2026 Official Feature Films Jury
Discover the Feature Films jury members for the 2026 edition’s awards.
Faisal BALTYUOR
Producer and CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation
Saudi Arabia
Faisal Baltyuor is a pioneering Saudi producer and executive currently serving as CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation. A key architect of Saudi Arabia's evolving film industry, he brings over two decades of experience in film production, animation, distribution, and cultural leadership. Prior to the Foundation, he founded CineWaves Films, one of the Kingdom's fastest-growing distributors. His credits include The Perfect Candidate, Sattar, Goodbye Julia, Hijra and Sink, spanning both commercial hits and acclaimed titles.
His films have been selected and showcased at leading international film festivals, including Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. As CEO, Faisal drives the Foundation's mission to champion emerging talent and bold voices across Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
Mònica GARCIA MASSAGUÉ
General Manager of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia
Spain
General Manager of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia since 2015, she has over two decades of experience in the film industry. She began her career in the festival sector in 2004 as Head of Communications at Sitges, where she contributed to positioning the festival as a key international benchmark in fantastic cinema. She later broadened her expertise in international audiovisual promotion, connecting filmmakers and productions to global markets, as well as in the evaluation of film festivals, providing strategic insight into their impact and positioning.
At Sitges, she oversees the festival’s industry program, fostering collaboration between creators, producers, distributors and emerging talent. She has designed and led internationally oriented projects such as Sitges Cocoon, a platform exploring the convergence of technology and audiovisual production, and WomanInFan, a pioneering initiative dedicated to increasing the visibility and participation of women creators in fantastic cinema.
Maïlys VALLADE
Director, Screenwriter, Storyboard Artist, Animator, Concept Author
France
Maïlys is a director, screenwriter, storyboard artist, animator and concept author of characters and settings for 2D and stop-motion animation films.
She has been working for 16 years in the animation industry in particular on independent animation feature films, such as: Adama, Ernest & Celestine, The Little Prince, Long Way North, A man died, I Lost My Body, The Swallows of Kabul, Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary, Séraphine and Fleur, mostly as storyboard artist, but also in set and character design as well as development, and several times as co-author.
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, 2026 Academy Awards nominee, is her first feature film as director and screenwriter.