The Bahrain Film Festival management has announced the formation of the jury for its upcoming fifth edition, which will be held from October 30 to November 4.
The festival is organised by the Bahrain Cinema Club, in co-operation and partnership with the Information Ministry.
The jury, comprised of filmmakers, critics and creative professionals, will judge 51 films in all categories of the festival’s official competition, which includes: short narrative films, Bahraini short films, short documentary films, animation films, and student films.
Bahraini Short Films and Short Narrative Films: The jury is chaired by director Mohammed Qablawi who is a producer, director, artistic and administrative advisor to numerous projects and funds supporting Arab and international cinema. He is also the founder and chief executive of the Malmö Arab Film Festival.
Other members include: George Khabbaz – a Lebanese actor, writer, composer, director and producer who began his theatrical career in 1994 and participated in dozens of prominent drama and cinema works. He was awarded the Lebanese Silver Order of Merit in recognition of his distinguished artistic contributions.
Dr Borwin Habib – a writer, media personality and academic researcher in the fields of culture and literature, who directed, produced and wrote many short films and documentaries. He has 14 publications in various fields and is the founder of the House of Culture in Dubai.
Faisal Al Omairi – a prominent Kuwaiti actor and director known for his theatrical and dramatic works that combine boldness and human depth. He has presented many creative experiences in theatre, cinema and television, and has won local and Arab awards.
Ayten Amin – an Egyptian director who began her career in 2006 with her short film Her Man, which was screened at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. She also presented her first feature film, Villa 69 (2013), which won the Special Jury Prize at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Her second film, Souad (2020) was selected at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals and participating at Tribeca, where it won the Best Actress Award, and was Egypt’s official Oscar nomination.
Short Animation Films: The jury is chaired by Dr Kamal Al Gharbi, an assistant professor and former head of the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts at the University of Bahrain. He specialises in audiovisual production, documentary film-making and animation. He graduated from the Sorbonne University in France and worked for years at a television production company in Paris, where he participated in the production of documentaries for prestigious channels such as Al Jazeera, France 3 and Arte.
The jury also includes: Ismail El Nazer – an Egyptian animation film producer, director and university professor. He is an assistant professor and head of the Visual Communications and Media Arts Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Nahda University. He founded Animation 8 Studio and has directed and produced films that have been screened at local and international festivals and won prestigious awards. He is considered a pioneer of interactive animation in the Arab world.
Ahmed El Bastaki – co-founder of TWW Studios and a leading concept artist in the field of video games, he has experience in concept design and art direction for games and animation. He has collaborated with global brands such as Nike, Adidas, Intel and Hermes, and has worked in major game studios in Sweden.
Short Documentary Films: Producer and film critic Irfan Rashid heads this jury. He is a journalist and translator based in Italy since 1978. He served as the Director of Arabic Programmes at the Dubai International Film Festival (2007–2015). He has contributed to linking Arab and European cinema through programming and critical writing. He has published several prominent books and translations from Italian into Arabic. He founded the Hona Roma cultural platform in 2017 and presents the Al Sharq Cinema and Cinema Extra programmes on Al Sharq News Channel and its platforms.
The jury includes: Emirati director, poet and artist Nujoom Al Ghanem, who has published eight poetry collections and directed more than 20 films. She founded the Nahar production company in Dubai and was a founding member of the Emirates Writers Union in 1984. She represented the UAE as a solo member in the National Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale and received the Emirates Pride Medal as part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Excellence in Government Performance in 2018.
Rashad is an Egyptian filmmaker and writer best known for the acclaimed documentary series Mother of the World. In addition to his independent projects, Mahmoud has collaborated on documentaries for international platforms such as PBS, Qatar TV, and Abu Dhabi TV.
Short Student Films: Kuwaiti actress and director Haya Abdul Salam heads the jury. She began her career in 2008 and has become one of the most prominent figures in Gulf drama, participating in widely popular television and theatrical productions. She has also presented several successful directing experiences, which has established her as an influential name in the Kuwaiti and Gulf art scene.
The jury also includes: Saudi actress Adwa Fahad, known for her distinguished performances in works such as Had Al Tar, Al Zahariya and Min Al Ramad. She participated as a jury member at the Saudi Film Festival and was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival. Through her company, Dimore, she continues to support new talent in Arab cinema.
Dr Ahmed Tawalbeh is a professor of media at the Gulf University in Bahrain.
He holds a doctorate in radio and television from St Petersburg State University. He specialises in film criticism and visual studies and has experience in teaching.
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