After a two-year pause, the Marrakech Film Festival has opened its doors again. In its 19th year, the festival is known for showcasing and promoting Moroccan cinema.

Films such as Fragments of Heaven, The Blue Caftan, Queens, and The Damned Don’t Cry have garnered considerable acclaim. The festival’s artistic director Rémi Bonhomme is thrilled with the amount of attention Moroccan films are seeing:

“It’s quite historic that four Moroccan films were selected in Cannes, Venice, and Locarno this year. We see more and more Arab and African films play in international festivals and getting access to international distribution, and we’re so fortunate to be able to share those films [here].”

The festival is also home to Atlas Workshops, which works to illuminate Arab and African productions as they move through the development process. Atlas was able to survive through covid restrictions as well, and over the last four years, helped to develop more than 80 works. Bonhomme is excited to see the program continue to promote the festival’s ideals.

“I think we have a huge potential to help new talents.” Bonhomme continues, stating, “The festival really has a role to play, giving visibility to films that premiere here, and also to films that have played in other festivals without getting the attention they deserve. Our competition can play an important role in discovering filmmakers worldwide.”

The festival will include jurors such as Nadine Labaki, Susanne Bier, Oscar Isaac, Tahar Hakim, and Vanessa Kirby. In addition, filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino will reside as the festival’s lead juror.

This year will also include previous jurors James Gray and Tilda Swinton as guests of honor.

Keep it here on mxdwn to stay updated with more news about the festival.