Ever since its first edition, the Marrakech International Film Festival has been paying homage to the most notable names in cinema. For its 21st edition, it will honor three great artists whose contributions and influence have had a significant impact on cinema for several decades. 

Earlier today, the Marrakech International Film Festival announced that at its upcoming 21st edition it will honor three outstanding world cinema figures — American actor and director Sean Penn, American filmmaker David Cronenberg and the late Moroccan actress Naïma Elmcherqui who passed away earlier this month.

Until her death on the 5th of October this year, Naïma Elmcherqui was recognized as a national treasure and one of Morocco’s best-loved personalities. Since the 1960s, she lit up the national cultural scene with her exceptional talent, natural elegance, and legendary benevolence. Her career, which led her from performances onstage to appearances on the big and small screens, allowed her to inhabit a multitude of roles and her endearing personality touched the hearts of several generations of Moroccans. Committed to numerous causes, a tireless advocate of Moroccan culture, a loyal friend of the Marrakech International Film Festival and a member of the board of directors of its Foundation, Elmcherqui was a true grande dame. With this posthumous tribute, the Festival honors the memory of an exceptional artist and deeply devoted woman who leaves behind a remarkably rich body of work.

A revelation since his very first roles, Sean Penn established himself in the 1980s and 1990s as one of the most gifted actors of his generation in collaborations with prestigious filmmakers including Brian De Palma, Oliver Stone, David Fincher, Terrence Malick, and Woody Allen. Penn’s intense acting, passion, and dedication to his craft shine on screen in a series of outstanding performances in the roles of policeman, soldier, lawyer, death row inmate, or grieving father that often question the roots of evil. He has won numerous prestigious prizes, among them two Academy Awards and the Festival de Cannes Award for Best Actor. 

This homage will mark the actor’s first appearance at the Marrakech International Film Festival and Penn’s first visit to Morocco. 

A leading figure in contemporary cinema, over the past six decades David Cronenberg has built up a singular body of work that fascinates, disturbs, and questions by way of his preferred themes: technology, the body, and illness. As a filmmaker working with paranormal and supernatural subjects, Cronenberg’s work achieved cult status and has impacted many directors of subsequent generations, who cite him as a major influence. From the 1980s to the present day, he has collaborated with the world’s great actors, among them Jeremy Irons, Viggo Mortensen, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, and, more recently, Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, and Kristen Stewart. Cronenberg's 23 feature-length films make him one of the most recognized artists of our time, and have won numerous prizes, including awards at the Festival de Cannes and the Venice International Film Festival.

About finally attending, Cronenberg said: “I’ve been hearing for years how wonderful the Marrakech International Film Festival is, and now the stars have finally aligned and I am here—not, amazingly, just to experience the festival, but to receive this prestigious and lovely award for my half century of work. What a delight and what an honor!”

This year’s festival will run from November 29th to December 7th, 2024. For more info, check out their website.