The 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival runs from November 20 to 28. Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard will preside over its jury. Meanwhile, the Atlas Workshops have revealed 30 projects for their ninth edition, with Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho as patron. Together, the announcements give an early picture of a festival focused on new voices.
Marion Cotillard Leads the Jury
Marrakech International Film festival announced on October 13 that Cotillard will chair the jury. It will award the Étoile d’Or, the festival’s highest honor. The prize goes to a first or second feature film in the international competition. Cotillard said she has attended the festival since its early years. She also called supporting filmmakers’ first steps part of the festival’s DNA.
She remains busy on screen. Cotillard will soon appear in Bertrand Mandico’s Roma Elastica, Guillaume Canet’s Karma and Nicole Garcia’s Milo. She is currently filming Emmanuelle Bercot’s The Enraged. The festival has not yet named the other jury members.
Atlas Workshops: 30 Projects From 14 Countries
On October 19, organisers unveiled the lineup for the ninth Atlas Workshops. The platform supports Moroccan, Arab and African cinema. The 30 projects come from 14 countries. They were chosen from 320 entries in development and 90 in production or post-production, according to Screen International.
The selection breaks down into three groups. Fourteen projects are in development, including 12 fiction films and two documentaries. Six of them are debut features. Eleven films are in production or post-production, including five debut features. Five Moroccan projects join the Atlas Close-Ups program: four fiction films and one documentary.
Notable Titles
Several well-known names appear. The Unknown Saint director Alaa Eddine Aljem returns with Eldorado, his second feature. It follows migrants seeking an island where everyone lives in peace, only to end up in a tomato-sauce factory of the same name. Sofia Alaoui’s new feature is also in the selection. In addition, Samuel Ishimwe’s Seasons of the Weary Kind from Rwanda appears. Four of the 11 later-stage projects previously took part at the development stage.
A Patron for the Next Generation
Kleber Mendonça Filho serves as patron. The Brazilian filmmaker said the role makes him feel he is watching new films being born. Atlas Station will also welcome eight Moroccan professionals, four women and four men, selected from 30 applicants.
Dates for the Industry Program
Online sessions run from November 2 to 6. The Workshops, Atlas Station and Distribution Meetings take place in Marrakech from November 22 to 26. Around 60 professionals from Africa, the Arab world and Europe will attend the meetings. Atlas Press, which supports film criticism, runs from November 23 to 27.
Free Screenings at Jemaa el-Fnaa
Public screenings on Jemaa el-Fnaa square have long been a festival highlight. However, Screen International reported in 2023 that they were cancelled that year. Local guides list free open-air screenings again for 2026. Organisers have not yet published the schedule, so confirm it before you plan.
What Comes Next
The official selection will be announced in early November, according to the festival’s call for entries. The opening film, tributes, and jury members are still to be revealed. In the meantime, last year’s Étoile d’Or went to Erige Sehiri’s Promised Sky. Marrakech has made a name for championing first films, and this lineup continues that tradition.
