MOROCCO · FILM FESTIVALS
Key Facts
- Dates The 23rd edition runs from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 November 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco.
- Lineup 76 films from 39 countries, including ten world premieres, were announced on Monday 2 November.
- Jury French actress and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard presides over the jury.
- Opening Mona, called The Debut in English, by Jesse Eisenberg with Julianne Moore, opens the festival.
- Prize Fourteen first and second features compete for the Étoile d’Or, the top prize.
The Marrakech Film Festival has unveiled its 23rd programme, with 76 films from 39 countries, from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 November 2026. The lineup, announced on Monday 2 November, includes ten world premieres and French actress Marion Cotillard as jury president.
Fourteen first and second feature films compete for the Étoile d’Or, the festival’s top prize. For US readers, it is a chance to follow films by Jesse Eisenberg, James Gray and Luca Guadagnino in an African setting.
What the Marrakech Film Festival Programme Offers
The 23rd edition shows 76 films from 39 countries, and ten of them are world premieres. Twelve films were supported by the Atlas Workshops, the festival’s program for emerging filmmakers.
The opening film is Mona, known in English as The Debut, a comedy by US actor and director Jesse Eisenberg starring Julianne Moore. Eisenberg is best known as an actor for The Social Network, in which he played Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Screenings take place at the Palais des Congrès, the cinema Le Colisée and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum Marrakech. Our complete festival guide covers tickets, the free open-air screenings and where to stay.
The Official Competition and the Golden Star Prize
Fourteen first and second feature films compete for the Étoile d’Or, French for Golden Star. Marion Cotillard, who won the best actress Oscar in 2008 for La Môme, presides over the jury.
Three world premieres compete: Alkebulan by Yassine Marco Marroccu, Waves of Silence by Farzad Samsami, and Les Chiffonniers du Caire by Rani and Salem Massalha. Other titles in the competition include Ben’imana, Congo Boy, Furies and La Maison du vent.
Cotillard was named jury president on Tuesday 13 October 2026. She says she has attended since the festival’s earliest years.
Galas, Horizons and Moroccan Films
The Gala section has two world premieres, Leila et la nuit by Brazilian director Fellipe Barbosa and His Weakest Creatures by Omar Hilal. It also shows Paper Tiger by US director James Gray and Artificial by Italian director Luca Guadagnino.
The gala list adds The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, directed by Noah Segan and starring John Turturro. It also includes La más dulce by director Laïla Marrakchi.
The Horizons section shows 21 films, with a focus on Arab cinema and several African titles. The 11th Continent section adds 13 more films.
Eleven Moroccan films appear across the festival, and three more were shot in Morocco. The Moroccan Panorama has six films, opening with Bardi by Tala Hadid, and three of them are world premieres.
Cagoules by Mohamed Mouftakir is among the Panorama titles. Young audiences get 11 screenings, including the world premiere of Toutes sauf ma mère by Mohcine Besri.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
The Étoile d’Or is the festival’s top award, given to a first or second feature. The Atlas Workshops are the festival’s program that mentors emerging African and Arab filmmakers.
The Palais des Congrès is Marrakech’s main conference center and the festival’s central venue. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the old city’s main square, where the festival has held open-air screenings.
Marion Cotillard is a French actress and an Oscar winner. Jesse Eisenberg is a US actor and director, and Julianne Moore is a US actress.
What It Means for You
Travelers planning a November trip should book rooms early, and our What to Do in Marrakech in November 2026 guide lists what else is on. Long-stay visitors can read the best places to live in Morocco.
US film fans will find films by Eisenberg, Gray and Guadagnino alongside African and Arab cinema. The festival is also a showcase for Moroccan filmmakers and for Morocco as a film location.
What Is Not Known
The honorees of this year’s tributes have not been named in the programme announced so far. Tribute screenings are listed, but not who is being honored.
Ticket prices and the schedule of free open-air screenings for 2026 have not been published yet. The other members of Cotillard’s jury are also not listed.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Marrakech Film Festival in 2026?
The 23rd edition runs from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 November 2026. Screenings take place at the Palais des Congrès, Le Colisée cinema and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum Marrakech.
Who is the jury president?
French actress Marion Cotillard presides over the jury, announced on Tuesday 13 October 2026. Fourteen first and second features compete for the Étoile d’Or.
What is the opening film?
The opening film is Mona, known in English as The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore. It is a comedy.
How many films are in the programme?
The programme lists 76 films from 39 countries, including ten world premieres. Eleven Moroccan films appear across the sections.
Sources: Marrakech International Film Festival, official programme and press announcement, 2 November 2026; Marrakech International Film Festival, jury page, November 2026; Centre Cinématographique Marocain, Morocco’s national film body, November 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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