Amman International Film Festival Announces The Jurors for Its 5th Edition

Amman, 4^th June 2024 
The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) is pleased to announce the members of its different juries for the upcoming fifth edition, set to take place in the Jordanian capital, Amman, from 3 – 11 July, 2024.
The jurors for this year’s festival have been carefully selected for their expertise, contributions to the art of film and the film industry while maintaining a balance that ensures diversity.

The Jury for the Arab Feature Narrative Films includes: 
– Aida Begić: a Bosnian director and professor. Her four feature films –  “Snow” , “Children of Sarajevo”, “Never Leave Me”,  “A Ballad” –  premiered in prestigious film festivals, and were nominated as Bosnia’s official entries for the Academy Awards.
– Hakim Belabbes: an independent Moroccan filmmaker who directed, wrote and produced multiple well-received films including: “Sweat Rain”, “Collapsed Walls”, “Defining Love: A Failed Attempt” and “Why O’Sea?”. Belabbes is also the General Director of the Higher Institute of Audiovisual and Film Professions in Rabat, Morocco.
– Dhafer L’Abidine: a Tunisian actor, director, producer and writer, awarded the FIPRESCI prize in Cairo for his directorial debut “Ghodwa” which also competed at the AIFF in 2022. He starred in several roles regionally and internationally in cinema or TV. In 2023, L’Abidine directed his second film “To My Son” which won Best Film at the Arab Hollywood film Festival.
– Presley Chweneyagae: a South African actor, writer and philanthropist. He rose to world fame while starring – amongst others – in the much-acclaimed Oscar-winning film “Tsotsi”.

The Jury for the Arab Feature Documentary Films includes: 
– Laith Al-Majali: a Jordanian producer, editor and photographer. He co-produced the Jordanian feature “Theeb”, which was nominated for the Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2016.
– Khadija Al-Salami: one of Yemen’s first women filmmakers. She has made over 30 documentaries and is known for her film “I am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced”. 
– Steven Markovitz: a South African producer and film distributor. Markovitz has over 25 years of experience during which he worked with over 150 directors from 30 different countries, including in the Arab region.

The Jury for the Arab Short Films includes: 
– Khadar Ayderus Ahmed: a Somali-Finnish screenwriter and director known for his feature directorial debut “The Gravedigger’s Wife”. His debut became Somalia’s first ever Oscar submission in 2021 and won a Special Mention at the Amman International Film Festival in 2022.
– Murad Abu-Eisheh: a Jordanian scriptwriter and director. His film “Tala’vision” made the official shortlist for the 94th Academy Awards after it had garnered the Student Academy Award. 
– Susan Youssef: a filmmaker best known for her dramatic feature “Habibi Rasak Kharban”, which premiered in Venice Film Festival and won the Muhr Arab Award in Dubai International Film Festival in addition to the NETPAC Jury Prize in Bangalore International Film Festival.

The Jury for the FIPRESCI Prize (Arab Feature Documentary Competition) includes:
– Ahmed Al-Ayyad: a Saudi journalist and critic, who is the founder and managing editor of the online platform “Fasllah”. 
– Ola Salwa: a Polish film critic and journalist with over 20 years of experience. She currently writes for Polityka, Kino and Cineuropa.org.
– Ronald P. Glasbergen: an architect, artist and curator from Rotterdam. He writes on arts, films and international politics.

The Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) will also feature a professional jury to select the winning projects for the development and post-production platforms: 
– Jihan El-Tahri: a renowned director and producer, who mentors filmmakers and contributes particularly to African and Arab cinema. Esteemed for her impactful documentaries and dedication to film education.
– Alice Kharoubi: Artistic director and programmer, Kharoubi is currently the director of Cinema Programming at the Marché du Film in Cannes and a committee member for the Festival de Cannes Short Film Competition.
– Amin Matalqa: a Jordanian filmmaker based in Los Angeles, he directs film and television series while teaching at the American Film Institute. His debut feature, “Captain Abu Raed”, garnered numerous awards in prestigious festivals around the world. 
– Nicolas Wadimoff: a  Swiss filmmaker and founder of Akka Films, he creates acclaimed fiction and documentary films. Wadimoff is known for his thought-provoking storytelling and commitment to social issues.
– Jana Wehbe: a producer and a filmmaker. She co-founded The Attic production boutique and worked with the Doha Film Institute. She is also the Executive Director of REEF festival in Lebanon.

The juries play a crucial role in recognizing and celebrating the creativity and hard work of filmmakers.  The line-up of films and projects will be announced in the coming days. 

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, SAE Institute, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, HUE, TAJ Cinemas, Jordan Kuwait Bank.

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