damian Kocur’s “Under the Volcano” which examines the situation in Ukraine, and Mo Harawe’s “The Village Next to Paradise,” a narrative of love and resilience in Somalia. Gabrielle Brady’s documentary “The Wolves Always Come at Night” provides a visually stunning exploration of climate change’s consequences in Mongolia.
Women’s experiences and struggles are powerfully represented through works like Huo Xin’s “Bound in Heaven,” which confronts domestic violence in China, and The Maw Naing’s “Ma—Cry of Silence,” depicting the courageous struggle of Burmese women workers. National histories receive nuanced treatment in Muhammed Hamdy’s hypnotic “Perfumed with Mint” from Egypt and Dania Reymond-Boughenou’s Algerian fantasy “Silent Storms.”
Family dynamics serve as a lens for broader social insights in several competition entries. Scandar Copti’s “Happy Holidays” explores a Palestinian family in Haifa, while Silvina Schnicer’s “The Cottage” examines Argentinian family relationships. Youth narratives take center stage in Neo Sora’s “Happyend,” which traces the political awakening of Japanese high school students, and Laura Piani’s “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” a comedic exploration of romantic hopes.
With its carefully curated selection, the Official Competition reflects the Marrakech International Film Festival’s mission to present fresh cinematic voices that challenge, illuminate, and connect audiences through powerful storytelling. The lineup promises a rich exploration of contemporary global experiences, told through the unique perspectives of first and second-time directors from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Moroccan filmmakers make a significant contribution to the competition. Saïd Hamich Benlarbi’s “Across the Sea” offers a luminous love story about exile, while Hind Meddeb’s “Sudan, Remember Us” provides a poetic tribute to Sudanese youth resistance. These films underscore the festival’s commitment to showcasing innovative, socially engaged cinema from emerging filmmakers worldwide.
