Short films at the International Film Festival (IFF) Art Film will be judged by Polish film historian and film culture promoter Maciej Gil, Palestinian-Danish director Mohammed Almughanni and Slovak documentary filmmaker Barbora Sliepková. The 32nd edition of the festival will take place from 19 to 25 June 2026 in Košice.
The International Short Film Competition provides a platform for short films of various genres and countries of origin. The jury awards the main prize for the best short film. Each year, the section presents dozens of short works that offer a concentrated cinematic experience and often serve as a springboard for emerging filmmakers.
“For the short film jury, we were looking for personalities who know short film from different angles. Maciej Gil is a film historian who has spent decades building film culture and running cinemas and festivals. Mohammed Almughanni is a director whose short films have won awards at festivals in Ji.hlava, Clermont-Ferrand and at IDFA. And Barbora Sliepková is one of the most talented young Slovak documentary filmmakers — her feature debut Lines won the main prize at Ji.hlava,” said the festival’s artistic director Martin Palúch.
Maciej Gil — film historian and film culture promoter
Maciej Gil (Poland) is a film historian, film educator and a long-standing promoter of film culture. From 2006 to 2012, he headed the Polish Federation of Film Discussion Clubs (DKF), one of the oldest film education organisations in the country. From 2005 to 2015, he served as the programme director of the Kino na Granicy festival in Cieszyn, a cross-border Polish-Czech film event.
He has received the Polish Film Institute Award three times for his work in film culture. He also teaches at the Academy of Polish Film and at the AMA Film Academy.
Mohammed Almughanni — a director bridging the Middle East and Europe
Mohammed Almughanni (Palestine/Poland) is a director and screenwriter. Originally from Gaza, he studied at the prestigious Łódź Film School in Poland, where he completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He currently lives and works in Denmark.
In his documentary and narrative films, he explores themes of identity, displacement and human resilience. His best-known works include the documentary Shujayya and the short films Blacklisted, Son of the Streets, Falafala and An Orange from Jaffa. His films have been screened and awarded at festivals including Ji.hlava (2020), IDFA in Amsterdam (2023) and Clermont-Ferrand (2024). In 2024, he also received the Prince Claus Fund award, a Dutch foundation supporting culture and development.
Barbora Sliepková — one of the most talented Slovak documentary filmmakers
Barbora Sliepková (b. 1993, Slovakia) is a documentary director and a graduate of documentary directing at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. While still a student, she attracted attention with her film About My Sister (2016), which won both the jury prize and the audience award at the Febiofest festival.
Her feature debut Lines (2021) achieved remarkable international success — at the prestigious Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, it won the main competition prize, the best debut award and the sound design award. The film was also screened at other international festivals. She is currently working on a new project titled Wasteland Chronicles.
Jury facts
The short film jury at IFF Art Film 2026 brings together three distinct perspectives. Maciej Gil knows short film from the position of a festival organiser and cinema operator — he understands how films work in contact with audiences. Mohammed Almughanni is an active filmmaker whose short films have travelled to dozens of festivals from Ji.hlava to Clermont-Ferrand. And Barbora Sliepková represents a new generation of Central European filmmakers — her debut Lines won three awards at Ji.hlava, an exceptional achievement for a first feature. An interesting aspect of the jury is also its international dimension: Gil from Poland exemplifies cross-border film cooperation (the Kino na Granicy festival on the Polish-Czech border), Almughanni connects Palestinian roots with European film education, and Sliepková represents Slovak documentary film, which has been achieving significant international success in recent years.
The International Short Film Competition is one of three competitive sections at the film festival in Košice. The 32nd edition of IFF Art Film will take place from 19 to 25 June 2026. More information and cinepasses are available at www.iffartfilm.com.
The 32nd edition of IFF ART FILM is supported by:
Main organizer: ART FILM FEST s.r.o.;
Co-organizers: City of Košice, K13 – Košice Cultural Centres, Visit Košice, ART FILM FEST, n.o.;
The project was co-financed by the Košice Self-Governing Region through the Terra Incognita programme;
Main partner: CODES Brand House;
Automotive partner: AUTO-VALAS;
Official hotel: Hotel Yasmin;
Main media partners: TV JOJ, Pravda, Eurotelevízia;
Sponsors: U. S. Steel Košice, ANTIK Telecom, Kino Úsmev, LOKO TRANS Media, CORE Labs, Technical University of Košice;
Technological partners: NOV, ZEBRA, Deutsche Telekom Systems Solutions Slovakia, DELTA OnLine, ARICOMA;
Official suppliers: DKC Veritas, PLOOM, DOMOS SLOVAKIA, Reštaurácia Contessa, Julius Meinl;
Media partners: JOJ play, JOJ 24, Film Europe Media Company, Rádio KOŠICE, Aktuality.sk, Forbes, Startitup.sk, Korzár, Slovenka, SITA, TASR, Mediaboard, AHOJ TV, See & Go, Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze – ČSFD, Filmsk.sk, BigMedia, Kino Sterio, Košice City Guide, Košice V Skratke, MOJAkultura.sk, diva.sk, koktejl.sk, zenskyweb.sk;
Partners: JOJ Cinema, Jojko, DDDental, Taper, ECO Technologies, Košice Airport, CPK Transport, Kvety Garomi, Hair Factory Košice, MIHYRING;
Gastronomy partners: Pub u Kohúta, OhniskO Fire Dining & Brew Bar, MAIKO SUSHI, El Nacional, Tabačka Kulturfabrik, Casa Trade – Casablanca cafe.
