His latest film is “Deserts,” a slapstick take on the Western genre involving two Casablanca debt collectors that will have its regional premiere at the fest after launching from Cannes.Īlso on the conversation roster are Australian actor and director Simon Baker (“Limbo”) French director Bertrand Bonello (“The Beast”) Indian filmmaker and producer Anurag Kashyap (“Kennedy”) Japanese auteur Naomi Kawase (“Radiance”) and Oscar-nominated Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (“Leviathan”).Īs previously announced, Richard Linklater’s action comedy “Hit Man” has been set as the fest’s opener. Bensaïdi is one of Morocco’s most critically acclaimed directors and a Marrakech fest aficionado.