Ali Rez and Rita El Hachem Named First Ever Clios Jury Chairs from the Middle East

Clio Awards have announced their jury chairs for 2024, and the Middle East will be represented for the first time in the event’s 65-year history by two individuals from the region: Rita El Hachem, executive producer and partner at Stoked Films, and Ali Rez, chief creative officer at IMPACT BBDO.

IMPACT BBDO was the leading creative agency at the Clios in 2023 from the Middle East region, winning a Grand Clio for AnNahar’s “Newspapers Inside the Newspaper.” The agency also picked up a Clio in Film for the EBM “Schoolgirl Newscasters” campaign. Stoked Films is an award winning production company with offices in Lebanon, UAE, KSA and Qatar, who produce short films, commercials, TV and Digital content, as well as innovative and creative activations across the Middle East. 

Ali’s nomination as Clio jury chair follows his earlier appointment in 2023 as the Middle East’s first jury president in Cannes Lions’ 70-year history, a momentous step for the region, now repeated at the Clios.

Speaking on the news, Rita El Hachem commented, “First time I held our own Clio award in 2018 and felt its imposing weight and stature in my hands, I was overwhelmed with a mixture of elation and pride. Now that I have been invited to chair the Film Craft Production Design Jury, I feel honoured and humbled to judge the Clio Awards 2024 along with some of the brightest of our industry. I am excited to see the best of the work in the world and consider it with my fellow jurors.”

Ali Rez said, “The Clios have always been a benchmark for creative excellence globally, and I am very proud to represent the UAE and Middle East alongside Rita as the first jury chairs from the region at this prestigious show. A Clio was my first award ever way back as an advertising student, and it’s an emotional moment to be nominated to this position today. Thank you to Dani Richa and David Lubars for all the support, and to the Clios team.”

Clio Awards are now open for entries, with a final deadline of February 2, 2024. Results will be announced in April, with Grand Clio winners invited to the awards ceremony on May 1 in New York City.