Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania joins Venice Film Festival 2026 official jury

The jury will be chaired by American actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal and will include prominent figures from global cinema. Alongside Kaouther Ben Hania, the jury will feature Hong Kong director and producer Johnnie To, French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli, Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat, British composer and artist Daniel Blumberg, and Italian professor of film studies Francesco Casetti. This appointment highlights the growing recognition of Tunisian, African, and Arab cinema on the international stage.

Ben Hania's participation follows her previous success at the Venice Film Festival, where her feature film "The Voice of Hind Rajab" won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. This distinction acknowledges the quality of her cinematic work and her contribution to promoting cinema from the Global South on major international platforms.