The 14th annual Marrakech International Film Festival kicks off

30 Nov The 14th annual Marrakech International Film Festival kicks off

By Mandy Sinclair

With just days to go before the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) kicks off, we are reviewing the film schedules and planning the best spots for stargazing.  After all, jury members include Isabelle Huppert and UK actor Alan Rickman from the Harry Potter series and Love Actually, and Moroccan film director Moumen Smihi known for his works A Muslim Childhood and The Sorrows of a Young Tangerian, among other jurists from around the world.

Venues

The majority of the action will take place around Mohamed VI Avenue in Hivernage at the Palais de Congres (Congress Centre).  Access here is for festival pass holders only, but the general public can apply for a festival pass online.

Cinema Colisee just off Mohamed V Avenue will screen the competition and non-competition films throughout the week and tickets can be purchased at the door.

The open-air cinema in Jemaa el Fna will feature a variety of films in the main square and often in the presence of the lead actors and actresses.

Paying homage

This year’s festival will pay homage to Japanese cinema with a selection of important works and an invitation extended to a delegation of Japanese actors, producers and directors.  Films will be screened daily at the various venues and include Warm Water under a Red Bridge, Chigasaki Story, Suicide Club and several others.

Viggo Mortensen will also be honoured at this year’s film festivals and screenings include Far From Men and A History of Violence.  A homage to Jeremy Irons is also planned with screenings of The Imitation Game and Die Hard:3 which will be screened in Jemaa el Fna on Monday 8 December at 6 p.m. in the presence of the actor.  Egyptian star Adel Imam will be honoured as well with his works Alzheimer and The Yacoubian Building on the film schedule.

Competition top picks

We’ve penciled the screening times of following top picks in to our diaries:

Nabat, a Azerbaijan entry that provides a look in to the life of a peasant woman struggling to make a living off of their only cow and support her dying husband while mourning the loss of her son as a war rages through her country.

Showtimes:

Sunday 7 December at 11h00 at the Congress Centre’s Salle des Ministres

Monday 8 December at 18h30 at Cinema Colisee

With several awards and nominations already received, the New Zealand film Everything We Loved is the debut work of writer/director Max Currie and touches on the subject of magic, marriage and childhood.

Showtimes:
Saturday 6 December at 3 p.m. at Congress Centre’s Salle des Ministres

Sunday 7 December at 8:30 p.m. at Cinema Colisee.

We’re looking forward to L’Orchestre des Aveugles, the only Moroccan film in the festival’s competition line-up and tells the story of hope and disappointment with a love story woven throughout.

Showtimes:
Wednesday 10 December at 11 a.m. at Congress Centre’s Salle des Ministres

Thursday 11 December at 7:30 p.m. at Cinema Colisee.

Open-air festival venue

Films will once again be screened in the popular Jemaa el Fna and we expect the square to be packed with locals for the Bollywood film Happy New Year on Saturday 6 December starting at 7 p.m.  As Bollywood films tend to be quite popular in Morocco, this is a great venue to experience the local side of the film festival.

On Sunday 7 December at 6 p.m., Far From Men will be screened in the presence of actor Viggo Mortensen.

Hors competition

In the non-competition films, we are most looking forward to A Most Violent Year, the story of one man’s struggle to protect his family and his business amid the corruption and violence that surrounds him in New York City. Other top picks include Silent Heart and Timbucktu, a French-Mauritanian drama that won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Stargazing

We’ll be heading over to La Mamounia for afternoon tea and evening drinks in the hopes of seeing some of the leading actors and actresses pass by.  Dress code: Glamorous.

The colonial-style Grande Café de la Poste in Gueliz is a hotspot on a regular day with the expat and locals but we hope it will be popular with the stars in town for the film screenings.  Grab a seat on the terrace near the entrance for best people-watching and potential stargazing.

In between films we’ll stay caffeinated at C House Café located across from the Palais de Congres on Avenue Mohamed VI.  The oversized comfy chairs and the quick access to the film screenings, make this a top choice for a coffee and even light lunch.

Closing time

The festival closes on Saturday 13 December at 6 p.m. with the awards and closing ceremony at the Congress Centre and followed by the screening of A Most Violent Year.