Dr Hikmat Al-Baydhani Appointed Head Of Jury For HelAFF 2026

Helsinki - June 2, 2026

The Helsinki Arab Film Festival (HelAFF) has appointed Dr Hikmat Al-Baydhani as Head of the Jury for its 2026 edition.

A leading figure in Iraqi cinema and television, Dr Al-Baydhani is Head of the Department of Cinematic and Television Arts at the College of Fine Arts, University of Baghdad. He holds a PhD in Arts Philosophy specialising in cinema sound engineering and has played a major role in developing film and television in Iraq and the Arab world. He is the founder of the Baghdad Cinema and Arts Foundation and the “Three Minutes in Three Days” Film Festival, which supports emerging filmmakers. He also serves as Executive Director of Art City for Cinema and Television and is a board member of Iraq’s Cinema and Theatre Directorate.

Dr Al-Baydhani has chaired juries at several Arab film festivals, including Baghdad International, Gilgamesh, Babylon and Youth Films festivals. HelAFF organisers said his appointment reflects the festival’s commitment to strengthening Arab cinematic dialogue and celebrating influential voices in regional cinema.