Ismael El Iraki

Ismael El Iraki lives and works in Paris, where he studied film directing at La Fémis. His first feature Zanka Contact premiered in the official selection of the 77th Venice Film Festival where its lead actress Khansa Batma won the Orrizzonti Best Actress Award. Its blend of romance, rock n' roll and thriller shot on 35mm film stunned audiences and drew comparisons to the style of David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino from the press and the Mostra's director Alberto Barbera. Zanka Contact went on a successful festival run, winning Best Film and Best Directing awards in many festivals worldwide along with prestigious selections (London BIFF, Karlovy Vary, Cinemed, Busan, Louxor, Tangiers etc). It opened in 2021 in France, re-titled Burning Casablanca for the french market. El Iraki's next project Wolfmother went into financing in 2025 after winning the development award at the Red Sea Festival. El Iraki is an double alumni of the Marrakech Film Festival Atlas Workshops, being selected in development in 2024 and winning the post production award for Zanka Contact in 2020. Passionate about music, El Iraki has also shot music videos for buzzing artists and bands (Kadavar, Elder, Jahz Armando) as well as a video installation for the Venice Art Biennale. His short films Carcasse and Harash, both shot on 35mm film, were noted and rewarded (Short Film Prize in Cannes, Attention Talent Film Award and Special Mention of the Jury at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival) thanks to their very personal blend of genre and emotional depth.