Tilda Swinton, James Gray and Moroccan film pioneer Farida Benlyazid are to be honoured at the upcoming Marrakech International Film Festival with tribute awards.
Returning for its first in-person event in three years from November 11-19, Marrakech’s comeback edition will also celebrate Indian actor Ranveer Singh with the festival’s honorary Etoile d’Or prize as well as hosting an “In Conversation” series with some of global cinema’s top talents including Singh, Gray, UK actor Jeremy Irons, French actor/filmmaker Julie Delpy, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, and Cannes Palme d’Or-winners Julia Ducournau and Ruben Östlund.
Swinton, who was jury president at Marrakech’s last in-person edition in 2019, said: “To return to celebrate with my friends this exceptional forum for world cinema and the perpetual global fellowship of film love with the beautiful audience there will be a pure joy for which I am deeply grateful.”
Benlyazid is credited as the first woman to produce a film in Morocco and for inspiring a new generation of Moroccan female filmmakers. She was a member of the jury for the festival’s first edition in 2002, and her feature directing credits include A Door To The Sky (1989), Women’s Wiles (1999) and Frontieras (2013).
Benlyazid said: “I particularly like this festival, which promotes the first and second works of filmmakers. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of seeing wonderful films there.”
A jury led by Paolo Sorrentino will award the festival’s Etoile d’Or top prize to one of the 14 first and second features in the main competition.
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