Jury Members for the 7th Edition of the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film 

Amman, 6 July 2026 – Following the announcement of its official competition programme, and out-of-competition sections, the Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film is pleased to unveil the members of the juries for its seventh edition, taking place from 26 July to 3 August 2026.  As the festival continues to grow in scale, reputation, and international presence, this year’s juries stand as a testament to the remarkable journey the festival has undertaken since its inception.  

The jury members have been carefully selected based on their extensive expertise, outstanding contributions to cinema, and diverse professional backgrounds, ensuring a thoughtful, balanced, and insightful evaluation of the participating films and projects. 

Black Iris Award Jury for Best Arab Feature Narrative Film: 
This competition celebrates debut films by a director; or the second feature-length narrative by a director, provided the film’s credits include a first-time screenwriter or a first-time lead actor/actress.

• Hend Sabry: One of the Arab world’s most prominent stars, the Tunisian actress has built an acclaimed career spanning more than 50 film and television productions. She made her debut at the age of 14 in “The Silences of the Palace”; her notable screen credits include “Four Daughters”, the Academy Award–nominated documentary. 
• Joana Hadjithomas: Together with her partner, Khalil Joreige, the Lebanese Director forms one of the Arab world’s most distinguished artistic and cinematic duos. Their acclaimed works include “Je Veux Voir” and “Memory Box”. 
• Khalid Abdalla: A multi-disciplinary Egyptian-British actor and activist. Best known for his roles in projects such as “The Crown”, “The Kite Runner” and “The Last Days of the City”. 
• Tareq Al Nasser: A Jordanian composer widely regarded as one of the Arab world’s influential musical figures. He has composed acclaimed soundtracks and scores for some of the most celebrated Arab television dramas, including “The End of a Brave Man” and “Brothers of the Earth”. 

Black Iris Award Jury for Best Arab Feature Documentary Film:
This competition is dedicated to Arab documentary films exceeding 52 minutes in length, representing either the first feature-length documentary by the director; or the second feature-length documentary by the director, if the film includes a first-time editor. 

• Christian Frei: A Swiss director and producer considered one of today’s most innovative and compelling documentary filmmakers. His film “War Photographer” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 74th Academy Awards.  
• Dalia Al Kury: A Jordanian director whose films explore the resilience and political unconscious of the everyday hero in the Arab World.  
• Rabab Haj Yahya: A Palestinian documentary editor based in New York. She edited the Oscar-shortlisted “Coexistence, My Ass!”, which won multiple awards, including the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance.  

Black Iris Award Jury for Best Arab Short Film:
Open to narrative and animated short films not exceeding 30 minutes, this competition is reserved for filmmakers presenting their first short film or first film outside of an educational institution. This year, the Jury will additionally grant a prize for the Best Jordanian Short Film. 

• Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji: An award-winning Iraqi writer-director. His debut feature film, “Hanging Gardens”, premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and won the Jury Award at the AIFF in 2023. 
• Majd Eid: A Jordanian actor and winner of Best Actor at the Cairo and Doha Film Festivals in 2025. His film credits include amongst others “Once upon a time in Gaza”, “Simsim” and “The Alleys”. 
• Tima Shomali: An award-winning Jordanian director, founder & CEO of Filmizion Productions. She is also the creator, showrunner and director of the Netflix Original “Al-Rawabi School for Girls”. 

Black Iris Award Jury for Best Non-Arab Film:
This competition is dedicated to non-Arab debut feature films, in keeping with the Festival’s overall identity, and reflecting the Amman International Film Festival’s ongoing commitment to recognizing cinematic excellence in début works. 

• Brillante Mendoza: One of the most prominent and influential Filipino filmmakers today. Mendoza is the first Filipino filmmaker to compete and win at all major international film festivals; he received the Best Director award at Cannes Film Festival for “Kinatay”, while “Ma’ Rosa” was nominated for Cannes’ Palme d’Or. 
• Saleh Bakri: A Palestinian actor, who starred in many Arab and international films. His most recent works include “Palestine 36”, directed by Annemarie Jacir, and “All That’s Left of You” alongside his late father Mohammad Bakri and directed by Cherien Dabis. 
• Suad Bushnaq: A Jordanian-Canadian film composer and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she is best known for her work on “Yunan” and “Hanging Gardens”. 

FIPRESCI Jury Award (Arab Feature Documentary):
The FIPRESCI award is presented to one of the documentary films competing in the official selection:

• Israa Radaydeh: A Jordanian film journalist, critic, and member of FIPRESCI with over 17 years of experience covering cinema across the Arab world and internationally. 
• Letícia Alassë: A French-Brazilian journalist, researcher and film critic based in Paris. She is an international voter for the Golden Globe Awards. 
• Paulo Portugal: A Portuguese film journalist and PhD investigator at Nova – FCSH (Lisbon). He is the founder of Somos Humanos association, promoting the intersection between films and human rights.

Audience Award Across the Four Competitive Sections:
The Audience Award is presented in each of the festival’s four competitive categories: Arab Feature Narrative Film, Arab Feature Documentary Film, Arab Short Film and Non-Arab Feature Film. The award reflects the audiences’ direct engagement with the films and their impact, offering a distinctive perspective that complements the selections of the official juries.

The Festival is made possible with the support of its partners, among which: Jordan Tourism Board, The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Abdali Investment and Development, Zain Jordan, Royal Jordanian, Ministry of Culture, Ghiath & Nadia Sukhtian Foundation, Greater Amman Municipality, Cozmo, FromSoda, TAJ Cinemas, Institut Français – Jordan. 
Media Partners: Jordan Radio & Television Corporation; Al Mamlaka, Roya Media Group; Radio Hala; Bliss 104.3; Mazaj FM; Play 99.5; Pikasso Jordan; 7Hills
For all information visit our website, or email us at: info@aiff.jo or call us at +962792222011.