Rabat - The 15th Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) has been full of many touching moments that have left a mark in the history of cinema.
From actor Bill Murray’s opening speech to director Francis Ford Coppola’s teary-eyed defense of Islam, the 2015 FIFM captured the essence of the world’s current events and the sentiment of people’s cultural backgrounds.
The FIFM 2015 screened 93 films from 33 different countries. None of which returned home empty handed; everybody won an award.
As a symbolic gesture of appreciation to all films in the competition, the FIFM created the “Special Jury Prize”, for the first time in the history of the festival.
The “Special Jury Prize” was awarded to every film with exception of the winner of the highly-acclaimed “L’Etoile d’Or”.
The jury composed of nine members was chaired by American director Francis Ford Coppola who reportedly created the “Special Jury Prize” as a tribute to cinema.
The 15th FIFM was held in Morocco’s ‘Red City’ on December 4-12. The annual festival stands out as a leading artistic and cultural event, regarded as unique in the African continent and the Arab World.
Among this year’s winners were:
- L'Etoile d'Or- Grand Prize: "Very big shot" Lebanese director, Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Lebanon and Qatar)
- Best Director: Gabriel Mascaro for his film Neon Bull (Brazil, Uruguay, and Netherlands).
- Best Actress: French actress Galatea Bellugi for her performance in Keeper (Belgium, France, and Switzerland) by Director Guillaume Senez.
- Best Actor: Icelandic actor Gunnar Jonsson for his role in the Icelandic-Danish film Virgin Mountain, directed by Dagur Kari.
- The Cinécoles Price (short film): The Girl who came from Nowhere, directed by Jai Reda (Studio M-Casablanca).
- Special Jury Prize: All films in official competition, in homage to cinema.
The Marrakech International Film Festival was created in 2001 by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. The event is organized by the Marrakesh Film Festival Foundation under the chairmanship of Morocco’s Prince Moulay Rachid.
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