The International Critics’ Week is an independent and parallel section of the Venice Film Festival, organized by the Italian Film Critics’ Union (SNCCI). The program includes a selection of seven debut films in competition and two special events out of competition.
In a statement to MAP, the Moroccan filmmaker said she was “honored and happy to be part of this jury, the Venice International Film Festival being the oldest film festival in the world, and one of the most prestigious.”
Ms. Benkiran, a regular at the Venice Film Festival, recalled that her first feature film “Queens” had its premiere there, revealing that its screening was “a moment as exciting as it was stressful and moving.”
Indeed, the feature film, selected at the Mostra in 2022 to close the ”International Critics’ Week”, was “very well received,” she confided. “The festival therefore has a special meaning for me, and it is therefore with great emotion and joy that I return there this year to be a member of the jury of the Critics’ Week,” added the Moroccan director.
Yasmine Benkiran grew up in Rabat before moving to Paris to study philosophy, communication and cinema. She wrote books and numerous screenplays before turning to directing.
“Queens” is her first feature-length fiction film as a director. It has been selected in more than fifty festivals worldwide and has garnered numerous awards.
2024-08-27 19:40:33