Takeshi Kitano Zatoochi, Mira Nair's Hysterical Blindness, Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent and Gotam Ghose's In The Forest'Again are among the films competing for the Golden Star (Etoile d'Or) at this year's Marrakech Film Festival (October 3-8).

German director Volker Schloendorff (The Handmaiden's Tale, War And Peace) will led the feature film jury, aided and abetted by Spanish actor Miguel Bose, Canadian actress Pascale Bussieres, Kiwi actress Kerry Fox, Indian actor Shashi Kapoor, French actress Virginie Ledoyen, Moroccan journalist Hinde Taarji, Moroccan director Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi and French director Andre Techine.

Jeremy Irons, currently filming Istvan Szabo's Being Julia, leads the short film jury.

This is the third outing for Marrakech which has been gaining momentum since its' launch two years ago. Last year the festival attracted around 40,000 visitors, double the number that attended the inaugural event in 2001.

Last year Japanese director Isao Yukisada's Go was awarded the festival's top prize, the Golden Star (Etoile d'Or).

Very popular with the French industry, the festival will be presided over by French actress Nathalie Baye and will present 73 works, including features, premieres, hommages and shorts.

The late Daniel Toscan du Plantier, who was formerly president of the festival as well as its vocal champion, will be the subject of a tribute evening during the event.

Directors Ridley Scott and Oliver Stone and actors Alain Delon, Yousra, Amina Rachid and Amitabh Bachchan will also receive tributes.

IN COMPETITION

Abar Aranaye (dir.Gotam Ghose )
Au Feu (dir: Pjer Zalica )
Baboussia (dir: Lidia Bobrova)
Hysterical Blindness (dir.Mira Nair)
Monsieur Ibrahim Et Les Fleurs Du Coran (dir: Francois Dupeyron)
La Premiere Lettre (dir: Abolfazl Jalili )
Raja (dir: Jacques Doillon )
The Station Agent (dir: Tom McCarthy)
Suite Habana (dir: Fernando Perez )
Les Yeux Secs (dir: Narjiss Nejjar )
Zaitochi (dir: Takeshi Kitano)
Le Soleil Assassine (dir: Abdelkrim Bahloul)