Under the ochre spotlight of the Red City, the opening of the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) felt like a global milestone. From the very first evening, the red carpet laid out in front of the Conference Palace drew a lineup worthy of the world’s premier festivals, blending couture glamour, a celebration of auteur cinema, and a bridge between generations of stars. See the best photos from the event, featuring Jenna Ortega and Jodie Foster.
Jenna Ortega
Revealed as a child star on Jane the Virgin and later a Disney favorite in Stuck in the Middle, Jenna Ortega has established herself as a leading actress of her generation. She exploded onto the scene with Wednesday on Netflix, a role that earned her major nominations (Emmys, Golden Globes) and solidified her as a scream queen thanks to Scream, X, and Scream VI. In 2024, she also marked Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. In 2025, she joined the Marrakech International Film Festival as a jury member—the youngest in its history—sitting alongside Bong Joon Ho and other filmmakers.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Discovered by The Witch (2015), Anya Taylor-Joy quickly established herself as a chameleon of an actress, bouncing between Split/Glass, Thoroughbreds, and Emma. Her global breakout arrived with The Queen’s Gambit (2020), earning her Golden Globes and SAG nominations. Since then, she has balanced auteur cinema with blockbuster projects: Last Night in Soho, The Northman, The Menu, followed by the prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) and the romantic thriller The Gorge (2025). In 2025, she was invited to Marrakech International Film Festival as a jury member, taking part in deliberations and red carpets alongside Jenna Ortega.
Jodie Foster
Discovered at an impossibly young age, Jodie Foster began performing at three and became a child star with Taxi Driver (1976), later proving her talent in The Accused (Oscar 1989) and The Silence of the Lambs (Oscar 1992). A bilingual actress, she has balanced critical and popular hits (Contact, Panic Room) while also pursuing directing (Little Man Tate, Home for the Holidays) and television work. In 2025, Marrakech International Film Festival paid her a major tribute: she received the Golden Star / honorary award and participated in a large public conversation about her career, a standout moment of the festival’s 22nd edition.
Virginie Efira et Niels Schneider
franco-Belgian actress who moved from television to auteur cinema, Virginie Efira has established herself with Victoria, Sybil, Adieu les cons, and especially Revoir Paris (Venice’s Volpi Cup). She followed with recent successes Benedetta, Les Enfants des autres, and L’Amour ouf. Niels Schneider, theater-trained, rose to prominence through Xavier Dolan’s J’ai tué ma mère, Diamant noir, and Un amour impossible, the latter film where he met Efira. At Marrakech 2025, the couple made a rare, intimate appearance on the opening red carpet; Efira was returning to the festival after serving as a juror in 2024.
Laurence Fishburne et Bronwyn Dannenfelser
A Hollywood heavyweight, Laurence Fishburne has stood out since Apocalypse Now and Boyz n the Hood, becoming iconic as Morpheus in The Matrix. He alternates between high-impact film roles (What’s Love Got to Do with It, Mystic River, John Wick) and television (CSI, Black-ish), remaining a respected voice in American cinema. At Marrakech 2025, he was a leading guest in the “Conversations” program, meeting audiences in a discussion about his career and his insights on the industry. He was also seen on the red carpet with his partner, Bronwyn Dannenfelser.
Noomi Rapace
internationally known for the Swedish Millennium trilogy where she embodies Lisbeth Salander, Noomi Rapace has built an intense career across European cinema and Hollywood productions. We’ve seen her in Prometheus, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Drop, then in more physical or somber roles like Close, Lamb, or You Won’t Be Alone, confirming her affinity for abrasive and morally complex characters. At Marrakech 2025, she was invited to present Mother, a recent project she leads, gracing the red carpet as the star of a special screening.
Vincent Lacoste
Discovered at 15 in Riad Sattouf’s Les Beaux Gosses, Vincent Lacoste has become a central face of French cinema throughout the 2010s and 2020s. He moves between comedies and dramas, with notable turns in Hippocrate, Victoria, Amanda, or Plaire, aimer et courir vite, and he’s been César-nominated several times, winning Best Supporting Actor in 2022 for Illusions perdues. In 2025, he made a memorable appearance at Marrakech: invited to the festival’s 22nd edition, he walked the red carpet on Day 2 alongside Virginie Efira and other French talents.
Bill Kramer
A cultural leader who has become a central figure at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bill Kramer now serves as CEO of the Academy, after previously leading the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and specializing in funding and developing artistic institutions (Sundance Institute, CalArts, BAM, and more). At Marrakech 2025, he wasn’t a member of the official jury but was a high-profile guest: on the red carpets and taking part in the Conversations section, he spoke about the Academy’s global ambitions and the festival’s role as a crossroads for MENA and international cinemas.
Dany Boon
A comedian and actor who rose from stand-up, Dany Boon made his mark in cinema with Joyeux Noël, then became a popular phenomenon by writing and starring in Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (2008), one of France’s biggest successes. He cemented his status as a writer-director with Rien à déclarer, Supercondriaque, Radin! or La Ch’tite famille, while balancing comedy with more dramatic turns. At Marrakech 2025, he was among the distinguished guests: he attended the tribute evening to Rawya and spoke briefly to the press.
