Amman Ahliya Student (Kristal Hebshi) Participates in the UNIMED Award 2026 Jury at the Venice Film Festival
Amman2 min read
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Student Kristal Hebshi from Amman Ahliya University participated as a member of the international jury for the UNIMED Award 2026, as part of the activities of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, with the participation of 25 students from 16 universities affiliated with the Union of Mediterranean Universities UNIMED, representing seven countries.
Hebshi's participation was within an international committee that evaluated cinematic works and selected the film that best embodies the values of cultural diversity, freedom of artistic expression, and the promotion of dialogue between cultures. The deliberations of the jury resulted in the awarding of the UNIMED 2026 Prize to the film "Look Back" by Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda, in recognition of the film's humane treatment of relationships between young people, the power of shared passion in facing isolation and social judgments, along with its message of promoting diversity, human connection, and overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers.
The jury praised the winning work for its calm and impactful narrative style, which relies on details and human emotions, and raises topics related to friendship, ambition, loss, and uncertainty, while emphasizing the importance of continuing to pursue dreams despite life's challenges.
Given her specialization in graphic design and multimedia, the participation was an important experience for student Hebshi in developing her vision towards visual storytelling, and it provided her with a new perspective on the use of image and art in conveying ideas and emotions and building bridges of communication between cultures.
The participation of student Kristal Hebshi in the award jury is a distinguished international experience, which allowed her to interact with students from different Mediterranean universities, participate in evaluating cinematic works at one of the most prominent global film festivals, and engage in a cultural dialogue that brought together multiple experiences and viewpoints.
She affirmed that her participation in the jury was an important international experience, expressing her pride in representing Amman Ahliya University and Jordan, alongside representing her home country Lebanon, and contributing to conveying the Arab perspective within this international film forum.
