Influences
FIFM 2025: South Korean Director Bong Joon Ho Named Jury President
The award-winning South Korean filmmaker, recipient of top international honors from the Cannes Palme d’Or to Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs, achieved cinematic history as Parasite became the first non-English-language film to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture.
South Korean director Bong Joon Ho will preside over the jury of the 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM), scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 6, 2025.
The jury for this edition will award the Golden Star to one of 14 first and second feature films in the international competition, dedicated to discovering filmmakers from around the world, according to a festival statement.
‘For many years, the Marrakech Festival has celebrated and revealed films of remarkable beauty that carry a breath of fresh air. I am thrilled and honored to now become part of this tradition,’ Joon Ho stated upon the announcement of his appointment.
‘I look forward to sharing a powerful cinematic experience with audiences and taking time to reflect on cinema’s true value,’ he added, affirming that his excitement and enthusiasm ‘will be more than present in Marrakech’s screening rooms.’
Positioning reflection on cinema’s role at the heart of this edition
The South Korean director, honored with the most prestigious international awards—from the Palme d’Or to Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs—made history when his film Parasite became the first non-English-language work to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Bong Joon Ho’s presidency in Marrakech marks the convergence of visionary artistry and a festival that, for over two decades, has fostered dialogue among global cinemas in the heart of Morocco.
His leadership of the jury stands as a defining moment, pledged to position reflection on cinema’s societal role at the heart of this edition and to offer Moroccan and international audiences the resonance of a body of work whose impact continues to grow.
Born in Daejeon, Korea, on September 14, 1969, Bong Joon Ho’s latest film Mickey 17, released earlier this year, marks his eighth feature in a career defined by landmark titles: Barking Dog (2000), Memories of Murder (2003), The Host (2006), Mother (2009), Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017), and Parasite (2019).
