The Amman International Film Festival—Awal Film, Jordan's first global film festival that showcases Arab and international productions, kicked off its fifth edition on July 3rd, 2024.
The festival's launch was held at Al-Hussein Cultural Center in the heart of the Jordanian capital, Amman. This year’s edition is themed "Our Stories, Our Narratives" and aims to bring the voices and stories of Arab filmmakers to the world. Jordan’s Princess Rym Ali, the founder and president of the festival, presented an opening speech where she said: "Let us tell our stories to the world, there is no more important time than now to share our diverse stories as we witness the distortion of narratives and high disinformation."
(Princess Rym Ali; Photo credit: Amman Film Festival Instagram)
The opening ceremony also featured the screening of short film, "No," which was part of a collection of 22 short films that were shot over the past several months in Gaza during the ongoing war.
This year, 50 films were shown in the festival, including documentaries, comedies, and short titles. In addition to screenings, the Amman International Film Festival includes events, such as master classes, seminars, and pitching sessions. This fifth edition featured a master class with prominent Tunisian actor Dhafer L’Abidine and Egyptian actress Bushra Rozza where they shared their acting journeys, the challenges they faced, and how they managed rejection. Other big names were invited to the festival as well, including Alana Hadid (the second oldest Hadid sister) and Hiam Abbess, known for her role in the HBO's hit series: Succession, and Blade Runner 2049.
(Hiam Abbess at the master class; Photo credit: Amman Film Festival Instagram)
The festival first launched in 2020 and is organized under the umbrella of Jordan's Royal Film Commission. According to HRH Princess Rym Ali, the festival’s goal is to "develop and promote an Arab cinema that reflects the creativity of the region and tackles the issues that are prevalent today." One of the festival's most unique features is its focus on first-time films. It is also entirely sponsored by Jordanian public and private sectors.
(Princess Rym with her husband Prince Ali of Jordan and their children; Photo credit: Amman Film Festival Instagram)
The festival was held from July 3rd until July 11th in the Abdali Boulevard district of Amman, a vibrant pedestrian-focused area in the capital’s downtown that is filled with restaurants, shops, and hotels.
For more information about the festival, be sure to visit Amman International Film Festival's website.