Italian director Matteo Garrone is expected to make the trek for the gala of his Venice-prizewinning immigration drama “Io Capitano” and Michel Franco will be coming to present another Venice prizewinner, “Memory,” starring Jessica Chastain, who is presiding over the fest’s main jury.Ī major cultural event in Morocco, Marrakech is one of the only international festivals of this scale where screenings and masterclasses are free and open to the public.Īmong previously announced special guests is Martin Scorsese, who will be coming to serve as official patron of the Atlas Workshops, the festival’s industry initiative which is aimed at fostering and supporting the emergence of a new generation of Moroccan, Arab and African filmmakers.

His latest film is “Deserts,” a slapstick take on the Western genre involving two Casablanca debt collectors that will have its regional premiere at the fest after launching from Cannes.Īlso on the conversation roster are Australian actor and director Simon Baker (“Limbo”) French director Bertrand Bonello (“The Beast”) Indian filmmaker and producer Anurag Kashyap (“Kennedy”) Japanese auteur Naomi Kawase (“Radiance”) and Oscar-nominated Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (“Leviathan”).Īs previously announced, Richard Linklater’s action comedy “Hit Man” has been set as the fest’s opener. Bensaïdi is one of Morocco’s most critically acclaimed directors and a Marrakech fest aficionado. interactions and conquests of both the Bond girls and the villain, Le Chiffre, but also the bodily and cognitive stimulation.

Casino royale villain le chiffre