Jury for the IDFA Award for Best First Feature

Ali Essafi was born and raised in Morocco, studied psychology in France then entered the world of filmmaking. His works as a director include Le silence des champs de betteraves (1998), Général, nous voilà (1999), Ouarzazate Movie (2001), and Sheikhates Blues (2004), which have been widely screened on the international circuit.

Returning to Morocco, he embarked on a lengthy exploration of North African film & visual archives. This research has been transformed into films, installations, and publications. His film Crossing the Seventh Gate premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2017 and his most recent one Before the Dying of the Light premiered at IDFA in 2020. Ali Essafi is a member of several art & cinema organizations including the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.  

Heather Haynes is a cultural leader, curator, and the former Director of Programming at Hot Docs. Over nearly two decades she championed bold storytelling, global perspectives, and an unwavering belief in the power of independent documentary to spark dialogue, inspire change, and deepen our shared humanity. Committed to the voices behind the camera, Haynes has spent her career fostering meaningful relationships with filmmakers, grounded in trust, care, and mutual respect. Her curatorial approach is informed by a passion for thoughtful, socially engaged cinema and a belief in the vital role of documentary in shaping culture and understanding. 

With extensive experience across Latin America and a longstanding focus on human rights and inclusion, she has collaborated with filmmakers around the world through pitch forums, juries, labs, and markets. She has served as a recommender for Chicken & Egg Pictures’ (Egg)celerator Lab and has programmed for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, imagineNATIVE, and aluCine. 

Rosa Spaliviero is a producer who supports innovative cinema with a strong social or political dimension and with a unique aesthetic approach. With a background in production management and experience of programming film festivals and curating artistic practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Mozambique, she co-founded Twenty Nine Studio & Production with artist Sammy Baloji in 2017. The company works internationally and is based in Brussels. Twenty Nine combines art and cinema expertise, particularly between Africa and Europe, and believes in the importance of inclusivity and mutual collaboration.

Her recent filmography as producer includes L’arbre de l’authenticité by Sammy Baloji (IFFR 2025 Jury Prize), Liti Liti by Mamadou Khouma Gueye (Visions du Réel 2025), Kouté vwa by Maxime Jean-Baptiste (Locarno 2024) and Tongo saa/Rising Up at Night by Nelson Makengo (Berlinale Panorama 2024). Rosa Spaliviero is a member of the EURODOC network and participated in the EAVE Producers Workshop in 2025.