Nisrin Erradi, who plays Touda, revealed that she fully immersed herself in the role, which deeply moved her. So much so that she declined other projects for two years, focusing solely on Touda.

The Marrakech International Film Festival has bestowed its top prize on “Happy Holidays,” a Palestinian drama set in Israel whose screenplay won an award at the Venice Film Festival in September.

Sean Penn has blasted the organizers of the Oscars of being cowards who, in effect, limit the kind of films that can be funded and made.

Palestinian director Scandar Copti’s drama Happy Holidays has clinched the Étoile d’Or for Best Film at the Marrakech Film Festival. The Jury Prize was awarded ex aequo to Argentinian director Silvina Schnicer’s The Cottage and Somali and Austrian filmmaker Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise.

Leading cast members of Golden Star winner Happy Holidays with director Luca Guadagnino - Tawfiq Danial, Mona Copti, Tony Copti, Jiries Copti et Manar Shehab