JURIES

The juries represent the critical and creative heart of Bif&st: a diverse group of voices called upon to assess the films in competition with expertise, sensitivity and independence.
They embody the diversity of languages, experiences and visions that Bif&st aims to promote.
Through their work, they help to nurture talent, stimulate artistic dialogue and recognise cinematic excellence in its many forms.
In this section, you can find out about the members of the various juries and the role they play within the Festival.

MERIDIANA Jury

President

Roberto Andò

Roberto Andò, director and writer, is one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary European cinema. Born in Palermo in 1959, trained in cinema, theater, and philosophical studies, Andò has built a recognizable and rigorous artistic path, collaborating with masters such as Francesco Rosi, Federico Fellini, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola. His filmography—from Diario senza date to Viva la libertà, from Le confessioni to Il bambino nascosto, up to the recent successes La stranezza and L’abbaglio—stands out for its ability to interweave memory and current events, confirming a vision deeply aligned with the spirit of BIF&ST and the vocation of the Meridiana competition.

Giovanni Orlando

Film and television producer, USA

Fatma Sfar

Actress, musician and performer, Tunisia

Ahmed Shawky

Film critic, President of FIPRESCI, Egypt

Diana Martirosyan

Film critic and cultural journalist, Armenia

PER IL CINEMA ITALIANO Jury

President

Alessandra Lancellotti

Alessandra Lancellotti is an architect, archivist and filmmaker. She studied architecture at the Technische Universität in Vienna and at the Politecnico di Torino, where she obtained her PhD and served as curator of the film archive at the Department of Architecture and Design. Since 2014, she has worked for the film production company Caucaso. She is the director and writer of the films Lucus a Lucendo. A proposito di Carlo Levi (2019), alongside Enrico Masi, Il Re Fanciullo (2023), and The city is lost. La Venezia di John Ruskin (2024). Her latest work is dedicated to the poet Rocco Scotellaro.

The 15 nominated jurors
Daniela Avolio, Marilisa Calò, Giovanni Cannone, Chiara Colamartino, Federica Dalla Serra, Fulvia De Nicolò, Andrea Defronzo, Anna Maria Festa, Danilo Di Caterino, Massimiliano Martiradonna, Caterina Noemi Vitobello, Alessia Petrozzi, Viola Piccininni, Nicola Scaramuzzi, Carolina Sisto.

The 5 jurors nominated by the University of Bari Aldo Moro
Francesca Ceglie, Giuseppe Dicosmo, Luciana Ferri, Sara Pistilli, Maria Teresa Ruta.

The 5 jurors nominated by the Polytechnic University of Bari
Giulia Cariati, Adriano Di Ianni, Luca Gabriele Giorgio, Piero Sabatelli, Emanuela Donata Traversa.

SARÒ BREVE JURY

The award for Best Short Film will be decided directly by the audience in the cinema, who are active participants in the festival experience. At the end of the screenings, the audience is invited to cast their vote, helping to determine which film is the most popular.