Eighteen jurors will evaluate films across the four competition sections of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival in Shiraz. These jurors include acclaimed directors, producers, cinematographers, composers, festival programmers, and cultural leaders from Iran, Turkey, France, Oman, Macedonia, Greece, Spain, India, Algeria, Malaysia, Armenia, and other countries, bringing decades of experience in filmmaking, festival curation, education, and industry leadership.
International Competition
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Nuri Bilge Ceylan (born 1959, Istanbul) is a renowned Turkish filmmaker, screenwriter, photographer, and actor whose deeply atmospheric and philosophically resonant films have made him a leading voice in world cinema. He has won numerous prestigious awards: “Distant” (2002) won the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actor at Cannes, “Three Monkeys” (2008) earned him the Best Director Award at Cannes, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (2011) received the Cannes Grand Prix, and “Winter Sleep” (2014) won the Palme d’Or.
His visually stunning works such as “Small Town” (1997), “Climates” (2006), “The Wild Pear Tree” (2018), and most recently “About Dry Grasses” (2023) explore existential themes, rural life, human relationships, and solitude with slow pacing and poetic realism.
Mahmoud Kalari
Renowned Iranian cinematographer, photographer, and director Mahmoud Kalari has defined the visual language of modern Iranian cinema. He has collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Asghar Farhadi, Abbas Kiarostami, and Jafar Panahi. Kalari studied photography in New York, worked for the Paris-based Sigma Photo News Agency, and held his first solo exhibition, “The Tale of Human Loneliness,” in Tehran in 1976.
Recognized by Time magazine among the “15 Best Photographers of the Year,” his work has appeared internationally. He began his cinematic career with “Frosty Roads” (1984) and has won four Crystal Simorgh awards for Best Cinematography. He also directed “The Cloud and the Rising Sun” (1998), “Dance with Dream” (2001), and “Summer Time” (2024), and shot over 65 films, including Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “A Separation” (2011).
Angelos Frantzis
Born in Athens, Angelos Frantzis studied film direction at INSAS, Brussels. He has directed five short films and seven feature films, including “Polaroid,” “A Dog’s Dream,” “In the Woods,” “Symptom,” “Still River,” “Eftyhia,” and “Murphy’s Law.” His work has been screened and awarded at numerous international festivals, including Rotterdam, Torino, Hong Kong, Sitges, Sao Paulo, Munich, and Istanbul.
“Still River” earned him Best Director (2019) and “Eftyhia” won Best Film from the Greek Film Academy (2020), becoming Greece’s most successful film of the past decade. Frantzis also explores art installations, performance projects, and writes film criticism.
Christophe Rezai
Christophe Rezai, born in Toulouse to an Iranian father and French mother, is a French-Iranian composer based in Tehran since 1994. Trained in piano, vocal, and music theory, he has composed for feature films, short films, documentaries, and over 300 Iranian TV advertisements. Rezai has collaborated with acclaimed directors including Dariush Mehrjui, Mani Haghighi, Shahram Mokri, and Safi Yazdanian.
He founded the baroque ensemble Aria Music (1996) and the Nour ensemble, performing in Iran and India. Among his awards, he won Best Film Music at the Avignon Film Festival (2003) and the Crystal Simorgh at Fajr Film Festival (2017) for “Negar.”
Jose Cabrera Betancort
Jose Cabrera Betancort is an experienced Spanish film programmer with over 20 years in international festival programming and coordination. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Communication and received a fellowship in Cinema from the Royal Spanish Academy of Arts in Rome. He has worked with MiradasDoc and Transilvania IFF, directed “Tenerife Shorts” for ten years, and programmed for Las Palmas IFF for a decade. Currently, he serves as Head of Film Management at Valladolid IFF and Head of Programming for Bucharest IFF, bringing extensive expertise in curating diverse and compelling cinematic experiences.
Bijaya Jena
Bijaya Jena, born in Cuttack, Odisha, India, is a versatile filmmaker and actress with decades of experience in Odia, Hindi, and international cinema. An FTII Pune alumna, she has acted in award-winning films such as “Jaga Balia” and “Holi,” and directed acclaimed films including “TARA” and “ABHAAS (Prologue).”
She has served on juries for national and international film festivals, including Fajr and Kolkata International Film Festival. With expertise spanning acting, directing, producing, and writing, Bijaya brings a rich, cross-cultural perspective and deep understanding of cinema to her role as a juror.
Samira Hadj Djilani
Samira Hadj Djilani is a prominent Algerian film and audiovisual producer and cultural manager. She formerly directed the first private Algerian TV channel “Khalifa TV” and has deep experience in cinema and media production. As founder and president of the Réseau Algérien des Femmes d’Affaires (RAFA), and vice president of the regional women’s network Réseau des femmes leaders du Maghreb (RFLM) for Algeria, she has worked to promote women’s roles in business and culture.
She has also produced films such as “Ahmed Bey” — marking a major Algeria–Iran co-production — aiming to bring Algerian cinema to international audiences.
Eastern Vista
Aleksandra Markovic
Aleksandra Markovic is a London-based documentary filmmaker, editor, and lecturer originally from Croatia. A graduate of Queen Mary University of London (MA Documentary Film, with distinction), she has directed and edited several short and mid-length documentaries, including collaborations for Al Jazeera’s “Witness” series. Markovic serves as a juror for the International Documentary Association (IDA) and the Immigration Film Festival.
She currently lectures in documentary filmmaking and post-production at SAE Institute London, combining academic insight with extensive industry experience to mentor emerging filmmakers, while maintaining an active career in international documentary production.
Igor Viktorovich Levshin
Born in Moscow, Igor Viktorovich Levshin is a Russian poet, prose writer, video director, and musician. He debuted in the late 1980s in the almanac Epsilon Salon (Moscow) and, since the early 1990s, has been regularly published in Chernovik magazine (New York). He is a prizewinner of the video poetry contest organized by Formaslov, and the author of dictionary articles for the Dictionary of 21st Century Culture project. Levshin is also founder of the Fake Cats Project group and founder/editor of the Telegram channel “7/8,” dedicated to non-mainstream music.
Hoda Zeinolabedin
Hoda Zeinolabedin is a prominent Iranian actress. She began her professional career in 2005, making her screen debut in the film at the age of 16.
She gained recognition for her role in the TV series “Fall of a Angel” (2011) and earned critical acclaim for her performances in “Cold Sweat” (2017), receiving a Crystal Simorgh nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and “Atr Aloud” (2022), nominated for Best Leading Actress. A graduate in Graphic Design, Hoda is also active in photography and modeling.
Teng Lee Yein
Teng Lee Yein is a distinguished Malaysian media and film executive with extensive experience across the region’s entertainment industry. She has produced notable projects including the Thai horror franchise “3AM,” over twenty award-winning short films by emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers, and the China–Malaysia co-production “Southern Summer.” Actively engaged in the international festival circuit, she has served as Programming Director of the Hainan Island International Film Festival and Director of the International Film Camp 2024 (Asian Film Awards Academy, Macau). Teng has also juried major events including the Busan International Film Festival, the Asian Project Market, and the Asian Creative Academy Awards. Her expertise in content development and international co-production makes her a valued consultant for global studios.
Shushanik Mirzakhanyan
Shushanik Mirzakhanyan is an experienced Armenian producer and cinema manager. She graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, Moscow, majoring in film economics. From 1983 to 2004, she led film crews at Hayfilm Studio, and later served as Deputy Managing Director (2004–2009) and Managing Director (since 2009) of Hayk Documentary Film Studio NCSO.
A member of the Union of Cinematographers of Armenia since 2004, Shushanik also lectures at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography since 2016. Her extensive experience in production, management, and mentoring emerging talent brings valuable insight to her role as a juror at international film festivals, including the Fajr International Film Festival.
Future Frame
Deniz Yavuz
Deniz Yavuz is a Turkish festival professional and the Artistic Director of the International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Altın Portakal). He oversees programming, curates selections, and shapes the artistic vision of one of Turkey’s most prestigious film festivals. Since taking leadership, Deniz has revitalized the festival’s organization, balancing artistic ambition with practical management. His editions feature national competitions, galas, special screenings, and student films, attracting wide engagement from Turkey’s film community. With extensive experience in cinema management and programming, Deniz brings valuable insight into festival curation and organization, making him a distinguished juror for international film events such as the Fajr International Film Festival.
Eugene Henri More
Eugene Henri More is a French film producer and founder of ENID3 Productions, working across feature, mid-length, short, and documentary films. With deep knowledge of the cinematic funding landscape, he develops and oversees diverse productions, negotiates contracts, and manages international partnerships, notably between France and Burkina Faso. Eugene serves as General Delegate of the Association Française des Producteurs de Films (AFPF), where he fosters industry networks, initiates projects, and promotes institutional collaborations. Known for his commitment to diversity and inclusion, he brings extensive expertise in project development, team coordination, and strategic communication, making him a valuable contributor to international film festivals.
Mehdi Karampour
Mehdi Karampour is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. He began his career with short fiction and documentary films, and later directed feature films including “Who Killed Amir?” (2006), “The Wooden Bridge” (2012), “Tehran, Tehran” (2010), and “Sophie & the Mad” (2017).
Aside from filmmaking, Karampour contributes to film journalism and teaches cinema. He has served on juries and selection committees at multiple film festivals. As a founding member of the Iranian Short Film Association and the Young Cinema Association — and formerly active in the Iranian Directors’ Guild and the Cinema House Screening Council — he remains an influential figure in Iranian cinema.
Broken Olive
Mohammed Al-Kindi
Mohammed Al-Kindi is an Omani filmmaker, producer, and cultural leader with over three decades of experience in cinema, television, and festival management. A graduate in Film and Television Directing and Production from the University of Nicosia, he has directed and produced numerous short and documentary films, including “Oman’s Treasure” (2012) and “Unidentified Footsteps,” both awarded internationally. Al-Kindi has served as a juror at major festivals across the Arab world, Europe, and Asia, and founded several Omani festivals, including the Independent Film Festival and Khasab Film Forum. He also mentors young filmmakers and leads workshops supporting film education and cultural heritage in Oman.
Nebojsha Jovanovikj
Nebojsha Jovanovikj is a Macedonian film director, producer, and festival founder, working across fiction, documentary, and socially engaged cinema. A graduate of the European Film Academy in Skopje, he directed several short films, including the award-winning “Unripe Cherries,” screened at festivals such as Grenoble, Drama, and Dresden.
Committed to inclusion, he has led UNICEF-supported workshops and sand-animation programs for children and youth with disabilities. Nebojsha is the founder and director of the Kinenova International Film Festival, president of ART CINEMA Skopje, and established the first Greek Film Festival in Skopje, fostering cultural exchange in the region.
Farzad Motamen
Farzad Motamen is an Iranian film director, producer, and educator. He began his career after studying cinema briefly in the United States, returning to Iran in 1979 to work in photography, filming, and documentary production. Motamen has directed a range of films, including “Eyes and Ears Closed” (2019), “All Through the Night” (2018), “When Was the Last Time You Saw Sahar?” (2015), and “The Long Farewell” (2014).
In addition to filmmaking, he has been teaching cinema at Sooreh University and Pars University since 1999. His work spans feature films, documentaries, and socially engaged cinema, reflecting his commitment to both artistic expression and education in Iranian film.
The 43rd Fajr International Film Festival, directed by Rouhollah Hosseini, runs from 26 November to 3 December 2025.
