Jenna Ortega makes history as youngest jury member at Marrakech Film Festival

Jenna Ortega has become the youngest jury member in the history of the Marrakech Film Festival, marking a major milestone for the 23-year-old actress who rose to global fame through Tim Burton’s Netflix series Wednesday. The festival, which opened in Morocco on November 30, features a jury led by acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, the Palme d’Or and Oscar-winning director of Parasite.

Ortega joins a panel filled with internationally celebrated filmmakers but insists she feels no intimidation. She described the experience as one filled with gratitude, noting that she refuses to let any external pressure overshadow her participation. She said she values honest conversations about cinema and believes everyone on the jury is working toward the same goal. Ortega added that she deeply respects the directors she is now sitting alongside and wants to remain fully present throughout the festival.

This year’s jury also includes Palme d’Or winner Julia Ducournau, Oscar nominee Celine Song, Berlinale Best Actor Payman Maadi, Mad Max star Anya Taylor-Joy and renowned directors Karim Ainouz and Hakim Belabbe. Together, they are evaluating fourteen debut and sophomore films, including My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr., Laundry by Zamo Mkhwanazi, Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa and Promised Sky by Erige Sehiri.