2025 Jury Panel
Our 2025 jury includes film professionals, critics, and educators who volunteer their time to evaluate competition entries and select award recipients.
Jury Composition
Our Approach
The Bonn IFF jury typically consists of 3-5 film professionals and enthusiasts who volunteer their time during the festival. We seek participants with film education, industry experience, or strong passion for independent cinema.
Jury Members Include
- Film school professors
- Independent filmmakers
- Film critics and journalists
- Festival programmers
- Cinema enthusiasts
Evaluation Process
- Review competition submissions
- Group discussions and deliberation
- Select award winners by consensus
- Participate in award ceremony
- Provide feedback to filmmakers
Past Jury Members
Distinguished professionals who have served on our international jury panels throughout the years.
2024 Jury Panel
- Dr. Elena Koçi - Film Studies Professor (Germany)
- Marcus Weber - Independent Producer (Austria)
- Sofia Martinez - Film Critic (Spain)
- Ahmed Khalil - Documentary Filmmaker (Germany)
- Anna Petersen - Cinema Owner (Denmark)
2023 Jury Panel
- Prof. Thomas Klein - University of Bonn (Germany)
- Fatima Al-Hassan - Film Journalist (Lebanon)
- Lars Andersen - Independent Filmmaker (Norway)
- Maria Santos - Festival Programmer (Portugal)
- David Chen - Cinema Educator (Netherlands)
2022 Jury Panel
- Catherine Bernard - Film Critic (France)
- Hiroshi Tanaka - Animation Artist (Japan)
- Isabella Romano - Documentary Producer (Italy)
- Michael O'Brien - Film Journalist (Ireland)
- Ingrid Müller - Independent Filmmaker (Switzerland)
Festival Community
Supporting Independent Cinema
Our jury members contribute their time and expertise to support independent filmmakers by thoughtfully evaluating submissions and recognizing quality storytelling. Their feedback helps create a meaningful festival experience for both filmmakers and audiences.
Local Connections
Many jury members are from the German and European film community, bringing regional expertise and connections to our festival.
Educational Value
The evaluation process provides learning opportunities for emerging filmmakers and helps maintain quality standards in our programming.
Community Building
Jury service helps build relationships within the independent film community and supports the growth of regional cinema culture.