Bong Jun-ho, the South Korean director who won three Oscars for “Parasites,” will be chair of the ju apprentice at the 22nd Marrakech INTL. The film festival will be held from November 28th to December 6th.
The judges will award étoiled’or to one of the 14 first and second feature films at the international convention.
Bonn said: “For many years, Marrakech has been a fresh and beautiful cinema champion and I am delighted to be part of that tradition. I look forward to sharing my strong cinema experience with the festival audience and reflecting on the true value of ‘films’. Our expectations and excitement become evident in front of the big screen in Marrakech. ”
“Parasite” won Cannes Parmedoll, two Bufftas and an Oscar. Bonn became the first filmmaker to speak history, English, and won the best photos.
Bonn’s latest film was “Mickey 17,” starring Robert Pattinson, premiering at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. His other films are “Barking Dogs Never Bite” (2000), “Memories of Murder” (2003), “The Host” (2006), “Mother” (2009), “Snowpiercer” (2013), and “Okja” (2017).
In a statement, the festival said: “His work, combining the virtuosity of the narrative with a keen understanding of the social and political divisions of our time, exists as a rare example of a film appealing to both critics and the general public.
The breadth of Bonn’s work is currently being recognized at the Film Museum at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. There will be an exhibition entitled “Director’s Inspiration: Bong-Goo Jun-ho” which will run until January 2027.
The Marrakech Film Festival, whose festival director is French producer Melita Toscan du Plantier, has become a major cultural event in the Arab world, and every year invites as impressive masterclasses as the star ju judges. Bonn will replace Luca Guadagnino, who led the likes of last year’s ju judges Jacob Elordi and Andrew Garfield.
The festival is also praised for raising a new generation of filmmakers from the Arab world, particularly Morocco, through its selection and industry programme, Atlas Workshop. Ultimately, the festival shines a spotlight on the film, which won the festival’s top award in 2023, and in particular, it continues to win Asmae El Moudir’s “The Mother of All Lies.”
