From November 30 to December 8, 2018, festival-goers and cinema-lovers alike will discover no fewer than 80 films coming from 29 different countries at the 17th Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM). The Festival with open with At Eternity’s Gate directed by Julian Schnabel, the remarkable biopic that depicts the most celebrated period of the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh will open the Festival.
The line-up is divided into several sections, the main ones including the Official Competition; Gala Screenings; Special Screenings; The 11th Continent; Moroccan Panorama; Jamaa El-Fna Square Screenings; Audio-described Cinema; and a Tribute section. International Film Festival.
Fourteen (14) films, six directed by women, are in the running to win the Marrakech Etoile d’Or (or, the Gold Star), in the Official Competition. Tributes will be made to four great names in cinema, namely: Robert De Niro, Jillali Ferhati, Agnès Varda, and Robin Wright.
2018 Marrakech International Film Festival Official Selections
COMPETITION
THE GOOD GIRLS (Las niñas bien) / Mexico
By Alejandra Márquez Abella
Cast: Ilse Salas, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Paulina Gaitán, Johanna Murillo, Flavio Medina
JOY / Austria
By Sudabeh Mortezai
Cast: Joy Anwulika Alphonsus, Precious Mariam Sanusi, Angela Ekeleme Pius, Gift Igweh, Sandra John, Chika Kipo, Ella Osagie, Christian Ludwig, Mary Kreutzer
DIANE / USA
By Kent Jones
Cast: Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Andrea Martin, Estelle Parsons, Deirdre O’Connell, Joyce Van Patten, Phyllis Gallagher, Glynnis O’Connor et Paul McIsaac
THE LOAD (Teret) / Serbia, France, Croatia, Iran, Qatar
By Ognjen Glavonić
Cast: Leon Lučev, Pavle Čemerikić
THE CHAMBERMAID (La camarista) / Mexico
By Lila Avilés
Cast: Gabriela Cartol, Teresa Sánchez
RED SNOW (Akai yuki) / Japan
By Sayaka Kai
Cast: Masotoshi Nagase, Nahana, Arata Lura, Yui Nastukawa, Koichi Sato
LOOK AT ME (Fi ‘ainaya / Regarde-moi) / Tunisia
By Nejib Belkhadhi
Cast: Nidhal Saadi, Idryss Kharroubi, Sawssen Maalej, Aziz Jebali, Mouna Nourredine
IRINA / Bulgaria
By Nadejda Koseva
Cast: Martina Apostolova, Hristo Ushev, Irini Jambonas, Kasiel Noah Asher, Krassimir Dokov, Alexander Kossev
VANISHING DAYS (Màn yóu) / China
By Zhu Xin
Cast: Jlang Li, Huang Jing as, Qiu Xiaqiu, Chen Yan, Li Xiaoxing, Lu Jiahe
URGENT (Tafaha al-kail / Une urgence ordinaire) / Morocco, Switzerland
By Mohcine Besri
Cast: Rachid Mustapha, Fatima Zahra Benacer, Youssef Alaoui, Saïd Bey, Ghalia Ben Zaouia, Ayoub Layoussifi, Younes Bouab.
ROJO / Argentina, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Germany
By Benjamín Naishtat
Cast: Dario Grandinetti, Andrea Frigerio, Alfredo Castro, Diego Cremonesi
AKASHA / Sudan, South Africa, Germany, Qatar
By hajooj kuka
Cast: Ekram Marcus, Kamal Ramadan, Ganja Mohamed Chakado, Abdallah Alnur Najla Kamal
THE GIRAFFE (La ahdun hunak) / Egypt
By Ahmed Magdy
Cast: Amr Hosny, Shaza Moharam, Haidy Koussa, Salma Hassan, Rasha Magdy
ALL GOOD (Alles ist gut) / Germany
By Eva Trobisch
Cast: Aenne Schwarz, Andreas Döhler, Hans Löw, Tilo Nest, Lisa Hagmeister, Lina Wendel
Gala Screenings
AT ETERNITY’S GATE / USA, France
By Julian Schnabel
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Mads Mikkelsen, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner
EUFORIA / Italy
By Valeria Golino
Cast: Riccardo Scamarcio, Valerio Mastandrea, Isabella Ferrari, Valentina Cervi, Jasmine Trinca
ROMA / Mexico, USA
By Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira
GREEN BOOK / USA
By Peter Farrelly
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini
YOMEDDINE / Egypt, USA, Austria
By A.B.Shawky
Cast: Rady Gamal, Ahmed Abdelhafiz, Shahira Fahmy
CAPERNAUM (Capharnaüm) / Lebanon, USA
By Nadine Labaki
Cast: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shifera, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Youssef,
Nadine Labaki.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
THE ACCUSED (Acusada) / Argentina
By Gonzalo Tobal
Cast: Lali Espósito, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Inés Estévez, Daniel Fanego, Ferardo Romano, Gael García Bernal
WILDLIFE /USA
By Paul Dano
Cast: Ed Oxenbould, Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal
EXT. NIGHT (Leil kharigi) / Egypt
By AhmadAbdalla
Cast: Karim Kassem, Mona Hala, Sherief El Desouky, Ahmad Magdy, Aly Kassem
HER SMELL / USA
By Alex Ross Perry
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Amber Heard, Agyness Deyn
THE TOWER / Norway
By Mats Grorud
Film d’animation
LIONHEART / Nigeria
By Genevieve Nnaji
Cast: Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, Pete Edochie, Onyeka Onwenu
REAL LOVE (C’est ça l’amour) / France, Belgium
By Claire Burger
Cast: Bouli Lanners, Justine Lacroix, Sarah Henochsberg
RAFIKI / Kenya
By Wanuri Kahiu
Cast: Samantha Mugatsia, Sheila Munyiva, Jimmi Gathu, Nini Wacera, Dennis Muskoya
POISONOUS ROSES (Ward masmum) / Egypt
By Fawzi Saleh
Cast: Koky, Mahmoud Hemida, Ibrahim El Nagary
BIRDS OF PASSAGE (Pájaros de verano) / Colombia, Denmark, Mexico
By Cristina Gallego et Ciro Guerra
Cast: Carmiña Martínez, Jose Acosta, Natalia Reyes, Jhon Narváez, Greider Meza, José Vicente Cote
DIVINE WIND (Rih Rabbani) / Algeria
By Merzak Allouache
Cast: Sarah Layssac, Mohamed Oughlis, Messaouda Boukhira, Hacene Benzerari, Abdelatif Benahmed, Brahim
Derris
THE 11th CONTINENT
VIEWS FROM MOROCCO AND THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Presented by Jay Weissberg
BURNING / South Korea
By Lee Chang-dong
Cast: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jun Jong-seo
ANGELO / Austria, Luxembourg
By Markus Schleinzer
Cast: Makita Samba, Alba Rohrwacher, Larisa Faber, Kenny Nzogang, Lukas Miko
NERVOUS TRANSLATION / The Philippines
By Shireen Seno
Cast: Jana Agoncillo, Angge Santos, Sid Lucero, Cocoy Lumbao
HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING / USA
By RaMell Ross
Documentary
THE DEAD AND THE OTHERS (Chuva é cantoria na aldeia dos mortos) / Brazil
By João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora
Cast: Henrique Ihjãc Krahô, Raene Kôtô Krahô
SRBENKA / Croatia
By Nebojša Slijepčević
Documentaire
ERASED,ASCENTOFTHE INVISIBLE (Tirss, rihlat al sou’oud ila al mar’i) / Lebanon
By Ghassan Halwani
Documentary
ENDLESS TAIL (Beskrajni Rep) / Croatia
By Željka Suková
Cast: Julie Suková, Kašpar Suk, Prolaznici Tokijom, Željka Suková, Aleš Suk
MANTA RAY(Kraben rahu) / Thailand, France, China
By Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
Cast: Wanlop Rungkumjad, Aphisit Hama, Rasmee Wayrana
THE SOUND OF MASKS / South Africa, Portugal
By Sara CF de Gouveia
Documentary
YESTERDAY (Tegnap) / Hungary, France, the Netherlands, Morocco, Sweden, Germany
By Kenyeres Bálint
Cast: Vlad Ivanov, Djemel Barek, Jacques Weber, Gamil Ratib, Johanna Ter Steege
STILL RECORDING (Lisah’am tsajil) / Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany
By Saeed Al Batal, Ghiath Ayoub
RENAULT 12 / France
By Mohamed El Khatib
Docu-fiction
MOROCCAN PANORAMA
VOLUBILIS (Walili)
By Faouzi Bensaïdi
Cast: Mouhcine Malzi, Nadia Kounda, Abdelhadi Taleb, Nezha Rahil, Faouzi Bensaidi, Mouna Fettou
WE COULD BE HEROES
By Hind Bensari
Documentary
THE HEALER (Mbarkaa)
By Mohamed Zineddaine
Cast: Ahmed Moustafid, Fatima Atif, Mehdi Laarroubi, Hanane Elkabani, Nosrine Adam
SOFIA
By Meryem Benm’Barek
Cast: Maha Alemi, Lubna Azabal, Faouzi Bensaidi, Sarah Perles, Hamza Khafif, Raouia
STATELESS (Bila mawtin)
By Narjiss Nejjar
Cast: El Ghalia Ben Zaouia, Avishay Benazra, Aziz Fadili, Nadia Niazi, Mohamed Nadif, Julie Gayet
CATHARSYS, OR THE AFINA TALES OF THE LOST WORLD
By Yassine Marco Marroccu
Cast: Mohamed Zouaoui, Aziz Dadas, Sonia Okacha, Ljubisa Ristic
JAHILIYA
By Hicham Lasri
Cast: Mostapha Houari, Salma Eddlimi, Hassan Ben Badida, Rami Fijjaj
CINEMA FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
THE TOWER (Al borj) / Norway
By Mats Grorud
Animated film
IQBAL, A TALE OF A FEARLESS CHILD / Italy, France
By Michael Fuzellier, Babak Payami
Animated film
THE PRINCESS BRIDE / USA
By Rob Reiner
Cast: Robin Wright, Carey Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Fred Savage
THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES (Le Grand Méchant Renard et autres contes) / France, Belgium
By Benjamin Renner, Patrick Imbert
Cast: Guillaume Darnault, Jules Bienvenu, Augustin Jahn Sani, Violette Samama, Céline Ronté
Film d’animation
THE BREADWINNER / Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg
By Nora Twomey
Animated film
LE CINÉMA EN AUDIODESCRIPTION POUR LES MALVOYANTS
FACES PLACES (Visages villages) / France
By Agnès Varda et JR
Documentary
THE EAVESDROPPER (La Mécanique de l’ombre) / Belgium, France
By Thomas Kruithof
Cast: François Cluzet, Denis Polalydès, Sami Bouajila, Siman Akbarian, Alba Rohrwacher
LAHNECH / Morocco
By Driss Mrini
Cast: Aziz Dades, Majdouline Idrissi, Fadila Benmoussa, Mouhcine Malzi, Abdelghani Sannak
BLADE RUNNER 2049 / USA, United Kingdom, Hungary, Canada
By Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks,
LADY BIRD / USA
By Greta Gerwig
Cast: Robin Wright, Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet
JEMAA EL FNA
KORSA / Morocco
By Abdellah Toukouna
Cast: Abdellah Ferkous, Bouchera Ahraich, Khouloud Batioui, Fadilla Ben Moussa, Omar Azzouzi
AS LONG AS I LIVE (Jab tak hai jaan) / India
By Yash Chopra
Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma
THE UNTOUCHABLES / USA
By Brian De Palma
Cast : Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Sean Connery
KUNDUN / USA
By Martin Scorsese
ALEXANDRIA AGAIN AND FOREVER (Iskandariyya Kaman wa Kaman) / Egypt, France
By Youssef Chahine
Cast: Youssra, Youssef Chahine, Hussein Fahmy, Hesham Selim, Taheya Cariocca
FORREST GUMP / USA
By Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
BROOKS, MEADOWS AND LOVELY FACES (Al-ma’ wal-khodra wal-wajh al-hassan) / Egypt
By Yousry Nasrallah
Cast: Laila Elwi, Bassem Samra, Menna Shalabi, Zeina Mansour, Sabreen
HUSBAND MATERIAL (Manmarziyaan) / India
By Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Abhishek Bachchan
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP / USA
By Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas
ASTERIX & OBELIX: MISSION CLEOPATRA (Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléôpatre) / France, Italy
By Alain Chabat
Cast: Gérard Dépardieu, Christian Clavier, Jamel Debbouze, Monica Bellucci, Alain Chabat, Claude Rich, Gérard Darmon
LAHNECH / Morocco
By Driss Mrini
Cast: Aziz Dades, Majdouline Idrissi, Fadila Benmoussa, Mouhcine Malzi, Abdelghani Sannak
Tributes
ROBERT DE NIRO
GOODFELLAS / USA
By Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino
THE UNTOUCHABLES / USA
By Brian De Palma
Cast: Robert De Niro,Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Sean Connery
RAGING BULL / USA
By Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto
AGNÈS VARDA
CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (Cléo de 5 à 7) / France
De Agnès Varda
Interprétation: Georges de Beauregard, Carlo Ponti, Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray
FACES PLACES (Visages villages) / France
By Agnès Varda, JR
Documentaire
VAGABOND (Sans toit ni loi) / France
By Agnès Varda
Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Macha Méril, Stephane Freiss, Yolande Moreau, Patrick Lepczynski, Yahiaoui Assouna
ROBIN WRIGHT
THE PRINCESS BRIDE/ USA
By Rob Reiner
Cast: Robin Wright, Carey Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Fred Savage
SHE’S SO LOVELY / USA
By Nick Cassavetes
Cast: Sean Penn, Robin Wright, Harry Dean Stanton, James Gandolfini, John Travolta
FORREST GUMP / USA
By Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
BLADE RUNNER 2049 / USA, United Kingdom, Hungary, Canada
By Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks