TEHRAN – Iranian actor Peyman Mahdi will serve as a member of the jury at the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival, which will be held from November 28th to December 6th.
As reported by Honalonline, the festival’s jury is made up of eight leading figures spanning multiple generations from four continents and is tasked with judging the first and second feature films of 14 submitted to an official competition aimed at discovering new international talent.
Peyman Mahdi, 55, is an internationally acclaimed actor and film director. He stars in the Oscar-winning drama A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi, who won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 for his role in the film.
He began his career as a screenwriter and gained national attention in Iran before turning to acting and starring in Asghar Farhadi’s About Elie, which won Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Mardy co-starred with Kristen Stewart in American director Peter Sattler’s debut film Camp
He recently starred in Anne Fontaine’s The Night Shift (2020) and Jared Moshe’s Aporia (2023). His other international credits include “The Night of,” “Westworld,” “13 Hours” and “6 Underground.”
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, who made history by winning the Palme d’Or for the film “Parasite” and subsequently winning four Academy Awards, will serve as the head of the jury.
In addition to Mahdi, the jury includes filmmakers and actors whose careers reflect the vitality of today’s world cinema. Moroccan director Hakim Belabez, the central character of a film based on intimate memories. French director Julia Ducournau wins Palme d’Or for Titan. American actor Jenna Ortega, star of the “Wednesday” series and the Tim Burton-directed film “Beetlejuice.” Canadian filmmaker Celine Song, director of the acclaimed “Past Lives.” and Anya Taylor-Joy, the British-Argentine actress who rose to fame with “The Queen’s Gambit” and further established herself with “Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga” and “Dune: Part 2.”
Established in 2001, the Marrakech International Film Festival aims to promote the art of film and foster cultural exchange. By bringing together artists from a variety of mutually complementary creative disciplines, the festival reaffirms its commitment to promoting the circulation of ideas and aesthetics and creating a space for intergenerational dialogue in culture and film.
This year’s festival will consist of 82 films from 31 countries, which will be screened across different sections, including Official Competition, Gala Screening, Horizons, The 11th Continent and Moroccan Panorama.
SS/SAB