MARRAKECH, MOROCCO — Marrakech — it has to be the most glamorous film festival in the world, and this edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival was no exception.
Think interviews conducted in hidden courtyards inside the lush gardens at the fabled La Mamounia hotel; down time spent at the beautiful pool, under the palms; and stunning French actresses galore, from Isabelle Adjani to “Elle” star Isabelle Huppert, Fanny Ardant, or even Bollywood’s Kalki Koechlin, who is part-French.
And this year, there was a touch of beauty and the beast on show. The jury presented some of the most interesting directors on the planet, from president Béla Tarr to Bille August, or Romania’s Cristian Mungiu. Tributes added to the glamour and educational factor of the festival. These were awarded to a number of top filmmakers, also in town for the event, including Paul Verhoeven, who was named this week as Jury president at the Berlinale; Paul Haggis; and Japan’s Shinya Tsukamoto, who was celebrated with a glitzy Dior party.
READ MORE: The 50 Best Foreign Language Movies Of The 21st Century So Far
There were a slew of other elegant soirees, the highlight of which was most certainly the annual Royal dinner, which was attended by Prince Moulay Rachid. Jason Clarke came to talk playing Ted Kennedy, and a huge collection of Russian filmmakers came into the spotlight thanks to a Tribute to Russian cinema, including Pavel Lungin (last year, it was Canada).
There are opportunities to get intimate with filmmakers, as the festival is relatively small, but first and foremost, it is a festival for the general public. A selection of films, from “RoboCop” to Morocco’s “Majid” played outdoors on a giant screen, above the hubbub and snake charmers on Marrakech’s main square, the Jemma el Fna.
This go-round, first-time feature director Anna Rose Holmer was the only American director at the festival, with her debut feature “The Fits.” Last year saw a larger American presence, with Francis Ford Coppola serving as head of the jury, and Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola also in town. Fourteen films played in competition this year. Roll on, 2017.
Here is a list of this year’s winners:
GOLDEN STAR FESTIVAL GRAND PRIZE
“The Donor” (Zang Qiwu, China)
JURY PRIZE
“Mister Universo” (Rainer Frimmel & Tizza Covi, Austria/Italy)
BEST DIRECTING PRIZE
“Knife In The Clear Water” (Wang Xuebo, China)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Fereshteh Hosseini (“Parting,” Navid Mahmoudi, Iran/Afghanistan)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Baldur Einarsson, Blaer Hinriksson (“Heartstone,” Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, Denmark/Iceland)