11thInternational Film Festival Actress Ghada Abdel Razek did not attend as an honorary guest the eleventh edition of the International Film Festival of Marrakech, while Indian movie star Shahrukh Khan attended the screening of his film “My Name is Khan”, in Jamaa El Fna, receiving the Golden Star.
Ghada Abdel Razek had agreed in principle to attend the festival as a guest, before she apologises for her absence due to what she referred to as “emergency circumstances”.
Indian superstar Khan was pleased to be chosen by FIFM among other international names to be honoured. Khan said: “I’ve been looking forward to this moment with great passion. This is my first visit to Morocco, where my colleagues in Bollywood have always told me how popular Indian film is, to the extent that some Moroccans learned the language through them”, expressing his deep gratitude to King Mohammed VI, and to the festival’s chairman, Prince Moulay Rachid.
The opening ceremony of the Marrakech Film Festival, which lasts until December 10, featured the attendance of personalities from politics, culture and media, as wella s international and Moroccan movie stars. In addition to awarding Shah Rukh Khan the Golden Star, the ceremony also included artistic performances by Moroccan actress Houda Rihani.
Head of the judging panel, Serbian actor Emir Kusturica, said that FIFM is considered one of the largest and most famous festivals where the “seventh art” is celebrated for what it is, stressing that the festival is one of few events that preserve the glory of film in all its manifestations.
The opening ceremony also featured the screening of the Moroccan film “The Rif Lover”, directed by Narges El-Naggar, which is in official completion in this festival’s edition.
The judging panel for long narrative films, headed by Kusturica, included Australian actress Toni Collette, Iranian Actress Leila Hatami, French director and actress Nicole Garcia, American actor Kevin Kline, Moroccan director Abdel-Qadir Laqta, director  Berinti Ma Mendoza from the Philippines, director Rado Mihayleno from Romania, Italian actress Maya Sansa, and director and scenarist and actress Aparna Sen from India.
The panel for short films was headed by American actress Sigourney Weaver, and included Moroccan director Farida Belyazid, Belgian actress Marie Gillain, actor Pascal Greggory, and director Pierre Salvadori from France.
Besies ‘The Rif Lover’, films in the festival competition included ‘180°’ from Switzerland, ‘Baby Factory’ fromthe Philippines, ‘Belvedere’ from Bosnia and Herzegovina, ‘Death is My Profession’ from Iran, ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ from Spain, ‘I Carried You Home’ from Thailand, ‘Land of Oblivion’ from France, Germany, and Poland, ‘Snowtown’ from Austraila, ‘Louise Wimmer’ from France, ‘Out of Bounds’ from Denmark, ‘River of Gold’ from Mexico, ‘Seven Acts of Mercy’ from Italy, ‘Sneakers’ from Bulgaria, and ‘Wthout’ from USA.
Ten movies out of competition will be screened, including ‘Death for Sale’ by Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaidi. A notable presence of American, French, and Italian productions is recorded, in addition to productions from Mexico, which the festival will pay tribute to by celebrating the new generation of Mexican film.
The Golden Star, the festival’s grand prize, will be awarded in the closing ceremony, in addition to the Ex-Aequo Jury Prize, the Feminine Interpretation Prize, and the Masculine Interpretation Prize.
Additionally, the panel for short films will take charge of giving out “Cinecoles” award to film students of Moroccan Cinema Institutes and Schools
As for the “heartbeat” number, FIFM decided that this year will be exceptionally Moroccan, thus screening patriotic movies like ‘The End’ by Hicham Lasri, ‘Andalousi Mon Amour’ by Mohamed Nadif, ‘On The Edge’ by Leila Kilani, and ‘The Return of the Son’ by Ahmed Boulane.
The festival’s 11th edition will include a series of performances in the style of audio description in Jamaa el Fna.