Rabat – To select the winner of its top award, the Marrakech International Film Festival has brought together 9 figures from the international film industry.
On November 12, the festival announced that French actress and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard will chair the jury for its 23rd edition. The jury will select the winner of the Étoile d’Or from 14 films in the Official Competition.
The festival will run in Marrakech from November 20 to 28, 2026. Its Official Competition focuses on first and second feature films, giving emerging filmmakers an opportunity to reach international audiences and gain greater visibility.
Saïd Hamich Benlarbi represents Morocco
Moroccan director and producer Saïd Hamich Benlarbi is part of the nine-member jury. He was born in Fez in 1986; he graduated from “La Fémis” and works as a producer, screenwriter, and director between Paris and Casablanca.
His production credits include Laïla Marrakchi’s “Strawberries”, presented at Cannes in 2026, Faouzi Bensaïdi’s “Deserts”, which competed in the Directors’ Fortnight section at Cannes in 2023, and Kamal Lazraq’s “Hounds”, which won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes. He also worked on Yasmine Benkiran’s “Queens”, which screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2022.
Benlarbi made his directorial debut in 2018 with “Return to Bollène”, which received a nomination for the Prix Louis-Delluc. His 2022 short film “The Departure” received a César Award nomination and won more than 30 awards at film festivals.
His second feature film, “Across the Sea”, screened at Cannes in 2024 before competing at the Marrakech International Film Festival. The film later won five awards at the National Film Festival in Tangier, including Best Film.
His return to Marrakech as a jury member comes two years after he presented “Across the Sea” at the festival.
Other nationalities
The jury brings together actors with experience in different areas of cinema, from independent productions to international box-office hits.
Danish actor Claes Bang is among the jury members. He gained international recognition for his leading role in “The Square”, which was directed by Ruben Östlund.
Luxembourgish actress Vicky Krieps will also join the panel. She attracted international attention after starring opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread”.
French-British actress Emma Mackey is another member of the jury. After studying English and film at the University of Leeds, she began her acting career in television.
French actor and filmmaker Gilles Lellouche completes the group of actors. He first attracted attention for his role in Guillaume Canet’s “Tell No One” in 2006. He later appeared in “Little White Lies”, “The Infidels”, “The Stronghold”, and “All Your Faces”. Alongside acting, Lellouche has built a career as a director and screenwriter.
The jury also features three filmmakers whose work explores different themes and approaches to storytelling.
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania moves between documentary and fiction filmmaking. Her films often explore injustice, power, and the experiences of people facing difficult social and political circumstances.
British filmmaker Andrew Haigh is among the nine jury members. His films often explore personal relationships, emotional connections, and the impact of the past on people’s lives.
The third filmmaker is Franco-Senegalese director and screenwriter Ramata-Toulaye Sy. She graduated from the screenwriting department at “La Fémis” film school in 2015 and first gained recognition for her work as a screenwriter.
The jury will watch and evaluate the 14 films in the Official Competition before choosing the film that deserves the Étoile d’Or, then it will announce its decision during the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday, November 28.