Al Ard Film Festival is proud to introduce the Jury of this year’s edition. This group brings together filmmakers, researchers, archivists, and cultural workers who look at cinema as storytelling, memory, and lived experience. With different backgrounds and shared commitment, the jury will accompany the films of this edition with care, knowledge, and critical attention.

Meet this year’s Jury:

Aldo Nicosia

Aldo Nicosia teaches Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Bari, where he has been working since 2012. His research focuses on Arab cinema, literature, and censorship. He has written several books on Arab film and literary adaptations, including Il cinema arabo and Intellettuali e censura nel cinema egiziano. As a translator, he has worked on important anthologies of contemporary Arabic literature. In 2025, he co-edited Ho ancora le mani per scrivere, a collection of testimonies from the genocide in Gaza. Aldo has also served on juries at international film festivals in Italy and Morocco.

Cineteca Sarda

Cineteca Sarda of the Società Umanitaria in Cagliari is one of the most important film archives and cultural centers in Sardinia. For decades, it has worked to preserve, restore, and share audiovisual heritage, with a strong focus on education, historical memory, and public access to cinema. Through archiving, research, screenings, and work with schools and communities, the Cineteca promotes cinema as a cultural, historical, and social resource. In this edition of Al Ard Film Festival, three jury members represent the Cineteca Sarda – Società Umanitaria and will serve as a collective jury voice, bringing shared expertise in film preservation, history, and cultural programming

• Giulia Mazzarelli holds a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History from the University of Cagliari. Her work explores how cinema can be used to understand history, especially through audiovisual archives. Since 2006, she has worked at the Società Umanitaria – Cineteca Sarda in Cagliari, where she organizes cultural events, educational projects, and historical research activities. She collaborates with universities and cultural institutions, promoting cinema as a tool for historical awareness.
• Cristina Secci, born in Cagliari in 1990, she graduated in Cultural Heritage from the University of Cagliari and has been working with the Cineteca since 2017. Her main focus is the preservation and digital restoration of archival materials, especially magnetic media. She has taken part in important restoration and digitization projects for films and historical archives, working to protect and make accessible audiovisual memory.
• Natalino Virdis was born in Sardinia in 1961 and has a background in classical studies and archaeology. After working in information technology and graphic design, he moved into multimedia and audiovisual education, developing cultural projects for schools with a strong focus on Sardinian culture. Since 2012, he has worked as a media librarian at MEM in Cagliari, and since 2015 at the Cineteca, where he manages archives and digitization projects.

Daniele Rugo

Daniele Rugo is an Italian documentary filmmaker and Professor of Film at the University of London. His work focuses on conflict, violence, and their human impact. His films include About a War and The Soil and the Sea. His upcoming documentary Life Support brings together testimonies from international doctors who have worked in Gaza over the last two years and is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.

Fabian Volti

Fabian Volti is a photographer, cinematographer, and film director based in Sardinia. After studying Political Science and photography, he continued his training in Berlin and Madrid, focusing on documentary cinema as a way to explore society. In 2007, he founded the collective 4CaniperStrada and the production company Roda Film. His work has been shown at international festivals and exhibitions, combining visual research with social themes. His recent films include Luci a mare and Abele (2025).

Laila Abbas

Laila Abbas is a filmmaker and writer based in Ramallah. Her work moves between cinema, cultural work, and education. After directing several short films and a documentary, she wrote and directed her first feature film, Thank You for Banking with Us! (2024), which received international recognition. Alongside filmmaking, she has worked as a festival programmer, academic, and cultural worker. She is currently the Executive Director of the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah.

This year’s jury reflects the spirit of Al Ard Film Festival: cinema as a space for voices, stories, and shared reflection. More updates on the program and events will follow soon.

Follow us and stay connected using #AlArdXXII.