The 21st annual Marrakech International Film Festival concluded on Saturday with the Golden Star awarded to the film “Happy Holidays” (“ينعاد عليك”) by Palestinian director Scandar Copti during the closing ceremony at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech.
The festival’s jury awarded Best Actor to Roman Lutski for his role in “Under the Volcano,” while Lebanese talents Manar Chahab and Wafa Aoun shared the Best Actress award for their performances in “Happy Holidays.”
Damian Kocur won the Best Director award for his Polish film “Under the Volcano.” The Jury Prize was shared between two films: “La Quinta” (“The Cottage”), directed by Silvina Schnicer and co-produced by Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and Chile, and the Somali film “The Village Next to Paradise,” directed by Mo Harawi.
Mo Harawi’s film stood out as a product of the festival’s Atlas Workshops, having previously won a post-production award last year. The film tells a story of love, hope, and resilience amid poverty and despair in a Somali village.
Accepting her award, Palestinian director Iskandar Qubti said: “No one is free until we are all free, especially the women among us.”
“I thank the Marrakech Festival for being a platform that amplifies marginalized voices and sheds light on the crimes against humanity that we must never forget,” he added.
The jury for this year’s festival included prominent international figures such as American actress Patricia Arquette, Belgian actress Virginie Efira, British-American actor Andrew Garfield, Australian actor Jacob Elordi, Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda, Indian filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, Iranian director Ali Abbasi, and Argentine filmmaker Santiago Mitre.
This year’s festival paid tribute to three cinematic icons: the late Moroccan actress Naima Elmcharqui, Canadian director David Cronenberg, and American actor-director Sean Penn.
The festival featured notable screenings, workshops, and tributes, culminating in a closing video that showcased the event’s key highlights.