The Marrakech Worldwide Movie Competition will honor Sean Penn and David Cronenber and late Moroccan actor Naïma Elmcherqui at its upcoming twenty first version, kicking off in late November.
The posthumous honor for Elmcherqui (aka Lamcharki) has been introduced simply three weeks after her loss of life on the age of 81 years outdated on October 5.
Elmcherqui was one in all Morocco’s most revered actresses with highlights of her 60-year profession together with Badis (1989) Allal Al Kalda (2003) and Autumn of Apple Bushes (2021), for which she acquired the Finest Actress award on the Arab Movie Competition in Malmö.
A life-long supporter of rising expertise, she additionally took a task in Nabil Ayouch’s first 1992 quick movie Les Pierres bleues du desert, starring a teenage Jamel Debbouze, who would go on to turn out to be one in all Morocco and France’s finest identified comedians and actors.
The pageant described Elmcherqui as an advocate of Moroccan tradition and “a loyal good friend” who had been a member of the board of administrators of its basis.
Penn will probably be making his first look on the Marrakech Worldwide Movie Competition and his first go to to Morocco for the distinction.
The pageant famous his award-winning performing profession underneath the route of filmmakers akin to Brian De Palma, Oliver Stone, David Fincher, Terrence Malick, and Woody Allen in addition to his later transfer into directing.
“Alongside being one of many biggest actors in modern cinema, Penn can also be a famend director whose critically acclaimed movies discover themes akin to justice, communion with nature, and the conflicts that ravage the world. An eminently dedicated artist, Penn makes use of his fame within the service of quite a few causes,” it mentioned.
Cronenberg has been on the pageant circuit this yr with physique horror The Shrouds, starring Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger and Man Pearce, his twenty third function movie in a 60-year profession additionally that includes classics akin to The Fly, Crash, Jap Guarantees and A Harmful Technique.
“As a filmmaker working with paranormal and supernatural topics, Cronenberg’s work achieved cult standing and has impacted many administrators of subsequent generations, who cite him as a significant affect,” mentioned the pageant, noting his collaborations with actors akin to Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
The director mentioned of the distinction: “I’ve been listening to for years how fantastic the Marrakech Worldwide Movie Competition is, and now the celebrities have lastly aligned and I’m right here—not, amazingly, simply to expertise the pageant, however to obtain this prestigious and beautiful award for my half century of labor. What a delight and what an honor.”
The Marrakech Worldwide Movie Competition runs from November 29 to December 7.
