A starry group of global talent has been set to join Paolo Sorrentino on the main jury for the 19th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival which runs from November 11-19 in the Moroccan city.
Alongside Sorrentino, who was named jury president last month, panelists are a host of award-winners including Danish writer/director Susanne Bier, Guatemalan-born U.S. actor and producer Oscar Isaac, British actor Vanessa Kirby, German actor Diane Kruger, Australian director Justin Kurzel, Lebanese director and actor Nadine Labaki, Moroccan director Laïla Marrakchi and French actor Tahar Rahim.
The international jury will award the Étoile d’Or to one of the 14 first and second feature films in the competition, which is dedicated to the discovery of filmmakers from around the world.
This will be a particularly significant edition for Marrakech as it marks the event’s first in-person iteration since 2019 after the pandemic led to its cancellation in 2020 and also scuppered hopes of a revival in 2021. The participation of such notable jurors signals a potential return to the high-profile of years past.
Marrakech was once a swank and multi-cultural affair that often drew Hollywood A-listers. It then experienced some growing pains, sitting out 2017 due to a reported lack of sponsorship and returning in 2018 under the stewardship of Christoph Terhechte as Artistic Director, who stepped down after two editions. Cannes Critics’ Week veteran Rémi Bonhomme was appointed Artistic Director in early 2020 and this year marks his first physical edition after working to keep the spirit of the event alive throughout this time with virtual iterations of its industry-focused Atlas Workshops project market.