The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) has announced its official selection for the 22nd edition, running from November 28 to December 6. This year’s festival showcases 82 remarkable films from 31 countries, celebrating the diversity of global cinema across sections such as the Official Competition, Gala Screenings, Horizons, 11th Continent, Moroccan Panorama, and programs for young audiences and families.
Among the highlights, eight films will have their world or international premieres in Marrakech, with nine additional titles developed through the festival’s industry initiative, the Atlas Workshops. Fourteen of the selected films are vying for their countries in the pursuit of Academy Awards.
Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho heads the jury for the Official Competition, which features 14 debut or second films by emerging directors. The selection highlights politically charged narratives, personal stories and daring artistic approaches. Among the competing titles is the world premiere of Behind the Palm Trees by Moroccan filmmaker Meryem Benm’Barek, a psychological thriller exploring class dynamics and postcolonial themes. Other prominent entries include First Light by James J. Robinson, which follows a Filipino nun confronting corruption and Laundry by Zamo Mkhwanazi, a coming-of-age tale set during apartheid in South Africa. The section also includes Taiwanese filmmaker Shih-Han Tsao’s Before the Bright Day and Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow, a Nigerian-UK co-production. Films such as Erige Sehiri’s Promised Sky and Morad Mostafa’s Aisha Can’t Fly Away focus on stories of women’s resilience, while works like Vladlena Sandu’s Memory and Jihane K’s My Father and Qaddafi revisit complex family histories shaped by conflict.
Nine titles will be screened as Gala presentations, including some of the year’s most anticipated international releases. The festival will open with Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, a dark comedy critiquing modern media and consumer culture. Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani will present Calle Málaga, a portrait of Tangier’s Spanish community, starring actress Carmen Maura. Major international names will also take the spotlight: Guillermo del Toro arrives with a gothic interpretation of Frankenstein starring Jacob Elordi and Christoph Waltz, while Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life, featuring Jodie Foster, explores intimate dilemmas. Chloé Zhao brings Hamnet, a family drama inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Two significant Arab world premieres include Marwan Hamed’s El Sett, a biographical drama about the legendary Oum Kalthoum starring Mona Zaki, and Sophia by Dhafer L’Abidine, who also acts in this gripping thriller. The festival will conclude with Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36, an expansive period drama uniting leading Arab actors.
The Horizons section showcases 19 contemporary works, offering a panoramic look at global filmmaking. Featured directors include Jim Jarmusch, Claire Denis, Kelly Reichardt, Richard Linklater, Park Chan-wook, and Arab filmmakers such as Kaouther Ben Hania, Cherien Dabis, and Hasan Hadi. Documentaries also play a major role, including Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5 and Hélène Harder’s Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid, both premiering at the festival.
The 11th Continent section features 15 experimental fiction and documentary films that challenge storytelling conventions. Highlights include projects from Lucrecia Martel, Oliver Laxe, and Massoud Bakhshi, as well as a newly restored version of Ahmed Bouanani’s 1980 classic The Mirage, marking its first screening in restored form.
Moroccan cinema is prominently featured this year, with 15 national productions across the various categories. The Moroccan Panorama will showcase seven works, among them the world premieres of Five Eyes by Karim Debbagh and Porte Bagage by Abdelkarim El-Fassi, alongside films such as Mira by Nour-Eddine Lakhmari and The Ants by Yassine Fennane.
A total of 13 films aimed at younger audiences will screen in the Young Audiences and Families section, including Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Antoine Lanciaux’s The Songbirds’ Secret, and the animated feature Tummy Tom and the Lost Teddy Bear by Joost van den Bosch and Erik Verkerk.
This year, the festival will recognise four esteemed figures: Jodie Foster, Guillermo del Toro, Raouya, and Hussein Fahmi, with retrospective screenings of their films hosted in various venues across Marrakech, including the Palais des Congrès, Cinéma Le Colisée, and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent.
With its diverse lineup, the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival cements its role as a pivotal platform for artistic exploration, cultural dialogue, and cinematic innovation. For nine days, Marrakech will once again become a hub for filmmakers and audiences worldwide, united by a shared passion for cinema.
