Rabat – French-Moroccan actor and filmmaker Roschdy Zem has been named president of the jury for the 52nd edition of the Deauville American Film Festival.
The festival will take place from September 4-13 in the Normandy seaside resort of Deauville.
Zem succeeds Franco-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani in the prestigious role.
Founded in 1975, the Deauville festival is one of Europe’s leading showcases for American cinema and is held annually in early September.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Zem has appeared in nearly 100 films and television productions while directing six feature films.
After emerging through French auteur cinema in the 1990s, he gained wider recognition with popular titles such as “Chouchou” and “36 Quai des Orfèvres.”
A defining moment in his career came in 2006 when he shared the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for “Indigènes,” alongside Sami Bouajila, Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri and Bernard Blancan.
The film highlighted the contribution of North African soldiers who fought in the French army during World War II.
Known for portraying tough policemen and hardened characters in French crime dramas, Zem has increasingly taken on more nuanced and emotionally complex roles.
In 2020, he won his first César Award for his performance as a police commissioner in “Roubaix, une lumière,” directed by Arnaud Desplechin.
