Mustapha ABYAD
The 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival was inaugurated this Friday, November 28, 2025, during a prestigious ceremony organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI
The event brought together the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, as well as a wide range of personalities from cinema, art, culture and media, the red carpet was marked by the passage of numerous national and international stars, under the cheers from an enthusiastic audience and the flash of photographers
The public gave a warm welcome to the president of the jury of the official competition, the Korean director Bong Joon-ho, surrounded by members of the jury from various artistic backgrounds, the filmmaker, winner of the Oscar and the Palme d’or, praised the exceptional energy of the festival and its major role in highlighting various cinematographic creations, particularly Moroccan
The opening was marked by a tribute to the Egyptian star Hussein Fahmy, who received the Gold Star from the hands of the actress Yousra, in recognition of his contribution to Arab cinema. The evening continued with the screening of the film “Dead Man’s Wire” by director Gus Van Sant, in preview, this edition offers a selection of 81 films representing 31 countries, including eight presented as world premieres and several benefiting from the support of the Ateliers de l’Atlas
Fourteen films are also in the Oscar race. The official competition brings together 13 feature films, first or second works of their directors, boldly tackling social and political themes. The festival also pays tribute to the American actress and director Jodie Foster, the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro as well as the Moroccan actress Raouia
Les Ateliers de l’Atlas continues its mission of supporting creation by presenting 12 projects in development and 10 currently filming or post-production, in more than five Moroccan projects in the “Regards sur l’Atlas” section and a Moroccan film in the final stages of filming
This new edition thus confirms the place of Marrakech as an international cinematographic platform and a privileged space for discovering new voices in world cinema.
