ROYAL ARTS VISIONS; 21st Edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival 2024

THE MARRAKECH FESTIVAL

A STAR IN AFRICA AND THE ARAB WORLD

The Marrakech International Film Festival was created in 2001 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to promote and develop art and the film industry in Morocco.

After more than 20 years of existence, the Marrakech Festival is today a place of expression and discovery that takes up the challenge of diversity, exchange and enrichment.

It is also an opportunity for Morocco to welcome and pay tribute to great personalities from the world of cinema.

The event has been able to attract a large audience both nationally and internationally, and benefits from a strong reputation and a prestigious image.

The Marrakech Festival is also distinguished by its geographical location in the legendary city of Marrakech, whose history, values and international influence make it a reference destination.

21st edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival from November 29 to December 7, 2024

THE MARRAKECH FESTIVAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO 3 GREAT FIGURES OF NATIONAL AND WORLD CINEMA: MOROCCAN ACTRESS NAÏMA ELMCHERQUI, AMERICAN ACTOR AND DIRECTOR SEAN PENN AND CANADIAN DIRECTOR DAVID CRONENBERG

Since its creation, the Marrakech International Film Festival has had a tradition of paying tribute to the greatest names in cinema. On the occasion of this new edition, the Festival has chosen to honor three immense artists, whose contribution and influence have, for several decades, strongly marked the cinematographic landscape: the iconic Moroccan actress Naïma Elmcherqui, who recently passed away and to whom a posthumous tribute will be paid, the double Oscar-winning American actor and director Sean Penn and the cult Canadian director, David Cronenberg.

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NAÏMA ELMCHERQUI, who passed away on October 5, was a true icon and one of the most beloved personalities of the Moroccan public. Her exceptional talent, her natural elegance and her legendary kindness have illuminated the Moroccan cultural scene since the 1960s. Her career, which took her from the stage to the big screen, including television, allowed her to play a multitude of roles and touch the hearts of several generations of Moroccans. A great lady with multiple commitments and an endearing personality, a tireless ambassador of Moroccan culture, she was also a loyal friend of the Marrakech Festival and was a member of the board of directors of its Foundation. Her departure left a great void in the national cultural landscape. By paying her a posthumous tribute, the Festival honors the memory of this exceptional artist and committed woman, who leaves behind a body of work of remarkable richness.

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Revealed from his first roles, SEAN PENN established himself in the 80s and 90s as one of the most gifted actors of his generation and collaborated with prestigious filmmakers such as Brian de Palma, Oliver Stone, David Fincher, Terrence Malick and Woody Allen. His intense acting, his passion and his dedication to his profession shine through on screen, he plays a series of notable roles where he often questions the roots of evil by playing in turn the characters of a policeman, a soldier, a lawyer, a death row inmate or a grieving father. He soon accumulated the most prestigious awards, such as that of the best performance at the Cannes Film Festival and 2 Oscars for best actor. But Sean Penn is not only one of the greatest actors in contemporary cinema, he is also a recognized director with critically acclaimed films. An eminently committed artist, Sean Penn uses his fame to serve many causes. On the occasion of his first participation in the Festival, he shared with us his joy at discovering Morocco and the public of Marrakech.

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A leading figure in contemporary cinema, DAVID CRONENBERG has built, over the space of 6 decades, a highly singular body of work that fascinates as much as it shakes up and questions, through his favorite themes: technology, the body and illness. A filmmaker of the paranormal and the supernatural, Cronenberg very quickly achieved cult auteur status with many directors of the following generations, who cite him as a major influence. From the 80s to today, he has collaborated with great actors such as Jeremy Irons, Viggo Mortensen, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe and more recently, Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Awarded at Cannes and Venice, Cronenberg, author of a filmography rich in 23 feature films, is one of the most respected artists of our time. “I’ve been hearing for years about how wonderful the Marrakech Film Festival is, and now the stars have finally aligned and I’m going. What’s even more wonderful is that I’m not only going to have the chance to experience the festival, but also to receive this magnificent and prestigious award for my half-century of work. What a thrill and what an honour!” said the Canadian director.

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THE MARRAKECH FESTIVAL UNVEILS THE COMPOSITION OF THE JURY FOR ITS 21ST EDITION!

9 members from 9 different countries representing 5 continents, make up the jury of the 21st edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, scheduled from November 29 to December 7, 2024. The jury will award the Golden Star to one of the 14 first and second feature films in the competition, dedicated to the discovery of filmmakers from around the world. Italian director Luca Guadagnino will be the president of the jury for the 21st edition of the Marrakech Festival.

To decide between the films in the competition, Luca Guadagnino will be surrounded by an exceptional jury, composed of key figures in world cinema: Iranian director Ali Abbasi, Indian director Zoya Akhtar, American actress Patricia Arquette, Belgian actress Virginie Efira, Australian actor Jacob Elordi, British-American actor Andrew Garfield, Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda, and Argentinian director Santiago Mitre.

The jury will award the Golden Star of the 21st edition to one of the 14 films in competition, after the one given last year to The Mother of All Lies by Asmae El Moudir by the jury chaired by Jessica Chastain.

THE MARRAKECH FESTIVAL UNVEILS THE LIST OF PERSONALITIES PARTICIPATING IN THE “CONVERSATIONS” PROGRAMME

A flagship programme of the Marrakech International Film Festival, the “Conversations” series offers the public the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in cinema from around the world. It is one of the most anticipated events of the Marrakech International Film Festival. The “Conversations” programme is back for a series of discussions that promise to be rich and exciting with major figures in world cinema. 18 key figures, directors, actors, screenwriters and producers from 6 continents, are expected in Marrakech this year. Between tasty anecdotes and free-flowing discussions on their vision and practice of the profession, they are invited to exchange freely with festival-goers. For this 21st edition, personalities who have, for the most part, been awarded at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, as well as at the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Berlinale are expected: American director, screenwriter and producer Tim Burton, Canadian director and screenwriter David Cronenberg, Mexican director, screenwriter and producer Alfonso Cuarón, American director and screenwriter Ava DuVernay, American director and screenwriter Todd Haynes, Australian director and screenwriter Justin Kurzel, French director and screenwriter François Ozon, British actress Gemma Arterton, American actor and director Sean Penn, Iranian director, screenwriter and producer Mohammad Rasoulof, Brazilian director and screenwriter Walter Salles, Russian director and screenwriter Kirill Serebrennikov, Mauritanian director and screenwriter Abderrahmane Sissako and French director and screenwriter Justine Triet. A joint conversation about their first films will be held between Moroccan filmmakers Alaa Eddine Aljem, Yasmine Benkiran, Ismaël El Iraki and Kamal Lazraq.

The 21st edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival ended with the consecration of the Palestinian film "Happy Holidays", which won the Golden Star as well as a double prize for female interpretation. The announcement was made by the president of the jury of this edition, the Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. After nine days, the prizewinners came to close an edition that was particularly rich in emotions, between powerful speeches, passionate debates and the increased presence of big names in world cinema. An edition that was also marked by the fervor of the public and which recorded the record number of 40,000 spectators in the theaters, including 7,500 children and adolescents as part of the Young Audience and Family operation. Directed by Scandar Copti, Happy Holidays, Golden Star of the 21st edition of the Marrakech Festival, is a contemporary drama set in Haifa that, starting with a minor incident, links the destinies of four characters and highlights the complex relationships between men and women, generations and cultures. The Jury Prize was awarded ex aequo to La Quinta (The Cottage) by Silvina Schnicer (Argentina) and The Village Next to Paradise by Mo Harawe (Somalia). The Best Director Award went to Damian Kocur for his film Under the Volcano (Poland). A double Best Actress Award went to Manar Shehab and Wafaa Aoun for their performances in Happy Holidays by Scandar Copti (Palestine). The Best Actor Award went to Roman Lutskyi for his role in Under The Volcano by Damian Kocur (Poland). The jury of this new edition of the Marrakech Festival brought together 9 personalities from 9 different countries representing 6 continents. To decide between the films in the competition, Luca Guadagnino was surrounded by Iranian director Ali Abbasi, Indian director Zoya Akhtar, American actress Patricia Arquette, Belgian actress Virginie Efira, Australian actor Jacob Elordi, British-American actor Andrew Garfield, Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda, and Argentinian director Santiago Mitre.