
(Photo: Nabil Ayoush Facebook page)
The International Jury will decide who will take home the Golden and the Silver Bears at the Berlinale. Nineteen films are competing for the awards in this year’s Competition.
The winners will be announced at the Berlinale Palast on 22 February.
The jury panel will be headed by director, screenwriter and producer Todd Haynes.
Panel members include costume designer Bina Daigeler (Germany); actor Fan Bingbing (China); director Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina); film critic and author Amy Nicholson (USA); and director, actor and screenwriter Maria Schrader (Germany).
Who is Ayouch?
Nabil Ayouch is a Moroccan-French filmmaker and screenwriter known for his thought-provoking and socially engaged films.
Ayouch is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures, the Académie des Césars, and the Arab Film Academy.
He was born on 1 April 1969 in Paris to Moroccan parents.
Ayouch's work explores themes of identity, social issues, and the challenges marginalised communities face, especially in Morocco and other parts of the Arab world.
Ayouch’s filmmaking style tends to blend realism with a focus on the human condition, offering a nuanced portrayal of the complexities of contemporary life.
His films deal with controversial topics, such as sexuality, social inequality, and gender roles.
They include Mektoub (1997), which represented Morocco at the Oscars, followed by Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (2000), a film that won the Bronze Horse Award at the Stockholm Film Festival.
One of his most internationally acclaimed films, Horses of God (2012), garnered the Francois Chalais prize at the Cannes Festival and was Morocco's submission for the 85th Academy Awards.
His highly controversial Much Loved (2015) collected 12 international awards but was banned in Morocco for alleged "contempt for moral values and the Moroccan woman."
Ayouch's recent works include Casablanca Beats (2021) and Everybody Loves Touda (2024).
Casablanca Beats had its world premiere in the official competition of the 74th Cannes Film Festival (2021), a first for a Moroccan film. It won the Best Music award at the Carthage Film Festival and was selected for the 74th Cannes Film Festival competition.
Ayouch also produced The Blue Caftan (2022), a film by Maryam Touzani, which won more than 50 awards around the world - including the FRIPESCI Prize at Cannes Film Festiva and was shortlisted among the 15 best foreign films at Oscars.
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