The Marrakech International Film Festival aims to be “an invitation to discovery, empathy and sharing” and an event that celebrates cinema as “a bastion of peace, working for the rapprochement of cultures and the discovery of “other”, underlines His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, President of the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation.
“The Marrakech International Film Festival returns for its twentieth edition, and it is close to our hearts to pay tribute to the victims of the tragic natural disaster which struck the region more than two months ago,” indicates HRH Prince Moulay Rachid in a note published on the Foundation’s website. In this world, where disasters and terrible tensions follow one another, “cinema stands as a bastion of peace, working for the rapprochement of cultures, the discovery of others”, notes His Royal Highness, adding that the Festival “comes thus perpetuate this tradition, where each projection, each conversation becomes an invitation to discovery, empathy and sharing.”
The choice of Marrakech to host this high mass of the 7th world art is not fortuitous, underlines HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, noting that “historically, the magnificent ocher city has always been a crossroads of cultures, a place of meetings and ‘trades “.
Referring to the program for the 20th edition of the Festival, which will be organized from November 24 to December 2, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid indicates that this edition “is distinguished once again by the presence of immense professionals who continue to mark history of Cinema through their talent.”
Two exceptional personalities will thus be in the spotlight, namely “the great Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, with legendary talent, and the brilliant Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi, whose cinematography shines in the biggest festivals”, recalls His Royal Highness, adding that “the prestigious jury, made up of world-renowned members, will be chaired by Jessica Chastain, producer and Oscar-winning actress, with a global aura” and that “big names in Cinema will come to host the traditional ‘Conversations with’ sequence”.
“We must also praise the Ateliers de l’Atlas, now essential, which host meetings between professionals to support African and Middle Eastern Cinema. This edition will take place under the sponsorship of the legendary director and friend of the Marrakech International Film Festival, Martin Scorsese,” notes His Royal Highness. “Let us come, both to the legendary square of Jemaa El Fna, and to the different rooms which will house the different selections, to discover the world through the magical eye of the filmmakers, to once again participate in the construction and the consolidation of a world of peace and serenity,” concludes His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid.