The 20th International Film Festival of Marrakech (FIFM) opened today in Marrakech, featuring 75 films from 36 countries.
Beginning with the comedy film Hit Man, starring Glen Powell and directed by Richard Linklater, participating films include a number of submissions from the Official Competition, Gala Screenings, Special Screenings, the 11th Continent, Moroccan Panorama, Cinema for Young Audiences, screenings on Jemaa El Fna, and Tributes to figures of world cinema.
The Official Competition, a selection of first and second feature films, reveals new talent in world cinema. Of the 14 films in competition, 10 are by first-time directors, of whom eight are women. Thirteen countries are represented, among them three Latin American nations (Brazil, Chile, and Colombia); three European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and the United Kingdom); five from the Middle East and Africa (Madagascar, Morocco, Senegal, and Palestine); as well as Mongolia, Turkey, and the USA.
In the Gala Screenings, Italian director Matteo Garrone participates with Me Captain (Io Capitano), Michel Franco presents Memory, and Australian actor Simon Baker joins the festival with Ivan Sen’s Limbo.
Étoile d’Or-winner Alexander Payne participates in the Gala screenings program of the FIFM with The Holdovers, and Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaidi will present Deserts. The program will close with Cédric Kahn’s Making Of.
Special Screenings feature 16 contemporary films, including Nikolaj Arcel, Bertrand Bonello, Monia Chokri, Agnieszka Holland, Ladj Ly, and Alice Rohrwacher. The program also showcases new talents in world cinema with Sofia Alaoui’s Animalia, Europa by Étoile d’Or-winner Sudabeh Mortezai, and Gábor Reisz’s Explanation for Everything. Isabelle Huppert and Merve Dizdar will attend the FIFM with their latest films.
The 11th Continent program includes 13 innovative drama and documentary films. The latest films by directors Kleber Mendonça Filho, Lisandro Alonso, and Mona Achache are also included in the list, along with movies by Alain Kassanda, Rosine Mbakam, Vlad Petri, and Eduardo William.
The Moroccan Panorama includes six recent drama and documentary films from the festival’s home nation, two of which are world premieres: Khalid Zairi’s Mora Is Here and Hicham Lasri’s Moroccan Badass Girl. Moroccan cinema has a large presence in the festival this year with 15 films presented in its various sections.
The Cinema for Young Audiences program features 13 screenings dedicated to young people aged 4 to 18.
The festival in Marrakech comes alive on Jemaa El Fna square with a lineup of popular films presented by notable figures. Additionally, the Tributes program showcases a selection of films either featuring or created by the being honored at this year’s festival. These screenings are held at the Palais des Congrès, Cinéma le Colisée, and on Jemaa El Fna square, completing the event’s 75-film selection.
The festival runs from November 24th to December 2.