Maryam Touzani was born in Tangier, Morocco in 1980 and spent her childhood in her hometown before pursuing university studies in journalism in London. With a passion for writing, she returned to Morocco after her studies and worked as a journalist, specializing in Maghreb cinema.
Maryam's interest in filmmaking soon took center stage, and she wrote and directed a documentary for Morocco's first National Women's Day in 2008. This was followed by other documentaries and short films, including "When They Slept" (2012),which won a total of seventeen awards.
In 2015, Maryam released her second short film, "Aya Goes to the Beach," which also received critical acclaim and won fifteen awards. The same year, she collaborated with director Nabil Ayouch on his film "Much Loved," which was selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
Maryam continued to work with Ayouch, co-writing and starring in her feature film debut, "Razzia," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and represented Morocco at the Oscars.
In 2017, Maryam released her first fiction feature film, "Adam," which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. The film went on to be selected at numerous prestigious festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the Rotterdam International Film Festival, among others.
To date, "Adam" has won 23 awards and has been sold in over 20 countries. Maryam's success has also earned her a spot as a member of the Academy of Oscars in 2019. That same year, "Adam" was selected as Morocco's official entry for the Oscar race in the category of best foreign film.
