The highly anticipated Cannes Film Festival is set to take place from 16th – 27th May this year, and Moroccan director and screenwriter Maryam Touzani has joined the festival’s prestigious jury. Born in the vibrant city of Tangier in 1980, Touzani began her journey in the film industry as a film critic but her passion for filmmaking soon led her behind the camera, yearning to share her unique vision with the world. Her first two titles, “Quand Ils Dorment” and “Aya Va A La Plage,” were just the beginning of an illustrious career that has seen her collaborate with French-Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch on movies including “Much Loved,” “Razia,” and “Casablanca Beats.”
In 2019, Touzani’s first feature film, “Adam,” made waves when it was nominated for Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as being shortlisted for the Oscars. However, it was her highly acclaimed 2020 film, “The Blue Caftan,” that established her status as a creative force to be reckoned with. The film, which was selected for the Un Certain Regard award, follows the story of Halim and Mina, a married couple running a traditional kaftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas, refusing to acknowledge a huge secret within their relationship. “The Blue Caftan” was also shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Maryam Touzani is also currently working on her first novel while also preparing for her next feature film. Her inclusion in the Cannes Film Festival’s jury is a testament to her unwavering dedication to her craft and her continued contributions to the film industry.
She is joined on the Cannes jury by a stellar lineup of filmmakers and actors, including Swedish director Ruben Ostlund, French actor Denis Menochet, British-Zambian screenwriter Rungano Nyoni, US actress Brie Larson, US filmmaker Paul Dano, Afghani director Atiq Rahimi, Argentinian writer Damian Szifron, and French filmmaker Julia Ducournau. Together, they will make up the 76th iteration of the Cannes Film Festival’s jury.
Touzani is not the only Arab to join the Cannes Film Festival this year. Lebanese-French filmmaker and writer Audrey Diwan, who won the Venice Golden Lion in 2021 for her sophomore feature, has also been announced as the jury president for this year’s edition of Cannes Critics Week.
As one of the most highly anticipated film festivals of the year, the 76th iteration of Cannes promises to be an exciting celebration of the world’s most talented and innovative filmmakers.
