Jury Insights – Interview with May Baroudi

The next "Jury Insights" conversation features May Baroudi, Head of Production at Gen Plus, who joins this year's Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards jury.

With an award-winning career spanning film, television, and digital content, May currently serves as Head of Production at Gen Plus in Riyadh, after previously leading a team as Senior Director and Head of Production at VICE KSA. She also spearheaded the launch of CNN Business Arabic and served on the jury for the 2024 and 2025 US International Awards.

In this discussion, she highlights the bold, platform-native risks observed in this year's entries and discusses why the most impactful films are those that resonate with the viewer's attention, emotions, and thoughts. She also explores what causes a corporate film to stay with the audience after judging ends and argues that finance and tech are the industries most in need of a storytelling approach that reflects their rapid evolution.

“What keeps a film in your mind after the judging is often the honesty and simplicity of the storytelling.” – May Baroudi

Q: Can you tell us a little about your professional journey? What has been the most defining moment of your career so far?

My career has evolved in broadcast, digital and branded content roles in the MENA region, from early production and post-production roles to leadership roles in studios and teams.

I have been Head of Video Production at Motivate Media Group, Senior Director and Head of Production at VICE KSA and I’m now Head of Production at Naf Plus in Riyadh. I’ve also worked as a consultant for Snap Inc. on platform-native Originals.

The most defining moments of my career include my time at Snap Inc., where I pioneered 9:16 Originals for Snapchat in the MENA region, and my leadership in production at Naf Plus and VICE in Saudi Arabia. I was fortunate to be part of the region’s transition to new storytelling formats, which align with Vision 2030 and the major initiatives of Public Investment Fund (PIF) companies.

Q: Has participating in the jury changed the way you view your own work or the industry?

Every year brings its flavour, and this year felt as exciting, if not more than the previous year. I loved how filmmakers leaned into bold risks and platform-native thinking. Short-form, human-first stories landed with real warmth; brands trusted subtlety over shouting; and there was an energy to experiments with pacing, sound and different formats and campaigns). Overall it felt fresher and more confident a mix of polished craft and playful curiosity that made judging genuinely fun.

Q: In your view, what distinguishes a good entry from an award-winning one?

How well it hits you and grabs your attention, emotion and mind; if it leaves a mark, it means it did its job. Aesthetics help, but it's more how it serves the story than the other way around.

Q: What does a corporate film need to have for it to stay in your mind long after the judging is over?

For me it’s a few things coming together: an engaging plot, a compelling human story or insight, clear strategic goals, and strong creative language—visually and in sound design. What keeps a film in your mind after the judging is often the honesty and simplicity of the storytelling, supported by the technical craft that makes it work.

Q: If you could see one industry (e.g. Finance, Tech, Pharma) completely reinvent the way it tells its stories, which would it be—and why?

Finance and tech, no question. The way we create, move, and conceptualize money is evolving faster than the storytelling around it. What seemed irrelevant or even absurd a decade ago is now the bedrock of both industries. AI will supplant much of what we still regard as normal. But the films emerging from these sectors still share the same visual language.

Q: As a jury member, what do you believe is the true value of awards, and why are platforms like the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards important for the industry?

Awards allow benchmarking and set higher creative and technical standards, while recognizing work that pushes craft and strategy. Platforms like Cannes create visibility, spark learning across markets and bring together creators, clients and buyers – which accelerate the growth of the industry and elevate the quality bar.