Hend Sabry joins star-studded jury for Amman International Film Festival

Sabry’s appointment adds another milestone to a career spanning more than three decades, during which she has become one of the Arab world’s most influential actresses.

AMMAN – Tunisian actress and producer Hend Sabry will help select the winner of the top prize for Arab narrative cinema at this year’s Amman International Film Festival, joining an international jury as the event continues to position itself as a leading platform for emerging filmmakers from the region.

Sabry, one of the Arab world’s most acclaimed screen stars, will serve on the jury for the Black Iris Award for Best Arab Feature Narrative Film alongside Lebanese filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas, Egyptian-British actor Khalid Abdalla and Jordanian composer Tareq Al Nasser.

The festival’s seventh edition, held under the theme “Beyond the Frame,” will run in the Jordanian capital from July 26 to August 3, showcasing first and second feature films by a new generation of Arab and international directors.

Sabry’s appointment adds another milestone to a career spanning more than three decades, during which she has become one of the Arab world’s most influential actresses while championing stories that explore identity, memory and social change.

She made her screen debut aged just 14 in Moufida Tlatli’s acclaimed “The Silences of the Palace,” which won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994. Her performance earned her the Best Actress prize at the Carthage Film Festival, launching a career that would later take her to Egypt, where she became one of the region’s biggest stars.

In recent years, Sabry has increasingly gravitated towards internationally-recognised productions. She appeared in Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated “Four Daughters”, a hybrid documentary exploring trauma, motherhood and extremism that brought renewed global attention to Arab cinema.

Speaking last year about her approach to choosing roles, Sabry said she was motivated by stories that resonate beyond entertainment.

“I saw the impact that I could have on people’s lives,” she said. “I’m driven by sharing experiences or sharing knowledge. Acting is a great tool for that.”

Her contribution to regional storytelling was recognised in December when she received the Omar Sharif Award during the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah.

At Amman, Sabry and her fellow jurors will evaluate feature films directed by first-time filmmakers or second-time directors working with a first-time screenwriter or leading actor, reflecting the festival’s commitment to nurturing new cinematic voices.

Founded to champion debut filmmakers, the Amman International Film Festival has steadily expanded its international profile while remaining focused on discovering fresh talent from across the Arab world.

Hend Sabry joins star-studded jury for Amman International Film Festival | MEO