27.03.2025

Go Short Jury introduction

The International Short Film Festival Nijmegen proudly presents this year’s jury. This diverse group of professionals—a mix of renowned film critics and promising emerging talents—reviews the submissions to select the best short films across the different competition categories.

For the Dutch Competition and the New Arrivals Competition, a four-member jury has been appointed. The New Arrivals Competition is specifically aimed at film students from around the world, providing a platform for the next generation of filmmakers. The European Competition is also judged by a four-member jury, which pays close attention to both artistic originality and technical excellence.

As in previous years, there is also a Youth Jury and a Seniors Jury. Each of these special juries brings its own perspective: the Youth Jury offers a fresh, youthful view on film, while the Seniors Jury draws on a wealth of life experience and film knowledge.

At the bottom of this page you will find the three jury members of the Dutch Short Film Pitch. They review five films in development and five in production, looking for fresh ideas and strong film plans.

Thanks to this broad and diverse composition, the festival can rely on a careful, balanced, and inspiring evaluation, ensuring that both innovative and established voices in the film world are fully represented.

Competition Jury

Annina Wettstein

European Jury

Annina Wettstein is a programmer, curator, and advisor on festival and international distribution strategies, as well as a moderator and researcher, based in Zurich.

For nearly twenty years, she has worked in various roles with European film festivals. She has served as a programmer for Rotterdam, a delegate for San Sebastián, and the head programmer of SCANORAMA (Lithuania). She also regularly participates in juries and film funding committees.

In addition, she is the Head of the Screening and Cinema program at the FOCAL Foundation for Professional Training in Cinema and Audiovisual Media, a board member of the Fantoche Animation Film Festival, and a member of both the European and Swiss Film Academies. Since 2018, Wettstein has been part of the selection committee for DOK Leipzig.

001 Annina Wettstein (Credits Susann Jehnichen)

Greg de Cuir Jr

European Jury

Greg de Cuir Jr is the co-founder and artistic director of the Kinopravda Institute in Belgrade.

He has curated programs for institutions including the Locarno Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, the Austrian Film Museum, Metrograph, Eye Filmmuseum, TIFF Cinematheque, and many others.

His writing has been published in Cineaste, Millennium Film Journal, Jump Cut, Found Footage Magazine, and numerous anthologies and catalogues. Previously, De Cuir worked as a selector and organizer at Alternative Film Video in Belgrade.

Zuza Banasińska

European Jury

Zuza Banasińska is an artist and filmmaker from Warsaw, based in Amsterdam. Working at the intersection of documentary and fiction, Banasińska draws on archives and speculative narratives to explore how images shape inheritance, subjectivity, and power.

Their films have been shown internationally at festivals such as the Berlinale, International Film Festival Rotterdam, the New York Film Festival, and Visions du Réel. The film Grandmamauntsistercat was selected for over 100 festivals, won 14 awards—including the Teddy Award at the 74th Berlinale—and was nominated for the European Film Award.

Pedro Segura

European Jury

Pedro Segura is a Mexican programmer, film critic, and distributor. He is the co-founder of the distribution company La Ola Cine. He is currently part of the programming teams of Ambulante and Reykjavik IFF. Previously, he has been a member of the programming teams of Berlin Critics’ Week, FICMonterrey, Tijuana FF, and Black Canvas IFF.

His critical writing has been published in specialized outlets such as MUBI Notebook, Cinema Scope, Film Comment, and Filmmaker, as well as in festival publications from Viennale, Locarno, among others. He has served as a jury member at international film festivals such as Mar del Plata, Dokufest, Jihlava, Vienna Shorts, IndieLisboa, BIEFF, and many others. In 2024, he was included in Screen Daily’s Future Leaders list for programmers and curators.

Flora van Gaalen

Dutch & New Arrivals Jury

Flora van Gaalen works as Head of Programme at Nieuwe Instituut, the Dutch museum and institute for architecture, design, and digital culture. Driven by the goal of contributing to socially and ecologically just futures, she focuses on bringing together diverse voices and disciplines, exploring what it means to be a cultural testing ground.

Van Gaalen initiated the public program Thursday Night Live! and contributed to exhibitions such as The Hoodie (2020), For the Record (2021), MVRDVHNI Het Podium (2022), Submerged Heritage (2023–2025), and FUNGI. Anarchist Designers (2025). Before joining Nieuwe Instituut, she worked at Premsela, Institute for Design and Fashion, and at ARCAM, the Architecture Centre Amsterdam.

Catherine Colas

Dutch & New Arrivals Jury

Catherine Colas studied literature and theater studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. In addition to her studies, she trained as an actress and later led her own theater company. In 1995, she began working for ARTE, mainly for the film department, the magazine Metropolis, and as a production manager for documentaries.

From 2001 to 2006, Colas worked in the cultural department of the Institut Français in Germany. Since 2007, she has been working for ZDF/ARTE as a commissioning editor for short and debut films and is responsible for the weekly short film magazine Kurzschluss.

Daniel Asadi Faezi

Dutch & New Arrivals Jury

Daniel Asadi Faezi is a filmmaker based in Munich. He studied directing at the University of Television and Film Munich and at the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan.

His films have been screened and awarded at numerous film festivals, including the Berlinale, Locarno, IDFA, Visions du Réel, DOK Leipzig, and the BFI London Film Festival. He is an alumnus of DAAD, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, and Berlinale Talents.

Currently, Daniel Asadi Faezi is working with Mila Zhluktenko on his debut feature-length documentary. The duo previously co-directed the short films Aralkum (2022), waking up in silence (2023), and in retrospect (2025).

Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck

Dutch & New Arrivals Jury

Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck is the head of Berlinale Shorts, the competition for short films at the Berlinale.

She works with the moving image in various ways: for 20 years, she has been active as a programmer (Filmwinter Stuttgart, Kasseler Dokfest, ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, etc), moderator (Pictoplasma, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, etc), jury member and panel participant. From 2007 to 2019, she served as a member of the selection committee for Berlinale Shorts. Her primary focus is on the short film format.

In addition, she conceives and realises video installations for exhibitions, stage works and concerts. She teaches film theory and video practice at various art schools.

Youth Jury

Ladan Aden

Youth Jury

I’m 19 years old and I am doing an internship at new rootz. I study social work at the koning Willem 1 college in Oss.

Mariam Al-Bala'a

Youth Jury

Hey, my name is Mariam Al-Bala’a. A youth coach working at New Rootz. I think, breathe and feel in film. Fantasy and dumb action movies always cheer me up on the sad days and I can’t wait to view and judge new and interesting films!

Nimrah Kamlag

Youth Jury

Hi, I’m Nimrah Kamlag and I’m a student. I enjoy films from imaginative to darker genres. I’m drawn to stories with complexity, layers and meaning. I appreciate films that stay with you after they end, but also love ones that are fun and uplifting. I’m excited to be part of the jury and discover new perspectives.

Saad Dallow

Youth Jury

Hi, my name is Saad. I am a student at Ponten College, and I am learning Dutch right now. I like action movies, but not all of them. I especially like them when they have a really exciting story. I also like comedy movies. I would like to be there and tell you what I think about these movies.

Xenna Alexandra Frans

Youth Jury

I’m Xenna, and I’m an International Social Work student. I love watching movies that bring out my emotions, whether that be sadness, happiness, anger, etc. Especially when I leave the movie theater still thinking about what I just saw. As part of the youth jury, I’m excited to share my perspective and discover new movies.

Iqra Maalim

Youth Jury

I’m Iqra Maalim, a first-year Public Administration student and volunteer at New Rootz. I’m drawn to films that feel real and socially relevant stories that show how people live, struggle, and support each other. I especially appreciate emotional depth, diverse perspectives, and visuals that strengthen the message. As part of the youth jury, I’m excited to share my perspective and discover films that truly stay with you.

Shaima Azdad

Youth Jury

My name is Shaima and I’m a student. I’m drawn to films with real depth, the kind that quietly stay with you long after the credits roll. I love stories that carry meaning beneath the surface and visuals that speak just as loudly as the dialogue. Being part of the youth jury feels like a chance to explore powerful new voices and discover films that leave a lasting mark.

Senior Jury

Lenny Brocks

Senior Jury

Ineke Hadderingh

Senior Jury

Donné Fleuren

Senior Jury

Whatsapp Image 2026 03 17 At 09.35.41 (1)

Tilly Swaans

Senior Jury

Nilda Celestijn & Stanley Celestijn

Senior Jury's

Dutch Short Film Pitch Jury

Dorien van de Pas

Dutch Short Film Pitch Jury

Dorien van de Pas began her career as a programmer at Filmtheater ’t Hoogt in Utrecht. She was subsequently involved with the distribution company Meteor Film, the art-house label of Polygram Filmed Entertainment. She went on to work at the Stimuleringsfonds Culturele Omroepproducties (later known as the Mediafund) and the Netherlands Film Fund.

At the Film Fund, she served as Head of Feature Film, Talent Development Consultant, and was instrumental in establishing a new department: New Screen NL, which focused on talent development and innovation. She also served for 13 years as the Dutch delegate for Eurimages, the European Co-production Fund and is still an expert for Eurimages.

Since November 2021, she has been working as an independent creative consultant in the audiovisual industry and cultural sector under the name Dial M creative consultancy. She works as an advisor for various national and international film- and cultural funds, as a coach/mentor for makers, she is consultant for projects and helps producers to apply at Funds and works as a chair/moderator for selectioncommittees or for a worksession.

Lorenzo Meloni

Dutch Short Film Pitch Jury

Lorenzo Meloni works as a film critic for numerous Italian publications, including the blog of the Cineteca di Bologna. He is currently conducting a PhD on the theatrical distribution of repertory films. Starting in 2025, he works as a Short Film Advisor for the Venice Film Festival in Italy.

Wouter Jansen

Dutch Short Film Pitch Jury

Wouter Jansen is the founder of the sales company Square Eyes. The company represents bold, author-driven features and shorts, and in close collaboration with the filmmakers it devises bespoke festival distribution and sales strategies. In the past Wouter has worked for 10 years as the head of program at Go Short ISFF. He is an expert for Locarno Open Doors and First Cut Lab, regularly gives lectures at film schools and festivals, engages in selection committees for funding bodies and industry programs.