The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) has announced its esteemed jury members for the sixth edition, scheduled from July 2 to 10, 2025, in the vibrant capital of Jordan. This year, the festival is making a significant move towards global inclusivity by launching the Black Iris Award for Best Non-Arab Film, which expands its mission to honor cinematic excellence across both Arab and international landscapes.

The jury members, selected for their extensive expertise and diverse cultural backgrounds, are entrusted with the responsibility of evaluating debut works across various categories with fairness and insight. The Arab Feature-Length Narrative Film competition will be judged by a distinguished panel including Algerian filmmaker Adila Bendimerad, Yemeni director Amr Gamal, Cannes Directors’ Fortnight executive Christoph Leparc, and veteran Jordanian actor-director Rasheed Malhas. This section emphasizes films showcasing first-time talents in directing, writing, or acting.

In the Arab Feature Documentary category, which highlights feature-length nonfiction films by debut directors and editors, the jury consists of Lebanese editor Gladys Joujou, Syrian documentarian Ziad Kalthoum, and award-winning British producer-director Mike Lerner.

The Arab Short Film competition, open to independent first-time directors of narrative or animated works up to 30 minutes, will be evaluated by Lebanese actress Diamand Abou Abboud, Jordanian director Amjad Al-Rasheed, and Indian filmmaker Ajitpal Singh, whose previous works have received critical acclaim at the AIFF and beyond.

Notably, the festival has revamped the selection process for the Best Non-Arab Film category. Previously determined by audience votes, the winner will now be selected by a jury from the AIFF Advisory Board. This new jury includes Lebanese artist Georges Khabbaz, Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, Jordanian actress-producer Saba Mubarak, Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah, Swiss-Iraqi filmmaker Samir, and Egyptian-Lebanese documentarian Jihan El-Tahri. This change reinforces the festival’s vision of broadening its critical engagement beyond the Arab world while enhancing the role of its advisory members.

Reintroduced in 2023, the FIPRESCI Prize – awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics – returns to recognize excellence in Arab feature-length documentaries. This year’s jury includes Iraqi critic Ali Alyasery, Thai scholar Anchalee Chaiworaporn, and Austrian journalist Bert Rebhandl, emphasizing the festival’s commitment to critical perspectives and emerging voices in Arab documentary cinema.

In addition to jury awards, the AIFF will uphold its tradition of presenting the Audience Award across all four competitive sections. These honors are determined by festival attendees, spotlighting the films that resonate most emotionally with viewers.

Running concurrently with the main festival is the Amman Film Industry Days (AFID), which also appoints a dedicated jury to evaluate film projects in development and post-production. The jury, comprising Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Burundian filmmaker Joseph Bitamba, Spanish film journalist Eduardo Guillot, Jordanian producer Linda Mutawi, and Saudi director Abdulaziz Al-Shlahei, will assess entries from emerging Arab talent and provide essential support in both financial and in-kind forms.

The juries will play a pivotal role in shaping this year’s edition by recognizing the creativity, ambition, and originality of the next generation of filmmakers. The complete list of films and projects selected for competition is anticipated to be announced soon.