Marrakech Film Festival: Harvey Keitel jets into Morocco to pay tribute to filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier

Marrakech has already welcomed stars such as Tilda Swinton and Naomi Watts this week for its annual film festival, but yesterday the city got even more star-studded. Hollywood legend Harvey Keitel walked the red carpet at the Marrakech International Film Festival on Sunday, December 1 to attend a tribute to French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier. The Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs actor, who was coaxed out of retirement to star in Martin Scorsese's 2019 drama The Irishman, presented Tavernier with the Etoile d'Or award during the ceremony, to honour the director's body of work. Scroll through the gallery above to see red carpet images from the Bertrand Tavernier tribute at the Marrakech International Film Festival 2019. Tavernier, who is behind films such as 1986's Round Midnight and 1974's The Clockmaker , worked with Keitel on his 1980 sci-fi thriller Death Watch. The ceremony was also attended by We Need to Talk About Kevin star Swinton, who is presiding over this year's festival jury, as well as French actress Josephine de la Baume. While accepting his award, Tavernier compared the Moroccan festival to the Lumiere brothers, who pioneered cinematography in the late 19th century. "They brought the world to the world. That's what a festival like Marrakech does. It opens windows on to the world," he said, according to Variety. The festival, which runs in Marrakesh until Saturday, December 7, will this year fete the best of Australian cinema, as well as works from the Arab world, and will screen 25 feature films from Down Under during its programme. Scroll through the gallery below to see the best red carpet photos from the Marrakech Film Festival 2019 opening ceremony. Also set to attend this year's Marrakech International Film Festival is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid legend Robert Redford, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, who will each take part in on-stage 'In Conversation With' interviews. Redford will also receive the festival’s Etoile d’Or award in recognition of his life's work, while a tribute will be made to Chopra in the city's Jemaa El Fna Square. Rian Johnson's Knives Out opened the festival programme, with 98 movies from 34 countries due to be screened across the week. Among those showcasing in the festival's Official Competition is Tlamess by Tunisia's Ala Eddine Slim and Last Visit by Saudi Arabia's Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan. For more information, visit www.festivalmarrakech

Marrakech Film Festival: Harvey Keitel jets into Morocco to pay tribute to filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier

The 'Pulp Fiction' star honoured French director Bertrand Tavernier with the Etoile d'Or award