For its starriest edition to date, the Marrakech Film Festival did more than rolling out the red carpet: it opened the doors to Palace Badi, a 16th-century iconic landmark, for an epic dinner offered by HM Mohammed VI and hosted by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, accompanied by his wife, Princess Lalla Oum Keltoum.
The gala evening kicked off with salutations as Marrakech Festival jury president Luca Guadagnino and fellow jurors, Jacob Elordi, Andrew Garfield and Virginie Efira, as well as honorary guests such as Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci, Sean Penn, David Cronenberg, Justine Triet, Justin Kurzel, Francois Ozon, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu and Marie-Ange Luciani were introduced to HRH Moulay Rachid and Princess Lalla OumKeltoum one by one.
The festival’s ambassador, Melita Toscan du Plantier, was standing by the Prince and introduced each person to him, although he seemed to know them all. Though Mohammed VI created the festival 21 years ago, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid has the reputation of being a cinephile and has being fully involved in the cultural event since 2002.
Elordi, Burton and Bellucci, Garfield, Penn and Kurzel were among the 21 guests who sat at the Prince’s monumental, round-shaped table which was decorated with red roses. The multi-course meal included traditional dishes such as a lamb tagine, a couscous and a Moroccan pie known as a pastilla. A 12-piece orchestra was playing a wide ranging repertory, including Karl Jenkins’ “Palladio,” Richard Galliano’s “Tango,” Rolf Løvland’s “Secret Garden” and Gabriel Fauré’s “Pavane,” prompting several ovations throughout the evening. Besides the jury and honorary guests, the gala dinner also brought together influential industry figures, notably AMPAS president Janet Yang, Cannes Film Festival president Iris Knobloch, MK2’s co-CEO’s Nathanael and Elisha Karmitz, producer and financier Stuart Ford, entertainment lawyer Elsa Huisman and producer Rosalie Varda, among others.
The festival opened with Kurzel’s The Order” and will wrap on Dec. 7 with an awards ceremony.
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