Marrakech, December 6th, 2025 — The 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival came to an emotional close this evening, with PROMISED SKY by Erige Sehiri winning the Étoile d’or. After nine intense days of screenings, meetings, and discoveries, a large audience gathered at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech to look on as the jury announced the winners of the festival’s awards.
By celebrating PROMISED SKY, the jury recognizes a daring film with a different vision of the world, a rare poetic energy and yet deeply rooted in reality. With this prize, the jury has honored the courage of cinema that invites us to reconsider our relationship with others and with ourselves.
This year’s festival revealed bold works, created by filmmakers who examine the complexity of the world with new clarity. The jury awarded its prize ex æquo to Jihan K’s MY FATHER AND QADDAFI and Vladlena Sandu’s MEMORY— two deeply personal films in which the intimate intersects with grand historical narratives. The Best Directing Prize was awarded to Oscar Hudson for STRAIGHT CIRCLE, whose formal rigor and artistic inventiveness made a lasting impression. Debora Lobe Naney won the award for Best Performance by an Actress for her turn in Erige Sehiri’s PROMISED SKY, while the Best Performance by an Actor award went to Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù for his work in Akinola Davies Jr.’s MY FATHER’S SHADOW. The jury also praised the precision of actors Elliot Tittensor and Luke Tittensor in Oscar Hudson‘s STRAIGHT CIRCLE, and awarded both a special mention. These choices reflect the vitality of both the Festival’s competition and cinema that is driven by unique visions and performers of rare power, that is daring and surprising, and that moves audiences.
Chaired by Bong Joon Ho, the jury brought together creators whose careers reflect the Festival’s openness to all forms of cinema. Alongside the South Korean director were Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz; Moroccan director Hakim Belabbes; French director Julia Ducournau; Iranian actor and director Payman Maadi; US actor Jenna Ortega; Canadian-Korean director Celine Song; and British-Argentinian actor Anya Taylor-Joy. Together, these distinguished personalities brought a diverse, discerning, and deeply committed perspective to the films in competition.
This 22nd edition of the Festival was also an opportunity to celebrate major figures in cinema. Jodie Foster, who received an Étoile d’or for her lifetime achievement, gave a moving speech about her relationship with cinema: “I am still guided by the same love: telling stories, bringing characters to life, asking questions about our connections and our vulnerabilities, and exploring our humanity. Cinema offers us a few hours where we can dream, live, and belong to a deeply humanistic community. It’s the place where we hold hands, side by side, in the dark.” Foster also paid tribute to Morocco: “All this enthusiasm and warmth! This is what Morocco is about: a country that charms all the senses. How lucky I am to discover it while being with you.”
Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmi also moved the audience by recounting his close ties to the Ochre City: “I had the pleasure of attending the very first edition of the Festival. I am truly delighted by this tribute, which is a great honor for me, and I am equally thrilled to be here in the enchanting city of Marrakech, the city where I filmed one of my earliest movies, My Blood, My Tears, and My Smile [Damy wa dmoy wa ebtsamty], back in the early 1970s. That memory has remained a cherished part of my life.”
A particularly powerful moment for Moroccan audiences was the tribute paid to Raouya—grande dame of the nation’s cinematic heritage—which brought together numerous artists who came to pay homage to her career. Visibly moved, Raouya said: “Nine years ago, I stood on this stage as a member of the jury. I am back this year, thanks to the directors who have placed their trust in my modest person, to embody their imagination on the small and big screen for the enjoyment of our dear Moroccan and global audience. It is an immense recognition of my humble career, marked by passion for cinema. I dedicate this tribute to the Moroccan public here and around the world.”
A regular guest at the Festival, Guillermo del Toro was also honored in Marrakech, a city with which he has a strong creative and emotional connection. “It is a great honor to be recognised among friends in one of the great festivals in the world. Marrakech is cinema and will always represent a refuge, a haven for filmmakers young and old, and a window to world cinema,” he declared on receiving his Étoile d’or.
Alongside film screenings, Marrakech audiences were invited to attend the Conversations program, one of the highlights of the Festival. Bringing together leading international figures to share their experiences in and perspectives on the seventh art, these events provided an opportunity to explore cinematic creativity in all its forms. Leading voices in world cinema—including Bong Joon Ho, Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer, Jafar Panahi, Tahar Rahim, and Yousra—engaged in dialogue with the public and professionals in the spirit of exchange and curiosity that characterizes Marrakech.
The public responded with renewed enthusiasm: more than 47,000 spectators attended screenings, including 7,000 children and teenagers as part of the Young Audiences and Family program, confirming the importance of passing on the Festival’s values, which are part of its DNA.
The Atlas Workshops program has once again demonstrated its leading role in promoting cinema across the continent and the region. With 350 professionals gathered around 28 projects, this space for mentoring, incubation, and artistic support has backed more promising works that will grace international screens in the future.
Under the effective presidency of His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, the social dimension of the Festival continued to take shape on the ground. A new campaign to combat blindness was conducted from December 1st to 5th in Tahannaout for the benefit of the disaster-stricken populations of Al Haouz, providing 3,000 consultations and 400 cataract surgeries in a gesture that extends the Festival’s commitment to solidarity.
So ends a Festival edition marked by discovery, sharing, and boldness. In Marrakech, unique journeys were revealed, dialogue was forged, and works of cinema found resonance with attentive audiences. In revealing new talents and honoring established filmmakers, the Marrakech International Film Festival continues to uphold its identity as a place where cinema flows freely and continues to bring together those who make it and those who watch it.