Jenna Ortega and Jodie Foster shine at the Marrakech Film Festival

Discovered as a child in Jane the Virgin and then a Disney star in Stuck in the Middle, Jenna Ortega has established herself as one of the leading actresses of her generation. She burst onto the scene with Wednesday on Netflix, a role that earned her major nominations (Emmy, Golden Globes) and cemented her status as scream queen thanks to Scream, X, and Scream VI. In 2024, she also made her mark in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. In 2025, she participated in the Marrakech International Film Festival as a member of the jury, the youngest in its history, alongside Bong Joon Ho and other filmmakers.

Discovered in The Witch (2015), Anya Taylor-Joy quickly established herself as a chameleon actress, starring in Split/Glass, Thoroughbreds, and Emma. Her global recognition came with The Queen’s Gambit (2020), which earned her Golden Globe and SAG awards. Since then, she has alternated between arthouse cinema and blockbusters: Last Night in Soho, The Northman, The Menu, then the prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) and the romantic thriller The Gorge (2025). In 2025, she was invited to the Marrakech International Film Festival as a member of the jury, participating in deliberations and red carpet events alongside Jenna Ortega.

Discovered at a very young age, Jodie Foster made her debut at the age of three and became a child star with Taxi Driver (1976), then confirmed her talent in The Accused (Oscar 1989) and The Silence of the Lambs (Oscar 1992). A bilingual actress, she alternates between critical and popular successes (Contact, Panic Room) and also has a career as a director (Little Man Tate, Home for the Holidays, episodes of TV series). In 2025, the Marrakech International Film Festival paid her a major tribute: she received the Étoile d’Or / honorary award and took part in a large public meeting about her career, a highlight of the 22nd edition.

A Franco-Belgian actress who made the transition from television to arthouse cinema, Virginie Efira made her mark with Victoria, Sybil, Adieu les cons and, above all, Revoir Paris (Volpi Cup in Venice), before her recent successes Benedetta, Les Enfants des autres and L’Amour ouf. Niels Schneider, trained in theater, made a name for himself with Xavier Dolan (I Killed My Mother), Black Diamond, and An Impossible Love, the film in which he met Efira. At the 2025 Marrakech International Film Festival, the couple made a rare and intimate appearance on the opening red carpet; Efira was returning to the festival after serving as a jury member in 2024.

A major Hollywood figure, Laurence Fishburne has made a name for himself since Apocalypse Now and Boyz n the Hood, before becoming iconic as Morpheus in The Matrix. He alternates between powerful roles (What’s Love Got to Do with It, Mystic River, John Wick) and television (CSI, Black-ish), and remains a respected voice in American cinema. At the 2025 Marrakech International Film Festival, he was the guest of honor for the “Conversation” program, meeting with the public for a trade about his career and his perspective on the profession. He was also seen on the red carpet with his partner, Bronwyn Dannenfelser.

Internationally recognized for her role as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish Millennium trilogy, Noomi Rapace has built an intense career spanning European cinema and Hollywood productions. She has appeared in Prometheus, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Drop, and in more physical or darker roles in Close, Lamb, and You Won’t Be Alone, confirming her taste for abrasive and ambiguous characters. At the 2025 Marrakech International Film Festival, she was invited to present Mother, a recent project she is involved in, and walked the red carpet as the star of a special screening.

Discovered at the age of 15 in Riad Sattouf’s Les Beaux Gosses, Vincent Lacoste has become a central figure in French cinema in the 2010s and 2020s. He alternates between comedies and dramas, with memorable roles in Hippocrate, Victoria, Amanda, and Plaire, aimer et courir vite. Nominated several times for a César Award, he won Best Supporting Actor in 2022 for Illusions perdues. In 2025, he made a notable appearance at the Marrakech International Film Festival: as a guest at the 22nd edition, he walked the red carpet (day 2) alongside Virginie Efira and other French talents.

A cultural leader who has become a key figure at AMPAS, Bill Kramer is now CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, after serving as president and CEO ofthe Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and as a leading specialist in the financing and development of arts institutions (Sundance Institute, CalArts, BAM, etc.). At the 2025 Marrakech International Film Festival, he was not a member of the official jury, but a prominent guest: present on the red carpets and speaking in the “Conversations” section, he talked about the Academy’s global ambition and the role of the festival as a crossroads for MENA and international cinema.

A comedian and actor who started out in one-man shows, Dany Boon made his mark in cinema with Joyeux Noël, then became a popular phenomenon by directing and starring in Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (2008), one of the biggest French hits of all time. He confirmed his status as a writer-director with Rien à déclarer, Supercondriaque, Radin! and La Ch’tite famille, while alternating between comedy and more dramatic roles. At the 2025 Marrakech International Film Festival, he was among the prestigious guests: he attended the tribute evening to Rawya and spoke briefly to the press.