The countdown is on: the Marrakech International Film Festival, scheduled from November 28 to December 7, offers several new features, including the animation of the M Avenue center located in Hivernage, which replaces open-air general public screenings on the Jamaa El-Fna square, removed from the program for the second year in a row.
The official competition will feature 14 films, evaluated by a prestigious jury chaired by Italian director Luca Guadagnino.
Among the other new features, mentioned in this interview with Ali Hajji, general coordinator and member of the FIFM selection committee, is the expansion of the “Conversations” section, which will now welcome 15 cinema personalities instead of 10. The list includes renowned filmmakers and actors, awarded with Oscars, Golden Globes and prestigious prizes from the Cannes, Venice and Berlin festivals.
Read also: FIFM 2024: big names in world cinema announced in the “Conversations” program
Le360: the city of Marrakech is preparing to host the FIFM. What will be the highlights of this 2024 edition?
Ali Hajji: the festival will open with “The Order» by Justin Kurzel, an impressively mastered political thriller, starring a Jude Law in great form and set in the white supremacist milieu of America in the 1980s.
During the 9 days of the festival, spectators will be invited to discover a selection of a very wide diversity of genres and nationalities: 71 films from 32 countries make up the selection this year, including 12 Moroccan films and 9 world premiere films. or international. The official competition, the flagship section of the festival, dedicated to the discovery of young filmmakers from around the world, will present 14 works which will be exhibited to the international jury chaired by Italian director Luca Guadagnino (“Call me by your name»«Challengers»). At his side, we will find, among others, the Anglo-American actor Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”), the Belgian actress Virginie Efira (“Victoria»), Iranian director Ali Abbasi (“The Apprentice»), Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda (“Volubilis»), or the Australian actor Jacob Elordi (“Euphoria»).
Among the gala films, we can cite the highly anticipated “Everybody loves Touda» by Nabil Ayouch, carried by the vibrant interpretation of Nisrin Erradi or even «The Seeds of the Wild Fig Tree” by the Iranian Mohammad Rasoulof, a courageous film of great strength.
“The “Conversations” program will experience a significant increase in power, with 15 meetings planned this year, compared to 10 last year. The roster of talent participating this year is exceptional, and includes Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning filmmakers and actors from Cannes, Venice and Berlin.”
— Ali Hajji, general coordinator and member of the FIFM selection committee
This year, the festival pays tribute to 3 emblematic personalities of cinema, whose journey of excellence, talent and generosity have marked several generations: the great lady of Moroccan cinema who died last month, Naïma Elmcherqui, the American actor doubly Oscar winner Sean Penn and cult Canadian director David Cronenberg.
The “Conversations” program» will experience a significant increase in power, with 15 meetings planned this year, compared to 10 last year. The roster of talent participating this year is exceptional, and includes Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning filmmakers and actors from Cannes, Venice and Berlin. To name just a few: American director Tim Burton (“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice”), Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma»), French director Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”) or American director Todd Haynes (“May December»). A cross-conversation around their first films will be held with young Moroccan filmmakers Alaa Eddine Aljem, Yasmine Benkiran, Ismaël El Iraki and Kamal Lazraq.
Read also: FIFM 2024: Luca Guadagnino president of the jury, the 14 films in competition revealed
The festival’s professional programs are experiencing developments this year. Can you tell us what these new features consist of?
The Atlas Workshops»the festival’s professional program dedicated to Moroccan, Arab and African filmmakers, continues to develop and offers a certain number of new features. They will take place over 5 days instead of 4 last year, to explore more professional and artistic fields. A new section, entitled “Atlas Station»will be launched to support young Moroccan directors and producers wishing to perfect their skills to open up internationally. And a day focusing on distribution will be held during this 7th edition of the “Ateliers de l’Atlas”.
We are also organizing, during the festival, an introductory and advanced workshop in film criticism, for students, after the success encountered last summer by the one organized for journalists working in Morocco.
What determined the choice of films for the official selection of this 2024 edition?
With the selection committee, we watched more than 1,000 films this year to select 71. It is as much about watching as many films as possible to unearth the gems and revealing promising new filmmakers as it is about looking for more films. general public, from identified directors. Each time, we are attentive to the singularity of a look, to the moral and political issues posed by a film and their resonance in our contemporary societies, as well as to the qualities of staging and narration.
“With “La Mer au loin”, Saïd Hamich signs a moving film which follows the journey of an illegal Moroccan emigrant in Marseille during the 1990s. The film was supported by the “Ateliers de l’Atlas” before being presented in Cannes last May at “Critics’ Week”
— Ali Hajji, general coordinator and member of the FIFM selection committee
Afterwards, each of the 6 sections of the festival has its specificity: the competition is dedicated to the discovery of young filmmakers from around the world who are making a first or second feature film; the “Gala Screenings” present a selection of the most anticipated international films of the year, in the presence of their prestigious cast; the “Special Screenings” present contemporary films by directors acclaimed by critics or by the biggest international festivals; the “Panorama of Moroccan cinema” offers to discover a selection of recent fictions and documentaries from national production; the “11th continent” presents daring films that shake up cinematographic representations; and, finally, the “Young audience & family” section is made up of films aimed at children and adolescents aged 4 to 18 as well as a family audience.
Two Moroccan directors will be in the running to win the Gold Star. What justifies this choice?
With “La Mer au loin”, Saïd Hamich signs a moving film which follows the journey of an illegal Moroccan emigrant in Marseille during the 1990s. The film was supported by the “Ateliers de l’Atlas” before being presented in Cannes last May at “Critics’ Week”. It is a work which stands out for its scale and which is carried by an actor who will become more and more talked about, Ayoub Gretaa. It is rare, in Moroccan cinema, to see films taking place between the two countries, France and Morocco. Hind Meddeb is a filmmaker of Moroccan origin through her mother, whose documentary, “Sudan, remember”, is a co-production between France, Tunisia and Qatar. Shot in Sudan, the film is a poetic ode to the resistance of Sudanese youth which depicts with great sensitivity the daily life of ordinary figures of the revolution which shook this country. It was also supported by the “Ateliers de l’Atlas” and had its world premiere at the last Venice Film Festival.
“The festival is distinguished by a competition dedicated to the discovery of young authors. By exhibiting these works to prestigious juries, he creates a unique encounter between beginning filmmakers and the biggest names in world cinema.
— Ali Hajji, general coordinator and member of the FIFM selection committee
Will the projections on Jamaa El-Fna square be back after two years of absence?
This year, the festival is opening up to the city differently through a new system on M Avenue, where several events are planned for the general public and movie buffs. The organization of “Conversations” at the Meydene theater will also allow more festival-goers to meet big names in world cinema, offering everyone an enriching and even more inclusive experience. The festival remains accessible to all audiences. You simply need to be accredited via the website to access all the screenings and the different conversations offered.
Where is the FIFM positioned today in the mapping of major film festivals in the world?
The FIFM enjoys great international credibility and is considered one of the most important events in the region. Every year, the greatest personalities of world cinema participate and several hundred professionals from around the world travel to present their films or participate in the sessions offered by the “Atlas Workshops”. The festival is distinguished by a competition dedicated to the discovery of young authors.
By exhibiting these works to prestigious juries, he creates a unique encounter between beginning filmmakers and the biggest names in world cinema. For a young author, receiving a prize awarded by a jury chaired by Scorsese or Coppola is an incredible boost for their career, in addition to being an unforgettable memory. We all keep in mind the historic image of the 20th edition: Asmae El Moudir receiving the Gold Star from Jessica Chastain. This image is emblematic of the spirit of the Marrakech festival and the magic it can create.
