فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Marrakech – Agencies
The 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, concluded on Saturday evening, December 6, 2025, with the Tunisian film “A Sky Without Land” by director Arige Sahiri winning the Golden Star, the highest award of the official competition.
At a grand closing ceremony held at the Palace of Congresses in the presence of a large audience and global cinema stars, the jury chaired by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho praised the winning film, describing it as “a bold work that approaches the world from a different perspective, drawing on rare poetic power and an artistic vision deeply engaged with reality.”
Other Main Awards:
- Jury Prize (shared): “Dad and Gaddafi” by Jihan Kee (South Korea) and “Memory” by Vladina Sandu (Romania).
- Best Director Award: Oscar Hudson for “Straight Circle” (United Kingdom).
- Best Actress Award: Deborah Lukumuena for “A Sky Without Land.”
- Best Actor Award: Sobhi Daresso for “My Father’s Shadow” by Akinola Davies Jr. (Nigeria).
- Special Mention: Elliot Woloch-Titensor for his role in “Straight Circle.”
The jury included, alongside Bong Joon-ho: Karim Ainouz, Hakim Belabbes, Julia Ducournau, Payman Maadi, Jenna Ortega, Céline Song, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Moving Tributes and Timeless Words
The edition witnessed tributes to prominent cinema figures, most notably:
- American actress and director Jodie Foster, who received an honorary Golden Star and delivered a moving speech in which she said: “Cinema is the only space where we hold each other’s hands in the dark… and this spiritual warmth is Morocco.”
- Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy, who returned to the city of Marrakech where he filmed one of his first films in the early seventies.
- Moroccan cinema icon artist Rawia, who dedicated her tribute to the Moroccan audience and to the directors who placed their trust in her.
- Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, who described Marrakech as “a permanent haven for filmmakers and a window to world cinema.”
Edition Statistics and Social Impact
- More than 147,000 spectators attended the festival’s screenings, including 7,000 children and adolescents who benefited from programming specifically for young audiences.
- The Atlas Workshops hosted 350 professionals around 28 film projects from Africa and the Middle East.
- A medical campaign to combat blindness was launched in the Haouz region, benefiting from 3,000 examinations and 400 cataract removal surgeries.
With this exceptional edition, the Marrakech International Film Festival once again confirms its position as one of the most prominent global cinema gatherings, and as a unique space that brings together artistic creativity, humanitarian commitment, and social solidarity.
