Marrakech Film Festival 2025: Your Guide to Cinema Magic in the Red City

The Red City is about to light up again, and this time it's not just the sunset painting our ancient walls golden. From November 28 to December 6, 2025, Marrakech becomes the beating heart of world cinema as we host the 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival.

As your Marrakech tour guide, I can tell you there's something electric in the air when the festival comes to town. The medina buzzes differently, the riads fill with filmmakers from every corner of the globe, and suddenly our beloved city becomes a crossroads where stories from 31 countries converge under the Moroccan sky.

What Makes This Year Special

This year's festival is bringing 82 films to Marrakech, and honestly, the lineup is incredible. The jury will be led by none other than Bong Joon Ho, the brilliant Korean director who made history with Parasite. He'll be judging 14 first and second feature films competing for the Étoile d'Or, the festival's top prize. Eight of these films are having their world or international premieres right here in our city.

What really gets me excited is how the festival kicks off. Opening night features Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire, a dark comedy about media and capitalism, and we close with Annemarie Jacir's Palestine 36, a historical epic bringing together some of the best actors in Arab cinema. It's going to be nine days of discovering new voices and celebrating the legends.

The Stars Are Coming

This year, the festival is honoring four extraordinary artists, and they're all bringing special films with them. Jodie Foster, the two-time Oscar winner, will be here presenting A Private Life by Rebecca Zlotowski. Guillermo del Toro is returning to Marrakech with his deeply personal take on Frankenstein, featuring Oscar Isaac.

And for us Moroccans, there's something particularly moving about seeing our own Raouya, one of our most beloved actresses, celebrated alongside Egyptian cinema legend Hussein Fahmi. These tributes feel like a full circle moment, especially since Fahmi actually shot one of his earliest films, My Blood, My Tears, My Smile, right here in Marrakech decades ago.

Where the Magic Happens

The screenings will take place across some of Marrakech's most beautiful venues. The Palais des Congrès transforms into a cinema palace, while Cinéma Le Colisée, one of our historic theaters, becomes an intimate space for film lovers. And picture this: watching films at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, where fashion meets cinema against the backdrop of Moroccan design.

A Festival That Champions Moroccan Cinema

What I love most about this festival is how it puts Moroccan cinema front and center. This year, 15 Moroccan productions are featured across different sections. Meryem Benm'Barek's psychological thriller Behind the Palm Trees is having its world premiere in the main competition, exploring themes of class and colonial legacy. Maryam Touzani, whose work always touches the heart, is presenting Calle Málaga, a tender story about Tangier's Spanish community starring Carmen Maura.

The festival has always been more than just screenings. Through the Atlas Workshops, it nurtures emerging filmmakers from Morocco, Africa, and the Arab world. Nine of this year's selected films were developed through this program, and 14 films in the festival are representing their countries in the race for the Academy AwardAwards

Getting Your Pass

Here's the practical part. You can get an e-pass that gives you access to screenings and the chance to attend Conversations with some of the biggest names in cinema. The festival welcomes film professionals, journalists, cinephiles, and anyone who loves movies, whether you're a Marrakech resident or just passing through. You need to be over 18, and registration is open until December 6.

Why This Matters to Marrakech

Since King Mohammed VI launched this festival back in 2001, with the vision of French producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, the festival has put Marrakech on the map as a major international film destination. Prince Moulay Rachid, who chairs the festival foundation, calls it a space where cultures intersect and talent emerges.

And that's exactly what it feels like when you're here during those nine days. The festival isn't just about watching films in darkened theaters. It's about the conversations that happen afterward in our cafés, the unexpected encounters in the medina, the way cinema becomes a language that needs no translation.

The Bigger Picture

This year's edition also launches the Atlas Distribution Meetings, bringing together 60 professionals from Africa, the Arab world, and Europe. It's another way the festival is building bridges, not just screening films but creating networks that help these stories reach wider audiences.

The festival's theme this year feels particularly resonant: cinema as an essential reference point in a world in flux, a universal language capable of bringing people together. After everything the world has been through, there's something powerful about gathering in Marrakech to celebrate stories that enlighten, challenge, and connect us.

Experience It All

If you're planning to visit Marrakech during the festival, you're in for something special. The entire city participates in the celebration. You'll spot filmmakers walking through Jemaa el-Fna, actors discovering our souks, and impromptu film discussions happening over mint tea in hidden riads.

The festival runs November 28 through December 6, 2025. Whether you're a serious cinephile or just curious about world cinema, whether you want to catch the big gala screenings or discover hidden gems in the competition section, there's room for everyone under Marrakech's cinematic sky.

Come for the films, stay for the magic of seeing the world's cinema community fall in love with our city, just as we fall in love with their stories every single year.

Planning your visit during the Marrakech Film Festival? Let Latif show you the city beyond the red carpet, from the historic venues hosting screenings to the hidden corners where Marrakech's own film history was made.