The third edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival was held from 3 to 8 October 2003—a time when the festival was in mourning for the untimely death of its first president, Daniel Toscan Du Plantier, who suffered a heart attack at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The festival was presided over by the French actor Nathalie Baye. German director Volker Schlöndorff was President of the jury for the feature film competition, while British actor Jeremy Irons was President of the short film jury.

In addition to the posthumous tribute paid to Du Plantier, the original backbone of the event, other great figures from world cinema were honoured. Among them were American director Oliver Stone, legendary actor of French cinema Alain Delon, celebrated Egyptian actor Yousra, and beloved Moroccan actor Amina Rachid.

The presence of Ridley Scott as a guest of honour was warmly welcomed by festival attendees.

On the side of culture, discussions focused on the important themes of optimizing the life cycle of films, and the advantages of filming in Morocco. For the second year in a row, the legacy of Bollywood was honoured when actor Amitabh Bachchan was given the Étoile d'Or.