The "Golden Star" Grand Prix of the 21st edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, held under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, was awarded to the film "Happy Holidays" by Palestinian director Scandar Copti, the official competition jury announced during the closing ceremony, which took place on Saturday at the sumptuous Palais des Congrès in the Ochre City.
This 123-minute feature film explores with finesse the dialectic between emancipation and conservatism within Palestinian society in 1948, reflecting the deep conviction that the development of societies depends on the emancipation of women.
This closing ceremony was also marked by the presentation of the Jury Prize, awarded ex-aequo to the films "The Cottage" (La Quinta) by director Silvina Schincer (Argentina) and "The Village Next to Paradise" by Mo Harawe (Somalia), which benefited from the support of the "Atlas Workshops".
As for the Best Director Award, it went to director Damian Kocur for his film "Under the Volcano" (Poland). A double Best Actress award was given to Manar Shehab and Wafaa Aoun for their performances in "Happy Holidays" by Scandar Copti.
As for the Best Actor Award, it was awarded to Ukrainian actor Roman Lutskyi for his role in "Under The Volcano".
On this occasion, the Italian director and jury president, Luca Guadagnino, expressed his deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
He also expressed his deep gratitude to HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, President of the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation.
Mr. Guadagnino further emphasized that "Marrakech is undeniably the capital of cinema in December, with so many different and important cinematic personalities".
In this regard, he cited great masters of the seventh art, such as Sissako, Cronenberg, Burton, Penn, Ozon, Cuaron, Nichols, Haynes, "all united by an implacable passion for telling stories and talking about what makes us human".
Chaired by Luca Guadagnino, the jury for this 21st edition was composed of Iranian director Ali Abbasi, Indian director Zoya Akhtar, American actress Patricia Arquette, Belgian actress Virginie Efira, Australian actor Jacob Elordi, British-American actor Andrew Garfield, Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda, and Argentine director Santiago Mitre.
The jury members viewed 14 films as part of the official competition, exploring several cinematic genres, from melodrama to documentary, as well as speculative fiction and romantic comedy.
For this 21st edition, a vibrant tribute was paid to the late Naïma Elmcherqui, an icon of national cinema, as well as to American actor and director Sean Penn, and Canadian director, producer, and filmmaker David Cronenberg.
This edition also allowed cinephiles and the public to meet stars and film professionals from all over the world. 18 of them participated in the "Conversation" program, a record since the creation of the Festival.
As every year, the programming of this 21st edition of the Festival allowed for the discovery and exploration of extremely varied cinematic expressions. In total, 71 films from 32 countries, divided into 6 sections, were screened in the various Festival venues in Marrakech.
Among this selection, 12 films benefited from the support of the Atlas Workshops, the industry talent development program initiated by the Festival in 2018.
Like all previous editions, the 21st edition of the Festival saw great participation from Moroccan professionals, who numbered 300, with 170 accredited media outlets, represented by 390 national and international journalists, cameramen, video journalists, and photographers, who came from all continents.
Faithful to its social and medical commitment, the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation also organized a new campaign to fight blindness, from December 2 to 6 in Tahannaout, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Hassan II Ophthalmology Foundation.
