RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival opened Friday evening at the Palais des Congrès, marking the start of its 2025 programme, which runs until 6 December. The event kicked off with the traditional red carpet, where Moroccan and international stars paraded before a large crowd and media outlets from around the world.
The jury for this year’s official competition is chaired by South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, winner of both an Oscar and the Palme d’Or. He is joined by Karim Aïnouz, Hakim Belabbes, Julia Ducournau, Payman Maadi, Jenna Ortega, Celine Song and Anya Taylor-Joy. Together, they officially declared the 22nd edition open.
A highlight of the evening was a tribute to Egyptian and Arab cinema icon Hussein Fahmi, who received the Étoile d’Or presented by actress Youssra. The ceremony continued with the screening of Dead Man’s Wire, a Gus Van Sant film inspired by a true story.
Thirteen feature films from multiple continents are competing for the festival’s Golden Star, including works by Meryem Benm’Barek, James J. Robinson, Shih-Han Tsao, Akinola Davies Jr., Zamo Mkhwanazi and Siyou Tan.
The festival’s “Conversations” programme will host leading figures of global cinema, among them Bong Joon Ho, Guillermo del Toro, Andrew Dominik and Laurence Fishburne, as well as Bill Kramer (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), Nadine Labaki, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Jafar Panahi and Tahar Rahim.
Running in parallel, the 2025 Ateliers de l’Atlas will present 22 projects and films in development or post-production from nine African and Arab countries, with a strong Moroccan presence.
In addition to honouring Hussein Fahmi, the festival will also pay tribute to Jodie Foster, Guillermo del Toro and Raouya, reaffirming its international scope and its commitment to celebrating major figures of world cinema.
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(ITALPRESS).
