The 22nd Marrakech Film Festival got off to a star-studded start on Friday night with a screening of Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, attended by some of the biggest names in international cinema, including Bong Joon-ho, Jenna Ortega and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Bong, the Oscar-winner for “Parasite,” who chairs this year’s jury, was welcomed with a standing ovation at the opening ceremony and introduced the film festival in light of his own experience as a 22-year-old.
“As a film student, I voraciously devoured movies,” Bong said. Bong will give a masterclass at the festival next week. “Looking back, at the age of 22, I was full of energy and passion for film. Marrakech, now in its 22nd year, feels like it is buzzing with a special energy.”
Dead Man’s Wire, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, stars Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis, a real-life criminal who kidnaps a bank mortgage holder in 1977, starting a manhunt with police. The film received generally positive reviews, with Variety’s Owen Gleiberman calling it a miniature “Dog Day Afternoon” and adding that Kiritsis is “played with a nervous but logical, fast-talking enthusiasm, one of the actor’s two or three strongest performances.” It will be released in limited release on January 9th, followed by a theatrical release on January 16th.
Producer Cassian Elwes was the only one in attendance to introduce Dead Man’s Wire, but the festival made up for it with a full panel of judges. In addition to director Bong, the jury also includes “Wednesday” star Ortega, “Furiosa” star Taylor Joy, “Past Lives” and “Materialist” director Celine Song, “Titan” Palme d’Or winner Julia Ducournau, Brazilian director Karim Ainous, Moroccan director Hakim Belabbez, and Iranian-American actor and director Peyman Mahdi. The jury, assembled by the festival’s long-time president Melita Toscan du Plantier (who is also a producer), will select 14 films by first-time and second-time directors to enter the competition.
Director Toscan du Plantier told Variety on the red carpet before opening night that the presence of established filmmakers and talented jurors is especially meaningful for emerging directors. The festival’s president said, “It’s incredible for the directors that their first film will be seen by all the actors and directors, including Bong Joon-ho.” She also revealed that Jodie Foster, who is receiving a tribute award at the festival, had arrived a few days earlier for her first visit.
Director Son, who will be attending the Marrakech Film Festival for the first time in Africa, said he was looking forward to seeing films from up-and-coming filmmakers. “The great thing about this festival is that it feels like a festival of discovery,” she told Variety on the carpet. “This year I’m going to be on the jury at Sundance, and it’s also a festival of discovery. So I love walking in without all the context of the film. I feel like that’s a lot more unusual than it all adds up.”
In an interview with Variety ahead of the festival, Marrakech’s artistic director Remi Bonhomme described Marrakech as “the gateway between Europe and Africa, which allows us to work both internationally and regionally.”
“At the same time,” Bonhomme said, “at the end of the year, we are in the middle of the Oscar race. We want to protect that strategic position, both geographically and calendar-wise.” This year’s lineup includes a number of Oscar submissions for the international feature film race, including Homebound (co-produced by Toscan du Plantier), Palestine 36, Via Malaga, The President’s Cake, The Poet and No Other Choice.
Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, agreed, telling Variety that the academy is “becoming increasingly global.”
“We want to have a bigger presence in the Middle East and North Africa. I came here to meet filmmakers, talk about the Academy, and see a lot of great films,” he said, adding, “More and more, this festival is becoming a really important destination on the Oscar circuit.” Kramer, who is also scheduled to speak at next week’s fest, noted that the academy “has been here for several years now and is becoming a real home for us.”
The ceremony ended with a tribute to the famous 85-year-old Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmi, who received a huge round of applause from the audience in Marrakech. After a reel of some of his most famous roles, including “Beware Zuzu” (1972) and “Alexandria Again and Forever” (1990), Mr. Fahmi shook hands with each judge and smiled broadly as he received more cheers from the audience.
The Marrakech Film Festival will run until December 6th, and will feature screenings of their latest films as a tribute to Foster and Guillermo del Toro, as well as interviews with Kleber Mendonça Filho, Kramer, The Matrix star Laurence Fishburne, Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident, and Blonde director Andrew Dominick.
