Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film Announces The Jurors for Its 6th Edition

Amman, 26/5/2025 – The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) is proud to announce the distinguished members of its juries for the upcoming sixth edition, scheduled to take place in Amman from 2 to 10 July 2025. This year, the AIFF introduces the Black Iris Award for Best Non-Arab Film, expanding its commitment to celebrating cinematic excellence from both Arab and international perspectives.

The jurors have been carefully selected based on their extensive expertise, contributions to film and the industry and their diverse backgrounds, ensuring a balanced and insightful evaluation of this year’s films and projects.

The Jury for the Black Iris Award for Arab Feature-Length Narrative Film:
This section showcases first-time talents – be it the director, screenwriter, or lead actor/actress – in narrative Arab films.

• Adila Bendimerad – Algerian actress, screenwriter, director and producer known for collaborations with Arab directors and internationally acclaimed films such as “The Last Queen”, which she co-wrote, co-directed, starred in and won Special Mention for first-time scriptwriter at the AIFF in 2023. 
• Amr Gamal – Yemeni director and founder of the Khaleej Aden Theatre Troupe, whose award-winning films include “10 Days Before the Wedding” and “The Burdened”, for which he won the Jury Award at the 5th edition of the AIFF (2024). 
• Christoph Leparc – Managing Director of Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and Director of CineMed, with decades of festival leadership experience.
• Rasheed Malhas – Jordanian TV and Cinema actor and theatre director, noted for his film and theatre work including “Imru Al Qais” and “Samarqand”.

The Jury for the Black Iris Award for Arab Feature Documentary Film:
Dedicated to productions of 52 minutes or more, this section highlights directors and editors making their debut in nonfiction storytelling.

• Gladys Joujou – Lebanese film editor and story consultant with credits including “Alexander”, “InSyriated” and “Bye Bye Tiberias” which was screened at the opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the AIFF.
• Ziad Kalthoum – Syrian filmmaker based in Berlin, known internationally for acclaimed documentaries including “Taste of Cement”.
• Mike Lerner – Renowned documentary producer and director with numerous Oscar, BAFTA, and Emmy nominations for films such as “Afghan Star” and “The Square”.

The Jury for the Black Iris Award for Arab Short Film:
This section is open to narrative and animation short films (up to 30 minutes) by first-time directors working independently from educational institutions. 

• Diamand Abou Abboud – Cinema and theatre actress with international jury experience. She starred in Netflix’s Arabic original ‘The Perfect Strangers’. She has been awarded multiple times including for her role in “Arzé”.
• Amjad Al-Rasheed – Jordanian director and writer whose debut feature “Inshallah A Boy” won the Gan Foundation Award at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week and the Audience Award at the 5th edition of the AIFF.
• Ajitpal Singh – Self-taught Indian filmmaker with international acclaim for “Fire in the Mountains”, which won the Audience Award at the AIFF in 2021. Singh also directed “Tabbar” (2021) and is currently developing a new series and action film set in Punjab.

The Jury for the Black Iris Award for Non-Arab Film:
Previously selected by the audience, this prize will now be awarded by a dedicated jury comprised of members from the Festival’s Advisory Board. This shift reflects the AIFF’s ongoing commitment and ambition to critical cinematic appreciation going beyond the Arab region, while strengthening the role of its Advisory Board in shaping the Festival’s vision.

• Georges Khabbaz – A multi-talented artist with over 25 years of experience as an actor, writer, theatre director, producer and university professor.
• Rashid Masharawi – Internationally recognized Palestinian director (some 20 films)and producer, founder of the Masharawi Fund  in Gaza.
• Saba Mubarak – Award-winning Jordanian actress and producer behind acclaimed films and series including “Daughters of Abdulrahman” and “Obour”.
• Yousry Nasrallah – Acclaimed Egyptian filmmaker whose films were selected to Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Locarno film festivals.  
• Samir – Iraqi-born Swiss filmmaker with a rich portfolio of fiction and documentary films, supporting Swiss film talent.
• Jihan El-Tahri – Award-winning director, producer and mentor, known for documentaries and for supporting Arab and African cinema.

The Jury for the FIPRESCI Prize (Arab Feature Documentary Competition):Introduced at the AIFF in 2023, the FIPRESCI Prize is awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics to one documentary competing in the Arab Feature-Length Documentary section. This partnership confirms a shared commitment to celebrating artistic excellence and elevating emerging voices in Arab documentary cinema.

• Ali Alyasery – Iraqi film critic and jury member known for his contributions to Arab cinema discourse.
• Anchalee Chaiworaporn – Thai film scholar and author specializing in Asian cinema.
• Bert Rebhandl – Austrian journalist and film critic, co-founder of CARGO magazine.

The Audience Award for all four sections:
At the AIFF, the Audience Award reflects the direct voice of festivalgoers and is granted in each of the four competitive sections: Arab Feature-Length Narrative, Arab Feature-Length Documentary, Arab Short, and Non-Arab Film. This award celebrates the emotional impact and resonance of a film with the public, offering a unique counterpoint to the jury selections.


The Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) Jury: 
In parallel to the Festival’s main film competitions, the Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) hosts its own jury. Composed of industry professionals, this jury evaluates projects in three categories: development for first-time Jordanian directors, development for Arab directors and post-production for Arab projects, awarding both financial and in-kind support to promising Arab talents.

• Dora Bouchoucha – Tunisian producer and influential figure in international film festivals and human rights reform.
• Joseph Bitamba – Burundian-born filmmaker focusing on cinema’s role in education and reconciliation.
• Eduardo Guillot – Spanish cultural journalist and film programmer with decades of festival experience.
• Linda Mutawi – Jordanian Producer and co-founder of Fikra, specializing in cross-cultural cinema projects between Scandinavia and the Middle East.
• Abdulaziz Al-Shlahei – Saudi director and producer with successful films and popular TV dramas.

The Festival’s juries play a pivotal role in honoring the creativity, vision and dedication of filmmakers across genres and formats. The complete lineup of films and projects competing for awards will be announced shortly.

The Festival is made possible with the support of long-standing partners, among which: Jordan Tourism Board, The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Abdali Investment and Development, Zain Jordan, Royal Jordanian, Edgo, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, HUE, TAJ Cinemas, Olivewood Studios, Institut Français – Jordan.

For all information visit our website www.aiff.jo or email us at: info@aiff.jo or call us at +962792222011.