Rabat – The 19th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which is set to take place between November 11 and 19 in Morocco’s Red City, will pay tribute to four internationally acclaimed cinema figures, including Scotland’s Tilda Swinton, the United States’ James Gray, India’s Ranveer Singh, and Morocco’s Farida Benlyazid.
The iconic Scottish actress Tilda Swinton featured in several famous films and has won numerous awards for her outstanding performances, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award. “To be honored by the Marrakech film festival for which I have such admiration and affection is truly touching,” she said.
American film director and screenwriter James Gray has created a name for himself and created several acclaimed films, including Ad Astra and The Yards.
In addition, Indian actor Ranveer Singh has established himself as one of the most celebrated artists in Bollywood thanks to his groundbreaking performances. “I cannot wait to be in Marrakesh to soak in the love of the people and express my gratitude to them,” Singh indicated.
The festival will also honor Moroccan director, producer, and novelist Farida Benlyazid, who is “a true pioneer of Moroccan cinema,” the organizers indicated in a press release, adding that she was the first Moroccan woman to produce a film.
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In addition, the festival will feature a wide range of local and foreign works that will tackle various cinematic themes. The event will include a total of 76 films from 33 countries, which will feature in the festival’s various sections, such as the official competition, gala screenings, special screenings, and the 11th Continent.
Aiming to “discover and promote new talents in world cinema,” the festival’s official competition will include 14 films by directors making their first or second feature films, indicated the statement. 10 of the selected films are first-time features while six are by women directors.
The selection, which will compete for the Etoile d’Or prize, features filmmakers from Latin America (Brazil and Mexico), Europe (France, Portugal, and Switzerland), as well as the MENA region (Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, and Somalia). It will also include films from Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Iran, and Turkey.
In addition, the festival will be an opportunity to explore a wide range of “cinematographic genres from fantasy to film noir,” indicated the statement, adding that the 14 works will address key subjects, including “the construction of identity, the need for role models, and the place of women in contemporary society,” among others.
The competition is “dedicated to the discovery of filmmakers from around the globe,” stressed the statement.
Varied program
The festival’s Gala Screenings will feature international premieres by “respected filmmakers,” including James Gray’s Armageddon Time, Neil Jordan’s Marlowe, Tarik Saleh’s Boy from Heaven, and Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener, added the statement.
Meanwhile, this year’s Special Screenings are set to feature 15 contemporary films by filmmakers from across the world, such as France’s Alice Diop, Iran’s Jafar Panahi, and Joanna Hogg from the United Kingdom.
In addition, the 11th Continent section will present a selection of 12 “bold and innovative films that challenge cinematic representations,” highlighted the source.
The Moroccan Panorama section will showcase five recent Moroccan fiction and documentary films, whereas the Cinema for Young Audience section will offer Moroccan youth the opportunity to discover the cinema industry through nine screenings.
As part of the Tributes program, the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy an open-air screening of several Moroccan and international films across a variety of notable sites, including the renowned Jemaa El Fna square.
The President of the competition’s Jury Paolo Sorrentino said that the Marrakech International Film Festival is “the place where the dream of watching numerous films with Martin Scorsese, and of spending days talking about cinema with him and other talented colleagues, came true.”
“It is an honor to return to Marrakech this year as President of the Jury,” Sorrentino said, expressing his excitement for the upcoming festival and the “wonderful” films it will feature.
