Newsletters
Turkish actress Tuba Buyukustun will serve as international jury president at the Marrakech Short Film Festival, running Sep. 25 to Oct. 1.
She'll be joined on the jury by British director and screenwriter Charlotte Regan, along with Alice Kharoubi, a programmer who has led selection committees at major festivals including Cannes and the Red Sea International Film Festival.
As part of her duties in Marrakech, Buyukustun and her fellow jurors will review 17 films in the festival's international competition, and she's also scheduled to take part in a panel discussion during the event.
This isn't the Turkish star's first time on festival jury duty. In Dec. 2024, she served on the jury of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, where she sat alongside Hollywood actress Minnie Driver and Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky, under a jury chaired by Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee.
A prior festival experience includes a 2017 jury role at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, where Buyukustun made history as the first Turkish actress to serve in that position. That year's jury also included screen veteran Lisa Lu, filmmaker Sergei Bodrov, and actor Michael Nouri. The festival kicked off with "Ayla," Turkey's official Oscar entry, and wrapped up with George Takei's "Allegiance."
Alongside her festival commitments, Buyukustun is also gearing up for a new on-screen release. A week before heading to Marrakech, she'll see her latest film, "Sultana," premiere on Prime Video on Sept. 17.
The drama, directed by Ali Kemal Guven, is set inside one of Istanbul's most famous nightclubs and casts Buyukustun as ''Meral,'' a longtime star performer who takes a young Belarusian dancer under her wing, only for their bond to unravel into rivalry.
Co-starring Derya Pinar Ak, the film marks a departure from the roles audiences are used to seeing Buyukustun in, and it's one more highlight in what's shaping up to be a big month for the actress.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
