Nabil Ayouch

Directing·Apr 1, 1969·Paris, France

Rate

Nabil Ayouch (born 1 April 1969) is a Franco-Moroccan television and film director, producer, and writer. His films have screened at international film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and Montreal World Film Festival. Ayouch was born in 1969 in Paris, to a Moroccan father, Noureddine Ayouch and a French mother of Tunisian-Jewish descent. His brother is fellow director Hicham Ayouch. After his parents' divorce, he spent a large part of his childhood in the suburb of Sarcelles, visiting Casablanca in the summers. Ayouch cites discovering international cinema at the local cultural center, Forum des Cholettes, as inspiring his filmmaking career. Ayouch started his career as a scriptwriter and director with the advertising agency Euro-RSCG. In 1992, he directed Les Pierres bleues du désert, a first short film with Jamel Debbouze which tells the history of a young man convinced that there are large blue stones in the desert. In 1993, Ayourch ended up settling in Casablanca, where he directed two short films, Hertzienne Connexion (1993) and Vendeur de silence (1994), for which he received international recognition. In 1997, Ayouch directed his first feature film Mektoub, which represented Morocco at the Oscars. He also directed the feature films Une Minute de soleil en moins (2003) and Whatever Lola Wants (2008), produced by Pathé. In 1999, Ayouch created a production company called Ali n'Productions to aid aspiring young directors in establishing their careers. He won the Ecumenical Award in 2000 in the Montreal World Film Festival for his film Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets. Ayouch is set to produce the French-Moroccan thriller film Mirages. Ayouch's 2012 film Horses of God is based on Mahi Binebine’s novel The Stars of Sidi Moumen. In Horses of God, Ayouch explores the radicalization that can occur from poverty and extreme machismo, alluding to the 2003 Casablanca bombings. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It was also Morocco's submission for the 85th Academy Awards (held in February 2013). In 2021, Ayouch's film Casablanca Beats was selected for the 74th Cannes Film Festival competition. In February 2025, Ayouch joined the competition jury at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, presided over by Todd Haynes. Ayouch is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures, the Académie des Césars, and the Arab Film Academy. Ayouch's film Much Loved, which takes place in Marrakesh, caused a stir due to its unsimulated sex scenes especially the scene where Loubna Abidar performed an unsimulated fellatio on a man. The movie was ultimately banned in Morocco. Ayouch works and lives in Casablanca. He is married to fellow Moroccan filmmaker and actress Maryam Touzani. Source: Article "Nabil Ayouch" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Film	Credit
Calle Malaga2025 · Producer	Producer
Everybody Loves Touda2024 · Director, Writer, Producer	Director, Writer, Producer
The Blue Caftan2023 · Producer, Writer	Producer, Writer
Casablanca Beats2021 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Adam2019 · Producer	Producer
Razzia2017 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Zwaj El Waqt2017 · Producer	Producer
Shakespeare in Casablanca2016 · Producer	Producer
Aya Goes to the Beach2015 · Producer	Producer
Much Loved2015 · Director, Writer, Producer	Director, Writer, Producer
They Are The Dogs2014 · Producer	Producer
Horses of God2013 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
My Land2011 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Zoubir and Jelloul2009 · Producer	Producer
Whatever Lola wants2007 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
The People of the Clock2007 · Producer	Producer
Bone of Iron2006 · Producer	Producer
A Minute of Sun Less2003 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets2001 · Director, Producer, Writer	Director, Producer, Writer
Mektoub1997 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
VVendeur de silence1994 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Hertzienne Connexion1993 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
The Blue Stones of the Desert1992 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
On the WireProducer	Producer
RRun, With No TearsDirector, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay